Five on Friday

Happy Friday! Last Saturday my husband and I got up at 4:45 AM so we could drive over 3 hours to pick our son up from Boy Scout camp since pickup was at 9 AM. We then turned around and drove 3+ hours home! What a morning! But we had most of the day left when we got back home. In other exciting news, my daughter got her first job! She’s working at our local Shoprite in the Shop From Home Dept. We are all happy that she will be making money to support her expensive teenage lifestyle! Here are five from this week:

1. Trader Joe’s– A Trader Joe’s opened last week and it’s only about 15 minutes away. While I didn’t go opening day, my daughter and I did stop by Saturday night and picked some things up. Would love to know your TJ favorites!

2. Brunch at Goosefeather – Sunday my husband and I were hosted for brunch at Goosefeather in Tarrytown. This is celebrity chef Dale Talde’s Westchester County restaurant. Everything was delicious but this shrimp toast was one of my faves.

3. Reading – This week I finished reading Other People’s Houses by Abby Waxman. It was an enjoyable read about a suburban neighborhood and the secrets of a group of families.

4. Cooking – This week I made Halloumi Hummus Bowls, but used feta since I couldn’t find Halloumi at my Shoprite. Crispy Gnocchi and Tomato Panzanella Salad was also tasty. I called it Crispy Gnocchi Caprese when the kids asked what was for dinner. I also made Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas and our quick and easy dinner was pierogies with roasted broccoli.

5. Watching – Saturday night we watched Morbius and it was pretty bad! 

I’ve also been watching Vanderpump Rules on Hulu. I watched this show when it first came out on Bravo but never watched all the seasons. I’ve started over from the beginning. It’s pretty bad and it’s so staged, but somehow I’m still watching.

6. Eating – We devoured these Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups. It was only 99 cents for the bag! 

My daughter also picked out these Bamba puffed corn peanut snacks that are dipped in dark chocolate. These disappeared quickly as well!

7. Drinking – MIZO hard lemonade pouches. Don’t these remind you of the Capri Suns from childhood? These are definitely not kid-friendly! I wrote about these for Guilty Eats and was sent samples. I’ve only tried the Blackberry Lychee so far. They aren’t bad! They are sweet and the alcohol flavor isn’t strong.

ICYMI – This week on the blog:

Thursday I posted about the return of Brunch at Goosefeather.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Hello Weekend! It was scorching this week with temps in the mid-90’s! I did not walk at all during my lunch break this week. We dropped my son off at Camp Read Boy Scout camp on Sunday where he’s been for the week. We have no communication with him, so I’m really hoping he’s had a good week. We get up super early tomorrow to go pick him up and we’ll find out then! Here are five from this week:

1. Birthday Dinner – Saturday the four of us went out to dinner for my son’s birthday. The final celebration! He wanted dumplings and Dairy Queen….such a teen! So we went to Palace Dumplings, our favorite dumpling restaurant. After we went to Dairy Queen and he got a Caramel Cheesecake Blizzard and pretzels in cheese sauce.

2. Saratoga Spa State Park- Sunday on the way home from dropping our son off at camp, my husband and I stopped at Saratoga Spa State Park. It was nice to walk and stretch our legs for a bit and we got to visit some of the mineral springs in the park and taste the water (not good in my opinion!).

3. Reading – This week I finished reading Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen. It was a quick, okay read.

4. Cooking – This Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Salmon was really good! We made Parmesan Spinach Couscous to serve with it and spooned the extra sauce on top. These Smoky Shiitake Quesadillas With Avocado Cream were also really good! We made them using regular mushrooms.

5. Watching – I haven’t watched a lot of TV this week. I watched the second episode of The Bachelorette and my husband and I are almost caught up on Only Murders in the Building. 

6. Eating – After our drive to and from camp on Sunday night we were too exhausted to cook. We ordered Thai takeout from Bangkok Spice. We enjoyed this Pad Thai, fried calamari, vegetable red curry and pineapple fried rice. We hadn’t had Thai in so long and it was so good!

ICYMI – This week on the blog:

Thursday I posted about Two Way Brewing Company.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! I cannot believe how quickly the summer is flying by! This week my son turned 14. He’s been taller than me for awhile but this weekend we realized he’s the same height as my husband! We were all surprised and questioned when that happened!! This weekend we are going to go out to eat as a family for his birthday and then Sunday we drop him off to Boy Scout camp for a week. Here are five from this week:

1. Family birthday celebration – Sunday we had family over to celebrate my son’s birthday. We went with a brunch theme since breakfast is his favorite. I made this Blueberry French Toast Casserole, a Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole and we had a bagel platter with cream cheese and lox (his request). 

