Sunday Summary - 09.18.22
What I read, watched, listened to, learned, and loved this week (& last!)
I was talking to my friend Ashley recently about how the fall season instantly turns me into a homebody. Bryan and I tend to pack our travel into the summer months — maybe it’s a holdover from our school-going days? Or maybe it’s traditionally our slowest time at work? Whatever the reason, we love to take things easy in the fall, and more time spent at home means more time to tackle projects we put off during the summer.
We’ve been in our house a little over 2 years, and we’ve finally knocked out all of the “big necessary stuff” (e.g., new windows, landscaping, insulation, etc.) Now we can focus on making this place feel cozier!
I added some more greenery to our living room with this tree and this small plant to bring more warmth to the space. We also added an 18 foot runner to our hallway and swapped out the single piece of art (that now hangs in the guest room) for two frames and a gallery light. I ordered pictures from our family photo shoot last fall that will fill the frames as soon as they arrive — I still feel like the hallway is missing a little something, so there’s still work to be done, but I love how it looks so far!
Reading
This isn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but it was fantastic nonetheless. The summary on the back of the book made it seem like the whole book would be about a woman hosting a cooking TV show in the 60s, but it is SO much more than that. If you love a strong, female protagonist, don’t mind darker, depressing moments in books, and like feeling really empowered after you read something — look no further.
I talked about this book recently on Instagram, and a lot of you engaged in great discussion around the cost of college, the jobs you had during your college years, and what the future looks like for your hypothetical children’s college costs. I asked all of those questions because of a few chapters in this book! I will admit, this isn’t the most reassuring read about our generation and why we are the way we are, but it does partially explain why I feel the need to be constantly productive and why our generation’s outlook on the future is bleaker than those before us.
I devoured this book in 2 days on a slow weekend. It’s a rom com, as you probably guessed after glancing at the cover for 3 seconds, but the author does an exemplary job of touching on a variety of abusive relationships that often aren’t depicted in Hallmark movies or in books from this genre. It was a really unique take on the whole “big city girl meets small town guy” trope, and I’ve already added the rest of Abby Jimenez’s books to my future reading list because of how much I loved this one. 5 stars!
Cooking
Fun fact: I have an email blast limit on my current Squarespace plan - 5 per month. Since I sent two emails last week, I had to ration my last email for the month to get us back on track. The good news is, distance makes the heart grow fonder and the cooking section grow longer. Here’s what we enjoyed over the last few weeks:
Hatch Green Chili Pork Medallions from The Comfortable Kitchen
A great unique take on a traditional “meat and potatoes” meal that has an insane amount of flavor and makes for great leftovers.
Spiced Chickpeas and Smothered Pita Chips from Cook This Book
One of Bryan’s favorite meals! We use an Istanbul spice mix from Whole Foods, because we can never find the exact spice she calls for in the recipe.
Orzo al Limone from Cook This Book
A onion-y, lemon-y version of cacio e pepe. It’s only like 5 ingredients, and it’s delish.
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch from Half Baked Harvest
An easy set it and forget it meal that is insanely flavorful. I recommend cutting the ranch recipe in half, because it made way more than we needed!
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili from Half Baked Harvest
FYI - This recipe calls for a tablespoon of Apple Butter which is basically just applesauce. We’ll definitely be making this again!
Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas from Half Baked Harvest
One of our favorites! This time I sliced the sweet potatoes a lot thinner than usual, and it made them deliciously crisp.
Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts & Rice from The Defined Dish Cookbook
The recipe tells you to add 2 tablespoons of water to the delicious soy sauce mixture, but I actually recommend 3-4. It allows the sauce to stretch a little farther so you can top your rice with it.
After School Banana Bread from the Magnolia Table Cookbook
Make it in a square baking pan - you won’t regret it.
Watching
Movies
A Rainy Day in New York - This Woody Allen flick is available on Prime Video, and it features Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Diego Luna, and more! It’s an artsy romantic comedy that I enjoyed more than I thought I would.
A Winter Romance, previously named Colors of Love and An Autumn Romance (very confused why the name keeps changing) — This was my second time to watch this movie featuring Chad Michael Murray and former Hallmark star Jessica Lowndes. In this cheesy fall romance, a librarian helps a small town hotel gain historical site status to keep “San Fran developers” from turning it into a resort. It was produced by GAC, Hallmark’s new-ish competitor that has swiped some of its biggest names. #drama
Shows
The Rings of Power - I refuse to believe you haven’t seen this show advertised (especially since Beccjo cited it as one of her favorite shows in her Spotlight two weeks ago.) Bryan and I were both fans of the LOTR books and movies and were pleasantly surprised that this prequel series has lived up to the hype. New episodes release every Friday.
The Bear - Crazy good show on Hulu about a renowned, young chef who moves back to Chicago to take over his brother’s restaurant. I must admit that some episodes are downright stressful, but the overall story and characters are fantastic. The show released too late for the 2022 awards season, but I have a hunch this will rake in Emmys in 2023. Can’t recommend it enough!
Listening
—Student Loan Forgiveness, Repayment, Taxes, and Inflation from The Money with Katie Show - This episode features a Certified Student Loan Professional, so if you’re looking for facts vs. opinions on the matter, I highly recommend!
—Tom Hanks from Armchair Expert - This episode doubles down on what a good guy ole Tom is. If you’re his fan, don’t skip this insanely long episode. I also listened to Jessie Tyler Ferguson, Neil Patrick Harris, and Machine Gun Kelly.
— Tipping from Flightless Bird - Super interesting episode about America’s tipping culture, the system that perpetuates it, and the wide range of opinions on the topic, both domestically and internationally.
— Fast and Loose F1 - Will Arnett has segued into the F1 world in this race recap podcast that I’ve been enjoying!
Things I’m Loving
Stretching - I had knee surgery in 2020, and it recently started bothering me again. I decided to start stretching everyday and incorporating more strength exercises into my routine, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my flexibility and knee pain after a month of stretching for 20-30 minutes daily.
Fall decor - I’m looking forward to hanging our pumpkin lanterns on the house soon.
This graphic tee - I’m picky about these, because I don’t want to look like a poser wearing a band tee of someone I don’t actually listen to. This one passed the authenticity test and is on its way to my house as we speak. This may be strange, but when I find clothes I like, I like to envision them with other pieces in my closet before I hit “buy.” I bought these green pants over the summer, and I’m excited to mix and match them all fall and winter. Here you can see my little vision board for the pants and graphic tee. (I added it to LTK if you’re interested in any of the pieces.)
To be continued in a September Favorites video - to be released soon!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Sunday Summary! A September favorites video is on the way ;) Have a great week!