walkers walk… but runners fly

In Other News…

Have I mentioned that I have a race coming up on Saturday?  Hahahahahaha… I’m pretty sure just about everyone is aware of that.  Obviously the weather stalking, list making, planning, and worrying are in full swing, but there have been a few other things going on!  Like… let’s talk about the Super Bowl.

What a great game!  It was close, exciting, and the correct team won (although some might contest that.)  But more importantly, I made a REALLY yummy Super Bowl dinner.  Instead of doing anything football-related, I just decided to make a fun dinner that I wouldn’t normally make.  I chose the Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese from Nora Cooks.

My daughter didn’t want the soy curls in hers so there’s a clear dividing line!

GAH!  This was so good.  You make a cheesy cashew-based sauce that has hot sauce and plant-based ranch mixed in.  Nora’s version is prettier, because she garnishes it with extra sauce, but it didn’t need it.  As a last minute nod to “health” I threw a couple stalks of celery on my plate.

And then we had leftovers the next night.

Roasted broccoli goes with everything.

Next topic!  I’ve invented a new thing called “reading in bed.”  Ha, well, MAYBE I didn’t invent it, but I haven’t read in bed at night in years… like, probably since my kids were born.  My husband usually goes to bed before me, and I normally read at night on the couch in the living room.

Last week I decided to shake things up, and in an effort to get more sleep, I started getting in bed early- between 8:30-9:00 with my book.  I love it!  It really relaxes me, and somehow it’s soothing to hear my husband out puttering around the house.  The only danger is, sometimes it’s hard to put my book down and go to sleep.  But I’ve been pretty good about turning the light off by 9:30 or 10:00 at the latest.  I get a gold start sticker in my planner (thank you, Elisabeth for that idea!) if I turn the light off by 9:30, so that gives me extra motivation.

Stickers are fun.

And what am I reading?  In addition to My Brilliant Friend (Cool Bloggers Book Club book) I’m reading this book:

Lindsay mentioned that she loves Ann Cleeves, so I decided to check her out.  So far I’m loving this book- but it’s a mystery, so I’m going to give my final verdict after I finish it.  Nothing worse than a great mystery with a disappointing ending.  I trust you, Lindsay, but I’ve been burned before.

And that’s it!  I’ll be back soon with some final pre-race thoughts.

Did you watch the Super Bowl?  Did you make any fun food?

What are you reading?

Header photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

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33 Responses

    1. Yes, I’m loving it. Much better than reading on the couch at night! And yes… epic is the perfect word for that dinner.

  1. That mac n’cheese look so good! you seem to really like Nora’s recipes. Gotta try them.
    I read in bed most of nights, usually 20 min and I’m so sleepy. I read until the urge of sleep cannot be waited. Best feeling ever!

  2. I always read before bed, either in the bath or in my bed. I have a red-tinged book light that I use so I don’t keep my husband awake. Apart from My Brilliant Friend, I’m reading A Secret History and King (the Martin Lither King biography)

  3. That macaroni cheese looks excellent. In fact I have a version of that today as it’s a Tuesday – packet pasta and cheese sauce mix but with a million added vegetables. Yum! Happy prep week – exciting!

    1. A million added vegetables sounds great. This probably wasn’t the healthiest recipe in the world, but that’s why I figured it was good for a special occasion.

  4. Just in case I miss a post before Saturday: ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR RACE, JENNY!!
    You are physically and mentally well prepared. You will rock it!
    I’m so looking forward to the recap and I want to know ALL the details.

    Reading in bed is the best!

  5. I forgot to mention that I’m nearly finished with Sally McRae’s book. Oh wow… but I’m very glad I read it. I’ll be interested to read her next book.

  6. The mac & cheese looks SO good! I was visiting my parents this weekend and we only watched the Super Bowl commercials but my mom made us sheet pan nachos which were a hit.

    I can’t wait to hear about your race prep and then the recap!

    1. You know, we almost made nachos. And now I’m craving them. Maybe I’ll make them next week after my race, to celebrate (hopefully… or, console myself… no, that won’t happen…)

  7. That Mac n’ Cheese looks delicious.

    GOLD STARS?! YOU HAVE GOLD STAR STICKERS? Where do I even start, Jenny? I am so happy I want to sing. I love stickers and I love gold stars (and I love sleep). Yay to all of this.

    I cheated and read ahead/finished My Brilliant Friend. I was really struggling to stay engaged and even though I was tired, I finished reading it in bed last night before I turned out the light. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything!

    1. Ha, yes it’s a combination of all the best things- sleep, stickers, and gold stars.
      I know what you’re saying about MBF, but I also find it to be a fairly quick read. I can see how you went ahead and finished it!

  8. That’s funny, because when I was little I used to read in bad with a flashlight when I was supposed to be sleeping! I agree- reading in bed is the best. I’m glad I’ve re-discovered it!

  9. Your in-bed reading schedule is exactly like mine! I also read in bed from 8:30-9:30. I try to be pretty strict about the 9:30 but the reading time can creep later if I really love the book I am reading but I don’t read any later than 9:50ish generally. Phil comes up around 9:45-10 so that is my cue to put the book down if I’m still up.