2. Hastings-on-Hudson– Saturday morning my husband and I got up early and visited a new to us town in Westchester County, Hastings-on-Hudson. We started our day at the Farmers Market and then visited Clockwork Records. I got a lobster roll from Bread and Brine. Then we walked around the town for a bit and ended our visit at Penny Lick Ice Cream. It’s fun exploring new towns in our area and hope to plan more of these days.

3. Reading – This week I finished reading The Great Believers by Rebecca Makai. This was a slow read that felt like it took me forever to finish. It’s about a group of friends in Chicago during the AIDS crisis in the 80’s. Not a light summer read!

4. Cooking – this week’s dinners included this Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry, breakfast burritos and BBQ Tofu Tostadas. 

5. Watching – Saturday my husband and I watched the movie Turning Red. This is Pixar’s first film that was solely directed by a woman. It was a cute film.

I finished The Bear on Hulu and started watching the newest season of The Bachelorette. It’s been a couple of seasons since I watched The Bachelor/The Bachelorette so I’m not familiar with Gabby or Rachel. But I can already tell having two Bachelorettes is going to be a disaster.

6. Friend Birthday Celebration – Yesterday my son had a small friends get together at Spins Hudson to celebrate his birthday. They went to the arcade and had some pizza. Nothing huge and not an organized party through the venue. It was a much more casual teen get-together.

7. Summer League – This week I was at the fields every night Sunday through Thursday for either a soccer or a field hockey game! I enjoy watching the kids play and this is great practice for the fall sports season. I felt bad for them since it was so hot this week!

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I shared my June reads.

Thursday I shared Where to Find a Lobster Roll in Westchester County.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Hello Friday! This was the first official week of summer. I have shortened work hours, woo-hoo and although we don’t have any major vacations planned since we recently went on the cruise and traveled to Miami, I am planning on making the most of the time that we do have! The kids are done with school and currently have the next few weeks of nothing. We are heading up to Rhode Island this weekend for our annual 4th of July celebration with my family. Here are five from this week:

1. The Academy –  The Academy, a new food and drink establishment will be opening soon in Poughkeepise. Last weekend I attended a grand opening event and this place is going to be amazing when it officially opens in a few weeks!

2. Black Creek Preserve – Saturday we also took a short hike at Black Creek Preserve. I love the suspension bridge! And the trail takes you to the Hudson River. The last time we were here was back in November when it was cold and dreary. 

3. Reading – This week I finished reading The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano. I enjoy reading fictional books about cooking and food. I just didn’t think this one needed all the religious references.

4. Cooking – This week we enjoyed these Mexican Street Corn Bowls. My husband loved the street corn! Tonight we are having this Corn Peach Pizza. These are both great recipes for corn season!

5. Watching – Saturday night we started watching Loot on Apple TV. It’s a fun 30 minute comedy and I can see us finishing this series soon.

6. The Edge VR – Wednesday night we visited The Edge VR. They invited us to try out their virtual reality venue. It was such a fun and unique experience! Full post coming soon.

7. Patio Set – We bought a patio set from Home Depot that was delivered last week. My husband had to assemble it, which he completed last weekend. I’ve been out on the deck during my spare time reading and even eating. I even typed this blog post out on the deck!

8. Lasdon Park – with summer work hours I’m trying to make the most of my afternoons. I visited Lasdon Park earlier this week on my way home. I love the gardens!

9. Eating – Wednesday while we were in Croton-on-Hudson we visited The Blue Pig for ice cream after our VR session. I didn’t think I wanted anything but when my husband’s strawberry rhubarb sundae arrived we all dug in! It was so good topped with their homemade vanilla bean ice cream.

When we were at The Academy grand opening they had a cotton candy artist. I think I was the only adult on line but I had to get this unicorn! Cotton candy isn’t just for kids!

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I posted about the opening of The Academy.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Hello Friday! I didn’t have a post last week since it was such a busy one. So lots to catch up on today! This week the kids had their last finals and regents’ and are officially finished with school! Here are five from this week:

1. Cirque du Soleil  – Last Thursday I had media tickets to see Cirque du Soleil Crystal. This is their only show that takes place on ice. If you’ve never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, I highly recommend. They are filled with amazing talent!

2. Menopause the Musical – Friday I had media tickets for Menopause the Musical, which is playing at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center through tomorrow. Fortunately, I’m not experiencing menopause yet, but it was a fun show.

3. Reading – This week I haven’t finished reading anything. But last week I finished listening to I Kissed Shara Wheeler on book on CD. I feel like this has gotten rave reviews, but I thought it was just an okay listen. 

4. Cooking – This week I made these Portobello French Dips with Horseradish Aioli. As mushroom lovers, my husband and I thought these were sooo good! 

5. Watching – Last weekend we watched the original Top Gun as a family. My daughter saw the new Top Gun sequel and loved it, so we thought she should see the first one. Now she is adamant that my husband and I go see Top Gun: Maverick.

