It feels good to be back with a “normal” Happy Things Friday post. I am glad to have survived March and April is starting off with promise.
Let’s dive in…
POTATO SCALLOP
John and I have a disagreement that has continued for over a decade regarding the correct term for Potato Scallop (much like Potato Gratin). He calls the dish scalloped potatoes. I call it Potato Scallop. (To me it is a proper noun.) He compares it to someone trying to call it Potato Mash instead of mashed potatoes. I got my terminology from my mother who learned it in her high school Home Economics textbook (which she still has; you had better bet she’s shown her son-in-law the recipe officially titled Potato Scallop). Anyhoo, I assumed it was a family quirk UNTIL I was driving one of A’s friends to a party last weekend and we were discussing her family’s Easter menu. The third thing she mentioned was POTATO SCALLOP. Not scalloped potatoes. POTATO SCALLOP. I actually had A film her repeating this phrase and promptly texted it to John as vindication.
Does anyone else call it Potato Scallop?
THRIFT SUCCESSES
As I mentioned in my brain dump, last year’s clothing – bottoms in particular – are no longer fitting properly. And, as many wise women have shared, it is always best to dress the body we have not the body we had or think we should currently have. (So much easier said than done.) I went hog-wild and bought three pairs of jeans, five sweaters, two t-shirts and two dresses at my favourite thrift store (for about $60!) and it has been delightful to have slightly roomier things I feel better wearing. Also, because I have such a minimal wardrobe, I end up wearing the same things on repeat so it is extra nice to have new variety. I took about ten things to a local consignment store that no longer fit or didn’t “spark joy”/have a clear function. The math almost works with my general one in/one out policy…
LAPTOP BATTERY LIFE
In the last few months, if I moved my laptop screen at a few different angles it would just…go black. Also, at some point between 30-40% battery remaining, it would die. So, for only the second time in my life, I bought a brand-new laptop just for me. I can use my new laptop for DAYS. Days of battery life instead of hours – with a screen that doesn’t go black – is a very Happy Thing indeed.
A TRIP ENJOYED TWICE
I have really enjoyed reading my own trip recaps (is that narcissistic in some way)? I had already forgotten little details from the trip and it’s fun to see everything pulled together in chronological order and remember the fun we had…from the comfort of my living room.
(I’ve also started reposting – backdated so they won’t show up in Feedly – recaps from our Toronto/NYC trip in 2022, which were all deleted when my old blog went kaput.)
- Toronto Day One: Graffiti, Rollercoasters, Ice Cream, and Backyard Fishing
- Toronto Day Two: City Hall, Shopping Malls, and the Aquarium
COOL WALKING CLUB
Perhaps I shouldn’t have called this The Cool Bloggers Walking Club because a few people wondered if non-bloggers could join. YES! PLEASE! MORE IS LITERALLY MERRIER.
Thanks to everyone who has reported back – bloggers and non-bloggers alike – that this little walking group has boosted their mood and/or inspired them to get outside on a dull day.
A few pictures:
Day One: I had some partners in crime…
Day Two: The morning commute + an unpictured walk with Joy in the evening which was lovely…
Day Three: Post drop-off trek to the coffee shop…
Day Four: A snow day without…SNOW. It did eventually snow, but only after school would have been finished and never enough to make the roads treacherous.
Nicole and her trusty walking companion (Hi, Rex!). Look at those views!!!
Here’s Kae out for a walk with Charlie and Ethan!
A GOOD “SNOW” DAY
Even though yesterday shouldn’t have been a snow day, we made the most of it. I had such a stacked Thursday including all sorts of logistics because it was parent-teacher meetings in the evening (and A was working as part of the school childcare team during the parent-teacher meetings) + various drop-offs/pickups, appointments, etc. When schools ended up closing the entire slate got wiped clean…which was rather relieving.
In the morning I felt a bit angsty for a while but:
- I mentioned needing to dismantle (pun intended) our Easter decor, and L asked if he could do it. Um, yes, please! So those decorations are all down and neatly stored for next year.
- All of us showered.
- We prepped all the garbage and recycling for tomorrow’s collection.
- I sent a work e-mail I’d been putting off.
- I arranged a fuel delivery.
