Grilled Cheese Adventures: March and April

Part of my 2019 goals is make a different Grilled Cheese recipe each week. I find grilled cheese to be so comforting, but just cheddar or Colby gets boring after awhile. So, I checked a few books out from the library and make a Pinterest Board with lots of options. Here’s what we ate:

Week 10: Salami and Pickle with Gruyere on Pumpernickel Bread

Loved the tartness of the pickles with the smooth Gruyere. Definitely a good choice putting it on Pumpernickel.

Week 11: Apricot White Cheddar Grilled Cheese

The original recipe had it on Cinnamon Raisin bread. I thought it would be too sweet, so I switched it out for Pumpernickel Bread. Much better! I really loved this one.

Week 12: Avocado, Bacon, and Cheddar on Sourdough

This was good; my avocado was perfectly ripe! But next time, I would switch out the cheddar for provolone or pepper jack…

Week 13: Blueberry and Blackberry Compote with Gruyere on Honey Wheat

I love the idea of this one, but the execution wasn’t exactly right. If I make this again, I’m going to tweak the berry compote and add some elements. There just wasn’t enough flavor for me.

Week 14: Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

Pretty decent sandwich, but nothing to write home about.

Week 15: Buffalo Chicken on Marbled Rye

I switched out the cheddar cheese in the recipe for a bit of mozzarella to compliment the blue cheese. Very yummy!

Week 16: Apple and Gouda on Sourdough

Very yummy! Definitely a keeper

Week 17: Greek Grilled Cheese

I loved the mix of olives, red peppers, dill, and feta. Next time, I might want to add some kind of green, maybe spinach.

Week 18: Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Fontina

For the first time, I made my own pesto in the food processor. Very easy and tasty!

Currently #8

Reading: The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Watching: J and I are going back to the beginning to watch Game of Thrones so we can watch the very last season.

Listening: Really really enjoying Mike Shinoda’s Post Traumatic. Really good gym music.

Making: The store had rhubarb! So that means that I had to make Strawberry-Rhubarb crumble for book club last night.

Feeling: A bit on edge this week waiting for some news…

Planning: On the way back from Indiana, we’re planning on doing a mini road trip. Still deciding on Chicago or Des Moines.

Loving: We had a few small thunderstorms lately and I really missed storms while living in California.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List Update #2

A new season has begun!

Read 50 books - Up to 31 books!
Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants
- Zios - Good family pizza
- Brasa (Minneapolis) - Loved this restaurant! I got the pulled chicken and gravy with a side of rice and beans and collard greens.
- Sushi Train (Minneapolis) - Super fun sushi place with good rolls.
Attend two theater performances
- Dragons Love Tacos @ The Rose
Make fun cupcakes
Create an Easter Egg Hunt ✓ - The boys had fun finding 70 hidden eggs in our yard.
Make a planter for the front porch
Find two good parks
Host a cookout
Have fun at OnStage! ✓ - It was so much fun!
Tie Dye Shirts with the boys
Check out three new museum/zoos
Check out The Makery
Create a spring Spotify playlist
Buy a sprinkler for the yard
Smoothie month
Mini golf family night
Make a rain gauge
Buy and fly a kite
Go berry picking
Sign Arthur up for summer camps ✓
Find a Farmer’s Market
Make a trip to Peacetree for root beer and beer
Go on a hike
Visit Old Market ✓ - The boys and I stopped by for lunch and ice cream one day after story time.
Redo my hair

Next up on the TBR pile:

May 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on April's goals and my progress.

Put together Easter baskets and home egg hunt for the boys - Success! I ended up hiding 70 eggs in our yard. Yep. I went overboard…
Make summer travel plans - Not quite, but I did get started.
Make Doctor appointments - Success!
Read 4 books from UnRead Shelf - Success!
Buy some outdoor activity toys - Um… not really.
Find a good playground - Fail.
Oil Change - Success!

