Power Nap #86
You aren't crazy... you are February-ing / Our last 3 transactions / Nate found some weird (but great!) people / 1 recipe, 2 ways
February is the PMS of the calendar year
We have a lot of fun things in the pipeline coming up. Both Take Them A Meal March AND March Madness are right around the corner! Also in the Lowcountry, March means the first signs of spring and we are so ready.
But until then…it’s still February.
You know that miserable, irritable feeling you get when the whole world is ending and you hate your body and you think everyone is against you but then three days later you start your period and it all makes sense? I think February is sort of like the calendar’s version of PMS.
I am being funny here, but I also think there’s some truth to it that might help your weary and vitamin D deficient soul. February is historically a very cold and isolating month. The full calendar of the holidays is behind us, the lights and tinsel are taken down, but spring isn’t quite on the horizon. It’s a bit, well, depressing.
I guess I just wanted to say if you feel irritable, lonely, or simply desperate for some sun on your skin, you aren’t alone. And before you know it the ground will melt and you will emerge with shaved legs and sandals and that joy and hope that spring brings. But right now, we hibernate. So pour a mug of hot tea, plug in your heat pad, and do your best to be kind to yourself (and those around you). You aren’t crazy. You are February-ing.
In Case You Missed It
I made Cinnamon Rolls for Valentine’s Day. Here’s how it went. Recipe in this cookbook which I have been loving or you can print it on her blog.
Damn Good Dates. I was skeptical that a giant raisin could be that good but holy cow…it really is! Recipe here.
From a tight law school budget to now: this is the question I still ask that saves us tons on groceries AND cuts down on food waste.
Here is my tip for surviving the long, cold afternoons with a toddler.
I love this hoodie (also comes without the hood). From amazon, boxy and cropped, but not too cropped. It comes in a ton of colors (I have it in grey blue) and it’s on sale right now!
“There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people.”
-George H.W. Bush
Weird (but great?) People
Palmer Luckey seems very interesting. Here is a longform essay on him. And here is a Youtube video profile. First, he founded Oculus VR, the company behind the Oculus Rift headset. Facebook (now Meta) acquired it for $2 billion in 2014. He was 21 at the time. Then, he founded Anduril Industries (“Anduril” comes from Lord of the Rings; he already has my respect), a defense technology company that develops AI-powered military and border security systems. He has some very niche hobbies, including owning one of the world’s largest collections of rare and obscure gaming consoles, which he keeps buried 200 feet underground in a decommissioned U.S. Air Force nuclear missile base. Btw, this is what he looks like. Not exactly what you think of when you think “military arms dealer”? He’w what he said recently on Twitter: “Whatever you are imagining, however crazy you imagine I am, multiply it by ten and then do it again.” To paraphrase Lewis Carroll, he’s entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret: all the best people are.
Nigel Richards, a professional Scramble player, won the Spanish world Scrabble championships last year. What’s the big deal? Funny you should ask: He doesn’t speak Spanish. Richards started memorizing the language’s Scrabble word list a year ago. He had won the English world championship five times previously. Oh, and in 2015 he won the French championship. No, he doesn’t speak French either.
A member of the Hermès family says his fortune is gone. Was it the handyman? The consigliere? Someone else? “Puech, who is 81 years old and doesn’t have any children, is in the newspapers due to a stunning claim he made last year: He said he was out of money. As for his stake in Hermès, the luxury giant controlled by his family, he said he didn’t own the shares anymore, and he didn’t know who did.” Kate likes the Acquired podcast more than me, but my favorite episode was on Hermes. Super interesting company. Obsessed with quality. Sixth generation family member still running things. I guess that’s how you sell shirts like this for $3,650.
The kids and I watched a documentary on Magnus Carlsen. He’s probably the best chess player of all-time. He is sort of an odd bird, but then again you have to be to be the best chess player of all time. The kids were weirdly into it, I think because it had a bunch of old home-shot footage from his childhood in Norway. The craziest part to me was when he beat 10 people at Harvard at the same time while blindfolded. You can watch that here (3 mins, some subtitles).
If you know of other weird people like this, please send them my way. Thanks.
Molly’s Must-Haves
“Molly's Must-Haves” is brought to you by Kate's best friend Molly who is a meticulous researcher. Each week she is going to share an item, the problem it solves, and why she chose it. This week, she is sharing a recipe.