- L had a friend over for five hours and they baked apple cake with me (this particular friend had it once at our house and loves it), watched a movie, played soccer in the snow (there was a bit of a snow mid-afternoon), played basketball in the basement, and just generally had a good time.
- A baked brownies (she doesn’t like apple cake) and made fondant flowers (not bad for her first time; she looked up a tutorial on YouTube) and then taught both boys how to make fondant flowers. Let me also add that it is amazing to have a teen who can do All The Things in the kitchen. She can preheat the oven, grease pans, find the ingredients, make the item, take things in/out of the oven, check items for doneness, turn off the oven, and clean up. The huffing and sighing and argumentative nature I could do without, but I am here for teenage baking capabilities! Also, could she have been wearing a better shirt for a day that ended with fondant flowers?
- A family friend who works in town came over on her lunch break and we caught up on her life/our trip to Barcelona. She brought her own meal, but the kids and I had a “let’s use up things in the fridge” charcuterie-type meal.
- A didn’t want to watch the Minion’s movie the boys decided on, so she rearranged and organized L’s room. My favourite part is that she took the time to label the plastic drawers. Aside from her room – which looks like a tornado recently ripped through (truly) – she is an organizing queen. At one point I was in my room talking with John (he was in Finland this week so was bedtime for him when I was cleaning up from lunch) and I kept hearing pantry doors opening and closing. By the time I came back out, she had reorganized the whole pantry. Without being asked! She decanted cereal! SHE ALPHABETIZED MY SPICE BAGS! (I only discovered this when I was baking apple cake with the boys and realized that cinnamon was now easily found after Basil and before Cumin.
- I reorganized my closet (extra fun – yes, organizing closets is FUN to me – with my new thrifted finds).
- At the end of the day I decided to skip yoga and eat BBQ kettle cooked chips – from the freezer, of course – in bed. I stand by that decision.
BONUS ROUND
- Friendly baristas. There is a barista at my favourite coffee shop that is so funny and jolly – she’s always smiling and bantering with customers; her laugh is infectious and she looks like she is living her best life.
- Baked goods (and that warm, delicious smell that pervades the whole house). Eating said baked goods isn’t too hard either. I modified this recipe (which I already love as-is) to make banana muffins which were delicious. I didn’t tell A they had flax and virtually no sugar or she would have been up in arms. I have also been making this 3-Ingredient Yogurt Cake (Suzanne tipped me off to this recipe). I make it with plain yogurt, add cinnamon, a bit of sweetener and then top each slice with the
Elixir of the Godspeanut butter. Here is the recipe I modify for my apple cake (I halve the topping).
- In more sugar news, we had our first (local) ice cream of 2024. I took the kids after school one day “just because” and the woman mixed up my order and gave me a small (two HUGE scoops) instead of a baby…but the ice cream was delicious. I opted for Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch.
- A new plant. I couldn’t resist and the kids really took a shining to it. I’d be fine if I never received another bouquet my whole life, but plants are another story. I had to suppress the urge to buy THE ENTIRE GREENHOUSE. (Also, for $14.99, I feel like this plant is a much better bang for buck than flowers?!)
- New sneakers. I buy most of my running shoes second hand (it has been 3 years since my last “new” pair), but I was ready for something more comfortable. They’re kinda ugly but I’ve got a pair of On Cloudmonster’s on their way (apparently they’re a lot like Hoka Clifton’s?). I’m also debating getting the New Balance Soft Foam Hierro v7 or v8. My favourite shoe of the ones I tried on (and I tried a lot!) were no-tie Cloudtilts (also from On), but my foot slipped in them too much so I know I couldn’t run – or even walk – without wearing down the heel quickly.
- Apple Cider Doughnuts. Every year on Easter Sunday our church provides apple cider doughnuts and hot cross buns in between services and every single year I want to eat about a dozen of the doughnuts because they are legit out of this world. These doughnuts come from the same local farmer’s market where I bought the plant and ice cream, but somehow it’s extra special to only have them once a year? So I resisted all urges to buy myself a 6-pack and devour them in one sitting.
Your turn. Any Happy Things that stand out to you from the week? Are you a plant or a flower person? Favourite brand/model of sneakers (anyone with feedback about On Cloudmonster’s or NB Hierro’s – very different shoes since the NB is a hybrid trail shoe but they are designed to be worn on and off pavement?) If you’re joining me on daily walks, any memorable walks this week?
