Weekly Roundup: My Best Kitchen Tip, Easy Meals and More

Happy Tax Day, and Happy Jackie Robinson Day! It's been 77 years since Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball, and every year, I have a greater appreciation for just how meaningful his accomplishments were and still are, and what an incredible human being he was. I was lucky enough to meet his widow, Rachel Robinson, over 20 years ago, and I'm happy she's still doing well at the age of 101! I hope you have a great week! (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• My top kitchen tip might actually not be a cooking tip, but a cleaning tip. I am so averse to cleaning that I will avoid making meals that I know will make for a difficult clean up. However, my options widened dramatically when I discovered an easy way to clean almost every caked-on pot: Just dissolve some dishwasher detergent in the pot with hot water and soak overnight. For lighter messes, I'll use this environmentally-friendly powder,* but for heavy-duty cleaning, I'll use a Finish Quantum tab.* This method usually means I barely have to use any elbow grease to get my pots and pans looking sparkly.
  
  
• One of the best things I've done in my recovery from surgery is wear an abdominal binder. They gave me one when I left the hospital, and I probably didn't wear it enough the first couple of weeks. As I've become more active, I've been wearing it more, to the point where I bought this one from Amazon.* I can't recommend it highly enough for providing core support, and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to do nearly as much as I've been doing without it. (Side note: I've experienced a lot of internal abdominal discomfort, and I had to do a fair amount of research to determine that this is perfectly normal. I was pretty sure it was, but it was reassuring to know I'm not the only one to feel like my insides are, to use someone else's word, "discombobulated.")
  
  
• During my recovery, I've been trying to cook quick and/or more hands off meals when I do any actual cooking. This past week, I tried Instant Pot Crack Chicken, which is basically shredded chicken in a cheesy ranch sauce. I think it could have benefited from a little acid and some freshly grated garlic, but overall, I appreciated how easy it was to make this meal (especially considering the fairly long ingredient list). It calls for 3 pounds of chicken, so it made a lot, which was also nice since I'm feeding a growing boy and often find that new recipes don't leave me with a lot of leftovers.
  
  
• As a fan of Angela Duckworth, I've become familiar with the work of Daniel Kahneman, a pioneer in psychology and economics who passed away recently. Behavioral Scientist published 30 remembrances from a wide range of people who knew him, and the stories are uplifting, inspiring, and educational.
  
  
• Speaking of Angela Duckworth, I was sad to learn that her nonprofit, Character Lab, is ceasing operations. I will miss their weekly emails with tips on being a better parent, friend, and person. Fortunately, their playbooks, which are full of these tips, will remain accessible for the time being.
  
  
• Finally, a tip for college-going students and their parents: Now is the time to check the status of your FAFSA, if you haven't already. Just log in and then you'll see that your application is "In Review" (still processing), "Processed" (no further action required) or "Action Required" by you or your contributor(s). If you see "Action Required," be sure to take care of it to ensure you get all the aid you're entitled to. Financial aid offices are doing their best to get award letters out, so be sure to check your (student's) portal at least once a week and contact the school if you have any questions about your award.

Please let me know if there's something you'd like to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!

Weekly Roundup: Struggling with weight and healthy habits, How to buy the best grocery-store flowers, $50/$50 purchase with Target Circle Card

Happy Solar Eclipse Day! Did you get to see it? I didn't have the special glasses, so I just poked my head out the window to see how dark it had gotten. Hope you have a great week! (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• I've been following a blog called Instant Loss for some time now (the author lost a lot of weight by cooking whole foods in her Instant Pot, hence the name). I recently read her latest book Dear Body,* which had some great insights for anyone who's struggled with weight and healthy habits.
  
  
• I also borrowed one of the Instant Loss cookbooks from the library, Instant Loss: Eat Real, Lose Weight,* and promptly made the Chicken Piccata. I actually doubled the recipe using the guidelines in this Kitchn post, and it came out great. I'm not crazy about arugula, which was recommended, so I served it over sauteed zucchini spirals, which made me wonder why I don't serve zucchini spirals more often. It's such an easy way to get in some vegetables.
  
