Scattered Sundays

I have a serious question.

No, really. It IS serious!

I really need to know what you think the creepiest first dance wedding song is of all time.

I told you it was serious. That will teach you to doubt me again.

Most of my podcasts are not kid-safe, so while I’m cooking or cleaning around the house, I listen to this Spotify playlist I made (it’s free if you want to listen). And one of the songs on that playlist is Into the Mystic by Van Morrison which was the song we danced to at our wedding.

Truth be told, I wanted Moondance, but I’m a crappy dancer and I thought the beat (is it called tempo? Someone help please) was too fast and I would look like Bambi walking across the ice while sneezing if I tried to dance to it.

And listening to this song made me think about all the weddings I have been to and all the first dance songs I have heard. I became obsessed with the idea of which were the worst songs anyone could have at their wedding.

I thought, and thought, and thought some more. And I have decided. It’s “I’ll be Watching You” by Sting. Because it’s a song about a stalker and it’s freaking creepy AF to think people use that as a love song.

But that’s my opinion. What do you think is the worst first dance wedding song ever?

I wanted to thank you all so much for your kind words and comments last week when I talked about the existential blogging identity crisis I was going through. You all are what keep me writing and it meant so much to see the kindness and encouragement from people I consider friends.

One thing that came up a few times was people noting that they don’t read the Instant Pot or air fryer recipes because they don’t have those kitchen gadgets. Which means I owe y’all a giant apology.

I clearly have not done a good enough job of making it known that any recipe with “Instant Pot” or “Air Fryer” in the title also always include conventional cooking options in the post. I swear! 

For Instant Pot recipes, I usually include stovetop and/or slow cooker instructions. For air fryer, you’ll find stovetop or oven instructions. For example, my Air Fryer Egg Roll recipe also teaches you how to pan fry them or bake those lovely veggie egg rolls in the oven.

Yep, for every single recipe. Cross my heart.

So if you’ve ever skipped over one of those recipes because you didn’t think you could make them, I invite you to check out my Instant Pot recipe archives and my Air Fryer recipe archives. Go ahead, poke around! TWSS.

Oh, and PS, the Instant Pot I own and love is on sale right now on Amazon… 🙂

And if you’ve ever looked at a Whole30 recipe title and thought “eh, that needs cheese”, you’re totally my people. Because my dairy-loving ass is definitely putting cheese on my serving.

I view cooking and any recipe that I share as the building blocks for making it your own. Please, please, please adapt the recipe to fit your preferences and tastes. Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone tweaking (not twerking) one of my recipes for their family.

He thinks he is auditioning to be the next spokesman for Bubly. Also? He continues to dress himself daily.

Ohhhhh, I’ve been excited ALL week to tell you about this face lotion I found by a happy accident!

The meds I am on for my stupid adult acne (an oral medication and a topical cream called Differin) are super effective. But I noticed if I am outside too long, my skin is sensitive to daylight. I’m always like a vampire in the sun, but now I’m like a really scaly vampire.

My skin was super dry and cracked this week. It didn’t hurt but it looked like junk. I have been using Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream for years and have loved it. But even that wasn’t helping the dryness.

I found a sample of Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate from the last time I bought the facial cream and gave it a shot. You guys, it was a 100% difference in one night. I couldn’t believe how soft my skin was and all the flakiness was GONE.

I can’t tell you about the line reduction or anything, but holy crap on a cracker my skin was soooooo smooth. The sample lasted three nights and on night two I ordered my own bottle. Yeah, it’s pricey, so if my cheap ass shelled out $65 for this lotion, you know it is good stuff!

I am not an affiliate for Kiehl’s or anything, so I can’t offer you a discount code if you buy it for yourself. If you order it online, it is eligible for 4% back through ebates though. And shipping on orders over $50 is free.

If you have a Kiehls store or counter near you, stop by. It is my experience that they love giving people samples and should happily offer you a few. I bet you’ll be buying your own after you try it too. Let’s shake on it.

Did you see this story about the little girl who had The Nun as her third birthday theme? Bennett clearly needs to meet her.

Allergy season is in full force in Seattle. This week it hit me so hard I spent two days looking like a hot bag of crap. For anyone in a new relationship, I share this text thread with you to let you know that at some point the newness of a relationship will fade.

But 17 years in, what you want is for your partner to tell you that you look beautiful, despite it looking like you spent the afternoon in Fight Club. Also, Sandy is our neighbor two houses down. So yeah, I have a loud voice.

Troy and I went out last night for his birthday and the boys spent the night at the in-laws. We hit up a local diner for dinner because Troy, AKA Mr. Fancy Pants wanted a club sandwich for his birthday. He really aims high that one.

And then off to John Wick 3 (Still Wicking It as I call it) where I tried not to pee my pants from excitement. Or, it may have been the sparkling water I snuck in via my purse.

That reminds me of something funny we used to do with my mom. We’d blatantly bring in outside food to places where you definitely were not allowed to.

We once rolled into Safeco Field where the Seattle Mariner’s play with a Burger King bag (my mom loved the junior whoppers) right front and center on her lap. The security guard said “no outside food please” and I waved my hand in my mom’s direction and said “she needs this”.

It is my experience that the general public are terrified of offending people in wheelchairs. So much so that you can roll your ass into a baseball game with a Whopper on your lap. 

But me? I have to sneak in a can of La Croix into the movies like a hobo. A HOBO I tell you!