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Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
To me it’s scalloped potatoes, but I approve of potato scallop.
There is nothing better than having clothes that fit! After I gained weight I found that I couldn’t just buy the next size up in the jeans that I was wearing. Sometimes a bigger size means “made for a taller person”. It took a hot minute to find jeans that fit me, but once I did life was so much better. Also bravo for making room for the new clothes by getting rid of old ones. We all need a wardrobe refresh from time to time.
Yay for a new laptop! I need to get a new battery for mine. I’ve been putting it off because all of my leisure time has been spent with the puppy or hiking, but not that I’m not hiking now I’ve got time to take care of the battery
The qualifications for being a “Cool Blogger” are: Being Cool, which means that someone who has ever read a blog post and related to something that they read there, and Blogger means that you have some association with the blog world, which includes reading blogs. So anyone who has heard of CBBC or CBWC or whatever else we come with is by definition a Cool Blogger and a member of the club.
Elisabeth
I have noted your approval 🙂
Length is such a problem for me – thankfully, at the thrift store I most frequent they seem to have a LOT of petite sizes and that really helps.
I like your definitions <3
Colleen Martin
Happy Friday! Do you guys call it a “baby” for the children’s size ice cream? We call it a “kiddie” here! So interesting. And it’s scalloped potatoes, sorry girl 😉 Also is that all of your clothes in the closet, or just your winter wardrobe? I’m thinking I need to do some serious decluttering…
Elisabeth
Shhh. I won’t tell John you’re in his corner.
I don’t think any ice cream place where we live calls it a kiddie. If there is an option below “small” it’s always “Baby.”
That’s about 3/4 of my clothes? My workout bottoms and PJs are in drawers, and I have some summer dresses and shorts in the basement.
Nicole MacPherson
I have so much to say, first, how excited am I to make an appearance on your blog! Rex is excited too, I’m sure, even though he’s sleeping right now.
I have never in my life heard Potato Scallop. I’ve only ever heard/ said Scalloped Potatoes (and is it okay to tell you I hate them?).
I love all the plants and think your new one is wonderful.
A ALPHABETIZED YOUR SPICES. That girl is a wonder, wow, I am impressed at her organization skills. And, of course, I love that your organized your closet. It is so important to feel good in your clothes, and I am happy you found some that work for you – wearing ill-fitting items is uncomfortable and kind of depressing. So yay for all your new finds. As always, I need you to come here and thrift for me because I am so impatient and not good at looking for things!
I see those chips all the time at Superstore and have always been curious – I should give them a go!
Happy Friday, my friend!
Elisabeth
I REALLY like those chips; they are a bit on the spicy side so if I eat too much I don’t love the feeling in my mouth (but I am SPICE AVERSE).
Thrifting with you would be a dream.
Sigh. I was really hoping the internet would be with my on the Potato Scallop thing 🙁 I almost never make the dish, but to enjoy it…it’s just too much work. Who has time to thinly slice potatoes?
Alphabetized spices is pretty swell. I know it will last about 2 days, but it’s the thought that counts and I’ll have no problem finding Thyme for the next week.
Grateful Kae
Sorry friend, I am definitely team Scalloped Potatoes. I don’t have it handy, but I’m quite certain my cookbook calls it that also.
And wow on A’s organizing interests!! This really seals the deal for me that there is perhaps some very real genetic or girl vs boy component here… despite modeling these behaviors and having them involved with cleaning/organizing from a young age, neither of my boys would ever in a million years choose to organize a sibling’s room or the pantry. Like, never ever!!! That is amazing.
Elisabeth
Okay, but my kids don’t clean the bathroom very often (I know yours do) and her room is SUCH A DISASTER. It’s a bit like a mechanic driving an old beater that barely works or a cardiologist smoking a pack a day. She loves to organize things…but not her own things.
I do think it might be genetic, though. L LOVES to pack things into boxes and this is one of John’s specialties. He often packs my suitcase and forget about me trying to pack our trunk. John can get double the volume of stuff in there and views it as a challenge. A full-sized game of Tetris. And both kids seem to have inherited that trait. I don’t love packing so much, but love the aesthetic of things being uncluttered.