6. Moving Up – Yesterday my son “graduated” from 8th grade and had his moving up ceremony. I can’t believe this September I will have two kids in high school!

7. Summer Leagues – My kids are both participating in summer sports leagues in preparation for the fall. Field hockey for my daughter and soccer for my son. The leagues started last week so they are playing games a couple nights a week.

8. NY Boulders Game – For Father’s Day my husband wanted to go to a local baseball game. The Renegades weren’t playing at home so we went to a NY Boulders game. We ended up going Saturday night since my son had a soccer game on Sunday. We didn’t realize it was going to be so cold! We were freezing but stayed until the end, when the Boulders had a winning run in the bottom of the 9th.

9. Miami – How did I almost forget about our trip to Miami for my brother-in-law’s wedding?!! It was a whirlwind couple of days and my son ended up getting sick and was not able to attend the wedding. But it was a beautiful ceremony and super fun reception. I wish we were able to stay a couple of extra days to explore Miami, but it was the weekend right before the kids started finals and regents’ so we had to get home.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! Today I am in Miami because my brother-in-law is getting married tomorrow! This wedding has been postponed for two years because of COVID. They ended up getting married over Zoom last January and they are finally getting to celebrate in person with family and friends. It will be a busy but fun couple of days! Here are five from this week:

1. Newburgh: Illuminated– Saturday we drove to my in-laws house to drop off our luggage. They drove down to Miami so we had them bring all of our dress clothes and suitcases. It helped us save on luggage fees and not have to stuff our clothes in a garment bag. While we were up in the Orange County area we stopped at the Newburgh Illuminated Festival. We enjoyed taking a historical bus tour of the city, listened to some live music and walked around a bit. It was very crowded!

2. Eating – When we were up in Newburgh we stopped at Pizza Mia on the way home. We picked up a variety of slices and garlic knots to take home for dinner. This was the first time I had a Detroit style slice and it won’t be my last time! I like the thicker dough and square slices!

Sunday my son had a Boy Scout event at The Castle Fun Center in Chester. So the we took the whole family. After we dropped him off my daughter, husband and I had lunch at Allan’s Falafel. We ordered the falafel deluxe platter and eggplant salad. It was so good!

3. Reading – This week I read Dessert Can Save the World by Christina Tosi. This is a short, memoir/motivational read.

4. Cooking – This week we made Big Flavors From a Tiny Kitchen’s Falafel-Spice Chickpea Flatbreads again. These are quick and easy to make and very tasty!

5. Watching – Friday night we watched the movie Licorice Pizza.  It was an Oscar nominated movie. We also finished watching Stranger Things and have started watching the new episodes of Somebody Feed Phil.

6. Goose Pond Mountain – After lunch we found a short hike in the area. It was very short at only .4 miles. But we saw a rainbow and some birds.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week! It was nice having a long three day weekend last week. A lot of the weekend was spent doing house stuff including power washing the deck and taking care of an unexpected HVAC issue. I also did a bit of shopping in preparation of my brother-in-law’s wedding next weekend. But, we did manage to fit in some fun. Here are five from this week:

1. Dia Beacon – Sunday we went to Dia Beacon. This is a contemporary museum in Beacon, one of my favorite Hudson Valley towns. Even though we’ve been here several times, we took a museum tour for the first time and it was so enlightening!

2. Eating – I treated myself to The Angry Lobster Roll from Wild Fusion. It has tempura shrimp and spicy crabmeat rolled in a soy paper wrapped topped with steamed lobster and an eel and sweet chili sauce.  Very tasty! 

I also enjoyed the stir fried eggplant from P.F. Chang’s. However, the Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts that I also ordered were a bit disappointing.

3. Reading – This week I finished Part Of Your World by Abby Jimenez and it was SO good! I’ve read all her books and I highly recommend them if you like contemporary romance. 

4. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was Grilled Chimichurri Portobellos with Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes. I love mushrooms! And adding goat cheese to mashed potatoes is so delicious!

5. Watching – Of course we started watching the new season of Stranger Things! Anyone else? I also finally finished watching Candy on Hulu this week.

6. Two Way Brewing Company – after the museum we visited a new-to-us brewery, Two Way Brewing, in Beacon. My husband had a beer flight and we ordered some food. We plan on visiting more breweries this summer!

7. Buff City Soap – A Buff City Soap just opened in Mohegan Lake. I visited and picked up two soaps as well as a mystery box. I love the items I received in the box and they all smell sooo good!

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Thursday I shared our Hudson Valley Summer Fun List.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! Is anyone else looking forward to the long weekend? Memorial Day Weekend is the “unofficial” kick-of to the summer. Unfortunately, the weather isn’t looking great for today and tomorrow. So, we didn’t travel to Rhode Island like we normally do. Here are five from this week:

1. Yard cleanup – most of last weekend was spent doing yard work. Yes, it was 90+ degrees last weekend, but when you have a rare, free weekend, you gotta do what you gotta do. It was a lot but I felt so accomplished!