Bennett has preschool camp this week, which is 4 hours a day Monday through Friday. My head is exploding with how much work I can get done in that time. My to-do list is longer than Bennett’s last tantrum over the fact that I dared to open the microwave when HE WANTED TO MOMMA.

Three-Year-Olds Be Bonkers

In this week’s addition, Bennett, AKA the least reasonable person on earth, has decided it is completely and totally unfair that he cannot remove his own toes.

Also, he’s been losing his mind at church for the last month when we make him a nametag. He insists he only has one “t” in his name and will blow a gasket if we tell him otherwise. We finally just stopped making him a nametag.

Well, he had his last regular day of preschool on Wednesday and they gave me his snack placement.

Mystery solved.

What I’m Listening To This Week

I quickly blew through The Queen this week! There are only five episodes and none of them are longer than 35 minutes. It’s totally bingeable. 

If you have ever heard the term “welfare queen”, you may be surprised that it came from an actual person. And she is the focus on this podcast based off the book The Queen.

Reader Spotlight of the Week

Mallory left this five-star review on Creamy Berry Party Drinks – a dairy-free and kid-friendly drink that is both patriotic AND refreshing. Here’s what Mallory had to say:

I have been thinking about making this recipe for 2 years (since you originally posted it) and finally got around to doing it this week! I used silicone ice cube trays instead of cupcake liners. My 2.5-year-old helped distribute the berries, so they’re not as pretty as yours, but still super tasty! It tastes like a light and refreshing pina colada with the coconut and pineapple. Also, soooo happy to finally have a use for pineapple cores! You’re a food garbage genius.

{Pin this recipe}

I’m adding “food garbage genius” to my resume. Watch me.

On Sustainable Cooks This Week

Would it surprise you that this Type-A organizer has the rest of 2019 and most of 2020 planned out for blog content? I love the smell of an old-fashioned paper planner in the morning!

One thing I am focusing on for the next few months is getting back to basics. Basic kitchen skills that teach people how to be self-sufficient in the kitchen AND tie in gardening if that is your jam. And yeah, there are more jam recipes coming. 🙂

I’ve always tried to empower people to look at a recipe or a kitchen skill and think “you know what, I can do that”.

I feel like cooking and what my family does in the kitchen is seasonal. Spring and summer focus on more growing, saving, and preserving. Fall is all about regrouping, some preserving, and eating alllllll the soups. Winter is hunkering down with comfort food, and yeah, more soups!

Nana’s Cucumber and Onion Salad – This make-ahead Cucumber and Onion Salad is a summertime superstar. Simple and delicious, the fresh ingredients let the garden-fresh produce shine in this easy cucumber salad. From my Nana’s kitchen to yours, be the hit of your next BBQ or potluck with this classic cucumber salad recipe.

{Pin this recipe}

Freezing Peas {How to Freeze Peas} – Learn all the tips and tricks for Freezing Peas to extend the harvest. Learning how to freeze peas is a great way to preserve this delicious springtime veggie without needing to know any special kitchen skills (like canning). Find out how to stock your freezer with frozen peas with or without blanching.

{Pin this}

Freezer Essentials – How to Stock Your Freezer For Healthy Eating – Freezer essentials are your go-to items to make healthy eating realistic f0r your family. A well-stocked freezer is an insurance policy for last minute dinners and go-to healthy snacks. Learn about the must-haves from a family that loves to cook from scratch.

{Pin this}

The Five Most Popular Posts This Week

1. Mojito Mocktail  {Pin this recipe}
2. Trader Joe’s Whole30 Shopping List  {Pin this}
3. Whole30 Bacon Brands  {Pin this}
4. How to Plant Garlic Step by Step  {Pin this}
5. Whole30 + Paleo Teriyaki Sauce  {Pin this recipe}

Meal Plan

I’m trying a new meal planning service this week and so far I am LOVING it! While not all the recipes they sent this week will work for us, I’m excited that not only do they plan the meals, but there is a day by day prep list and shopping list. And even a how-to youtube video for most of the recipes.

I’m partnering with Momables to bring you classic meal plans, Whole30 plans, family meals on a budget, as well as picky eater plans! We are using the classic plan this week.

Monday:: Vegetarian Jambalaya (from Momables), but I’m adding some chicken sausage. And I’m making the biscuits (or scones?) that Bennett and I made on an Instagram live a few weeks ago. Recipe linked here.

Tuesday:: Paleo Salmon Cakes and Air Fryer Asparagus. So, pretty much northwest AF.

Wednesday:: Quick and Easy Lasagna Skillet (from Momables) and a salad. This is not something I would typically make, but I’m excited to try it and it looks simple.

Thursday:: Nacho Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (from Momables) and a salad. I think I might make sweet potato “chips” instead of fries but we’ll see.

Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Saturday:: TBD. Probably chef salads depending on the weather.

Sunday:: Father’s Day. TBD. Up to Troy, my father-in-law, and my dad.

What We Bought This Week

Thrive:: We got an order from Thrive which contained some groceries and some household stuff. I only ever include groceries in my budget for these posts, but I’m too lazy to break it all down. Everything in this box was $97.15 ($86.32 cheaper than retail). The highest valued items are Barney Butter and a new brand of ghee I wanted to try. And toilet paper. Pretty “exciting” stuff.

All new Thrive customers can get 20% off their first three orders. Orders over $49 always ship for free. Both times we have ordered, our package has come within two days. TWSS.

What are you having this week?

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