Jenny
I’ve only heard of “scalloped potatoes” – Potato Scallop sounds kind of like a quaint regional thing. But, as you pointed out, it IS in a textbook, so you’re not wrong.
You had a lot of great happy things! New jeans THAT FIT definitely make one happy. And, I would be very happy if my daughter started cooking more. We’re going to work on it over the summer. And, I have to laugh at A organizing everything- why is it so much fun to organize OTHER people’s stuff, but not your own???
I love the photos of Nicole and Kae- especially the difference in weather! It was surprising to see the snow (in April!) but I know spring has been slow to come up there.
I’ve been thinking of getting a new pair of shoes just for walking around (normally I just wear old running shoes, but I need something a little nicer looking for work…) I’ve tried on Ons before (that was a weird sentence) and thought they were really comfortable- can’t remember which style though. I don’t think they’re ugly- at least the colors aren’t garish. I’ll bet you’ll be happy with them!
Elisabeth
Right. IT’S IN A TEXTBOOK. (I mean, a textbook from the 60’s but, still, a textbook nonetheless).
When I was trying on shoes a nurse came in and she was getting a second set of On’s. She’s on her feet all day – much like you – and she raved about them!
mbmom11
I have walked every day, so far. It’s only around a long block, but it’s 10 minutes. The weather has been dreadful (winds, rain, snow, cold cold cold) so having the CBWC helped get me out the door. Spring should be back this weekend, which will make the walks easier and hopefully longer. Enjoy your weekend!
Elisabeth
That’s amazing! And great that the block is the perfect amount of time. I’m sorry you’ve had such unpleasant walking conditions, but glad that the little “walking club” has inspired you to get outside <3
Lisa's Yarns
We saw scalloped potatoes. I have never heard someone say potato scallop. But you do you!
I have walked/ran every day this week but one day it was an indoor walk during a lunch meet up with a friend. We walked the skyway after lunch. Today I am thinking I will walk to Paul’s school with his scooter and then we can walk/scoot back to our house – it’s only a mile so I should do this more often but it will probably take triple the time! Which is fine on a Friday and the weather should be pretty nice.
I’ve never heard of cloudmonsters but I’m so not in the know when it comes to shoes. I wear Hakas, but not the cliftons. I can’t remember what they are but they are made for people with narrow feet and high arches so basically made for me!
The high of my week was that lunch with a friend – he’s my retired coworker. We try to have lunch once/month. Last time we saw each other it was a VERY RANT-FILLED get together. This time around I complained far less – but still a little bit because he’s one of the few people who can completely understand some of the BS and garbage people I have to deal with…
Elisabeth
It always helps to have someone that REALLY understands.
I hope the walk to/from the school is lovely – thanks for joining in. It means a lot <3
I'll report back on the sneakers...
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I love clean out the fridge charcuterie boards, your ice cream looks delicious, and I e heard great things about those OC shoes but have never tried them myself. My coworker swears by them though and he had a ruptured Achilles and he finds them very comfortable.
My happy things are the great week I just had in OR with friends and the prospect of getting back on the road today, weather permitting (it’s been snowing).
Also, I’m going to send you a walk photo now! Have a great weekend.
Elisabeth
I’ll let you know how I find the sneakers. It’s time to get back into some (short) running stints now that spring is officially here.
Thanks for sending those hiking pictures along!!!! I’ll post them next Friday.
Sarah
LOL cardiologist smoking a pack a day
I wish we could thrift together— you find the best stuff!!
Elisabeth
I would love to have a Cool Blogger Thrifting Group. Alas, a bit harder to coordinate via the interwebs than walking…
Sophie
I think we call it scalloped potatoes but more often potato gratin.
I have a weird related Australian fact- at fish and chip shops they sell deep-fried battered potato patties, and in one state (New South Wales) they are called Potato Scallops, but in another (Victoria) they are called Potato Cakes. Why? No idea. 🤷♀️
Also, what are these Frozen Kettle Cooked Chips you speak of? Are they crisps or designed to be baked, or something else? I’m intrigued!
Elisabeth
I had never heard of Potato Gratin until the last few years…but it seems no one is joining me on team Potato Scallop. Sigh.