May’s Goals:

Read 4 books from UnRead Shelf - As I succeeded last month, I’m going to try this one again.
Plan out our Memorial Day week/end travel plans - All the boys are getting out of school on the 24th. I planning a trip over to Indiana to visit and pick up the twins. On the way back, we’re thinking a mini road trip to Chicago and/or the Des Moines area.
Print our week calendars and meal plans for summer - I’ve found having a printed copy to write on helps everyone in the house get their week’s straight.
Nebraska Passport plan - I got our passport in the mail yesterday and I want to plan a few mini trips to hit some of the spots. We won’t get to all 70 locations, but I’m hoping for 20.
Pull our my summer clothes - I packed away my shorts when we moved. I should probably get those out and evaluate.
Update Calendars - With the summer filling up, I want to make sure to update my calendars (digital and planner) every week.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

I really need to get out to the store so I can buy some good soil. We need to do a bit of yard/garden improvement and the current soil is just not great.
Am I turning into someone who likes gardening? Maybe…
The creative juices are at a trickle this week. Need to dive back in and craft!
Looking at the planner, next week is so incredibly busy! Knocking out a ton of to-do items.
Quiet mornings at the library recharge me.
Thinking about creating a summer bucket list and zoo scavenger hunt in travelers’s notebooks. Departure from the usual only digital format, but the idea came to me at the Children’s Museum (they had a mini scavenger hunt for their newer exhibit).
Seriously need to follow through with a library ban… It’s a bit out of control.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #7

Reading: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan for book club in early May. So far, it’s been nice and light. Just what I needed.

Watching: J and I took a mini break from our Marvel marathon to start Umbrella Academy. I wanted to wait until I read at least the first trade of the comic. Only two episodes in, but really loving the show!

Listening: Lots of NPR Politics, but I might need to take a bit of a break from political news. (Or at least ration it out).

Making: I’m trying a new-to-me recipe of Coconut Lentil Soup. Really hope it’s good!

Feeling: This past weekend the temperature was in the high 80s. Yesterday and today the temperature plummeted into the 50s. I’m so cold!

Planning: Working on finishing out our summer plans.

Loving: While at the Mall of America, we stopped at a fun candy store and I bought a pound of fancy gummi bears. Many of them were cocktail flavored (margarita, bourbon and coke, pina colada, etc).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List Update #1

A new season has begun! !

Read 50 books - So far, I’m at 15 books. I will definitely be hitting this goal by the deadline.
Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants - Nothing yet, although we did use a Bar Ticket at Old Chicago last weekend. This coming weekend, I’m hitting at least two new-to-me restaurants while in Minneapolis.
Attend two theater performances
Make fun cupcakes
Create an Easter Egg Hunt
Make a planter for the front porch
Find two good parks
Host a cookout
Have fun at OnStage! - I’m going this weekend!!!!!
Tie Dye Shirts with the boys
Check out three new museum/zoos
Check out The Makery
Create a spring Spotify playlist
Buy a sprinkler for the yard
Smoothie month
Mini golf family night
Make a rain gauge
Buy and fly a kite - In progress. I bought kites for the kids’s Easter baskets. Just have to wait until Easter to pull these out and fly them!
Go berry picking
Sign Arthur up for summer camps ✓ - He going to attend one week at the Omaha Children’s Museum and one week at Omaha Zoo.
Find a Farmer’s Market
Make a trip to Peacetree for root beer and beer
Go on a hike
Visit Old Market
Redo my hair

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

I am beyond excited for the Stampin’ Up! convention this weekend!
Also looking forward to my solo drive to and from Minneapolis. Loading up my podcasts and music on my phone. I hardly ever have alone time and I definitely need some time away.
Finishing N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy and I feel like I’m going to have a book (series) hangover. So incredibly amazing!
I was bad this week and checked out eight more books from the library. Bad Tobe! Four of them are recipe/homemaking books so easy quick “reads,” but still I was supposed to be weaning myself off the library for awhile.
Kindergarten Parent meeting on Tuesday gave me all the feels. Gearing up to do this whole school thing again in the fall.
Did I mention that I’m excited about OnStage? Can’t wait to hang out with Pam and get my craft on!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #6

Reading: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin — Finishing The Broken Earth trilogy and it is amazing!

Watching: We’re right in the middle of the Marvel movies. We finished Phase 2 last night.

Listening: Enjoying the back episodes of the Currently Reading podcast. I’m about half way through the back episodes.

Making: Working through The 100 Day Project and attempting to finish or make big progress on a ton of projects. Specifically working through Quentin’s 2018 Project Life album.

Feeling: This weekend is going to be great!

Planning: Leaving on Friday for the Stampin’ Up! convention. Working out where we’re going to eat and what we’re going to do beyond the convention itself. I can’t wait!

Loving: On a whim I made wacky cake last night. So good and so easy!

