Welcome to Friday Favorites! This quick glimpse of my week is for all subscribers (free and paid). I include a fan-favorite recipe, something I’m watching, reading, or listening to, a recent find, and a weekly win.
This week I had my first cooking class from my new kitchen and the best news is the wifi was strong, a key component to any online cooking class! We made one of my favorite recipes from my cookbook, Sesame Udon Noodles (titled Spicy Udon Noodles in the book, but you can easily cut down on the spice). These have just as much Napa cabbage as they do noodles, so the carbs are balanced out by lots of veg. They also have grated carrots, sliced red bell peppers and green onions in the mix. If you’re gluten-free, use rice noodles instead. Hot tip: If you’re making any type of gluten-free noodle, reduce the suggested cooking time by 30 seconds. So if the package says to boil the noodles for 5 minutes, boil them for 4 minutes and 30 seconds instead. Also be sure to stir them occasionally so they don’t clump or stick together! The recipe is attached below, or on page 62 of your copy of Dinner is Done! I also included a video of everything we made in the class. If you’d like to join us for quick monthly cooking classes, our next one is September 22 at 5 PM CST. Upgrade your subscription so you can join us!
You can find all the SITK recipes I’ve shared, organized by ingredient, in my Recipe Index.
EEK. So many good things to share this week. I devoured Lady Tremaine after one of my best friends from college recommended it. It was a free download on Kindle Unlimited, too. A tale as old as time, as Disney says, about motherhood, marriage, security and sacrifice. Read it in 24 hours! On to my nightly guilty pleasure. I’ve warned you guys in the past that I adore “coming of age” and teenage dramas. Fellow teens at heart, we have a new series to devour! Sterling Point is set in Muskoka, Canada, and has a bit of a mystery to the storyline. Another friend recommended this podcast episode with the founders of The Home Edit, and it couldn’t come at a better time as I purge and organize my new downsized life!
I’m heading on a belated 25th anniversary trip as soon as we get our younger two kids settled for college. But am I shopping and planning outfits for that trip? No, no I’m not. Just ask the college-bound kid; we’ve been on a dorm-spending spree. Just doing our part to boost the economy! You can find my saved Amazon finds here. I’m not quite sure how everything is going to fit in her tiny dorm room. And I know she’ll accumulate more t-shirts and theme party gear while she’s away. We shall see! And sadly, I sent a huge haul of her dorm items to my daughter in NYC, who lives in a third-floor walk-up. I’m sure she was excited to unbox a wheeled hamper and twin XL mattress pad that she didn’t need. Oops! The best things we’ve purchased for her dorm room so far (besides cute pillows and a duvet from Look Linen) are these shoe organizers that zip closed and can live on her closet floor and two sets of scalloped sheets from Target in white.
My other recent riveting purchase was this Dyson rechargeable vacuum. I’m obsessed. Easy to use, empty, and lightweight for stairs. I also just got a Hatch alarm for myself that supposedly tracks sleep. I’ll report back! I’ve been toying with the idea of getting an Oura ring, but I’m starting with the Hatch. I don’t want to sleep with my phone by my bed anymore!
If I were to purchase anything for myself right now, it would be a massage!
Can’t believe we're moving our youngest into college today! Think good thoughts for peaceful “vibes” and low stress; I’d rather laugh than cry.
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