We store all our opened bags of chips – and most crackers – in the freezer. It makes the flavour more intense and keeps chips fresh for much longer. So the chips are normal kettle cooked chips, they just came from the freezer 🙂
NGS
Listen, here’s the thing. People talk about sneakers like they are so comfortable and I just don’t think they are. That’s all. I wear New Balance, but I’d almost rather wear any of my shoes than my tennis shoes all the time. My toes need more freedom than athletic shoes will ever give them.
I have been walking every day! Most of the week the weather was terrible with either rain, snow, a mix of both, or sleet. Today is sunny and beautiful, though, so my afternoon walk with Hannah will be memorable because neither of us will be miserable!
Elisabeth
I don’t find any shoes comfortable. I have weird arches and corns and am basically a hundred-year old lady who is ALWAYS ready to take her shoes off and lie down on a horizontal surface. Maybe On will make me free differently.
Three cheers for non-miserable walks. Maybe Hannah will be so thrilled by the nicer weather she’ll smile for the camera 😉 I know how much she loves having her photo taken and stoping along the route!
J
I did a google search for Potatoes Scallop, and everything that came up was Scalloped Potatoes. I’m afraid I’m team John on this one, though I like how formal Potatoes Scallop sounds. It sounds exactly like what it would be called in a home ec cookbook from way back when. Wait a minute, I have an old Joy of Cooking…let me see what she calls it…
OK, Joy of Cooking (originally published in 1931, my version is 1975) says Scalloped Potatoes.
The All New Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook (originally published in 1896, my version is 1959) also says Scalloped Potatoes.
I find it HILARIOUS that A loves to organize and that her room is a disaster. My daughter was like that sometimes as a teen as well. Actually, she’s still like that sometimes.
I don’t personally have any experience with those shoes, but my husband LOVES his Ons. I’m not sure which ones they are.
I love going back and rereading my travel posts. It brings me so much joy.
Congratulations on the new laptop and the clothes!
You keep your potato chips (chipped potatoes?) in the freezer? As my daughter and her friends said when they were 4 or 5, “whodie whatie what?”
Elisabeth
Can I just say I am over the moon impressed you took the time to look up TWO cookbooks for the recipe name. I will admit I’m irked that none said Potato Scallop. I guess it’s still just my mother and I (and A’s 12-year-old friend) who are in the Potato Scallop corner.
I’m excited to try the Ons. They are so different looking and feeling than “normal” shoes.
Yes! I learned the frozen chip hack from John. It keeps chips (and crackers) fresher for longer and it intensifies the flavour! We only put them in there once they’ve been opened, but it works like a charm. I’ll give John pull points for this, but I still think he’s missing the mark on scalloped potatoes.
There is a lot of irony in A’s love of organizing. Oh well. I guess I just need to feed into her skills around the house and be the one who tackles her room. A few weeks ago she completely overhauled our “food overflow” (canned goods, pasta, etc) in a corner of our basement. She labeled shelves and coordinated bins and it looks fantastic. But, again, her room looks like several wild animals have been left to run free for several hours. Hungry wild animals that scatter their clothing like confetti on each surface of said room and have never mastered the art of the clothes hanger.
Diane
Last time I bought running shoes, I went to a running store and did the whole, foot imprint/treadmill monitoring/check gait thing. I came away with a pair of Asics, which are fine, but I think I really want a trail runner so I can wear them while hiking/camping. Or maybe I should just get a separate pair of trail runners. My current pair of running shoes are over a year old, so I guess it’s time for me to look into new shoes too…
I did poorly on walking this week – a combination of just getting back from vacation and rainy rainy weather. But I should just put on boots and raincoat and get out there. I did go on a walk this afternoon and the best thing was walking by a house and being hit with the aroma of laundry detergent from the dryer venting to the outside. There is something just so cozy to me about that smell, and never knowing when you will walk through it.
Neither plant nor flower for me – I neither want to watch something die or be responsible for keeping it alive. Maybe a cactus? But then it would be prickly.
Elisabeth
I love the smell of laundry running. It always feels like such an intimate moment – knowing something that is happening behind closed doors but it being so immediately recognizable. And you’re right – the spontaneity of it adds to the experience. It could be weeks, months, or even years between smelling that scent on a walk (I’d say I average once every 2-3 months? it’s not common because of my walking route).