    I made chili for dinner on Sunday but was the only one eating it since Paul won’t eat chili and Phil was at his mom’s with Taco. But now we have lots of leftovers to enjoy this week which is nice! I watched the 2nd and 3rd quarter (was giving Paul a bath during the 1st) and I felt pretty ambivalent about the game over all. Someone at my company puts on a squares competition where you win money if the score ends in your numbers. So one of my number sets was chiefs score ending in 7, SF’s ending in 0. So I was REALLY CHEERING for KC to score a touchdown at the end of the half as I would have won $500! But ugh, they scored a field goal instead. I went to bed at the end of the 3rd quarter to read because I was more excited about reading my book than watching the game. I’m reading “The Whispers” by Ashley Audrain. It’s her 2nd novel and both have been about complicated feelings as a mother. In this book, the main character is hosting a bbq for the neighborhood and then everyone overhears her SCREAMING at her son in his bedroom because his window is open. Then 9 months later, that 10 year old boy falls from his bedroom window so the book is exploring what happened from various points of view. It’s really a page turner and I would have finished it days ago if I wasn’t so disciplined about sticking to my bedtime!

    1. Whoa- that book does sound good. I want to read it! I agree- it’s really hard to put down a real page-turner and go to sleep. Good thing Phil comes in at the right time to keep you on track.
      Ha, bummer that you didn’t win $500!!! I can see why you lost interest in the game after that.

  10. Yes to reading in bed! I start the day with 15-30 minutes IN BED under my SAD lamp and end the day with 5-30 minutes of reading IN BED. It’s definitely a good sign of my priorities – reading and sleeping. LOL

    I was in bed reading by 8pm on Sunday, so I didn’t watch a single second of the game. I heard it was a good game, though, so that probably means the right teams were there.

    1. I was pretty sure you weren’t watching the game, given your feelings about the NFL.
      Starting the day reading would be awesome- instead, I start the day by getting my daughter up. I would have to get up earlier than 5:30 in order to read first, and I’m not willing to do that!

  11. I have read in bed every single night of my life for as long as I can remember. In my case it’s probably not the best, because I often stay up too late reading, and with my sleep issues it’s probably not good sleep hygiene, but I can only be who I am.
    I am reading an amazing horror novel with heart, The Chill by Scott Carson, and The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, which is delicious.
    We watched the game half-heartedly, my husband just being home after three weeks away and me not caring overly about football or Usher. My son was not impressed by who won.

    1. I know, you’re not supposed to do other activities in bed. But so far it’s working for me. It definitely is tempting to stay up too late reading, but it’s somehow better if I’m in bed, rather than out in the living room.

  12. I made the blog AND with a book I just read a few months ago! Thanks, Jenny! I also very much enjoy the Jimmy Perez series Ann Cleeves does. I am such a sucker for a British mystery. Reading in bed is my favorite. I even got one of those neck lights so I can read when the Mr (or sometimes Lil Momma) are sleeping. It doesn’t help me NOT get caught up in books, but it does make me remember how it felt to sneak read in my bed with a flashlight when I was a kid. WOOHOO FOR RACE WEEK! You’ve totally got this!!

    1. Thank you Lindsay! I definitely need to get a light for reading in bed. Although, it might encourage me to stay up too late- right now I feel like I have to turn the overhead light off when my husband comes to bed.

  13. Yay for getting more sleep! I’m reading The Indifferent Stars Above, which Engie mentioned and I wouldn’t have picked up had she not. It’s so good! What a fascinating (and, frankly, horrifying) book. It’s written in such an interesting and exciting way, who knew cannibalism could be so intriguing.

  14. I always end my day with reading in bed. I don’t read much that way, I always get too sleepy after just a few pages.

    We were sad about the Super Bowl, and words were said about the change in OT rules, but I suspect they would not have been said if the rules had benefited our team instead of the other. My favorite veggie with mac and cheese is peas, I like to mix them in. Celery is a perfect nod to buffalo wings, though.

  15. I watched the tail end of the game on Sunday. I made 7 layer taco dip and pumpkin bread, because Reg had friends over in the basement. We had leftover chili upstairs and leftover wraps from Costco for the kids in the basement.

    I recently – within the last year or so discovered reading in bed. I KNEW it was a thing, but Coach never liked me to have a light on when he was trying to sleep. I use a tiny reading light. I don’t usually read for long, because like J I fall asleep after a page or two. I rarely make time to read otherwise, so this has been the best way for me to get through books for book club. I just finished The Measure. I didn’t care for the premise. At all. It was well written and an easy read though.

  16. I left to drive home just after the 4th quarter starred… so the 49-ers were leading. About halfway home, I asked Siri, and she told me it was tied at 19… in OT. I had to stop & get milk when I got back to town…Siri assured me SF had a 3-pt lead with one minute remaining. It wasn’t until after I’d been home for awhile that I “double-checked” on the outcome…and learned KC had pulled off the win. Wow. Apparently I chose the wrong time to drive home LOL!

  17. BLAH THE SUPER BOWL BLAHHHHH. I was really hoping the Niners would pull out the win! But at least my nephew was happy! Ha. I made my famous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies AND my fave deviled eggs. Yum, yum!

    I love reading before bed! Sometimes I get sucked into my phone but I’m trying to be better about that. Right now, I’m reading The Art of Scandal by Regina Black and it is sooo good. (Romance, so probably not your speed!)

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