Next up on the TBR pile:

April 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on March's goals and my progress.

Go see Captain Marvel in the theaters for my birthday movie — Fail. Haven’t been able to find the time yet…
Take the littles to Legoland Chicago — Success!
Throw a small birthday party for the twins — Success!
Make Doctor appointment for Arthur and Quentin — Fail.
Read 20 books (four from my UnRead Shelf) — I succeeded on the first part of this goal, but failed on reading four from my UnRead Shelf. I only read two. Fail.

April's Goals:

Put together Easter baskets and home egg hunt for the boys - I’ve gotten some things started, but need a better plan.
Make summer travel plans - Looking ahead to the end of May.
Make Doctor appointments - Seriously!
Read 4 books from UnRead Shelf - Trying this again…
Buy some outdoor activity toys - We got rid of broken/old things when we moved. Now we don’t have much in the way of outdoor toys.
Find a good playground - Self-explantory
Oil Change - The van is just about due for an oil change. Need to keep that in mind so when the sensor gives me the alert, I’m not surprised.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Warm, but windy outside. I’ll take it over the below zero temps.
We need some kind of outdoor toys for this summer… Maybe a small inflatable pool?
I really need to restart my library ban (and stick to it!). Too many books checked out and I’m not reading my own shelves.
Excited to find a good playground close by our house.
Thinking about trying a new scone recipe, but don’t really want to go to the store for ingredients.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #5

Reading: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. So so good! I can’t wait to finish and get the next book.

Watching: J and I decided to rewatch all of the Marvel movies in anticipation of Endgame being released soon.

Listening: I started S2 of Slow Burn podcast the other day at the gym. This season focuses on the investigation and impeachment of Bill Clinton. I’ve realized that I know very little of the details in that case.

Making: Diving back into Project Life albums. I started Quentin’s 2018 alum and hope to start the 2019 Family album this week.

Feeling: Traveling with two small kids stresses me out a bit. Thankfully we’re back home and I feel calmer.

Planning: I can’t wait for the Stampin’ Up! convention in mid-April. I’m busy planning what I’m going to take (craft kit!) and what I want to do with my limited time in Minneapolis.

Loving: We’re continuing our weekly grilled cheese recipe and I really really love this project! We’ve tried some good recipes and I’ve got some good thinking ones on tap for next month.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List

A new season has begun! We’re currently in Indiana visiting family, but will be home this weekend. This season’s bucket list was harder to put together than I thought!

Read 50 books - I blew away my Winter goal of 45 books, so hoping to keep up the momentum!
Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants - Five seemed to be too many last season, so I adjusted it down to three.
Attend two theater performances - The Rose has Winnie the Pooh and Dragons Love Tacos coming up! Can’t wait to see them.
Make fun cupcakes - I want to try some new-to-me recipe for these.
Create an Easter Egg Hunt - I need to put this on my calendar to collect small items and brainstorm some ideas.
Make a planter for the front porch - I want to do something to spruce up our front porch. It’s so boring right now…
Find two good parks - One of these days, the kids will be able to play outside. We need to scout out some fun parks!
Host a cookout - Speaking of outside, we need to get the grill set-up and make something scrummy!
Have fun at OnStage! - I’m meeting a friend for a weekend in Minneapolis at the Stampin’ Up! convention. I can’t wait!
Tie Dye Shirts with the boys - We have shirts and some dye, just need to get it all out and play!
Check out three new museum/zoos - I know we want to go to the Durham Museum, but maybe also the Union Pacific Museum or the Lincoln Zoo.
Check out The Makery - They offer an array of fun craft events. I want to try one out.
Create a spring Spotify playlist - I need something fun to listen to in the house or when doing chores.
Buy a sprinkler for the yard - it will be hot before we know it!
Smoothie month - I would love to move away from coffee every morning and make more smoothies. I might do this as a monthly project in April or May.
Mini golf family night - I would love to start this family activity tradition.
Make a rain gauge - One of those random crafts I’m thinking of doing.
Buy and fly a kite - Living in the plains should give us perfect weather for flying kites!
Go berry picking - I know of a few farms around here that do it, just need to research the when.
Sign Arthur up for summer camps - He wants to do an animal themed camp, but I need to find a couple and decide.
Find a Farmer’s Market - There’s gotta be some around.
Make a trip to Peacetree for root beer and beer - Maybe make a little weekend trip out of it?
Go on a hike- Maybe a state park? Or along the river? (after all the flooding subsides of course)
Visit Old Market - The boys and I haven’t gone yet as it’s too darn cold!
Redo my hair - I’m thinking about doing all-over color, or potentially an ombre look.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Finish Line

Christmas is over! Time to jump into the bleak season of winter here in the Midwest. This list was a bit of a struggle to create due to the weather constraints, but I think I’ve come up with some goodies.