  
• I haven't tried it yet, but I love this tip for picking out the best grocery-store flowers: buy the cheap ones! Click through for information on why this is and how to make your flowers last longer. You probably aren't surprised to hear that I'm price conscious when flower-shopping, even especially at the grocery store, and that I'm excited to put this tip into practice.
  
  
• In case you haven't heard, the Target RedCard is now the Target Circle Card, though only the name has changed and you'll still get 5% off almost everything. If you already have a card, you won't even get a new one for the time being. If you don't have one but shop regularly at Target, it's definitely worth considering, especially right now, because when you qualify for a new Target Circle Debit or Credit Card,* you'll also get $50 off a $50 purchase. I've had my RedCard for years, and was pleasantly surprised to get 5% off almost all gift cards too (some are excluded, like Target gift cards). I buy Starbucks gift cards at Target to reload my Starbucks app to earn stars when I can't find a better deal (which is most of the time).
  
  
• The last time I visited my parents, I came home with a bunch of old home movie films and some slides, all from my childhood. I took them to DVD Your Memories to be digitized, and am happy with the results. They have four locations in Southern California, and the cost was comparable to or less than the mail-in places I found online, and the quality and service was better than the results I got using LegacyBox to digitize old VHS tapes.

Please let me know if there's something you'd like to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!

Weekly Roundup: Book rec, Free Apple TV & Cheesecake, and Freezer meals

Yesterday was a state holiday here in California (Happy Cesar Chavez Day!), so school didn't resume until today. It's kind of nice to have an extra day at the end of spring break, although ever since my own school days, I've felt that the stretch from the end of spring break to the end of the school year is a real slog since there are so few holidays. Here's to pushing through AP tests and all the rest! And on to this week's roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• I'm still reading a lot during my recovery downtime, and I have a new favorite novel: The Women* by Kristin Hannah. I cried many times and was so moved by this story about a nurse who served in Vietnam. Bonus: it has a very satisfying resolution. 
  
  
• If you're in the market for a free Apple TV+ subscription, you can get three months at Best Buy* right now. Just don't forget to cancel before your three months are up if you don't want to pay $9.99 per month after that. (I got it so I could watch the Dodgers' second game of the season, which was an Apple TV+ exclusive.)
  
  
• I've made a couple of meals since my surgery, but I've really been appreciating the effort I put in to make some freezer meals before the procedure. It's made me realize that even after I fully recover, I always want to have the option of pulling something out of the freezer if I don't feel like cooking. So I went through my Freezer Meals Pinterest board and as soon as I'm up to it, I'll be making Brown Sugar Meatloaf (I usually use ground turkey instead of beef) and Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan. I subscribe to the "cook once, eat twice" philosophy, so I'll double the recipes when I make them. (Actually, I'll triple the meatloaf recipe and one will be for my in-laws, who live nearby.)
  
  
• Ever since I won a SodaStream* close to 15 years ago, I've been drinking sparkling water instead of flat water at home. Since my surgery, I've upped my intake of LaCroix, because I've been drinking more than usual and been less mobile. But last night I read a few good things about Waterloo, so I picked up a case of that this morning, and am looking forward to trying it. Do you have a favorite brand of sparkling water?
  
  
• If you're a Cheesecake Factory Rewards member, be sure to check your account - I got a free  slice of cheesecake for no apparent reason!

And that's about it for now. It's going to take a few more weeks for me to fully recover, but I feel better every day and am looking forward to getting back to my normal lifestyle! Please let me know if there's something you'd like to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!