2. Eating – After running errands Saturday night in Danbury, CT we went out to dinner at Edo II. It’s a sushi and Korean restaurant. I had shrimp gobdol (bibimbap hot in a stone bowl). 

3. Reading – I finished The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. It wasn’t my favorite book of hers. Just too many unbelievable situations.

4. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was Ridiculous Baked Gnocchi with Vodka Sauce. I’m saving this for rotation in the fall/winter. It’s a bit of a heavier dish, but it was good!

5. Watching – My husband and I have been watching an episode of Ozark here and there when we have time to watch TV together. I’ve been watching Candy on my own. I can’t believe how Jessica Biel is almost unrecognizable!

6. Letterboxd– Not new, but I don’t think that I’ve shared this site before. I keep track of the movies I watch on Letterboxd. It’s like goodreads, but for movies! 

7. Guilty Eats – I’ve been writing a lot about beverages for Guilty Eats. Here are a few of my recent posts.

4 Cocktail Recipes for Memorial Day Weekend

The Return of MTN DEW Typhoon

Healthier Hydration with Karma Water

Snapple ElemeNFT

8. Spring Band Concert – this week my daughter had her high school band concert. Although they are a small school, their band is so good! The band teacher did a tribute to all the graduating seniors and they really are like a small family.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Hello Friday! So happy to see you! It’s been another long, busy week. I’ve been really looking forward to the weekend! Here are five from this week:

1. Family birthday celebration – Last Sunday we celebrated my daughter’s 16th birthday with the family. It was only a month after her actual birthday! It was nice to have everyone together and we loved getting to see our 6 month old niece again! We made a ham (for the meat eaters) and had a bunch of sides including mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, caprese and zucchini pie.

2. Reading – I recently finished listening to The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen on book on CD. This was a good suspense book that helped make my work commute enjoyable. 

3. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was Millionaire Gnocchi with Herbed Whipped Ricotta. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for the sauce to cook for 35-40 minutes. It ended up being more like 5!

4. Watching – Saturday night we had a family television/movie night. We watched the first episode of The Pentaverate (which we didn’t like) and Senior Year (not as bad as we had expected, didn’t love/hate it). Both are on Netflix. 

5. Ipsy Bag – I subscribe to Ipsy and opt to get a bag every other month. I really like this month’s floral bag! I likely won’t use the eyeshadow primer, since I rarely wear eyeshadow or the lip pencil. My daughter wanted the lip pencil so it’s at least not going to waste. But I will use the concealer, face wash and eye cream. So, overall happy with this month’s bag.

6. Bookly – I keep track of my reading on both goodreads and most recently, Storygraph. However, I’ve just heard of a new reading app called Bookly. It’s a book organizer but also tracks your reading speed and has lots of personalized stats. As an avid reader, I’m tempted. But I’m already using the other two and don’t want to get sucked into another book tracking site/app.

7. Basil Plant – I bought a basil plant at our local grocery store since it ended up being a lot cheaper to buy the large plant versus a small amount of basil. Now, I have to work on keeping it alive! I am notorious for killing basil plants….and almost all other plants.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Wednesday I wrote about the new Chipotle opening in New Rochelle.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend as much as I am! This week was a quiet one in comparison to last week and I’ll take it! Last Friday, we took my daughter and her friends out for hibachi for a belated 16th birthday celebration. This weekend we are having her family birthday celebration and then we are finally done celebrating her turning 16! Here are five from this week:

1. Catskill Animal Sanctuary – For Mother’s Day we went to the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties. This is a farm where more than 200 rescued animals are able to live out their lives. Guests can book a tour and get to meet some of the animals up close. 

2. Eating – Since we were in Saugerties, we HAD to go to Slices on Saugerties to get our favorite slice: the Caprese Grandma slice. 

Then we HAD to go to Alleyway Ice Cream, my favorite ice cream place, where we shared Ube Heath Bar Crunch, Honeycomb Chocolate Swirl and Thai Tea Cookies & Cream (my FAVE!). 

3. Reading – This week I finished Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I recommend this book so much! I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author and she’s quickly becoming a favorite.

4. Cooking – This week one of our favorite dinners was Baked Crispy Shrimp with Dynamite Sauce. I also made tofu for my husband and daughter since they don’t eat seafood.

5. Watching – My husband and I have started watching Ozark on Netflix. I had started this show ages ago but didn’t get into it. We’ve now watched six episodes and I’m hooked! It’s funny how you sometimes have to give shows another try. The rare time I have to watch TV on my own I’ve been watching the new season of Sweet Magnolias.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I shared my April reads.

Sharing with Friday Favorites!  Have a great weekend!