Have you noticed that I’ve been MIA for the past month or so? If you have, I appreciate your patience and am glad you’re still reading.
As my mom will tell you, I’m the queen of over-committing. I want to do everything but there’s only so many hours in the day. So last month, I made the decision to take a little break from blogging. During that time, I focused on work, spending time with family and friends, and some of my other hobbies – reading, knitting, and scrapbooking. I continued to read and cook some, but not nearly as much as earlier this year.
In the Kitchen
Since Nutterbutter turned 1 this spring, I’ve spent a lot more time chasing him around and cooking stuff I can pack into his lunchbox. While my daughter ate like a bird when she was little (and still does), Nutterbutter is a tank (they don’t call him Meatball for nothing!). Italian-style meatballs and zucchini bread muffins are two staples in his lunchbox. I can’t keep up with stocking the freezer.
With all the crazy that’s been going on this summer, most of my activities in the kitchen have been quick, simpler recipes. Some highlights include:
- Testing out cocktails from my new book, Mix Shake Stir. The pomegranate gimlet and Hang Thyme, a citrus-based cocktail, quickly became two of my favorites.
- Simple desserts like Oreo and Coconut Cream Popsicles and a Cookies & Cream Ice Box Cake (which I hope to share soon)
- Overflowing antipasto trays – with assorted cheeses, fruits, and a few select meats – have been my go-to appetizer for summer entertaining
- Dinners have consisted of LOTS of grilling, which I love – it’s light and generally something the whole family will eat. (We’ve been working on Hazelnut’s pickiness, but it’s been a very slow process!). I haven’t tried a lot of new recipes, but we did have a win this summer, with this Honey Garlic Shrimp. You’ve probably seen several variations on Pinterest. This particular variation was great. We loved the flavor, and it was a super quick meal, perfect for a busy weeknight. We’ll be making it again for sure.
As summer winds down, I’m getting excited to get back in the kitchen with both new recipes and old favorites. I’ve been bookmarking and pinning recipes like crazy – time to start making some of them!
On My Bookshelf
Although I’ve had less time to read, I still managed to squeeze in several books. I’ve mostly been binge-reading light series, as they’re easy to pick up and put down while I cater to the demands of The Munchkins. You can follow what I’m reading at any time on Goodreads, but here’s a quick summary of what I’ve been reading this summer.
- The Max Revere Series by Allison Brennan – mysteries/suspense
- Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling – humorous autobiographical; a good listen on audiobook
- The Kane Chronicles Trilogy by Rick Riordan – young adult/fantasy. I had read the first two when they first came out but reread them in order to finish the series
I’m still binge-reading Rick Riordan books, having recently started The Heroes of Olympus series. I tried to put it off, since I know I’m going to be sucked in and will be much less productive around the house, but I gave in.
The Bullet Journal (BuJo)
In addition to reading books, I’ve been spending a lot of time on Pinterest and blogs. In particular, I’ve been a little bit obsessed with reading about journalling, especially bullet journalling. I initially learned about the BuJo on Pinterest (before Pinterest started all of these awful althorithms where the only thing they seem to show is their own recommendations, which aren’t very good), and quickly became captivated by all of the pretty, creative layouts.
If you’re interested, I’ve been doing most of my reading on the BuJo on Boho Berry and Pretty Prints and Paper. For my own part, I can’t do without my planner (currently using an Erin Condren planner), but earlier this year, I started my own take on a BuJo. While most of what I’ve read emphasizes list-making (daily, weekly to-do lists, movies to see books to read, really whatever floats your boat), I’ve been using mind as a habit tracker (healthy lifestyle and Books n’ Cooks social media presence – which I’ve been trying to be more consistent with), actual journalling – to highlight some of the memories, quotes, etc from my kiddos (with the idea that these details will be used in their scrapbooks, whenever I finally get around to finishing them), and planning, brainstorming, and creating a strategy for Books n’ Cooks. I do have the sporadic brain dumps of to-do lists, when I’m feeling overwhelmed, but those are few and far between.
Crafting
While I don’t talk about it much on here, I do love to craft. I used to be really into scrapbooking and while I still enjoy it, I just don’t have the time to do as much of it anymore. I have started to work on my scrapbooks again, starting with the one I began when Hazelnut was a baby. I’m making slow progress, but at least it’s progress.
I’ve also begun knitting again, pretty regularly. For the past year or two, I’ve been making a lot of baby blankets, but this summer, I finally got to work on a project for me! I purchased a kit for this gorgeous 3 Color Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli this past spring, and quickly started knitting it up. I love the way it turned out! Now I just need the weather to cool off so that I can start wearing it! (PS. I suck at selfies.)
Having finished the cowl, I’ve started on a couple of Christmas gifts for my daughter and niece – both saw me knitting and asked for scarves and hats. I’m enjoying the quick projects but am already itching to start one of the other projects I have picked out for myself.
The hiatus this summer was a much needed break for me, a good chance to recharge. Now, I’m happy to be back to blogging. Reading and cooking remain passions of mine, and I enjoy being able to share my passion with you.
Now that you’ve heard a bit about my summer, please leave a comment and tell me a bit about yours. What have you been up to? Read or cook anything worth sharing? Or have you been spending time on other things important to your life?