Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

New (to Me) Blogger on the Block #26

June 9, 2006 · Narrative

Nicholas and I spent a really fun afternoon together today. Our first stop after school was Target, as I promised him I would buy him a few puzzles. He loves putting puzzles together, and he only has one, so it was time to add to his collection. After that, we dropped off movies at Blockbuster (more on that in a sec) and drycleaning for The Husband. When we came home, he was dying, simply dying, to take Eli for a walk. It has been raining for the past week, but the drops stopped long enough for us to get a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood in. When we came back, it was time for cookies!

I asked Nicholas what type of cookies he wanted to make and after thinking for a moment, “Peanut butter! I love peanut butter!” Fair enough. He wanted to make a plate for his school, his grandma and us. I ran upstairs to find a cookbook to use for a recipe, and, taking full advantage of today being Rediscovering My Library Thursday, I grabbed Pillsbury’s Best Desserts off the shelf. I have had this one for at least a few years, and have yet to use it. Luckily for me, they had a peanut butter cookie recipe! A short 20 minutes later, we were pulling the first of three trays out of the oven. He’s had 3 already, so I think it’s safe to say they were a hit.

If it’s Thursday, it must also be time for our New (to Me) Blogger on the Block nomination, and this week, it goes to Alice Q. Foodie. California-based, she’s not only new-to-me, she’s new to the food blogging scene in general, having only started in May. With her Chopped Caprese Salad, bookstore confessions and culinary school dish, she’s well on her way.

Now for the movies… anyone have any good must-see recommendations? I returned three today and none were wows. I saw An Unfinished Life (ok), The Prince and Me 2 (original was much better) and Shop Girl (very s-l-o-w). Combined, the movies feature popular actors like Steve Martin, Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Claire Danes. How could I have so many duds in one batch? Well, at least I’m catching up. ;)

OK folks, all for tonight. Nicholas just told me how pretty Eli looks with his curlers, so I think it’s time to save the poor dog, but not before a quick picture, of course. Until tomorrow…

A year ago today… sick day.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury
Yield: 4 dozen (I got 3 dozen)

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar

Heat oven to 375. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With fork dipped in sugar, flatten balls in crisscross pattern. Bake at 375 for 6-9 minutes or until set and golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Claire says

    June 9, 2006 at 3:40 am

    I haven’t watched many movies lately because I’ve been studying for my subject medical boards but I CAN tell you a movie NOT to watach (sorry no good ones!)…Bee Season. My mom and I watched it last Saturday and it was not what the cover made it seem. Oh, here’s a good one…Life is Beautiful (subtitled).

    Reply
  2. Alice Q says

    June 9, 2006 at 6:44 am

    Awww, shucks – you made me blush! Thank you Cate, I am enjoying your blog too!

    Reply
  3. Belinda says

    June 9, 2006 at 8:31 am

    Followed you over from flickr. LOVE the dog pic–priceless! A Berner?

    The most recently enjoyed-by-me movie that I hadn’t seen previously was “Being Julia” with Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons. Simple adaptation of a short story by Somerset Maugham (Theatre?), but Bening was just fun to watch in this one. You can tell she had a good time.

    Reply
  4. Nupur says

    June 9, 2006 at 1:20 pm

    My must see movie recommendations: “Mad Hot Ballroom” and “Capote”.

    Reply
  5. PatL says

    June 9, 2006 at 10:43 pm

    I just went into my Netflix history to find the ones that I liked a lot, and here are a few: Shine, My Cousin Vinnie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Because of Winn Dixie, Million Dollar Baby, Freaky Friday, both X-men movies, Popeye with Robin Williams (lots of people hated it, but I’ve seen it twice and think it’s great!), the English Patient (boo hoo), Whale Rider, Gattaca, and Gandhi. Obviously, they’re not all suitable for Nicholas, but if you watch one (that you haven’t seen before) and like it, let me know!

    Reply
  6. farmgirl says

    June 10, 2006 at 11:24 pm

    Well I intended to just leave a comment telling you what a great idea “Rediscovering My Library” is–I definitely need to start doing that! But now that I see all these movie comments, I’ll put in my two cents. If you like food movies and haven’t seen MOSTLY MARTHA, I highly recommend it. It’s a German movie with English subtitles (not tiring to read at all–the movie is very visual) and won all kinds of awards. You can read about it on imdb.com. Kids probably would be bored by it, though.

    Oh, and thanks for the reminder that I’ve been meaning to make p.butter cookies for weeks. Nicholas has great taste! : )

    Reply
  7. Cate says

    June 11, 2006 at 3:16 am

    Claire – I will definitely stay away from Bee Season – thanks for the warning. I loved Life is Beautiful, and remember the director’s exuberance when he won the Academy Award – great movie.

    Alice Q – no problem! Thanks for dropping by. :)

    Belinda – Yes, Eli is a Berner, definitely a gentle giant, and Nicholas’ permanent sidekick. I’ll add Being Julia to my list – thanks for the recommendation. :)

    Nupur – two more for my list!

    PatL – Popeye? Really? I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for your list. I’m going to be busy, but in a good way. :)

    farmgirl – you know, it’s a great way to discover cookbooks that have been long since forgotten. Haven’t heard of Mostly Martha, but added it to my Blockbuster queue – thanks for the heads up! You can’t go wrong with Peanut Butter Cookies. :)

    Reply

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Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.

Pinterest

Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
People complain about how much time is spent on ph People complain about how much time is spent on phones sometimes, but if it wasn’t for phones. I wouldn’t have these awesome little snippets of them growing up. I only wish I had more. Appreciate and document the little mundane things, for they are the very fabric of your life.
happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’v happy Spring, friends! Y’all know how long I’ve been waiting for the seasons to change and I’m so excited that Mother Nature was on board today! ☀️ There is nothing like the energy from the sun and it makes me happy. Hope you got some today!

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