Sunday Summary - 11.22.22
WOW — Last weekend totally got away from me in the best way. I spent a lot time Bryan and Nash, enjoyed catching up with friends, celebrated a sweet baby’s birthday, and Sunday came and went before I realized it. Please enjoy the Tuesday Summary and some last minute Thanksgiving dish ideas, if you’re still on the hunt.
Reading, Listening, & Watching
I’m still reading A Season for Second Chances, so there are no exciting book updates this week.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
An eye opening and actionable educational series about ways to live better and longer. This was a shockingly emotional series for both Bryan and me, and we’ve started to implement some of the practices outlined, especially those related to stress management. If you have Disney+, don’t skip this one. It’s FANTASTIC!
Legitimately the best podcast episode I listened to all year. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist with a great podcast, and he recently moderated a panel about the effects of a reduced work week filled with experts from government, business, and academia at the World Economic Forum. Their varied backgrounds, scientifically proven results, and logic shared is just so good.
There’s also a member of the audience that echos Big Business everywhere (you know, tries to challenge the economic impact of a reduced work week) that gets totally shut down by the panel respectfully and factfully. If you’ve also asked the question “why on earth are number of hours worked indicative of productivity?” — this one’s for you.
This is an episode chock-full of information and interesting questions about how the top .01% are as wealthy as they are and the policies in place that got them there. If you make 5, 6, or even low 7 figures, I think you’ll find this conversation especially thought provoking. If you don’t want to be challenged in your economic beliefs — skip this one. Otherwise, dive right in.
Cooking
Photo from The Defined Dish
We are hosting Thanksgiving this year, and my mom and dad are coming over at the crack of dawn Thursday morning to start the Turkey! (That was their very generous contribution which is MUCH appreciated, because I have no idea how to cook one.) I’m making the rest of the menu, and Bryan’s grandmother will be bringing a few of her famous dishes — broccoli & cheese casserole and sweet potato casserole. We’re working with one oven, so I’ll try to outline what I’m prepping ahead of time how we’ll phase the cooking!
Thanksgiving Menu
Breakfast/Appetizer - Sausage Balls
Prep: Making these first thing Thursday morning so Bryan, my parents, and I have something to eat while the turkey gets prepped.
Appetizer - Sliced peppers & carrots, naan dippers, love dip, and hummus. Prep: I’m going to cut up the veggies and make the hummus on Wednesday so I just have to plate things Thursday mid-morning.
Love Dip is a popular dip from Central Market, a grocery, in Texas. We LOVE it with veggies, and I found this copycat recipe for you.
Our hummus recipe can be found in this Sunday Summary!
Side dish - Kale Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts - We needed a little green on the side, and this salad from Half Baked Harvest looked seasonal and yummy. Prep: Making the bacon and walnuts at the same time as the sausage balls. The rest will get thrown in a bowl Thursday morning, covered, and put in the fridge until it’s time to eat.
Side dish - Sour Cream and Onion Potato Bake - I’ve made this for the last 2 years on several occasions, and it’s a winner EVERY time! Prep: I’ll boil and whip the potatoes and then throw them in the crockpot to stay warm and melt the cheese on top.
Side dish - Cranberry sauce - Homemade cranberry sauce is stupid easy and way more delicious than the gelatinous canned version. Prep: I’m going to make this on Wednesday and store it in the fridge.
Side dish - Squash casserole - This is a family recipe that’s made for every winter holiday. I’m protective over the recipe we use, but here’s a similar one. Prep: I’m going to make the entire casserole Wednesday night, but I’m going to wait sprinkle the crackers on top. I’ll do that Thursday morning just before baking!
We’ll throw the other two casseroles Granny Sue is bringing in the oven when she arrives, so hopefully everything will be ready to go on time!
Dessert - Whole Foods sells HALF PIES which are such a game changer. We opted to go the easy route for dessert and bought a half pumpkin pie and a half cherry pie to go with vanilla ice cream. Easy peasy - something for everyone!
We realize this is a LOT of food for 6 people, but we wanted to make sure everyone had their favorite dish, and we’ll be sending everyone home with leftovers!
Weekly Favorites
Our Surround came in this week, and Bryan assembled it pretty much immediately so we could use it the same night.
It was so nice to be able to kick your feet up on the sides once the fire got low, and our worries about Nash getting too close are a thing of the past. This is a great “accessory” if you already have a Solo Stove you love!
We’ve been watching TV shows and movies on an iPad when we’re outside by the fire, and this speaker makes it a much more cinematic experience. Bryan has had this mini for years, and my friend Caroline has the bigger version that’s still in great shape after who knows how long.
It has great sound and is water resistant! It would make a great gift — we love this thing! (The dream is to have a projector outdoor setup — hopefully that comes to fruition soon!)
These made hanging a series of 6 frames in our hallway SO easy. I bought 6 tabletop frames from a yardsale over a year ago, put pictures in them, and then never bothered to hang them until this week because I felt it was going to be a hassle. Turns out, it’s really easy to pry stands off the back of frames, and these velcro strips make hanging this much less permanent and much easier. You’re welcome!