That’s it! According to calendar, it is spring. Time to retire this bucket list and begin a new one. I didn’t quite get to as many of these as I had hoped, but whatever. We tried.

Progress: 10/25

Read 45 books ✓
Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants (3/5) — We ended up trying three new restaurants (two Chinese and one Indiana), but we also went to Le Peep and Wheatfields for brunches. So yummy!
Go sledding
Attend a hockey game
Attend two theater performances (in progress 1/2) - We ended up skipping the current show at the Rose Theater as it’s more suited to an older audience.
Bake some bread ✓
Make winter crafts ✓
Create a table centerpiece ✓
Get our fireplace working
Movie Month January ✓
Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur ✓
Make Valentine’s ✓
Try 3 new hot chocolate recipes/mixes
Visit two new-to-the-boys museums ✓ - On the way to Indiana, we stopped and played at Legoland Discovery Center in Chicago. I am going to count it.
Have an indoor picnic
Swim at the gym 5 times (in progress 1/5)
Host a tea party!
Make a snow globe
Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath
Complete a jigsaw puzzle ✓
Find a great coffee shop for me!
Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore
Buy some new cozy pajamas
Explore an area of Omaha
Travel to Indiana for Nick and Alex’s 16th Birthday! ✓ — We’re here!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Grilled Cheese Adventures: January and February

Part of my 2019 goals is make a different Grilled Cheese recipe each week. I find grilled cheese to be so comforting, but just cheddar or Colby gets boring after awhile. So, I checked a few books out from the library and make a Pinterest Board with lots of options. Here’s what we ate:

Week 1: Pesto, Bruschetta, and Mozzarella

We started the new year off right yesterday with a pesto, bruschetta, mozzarella gc on homemade Hungarian fennel white bread. It doesn’t look like much, but it sure was tasty!

Week 2: Jalapeño Popper

Good but the cream cheese was almost too much. And don’t get me started on removing the skins from jalapeños. Not as easy as the recipe made it seem.

Week 3: Cranberry, Brie, and Prosciutto on Marbled Rye

I really enjoyed this one! Next time I’m going to get the Brie more melty.

Week 4: Fancy BLTs

One of our regular in rotation recipes. I love love love this grilled cheese! For this week, we put it one some thick Italian bread.

Week 5: Spinach and Feta (with Mozzarella) on Sourdough

I really enjoyed this one. The secret is to add red pepper and a bit of garlic to the spinach before grilling!

Week 6: Cheddar, Bacon, and Tomato on Sourdough

Liked it even though I ended up partially burning it. Kids and kitchens don’t mix...

Week 7: Shrimp and Cheddar

Decent, but next time we need to add some cajun seasoning to the shrimp or something similar. Also, this sandwich was the inaugural run of our new sandwich press.

Week 8: Spinach and Artichoke Dip Melts

This is in contention for my favorite GC so far. I love spinach artichoke dip and this is even better as it’s sandwiched between crispy bread.

Week 9: Blueberry Breakfast Grilled Cheese

We switched things up and made grilled cheese for breakfast. Frozen blueberries and cream cheese made a pseudo-strudel to enjoy.

Currently #4

Reading: Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield. I loved The Thirteenth Tale, hoping this one is just as good. I’m only a few pages in, but so far, pretty interesting.

Watching: J and I started This Giant Beast that Is the Global Economy with Kal Penn. Depressing, but interesting dive into various aspects of the global economy.

Listening: Lots of podcasts. I’m currently catching up with a few back episodes of Reading Glasses.

Making: The dish of the week is apparently scones. Yesterday I made chocolate chip ones and mango and coconut ones. I want to try out a savory recipe (maybe ham and cheese?) and a new sweet recipe this week.

Feeling: It’s my birthday!!!

Planning: Putting the finishing touches on our travel plans next week. We’re hitting Legoland Chicago on our way to Indiana.

