Sunday Summary - 03.27.22
Kesler & I took a “Great British Baking Show”cooking class this morning where we made a victoria sponge (pictured), sticky toffee pudding, and a sausage roll. Since we’re the worst at remembering to take pictures, this is the best we got! (They made us cut our cake in half to share with our neighbor, otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten this gloopy cross-section.)
Exciting Changes!
Remember all that stress I was talking about last week? Well, I didn’t mention the whole “interviewing for a new job” thing that had me a little on edge for the better part of a month — I didn’t want to jinx it!
I had my 4th and final interview the week of March 14th, and I was told a decision would be communicated that Friday. The Friday work day came and went, and I got an email that evening saying they’d be in touch on Monday. The agony! After a worrisome weekend, I received great news early Monday morning that I got the job! It’s an internal move to a brand new department, and transparently, we’re going to be “building the plane as we fly it.” I’ll report back on my true job description once things get off the ground. ;)
For those of you who are new around here - I write for this website and film/edit content for my YouTube channel during my free time. I still have a full time job, so if the content ebbs and flows - that’s why!
Reading
I’m getting pretty close to finishing this book and have really enjoyed how easily understandable it is! I love the practical examples the author uses, and the organization of the chapters are <chef’s kiss!> Non-fiction books can get overly-complex really quickly, and this one did not!
In contrast, I read the book Rest in bits and pieces over the course of [more than] a year because, ironically, it kind of stressed me out. I found it to be way too scientific for non-sciencey people, and I kept having to read, re-read, look things up, etc. It required too much work for a book that proves rest is good for you.
Next Up: Come Fly The World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke
Watching
The Adam Project on Netflix did not disappoint! It’s a sci-fi/time travel movie with a lot of heart. “After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with a 12-year-old on a mission to save the future.” That’s almost the exact description from Netflix, but I changed a few words to keep one thing a surprise. It’s hard to describe any further without giving too much away, so…watch it!
I recommend keeping Kleenex close by!
We also watched the latest episode of Rock the Block and dabbled in Fixer to Fabulous, now that we know who Dave and Jenny Maars are. While they’re doing a fantastic job on Rock the Block, we thought their stand alone show was just “okay.”
It’s almost identical to Fixer Upper in every way — the name, the cadence, the clients, the fact that they also live on a FARM. It’s hard not to directly compare the two, so…we did. I think we both prefer Fixer Upper, but it’s still enjoyable!
Cooking
Each week I share with you you what we cooked the week before so that I have the power to leave out anything that wasn’t a big hit. (You’re welcome!) These were three stand outs from last week - all Half Baked Harvest — all free!
Crispy Rice Bowl with Browned Butter Sweet Potatoes and Herby Green Tahini
We leave off the eggs so we don’t have to dirty another pan. That’s us being lazy, not because it isn’t delicious!
Spicy Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp with Parmesan Corn Polenta
Okay, I’m cheating on this one - we didn’t cook this last week, because our grocery store was out of wild caught shrimp; however, I love shrimp and grits so much that I know this would have been incredible. We plan to leave off the extra corn when we make this soon.
Sheet Pan Greek Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes
You will likely never hear me say this again, because I love onions, but this recipe only needed half an onion - not a whole. Highly recommend cutting down the onion quantity and changing nothing else!
Photo by Half Baked Harvest
The Latest
I learned SO much from y’all about the wide scope of employer health insurance options this week on instagram. It all started with an innocent question about whether or not people were familiar with the differences between HSAs and FSAs and ended up turning into a “how on earth does one decide which health insurance plan to be on, in general” discussion.
The varied answers were wild! Some employers allow you to add your spouse to your coverage for free, others charge hefty admin fees of $150 per month. Other companies offer free health insurance, while those of a similar size cost over $100 per month for a high deductible plan and carry an insanely high deductible, to boot. Other employers have great family plans if you have kids, but they’re borderline unaffordable if you’re just a married couple. The nuances of all the plan options available are truly mind boggling.
Employer Benefits 101: Making Sense of Health Insurance & Savings Options
While my latest post can’t solve any of the above problems, it can help you understand how to choose the right health insurance plan for your needs and introduce you to the different tax-advantaged savings options for your inevitable health-related spending. Understanding both before you choose a plan is key. Choose wisely!
More fun spring and summer YouTube content should be hitting your screens next week, and I’m oddly excited to edit a video again! I look forward to hopefully bringing you part 2 of the Employer Benefits series on the website soon, too!
(Using the word “soon” is me trying not to over-extend myself (lol) - baby steps!)