Sara
Team John here, friend…er, Team Scalloped Potatoes that is 😉
I loooove plants. Maybe I will email you a picture of my plant set-up to entice buyers (it worked!) on our condo. There are never enough plants.
I find organizing to be in my top three favorite activities of all time. It brings me so much satisfaction and joy it’s almost disturbing. I also find rearranging the furniture and “shopping” the house and moving tchotchkes and art around to be the most fun you can have for free.
Elisabeth
I’d love to see your setup! I do really love plants (and laugh a bit that just a few years ago one of my goals was to get TWO plants…now we have about a dozen).
Organizing is one of the best mental health tools for me. It really is satisfying AND joyful. I don’t rearrange furniture very often, but it is fun to just move things around that are familiar – like art – so that it becomes “unfamiliar” again because of it’s location.
Sarah
I am just catching up on your blog after not reading for a while and just wanted to say I loved your Good Friday post. I share your faith, but am often too private about it, and I don’t think anyone could accuse me of proselytizing. I live in a very secular country where churchgoing is not the norm. Anyway, thank you for being public about it- you are an inspiration!
Elisabeth
Thanks, Sarah. These words of encouragement are so appreciated and precious to me <3
Kate
I thought of you this weekend when I successfully thrifted 2 new dresses to wear to upcoming bridal showers/weddings! (I bought 3, but there was no fitting room and the third doesn’t fit properly; still, two out of three formal-ish dresses is great odds!)
Potato chips in the freezer?! Do they keep longer that way? Do you eat them still frozen? I am a chip aficionado, to the detriment of my waistline, but not likely to change my ways anytime soon 😉
Trip recaps are the absolute best, both other people’s and my own. Thanks for re-posting about Toronto; it’s on my bucket list of places to visit and loved reading about your visit!
Elisabeth
Wow! That’s amazing and I am delighted! I hope you post pictures. It’s soooo satisfying sourcing something second-hand.
I eat them frozen; they don’t taste frozen or hard, just a little extra crispy – in a good way; they stay fresher AND it also intensifies their flavour.
Stephany
Team scalloped potatoes! I have never heard anyone call is Potatoes Scallop but it IS such a fancy way to say it, so I want to adopt this term.
I am in awe of A and her organizing skills. What a gem!
I got a new laptop for Christmas and it’s been AMAZING to be able to go to a coffeeshop SANS POWER CORD and not have to worry about running out of battery. Or… going to a coffeeshop and hoping I can get a table by an outlet because my laptop has to be plugged in or it will die after 30 minutes. We are living THE LIFE!
Elisabeth
Yes! Living the life! Not having to fret about battery power – after a few years of always having to be prepared – feels like such a relief. A very happy relief!
Melissa
We say scalloped potato … but I’m an Aussie so take that with a grain of salt.
I am a plant person, mainly because of their longevity. I love flowers, but sustainability is an issue for me, although a handpicked bunch from the garden is amazing. I’ve had a number of orchids given to me and they are amazing. The flowers last for ages and I’ve had several that I’ve been able to keep alive and have flowered multiple times.
Congratulations on your new laptop. Sometimes, an upgrade is necessary, and I know I really appreciated it when I finally did my last one.
Elisabeth
I used my previous laptop almost daily for HOURS over the course of 8-9 years. Hopefully it can become something A uses down the line (though it really is past its prime). It feels like a decided luxury to have a bright, crisp screen and long battery life!
Happy Things Friday: 12 April - The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
[…] New plant joy. […]
San
Might the disagreement over scalloped potatoes/Potato Scallop be a regional difference? I think I have never heard someone say Potato Scallop here in California, but in German, I would call it Kartoffelgratin (as in Potato Gratin).
I briefly stopped by the Thrifstore yesterday and thought of you… especially because I was appalled how expensive some of the items were (while you regularly snatch clothing for a few dollars). I didn’t buy anything, didn’t have much time though and am hoping to go back for a more thorough search next time.
Elisabeth
There is nothing more demoralizing than expensive things at a thrift store. We go to a chain of thrift stores which tend to be much more expensive than the place where I prefer to buy all my clothes. Dresses and coats are hung up, but everything else is in bins. Generally, a place with bins is going to be a lot cheaper, though it takes more work!