Loving: My in-laws got me a cozy new library themed blanket. Perfect addition to my reading chair in the playroom. It’s been so cold lately and our house has weird cold (playroom) and hot spots (master bedroom) so we’ve been playing with the thermostat. A blanket helps me stay cozy reading while the kiddos play.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Update #3

Christmas is over! Time to jump into the bleak season of winter here in the Midwest. This list was a bit of a struggle to create due to the weather constraints, but I think I’ve come up with some goodies.

Progress: 7/25

Read 45 books ✓
Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants (in progress 2/5)
Go sledding
Attend a hockey game
Attend two theater performances (in progress 1/2) - We went to see Thumbelina at the Rose Theater. Very fun little show. I don’t think we’ll get to another performance before the end of this bucket list, but we do have at least three more scheduled for Spring and Summer.
Bake some bread ✓
Make winter crafts ✓
Create a table centerpiece ✓
Get our fireplace working
Movie Month January ✓
Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur (in progress)
Make Valentine’s ✓
Try 3 new hot chocolate recipes/mixes
Visit two new-to-the-boys museums (in progress 1/2) - Not quite a museum, but we did visit the botanical garden at Lauritzen so I’m counting it!
Have an indoor picnic.
Swim at the gym 5 times (in progress 1/5) - After Q’s stomach bug this January, I didn’t think we would ever get to the pool. We have been 1 time so far. Hoping to squeeze in a few more trips.
Host a tea party!
Make a snow globe
Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath
Complete a jigsaw puzzle ✓
Find a great coffee shop for me!
Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore
Buy some new cozy pajamas
Explore an area of Omaha
Travel to Indiana for Nick and Alex’s 16th Birthday! - Finally scheduled everything! We will be there for their actual birthday!

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on February's goals and my progress.

Secure hotel for April’s Stampin’ Up! convention — Success! Pam and I will be staying at a cute looking AirBnB pretty close to the convention center.
Nail down travel plans for March — Success!
Nail down travel plans for April — Still working on this one. Not sure when I will be leaving exactly.
Driver’s license — Fail.
Make dentist appointments — Success! Mine isn’t until May, but we already had Q and A’s appointments.
Find a babysitter for monthly date nights — Fail. I need to get on this…
Library ban for rest of February — Fail. I always get distracted by the shinies…
Get rid of two boxes in the kitchen — Fail. I just don’t know what to do with all this random, yet occasionally useful crap.

March's Goals:

Go see Captain Marvel in the theaters for my birthday movie — I haven’t been out on a date with J in years (seriously years, it’s been rough). We both want to see Captain Marvel and it comes out two days after my birthday. Going to try and get there!
Take the littles to Legoland Chicago — I have the tickets and a hotel booked, just need to actually get there. We’re stopping on the way to Indiana for Spring Break.
Throw a small birthday party for the twins — March 19th my big boys are turning 16!!! We’re working out the details, but they are wanting a small party at Crazy Pinz.
Make Doctor appointment for Arthur and Quentin — Need to get this scheduled if not actually happening in March.
Read 20 books (four from my UnRead Shelf) — Pushing my reading momentum into this month. 20 books should be doable, but I need to remember to grab some off my UnRead Shelf.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Four days stuck in the house due to a winter storm… It was rough! We needed to get out. We rescheduled out zoo day for tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully we can get out there and have some fun.
Constant meal planning and prepping is getting to me. We may need to re-introduce a meal delivery kit for once a month.
Super excited for our Spring Break in Indiana along with a stop at Legoland!
Trying to finish the book club selection by Monday, but it’s really dragging for me. Not quite sure that I’m really excited about this one at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #3

Reading: Eruption by Steve Olson about the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. So far, so good.

Watching: Slowly making my way through Riverdale S2. Finally got the Christmas break.

Listening: Plugging along with This Podcast Will Kill You about infectious diseases. Next up is Malaria.

Making: Feeling like I need to make some brownies this afternoon. Yum yum.

Feeling: Anxious about some upcoming decisions.

Planning: Spring Break is just around the corner. So is the twins’s birthday. Busy busy with the logistics of getting there and back and what to do while there.

Loving: We’ve had a ton of snow this January/February. currently there’s about 7 inches of cumulative snow in our yard. But the sun is shining and the reflection has created a glittery wonderland. Arthur thought there was actual glitter in the snow. So cute!

Next up on the TBR pile: