Sunday Smorgasbord Vol. 2

Last Updated on May 10, 2020 by Annie

I think you should be slightly impressed with the fact I am correctly writing the word smorgasbord. As you learned last week, I would prefer this to be called the shmorgishborg but alas, the red squiggly line gives me anxiety (and I don’t think I can handle my husband’s excessive eye rolls). If you came back for Karen’s obituary, I regret to inform you she is alive and well, and has assumed a new identity.

I encourage you to read the Smorgasbord much like you would handle a buffet. Read the sections that interest you, skip those that don’t, or pick out bits of everything.

Mother’s Day

While Mother’s Day celebrations may look a little different this year, the message is the same. I am sending love to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, soon to be mothers, women waiting to be mothers, mother of fur babies, women who assumed the role of mother in someones life, and everyone in between. Love is in your actions, so take a minute to call, FaceTime, or if you are able drop a sweet something for them at their door.

Cinco de Mayo

This year marks the first year we did not host a Cinco de Mayo party. Instead we made a huge sheet pan of nachos. How do you make dairy-free nachos? Simple. I layer tortilla chips on the bottom of a sheet pan and dollop the tops with refried beans. Then sprinkle ground turkey taco meat and toss into the oven for about 10 minutes. Next layer on ALL the goods. We’re talkin’ pico, guac, and vegan Mexican street corn dip. Add some extra cilantro and green onion and you are good to go, love.

Karen

I didn’t think Karen would make it through the week. Feeding and discarding became a rather unenjoyable task. For a few days I questioned her smell. Another day I came back to find a puddle of hooch. And even worse, she didn’t seem to be growing much.

We finally had a turning point Friday when I “forgot” to feed her. I remembered like 4 times that I needed to feed her and chose not to feed her. The next day when I was sure she would be dead she came back with a new sense of purpose. She developed deep bubbles and rose more than any day before. I like to think Karen evolved. Much like a Charmander evolves into a Charmeleon, Karen has evolved into Phoebe.

One of my least favorite aspects about sourdough is the need to waste so much flour. So instead of discarding each day, I turned the discard into new treats, most notably these chocolate chip scones. I replaced the heavy cream in the recipe with full fat coconut milk and also used a flax egg (because I’m saving my eggs for breakfast).

Around the House

Around the house productivity waned at the beginning of the week. I began working with two new clients and took a little extra time finding my footing before diving into the projects. As the week progressed, time found its way back to me and I returned to the quarantine projects that brought me so much joy.

The completed nightstand sits proudly on the front porch. The brass knob I intended to use to replace the wooden knob didn’t fit the screw. Instead of taking apart the drawer I simply spray painted the old wooden knob gold. Win.

In other home improvement news my husband is in the final stages of putting doors on our old shed out back and we reattached a door knob that broke months ago… What is it about being 7 weeks from moving out that makes you do all the things you should have done in the first place? Will you please remind me to do all the things as soon as possible when we get into the new house? Thanks.

Bleach, Pray, Love

I’m going to just put this out there and leave it for you to ponder. Is there anything better than a house that’s so fresh and so clean clean?? Maybe one that’s fresh and clean with a warm plate of cookies. It might just be my favorite thing ever. So if a freshly cleaned home brings me joy, you can only imagine the excitement that came from getting a few new cleaning tools, powdered Tide and some rubber gloves to be exact.

With the power of Tide and warm water, I conquered the back patio furniture. Scrubbed it down and got it all ready for the glorious weekend ahead… until the cold front came and it snowed. In May. So I guess next weekend we will jam in the backyard.

Books

Last week I shared a little about what I’m reading. Probably as a way to hold me accountable and finish what I had started because… procrastination. I am still trudging through the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I think I have less than 30 pages left and as I am still reading the April book well into May, I am going to need to get a move on! I am also in the final chapters of the 4 Hour Work Week but I keep finding myself putting it down to look up rents for a flat in Barcelona or take French lessons in Provence. The only flaw in this plan includes the three fur babies we feed daily and maybe Phoebe, something to consider.

Again if you have made it through my weekly ramble, I couldn’t be more grateful! Keep safe and well!