Weekly Roundup: I had surgery! Plus some make-ahead meals

Apologies for not posting the last two weeks. I had surgery, and while it was planned (not an emergency procedure, thank goodness), I underestimated the impact it would have on me and my life! But I'm very much on the mend, and I'll share more in this month's email newsletter, which will be going out at the end of the week. In the meantime, let's get on with a surgery-influenced roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• I made a bunch of freezer-friendly meals before my procedure, although I've only just gotten to the point where I'm able to actually serve them. A big hit has been RecipeTin Eats' Shredded Beef Ragu, which I mentioned in the last roundup. The sauce by itself didn't do anything for me, but when paired with the papardelle and grated Parmesan, it was amazing.
  
  
• Another make-ahead meal was Make Ahead Mom's Chicken Alfredo Bake. We haven't had the frozen version yet, but we had half when I made the dish, and my 17-year-old especially loved it. Both of these meals will be in my regular rotation from now on.
  
  
• I've been reading a lot during my recovery, and I've been sticking to the comfort of familiar series (I was lucky enough to get the next books from the library at the perfect time): Kate Carlisle's Fixer Upper mysteries,* Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen mysteries,* and Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series.* Why yes, I do enjoy cozy mysteries! And now I'm all caught up on these series.
  
  
• I don't always have a book from a favorite series, however, and when that happens, I'll look for new series and authors. That's how I found Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club,* which was highly unexpected and quite entertaining. And I just finished Ella Cosimano's Finlay Donovan is Killing It,* which was also highly unexpected and thoroughly satisfying in the end.
  
  
• The best thing I did to prep for my surgery was order a new soft blanket to bring and use (I knew I was going to spend at least one night in the hospital). I ordered this fleece blanket from Amazon because it had good reviews and was inexpensive so I wouldn't be upset if it didn't survive the hospital stay. It's super soft and was really comforting while I was in a hospital bed (I find pleasant textures very comforting, so this might not soothe everyone the way it soothed me).
  

And that's about it for now. It's going to take a few more weeks for me to fully recover, but I feel better every day and am looking forward to getting back to my normal lifestyle! Please let me know if there's something you'd like to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!

Weekly Roundup: Appreciating Pioneer Women Plus New Books and Shows

Happy March! My oldest turns 19 this month, which is crazy, because it means CFO is almost 19. How can that be?! Enjoy this week's roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• As a sports fan, I appreciate the best sports-writers. As a woman, I have a deep appreciation for those women who paved the way in all fields, but especially in male-dominated fields, the way Helene Elliott did. She just retired from the LA Times, in large part to save the job of another, younger (male) writer. She doesn't know me, but I wish her the best, and she'll always have my thanks and admiration for the way she did her job. (Especially considering a Scottish soccer coach responded "Good girl" to a female reporter just this past week.)
  
  
• Along the same lines of appreciating women who paved the way, I enjoyed reading Victoria Thompson's Counterfeit Lady series.* It's set around the time of the first World War and the protagonist becomes a suffragist. It blows me away to think that in the same century in which I was born, women didn't have the right to vote! Even knowing the outcome, I had to finish the series in the car at Whole Foods because I just couldn't stop reading.
  
  
• I've been looking for new freezer meals, so this week I'll be making RecipeTin Eats' Shredded Beef Ragu and Japanese Salmon with Mirin and Soy Sauce.
  
  
• If you're looking for new shows to watch, I just started watching the CBS series Fire Country, and I can understand why it's my son's favorite show because it's sooo good! I can also recommend the new CBS series Elsbeth. which has the best Columbo vibes.

Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!

Weekly Roundup: Cheap Puffs with Lotion, Copycat Red Lobster biscuits, Eclipse Tips

If you happen to be a Leap Day baby, let me wish you an early happy birthday! A friend's wife was born on Leap Day and I've always been a little envious that she can claim to be so young 😂 Also, I sent out the February edition of the email newsletter on Friday, so if you haven't seen it, please check your spam. On to this week's roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• If you need tissue and prefer the lotion variety like we do (my son in particular has been going through a lot of tissue lately - I think it's a combo of allergies and a cold): Target has a very good deal when you buy 4 8-packs of Puffs Plus Lotion* at $13.49 each. You'll get back a $15 Target gift card, making your cost just $0.97 per box, which meets my rarely-met target price of $1 or less per box. Amazon has an even better deal if you don't qualify for the 15% off Subscribe & Save discount: Buy 4 8-packs at $12.72 $11.38 each* when you Subscribe & Save at 5% 15% off and get a $15 promotional credit, making the price just $0.90 $0.76 per box!
  
