New Food 2020

I haven't kept posting, but it's all on my Instagram for food.  It's @a4minimaleffort if you're going to manually put it in.

Since my last post, we've made muffins, cookies, roasted veggies with pasta, donuts, coffee cake, and vanilla cake with vanilla glaze in the Instant Pot.  I post the origin (and link if I can) to all.  We mostly use our Instant Pot for baking actually.  I use it enough to make it worth it, but I probably could use it more.   

Just a few thoughts below

• The coffee cake was for Husband's birthday.  It was a hit.  It's probably because it is 75% crumb/sugar topping and 25% cake.  
• The muffin recipe was pretty good actually.  No one would eat them but me though.
• We made both chocolate chip (just Tollhouse, but it's a classic for a reason) and Williams Sonoma sugar cookies for Father's Day.  We used the Sesame Street cookie cutters for fun.

I want to cook/bake more, but I'm indecisive so that's not helpful.  There are definitely more cookies in our future though.

Movies I'm Watching...

I'm watching more than I'm reading.  Normally, I post after I've finished a series, but I've been dabbling with a bunch and not really finishing anything.

I've started The Umbrella Academy before the second season is due on Netflix.  I've started The Great on Hulu.  I put on Crazy Delicious on Netflix when I need something on in the background.  I like the first two, but I haven't been captured enough to binge watch.  The third is literally just if I need something on as noise.

Last night, we started I'll Be Gone in the Dark on HBO.  I have to admit that I didn't finish the book, but I really liked the book.  I'm thinking of going back to finish now, but the first episode premiered last night.  I thought it was well done.  I loved Michelle McNamara's style of focusing on the victims and survivors.  It really respected them instead of giving way to torture porn or sensationalizing the violence and/or killer.  The new perspective and conversational writing really drew me in.

I'm finding I'm focusing more than at the beginning of these unprecedented times, but it's still a struggle.  If the content is right, it's working which is a step in the right direction of things (or at least recreation) going back to normal.  Meanwhile, Little Miss has been reading a book a day or more.  She's digging into her Rick Riordan books that have been piling up as well as listening to audio books.  That's pretty much the only reason I don't harp too much on the fact that she spends all day locked in her room.

Movies We've Watched - Queer Eye

I was late to the Queer Eye game, but I binged it all somewhere around Season 2/3.  I liked Season 5 (Philadelphia).  It wasn't my favorite, but it still made me feel good.  

Sometimes, with these shows, I feel just very manipulated.  I feel everything is measured and edited.  I always want to know more like did this have a lasting impression on the participants, have they kept up with things on a physical and personal level.  So, once I immerse myself in the interviews and social media, then I can feel like I can enjoy the show.  This is probably why I don't watch a lot of reality shows in general.   Still, it was a solid season and, if you like the show, you'll like this season.  

Movies We're Watching - Love Life

First of all, I've kept the titles on these even though some of these are clearly tv shows and not movies.

I started this on HBO Max.  There are 10 episodes, only a half hour.  I did find Darby kind of annoying in parts, but I think that was where her character is just different than I am and, to be fair, she was going through her trainwreck phase.  It was good that I decided to push through and view as a whole.  You travel through time with Darby to see her grow personally and professionally.  I thought it was going to be more of a relationship journey based on the first episodes where she is looking for love so desperately, but I liked how it kind of evolved and ended up liking the series as a whole.  I can also see that this is way more popular with people younger than I am or at least closer to that stage in life.  I liked it though, and I'll give a second season a shot (there is going to be a second season but about a secondary character as the show will be more anthology and less serial).

New Food 2020 - Muffin Corn Dogs

I'm not even going to link a recipe because it's super easy.  Captain browsed on Pinterest and chose this recipe.  He also thinks it's dinner and dessert all in one because it's a hot dog and a cupcake.  I made regular-sized muffins even though most recipes will call for mini muffins.  Because I did regular-sized muffins, there is a weird hot dog to corn bread ratio.  

You make cornbread mix (from scratch or by box) and then put it into a greased muffin tin or liners.  Cut the hot dogs in 1/3 or so and stick them in the middle of the muffins.  The whole thing goes into a 400 degree oven for 15 -20 minutes depending (or until toothpick comes out clean).  

I, personally, think this ruins perfectly good cornbread, but it was fun to cook with Captain, and he ate it in record time so that's a win.  

What We're Watching - Hannah Gadsby

This week, I watched Nanette and Douglas with Hannah Gadsby on Netflix. I'm really getting my Netflix money's worth during this quarantine.  I knew I would like these specials, and they came highly recommended, but I didn't watch for whatever reason.  Well, that reason was life.  So, I finally watched both back-to-back this week.  They are very insightful and very funny though both address serious issues and stories.  I found Hannah delightful and witty and smart.  And the accent is brilliant.  I love the Australian accent on anyone.  I recommend it to all with the warning that Nanette had me both laughing and crying so there's that.