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken (with pizza leftovers!)
I'm always looking for a way to simplify dinner and repurpose leftovers. This barbecue chicken in the instant pot is so easy and I love to use the leftovers to make barbecue chicken pizzas the next night!
For the BBQ Chicken:
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs of frozen boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins (I usually get this in the freezer section at Trader Joe's, but you can find it at any store!)
1 cup of barbecue sauce (I like Stubbs original barbecue sauce but any brand will do!)
Instructions:
Place the chicken in the Instant Pot (no need to thaw) and pour the 1 cup of barbecue sauce over top. You can add a shake of salt and pepper and half of a diced onion if you want but it is not necessary!
Place the lid on top, set to "seal" and set the timer for 13 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes after cooking, then shred the chicken in the pot.
Serve the chicken over rice or in hamburger buns with a side of tater tots.
For the BBQ Chicken Pizza:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup to 1 cup of leftover barbecue chicken (you don't need much, anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup)
Leftover barbecue sauce (this will be about half the jar of Stubbs)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Gouda cheese (not necessary but I do think it elevates it)
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
Cilantro
Package of naan bread (I like to get the pack of mini Stonefire naan at Costco)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce on each piece of naan (I'm usually able to make about 9 mini pizzas with the leftovers).
Top with cheeses, barbecue chicken and thinly sliced red onion.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Top with chopped cilantro and a shake of salt and pepper and serve!
ENJOY!- Molly
Last 3 Transactions
Shoutout to Kelly and Liz on The Car Pool Podcast for this idea. I love listening to this segment every week where they share their last 3 purchases. Here are ours!
Kate
I was on the hunt for a cute denim shirt and ordered 3 to try. #1 was my favorite (It comes with ties but they were so wonky I cut them off and I feel like it looks way more sleek but I guess now it’s a jacket not a shirt, lol) followed by #2 (not sure if I will keep but I love the color and the pockets; really more of a shacket than a shirt). Sadly I loved #3 but I can’t get it to tie close enough and don’t want to have to wear a tank underneath. Keeping #1, maybe for #2 (but usually a maybe is a return in my book), return for #3.
I have been on the hunt for a Stanley-esque cup that wasn’t massive and but still had the handle/straw combo. I found this 30 oz. size in a fun color for Scout for her bday and when it arrived I realized it was exactly what I was looking for as well! Same style, but not a huge 40oz. I love it (I got the Almond Birch color.)
My beloved loafers that I wear all the time finally gave out! I took them to a cobbler but the price to repair all the damage was worth half the shoe and he suggested I go for a new pair. I reordered the exact ones I have worn for the last 5 years!
Nate
$31 in concessions at the Charleston Sting Rays hockey game with Scout and her 2nd grade class. It got me a cheeseburger, a bottled water, and a giant thing of popcorn that a bunch of 2nd grade girls promptly devoured.
Travel costs related to a summer trip we are taking Johnny on to celebrate his 10th birthday this summer. Yosemite here we come!
$7 at Dunkin Donuts. Sometimes on the weekend I go buy the kids one donut each. If you were wondering, each of the girls gets strawberry glazed and Johnny gets original glazed. Dunkin is my preferred donut spot even though we have a Krispy Kreme closer. Bring on the hate messages.
Jess
These tweezer tongs. Guys, I have realized how *crucial* these are in the kitchen. The 12” is the perfect size for getting pickles or sauerkraut out of the bottom of a jar, and having control over flipping something like bacon in a pan. I have become an evangelist about these tongs.
These animal cookie cutters. I have discovered the beauty of baking with fresh milled flour (I have a Nutrimill Grain Mill) and am doing crazy things like making homemade animal crackers. We listen and we don’t judge. Lol.
I spent $50 on Ebay ordering my Thomas obsessed 3 year old some vintage Thomas trains. I feel as though I own stock in the Thomas and Friends franchise at the rate our collection is growing.
I feel so seen!! Thank you!
My Dad works for Palmer Luckey at Anduril. And Picture a Retired 3 star general showing up to work in his business attire. And Palmer showing up in his Hawaiian shirt 😂 and it makes my day. They are doing big things. And I love that he does it as himself in his flip flops.