  
• I made these Copycat Red Lobster biscuits for dinner last night and they were delicious. I especially liked the dough, because I have a tendency to overmix biscuit dough and this dough came together super quickly and didn't need much mixing.
  
  
• A tip for those who have Coverdell Education Savings Accounts: Keep track of contributions. I filed our taxes using TurboTax, and it's the first time I've had 1099-Q forms since our oldest is now in college. I took distributions from his Coverdell ESA, and the program asked how much basis was in the account. Um ... I don't remember! Luckily, I had the records to reconstruct all of our contributions, but it was stressful for a while.
  
  
• This story from a WWE hall-of-famer is the best Taylor Swift story I've ever heard.
  
  
• Maybe because LA isn't in the path of the upcoming full eclipse, I didn't know anything about it until recently. And then I came upon i am a food blog's comprehensive eclipse guide. If you have any interest in eclipse viewing, it's a great place to start.
  
  
• Has anyone been to a Cream Pan bakery? It was named best bakery in California, so I can see myself making a special trek to one sometime (there isn't one particularly nearby, unfortunately).

Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!

Weekly Roundup: Best Cooking Shortcut, JANM Educator Workshop and (Sorta) Free Money

If you're local, I hope you're staying dry because that rain is coming down - stay in and enjoy this week's roundup with a hot drink! (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• I thought I would share what might be my best kitchen shortcut: I've mentioned before that my husband and I dislike onions, but I discovered through the years that caramelized onions are acceptable. So what I do is chop a whole bunch of onions (you can do it by hand or with a food processor), and then cook them over low heat for a few hours with some olive oil and salt. When they're super soft and lightly browned, I let them cool and them put them in quart-size ziptop bags like the one in the photo below and freeze them flat. When I want to use them, I just snap off pieces, like you see in the pan next to the bag. You'll want to be sure to keep the bags fairly thin and not put too much onion into one bag - if the onion layer is too thick, it will be difficult to snap off pieces to use. (Ask me how I know 😂)
  
  
  
  
  
• Here's a tip for when you have major work done on your house: Revisit your homeowner's insurance policy. Since we remodeled our kitchen last fall, we just increased the coverage of our homeowner's and earthquake policies. Obviously, we hope we'll never need to tap the insurance, but there was a fairly substantial earthquake a couple of weeks ago. (And with all this rain we're getting in Southern California, don't forget about flood insurance if you might experience resulting problems. Damage from mudslides may or may not be covered.)
  
  
• It's Girl Scout Cookies time of year, and I've supported the daughters of a couple of friends. But if you don't have a local troop or scout you want to support, you can always order cookies from New York City's Troop 6000, which serves homeless girls. There doesn't seem to be a comparable troop in Los Angeles.
  
  
• Do you know an educator? The Japanese American National Museum is currently accepting applications for a Landmarks of American History and Culture educator workshop titled Little Tokyo: How History Shapes a Community Across Generations, which is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. There's a $1,300 stipend and a trip to Manzanar National Historic Site.
  
  
• Finally, I just wanted to note that it's worth claiming your portion of a class action settlement. Sometimes the payout is a measly $1.07 (I'm not kidding, we actually got a check for that amount once). But sometimes it's over $100. We've already received over $300 in class action pay outs this year (and it's only February). It's not exactly free money, but it's close! I do recommend checking to make sure the notification is legitimate when you first receive it, if you're not the one initiating the claim.

Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!