we made it! #1

HEY! Guess what? I was making one of my usual pilgrimages to Trader Joe's with my buddies this afternoon, and it was sunny and beautiful and we were having that joyful kind of conversation about all the things that aren't important and laughing at everything and just soaking in the Friday glory. It was a lovely moment, and as I floated in it I thought about how much I wanted to share it with you.

So. I'm starting a new series that I will add to every weekend, appropriately titled WE MADE IT! It will be filled with thoughts and stories that don't make it into my recipe posts, songs and links that made me laugh or cry or think (or drool?), badly-lit phone photos.. all the essential unimportant things.

Also! Some of my friends and I decided (with much excitement) that we're going to make a trip to Trader Joe's every Friday (Trader Hoeday) during third period, during which I will pick out indulgent things that I would never normally buy and then write reviews of them in these little segments. The sacrifices I make for you people, right?

Happy weekend. Make yourself a big tasty breakfast, build a blanket fort, get comfy, and enjoy the rest of this post. 

This week in Trader Joe's:

So. Let's get down to business. (to defeat... the Huns)

PB & J Milk Chocolate Bar

Grade: A+

Peanut butter and raspberry jelly encased in milk chocolate. Oh yes. The peanut butter is creamy and melt-in-your-mouth, and the jelly is tart and fruity. As Mrs. Burton, our college and career center counselor, added, you wouldn't think the combination would work– peanut butter and milk chocolate are classic, but the jelly is definitely different (though, of course, peanut butter and jelly is another classic in its own right). In the end, though, the jelly is what brings everything together, cutting through the surrounding sweet, rich meltiness and adding a refreshing twist. Or, as my buddy Yubin put it, "it adds a little shabang." Consensus: oh, how we love you, Trader Joe's. 

Fig & Olive Crisps

Grade: A-

These are delicious, and addicting. I went through a good third of the box during AP Art History–thankfully, we were watching videos most of class, and I was able to strategically crunch during the loud scenes. They are light, sweet and salty crisps studded with chewy dried figs, dried kalamata olives, and flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds. I am sure they would be even better with some soft cheese spread on them, but unfortunately they did not make it long enough for me to try. Consistent with the goodness of Trader Joe's, the ingredient list is nothing more than the bits listed above plus buttermilk, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, so you can feel good about feeding your body real food. I gave them an A- because they didn't blow my mind, and with TJ's I have to be pickier or we'll lose the whole point of this series.

playlist:

Rapper's Delight – The Sugarhill Gang

apparently it's weird that I didn't know this song until a few days ago... whatever.  

Gimme All Your Love – Alabama Shakes

congrats to Alabama Shakes on winning 3 Grammys! so well-deserved.. Brittany Howard brings so much soul it's ridiculous. this is one of my favorites. it's pretty much begging to be choreographed to (hmmm...)

Starman – David Bowie
I love this song, and the fact that I will never truly know its meaning is part of the reason why. "There's a Starman waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds..." maybe David Bowie is the Starman. RIP.

link love:

Bon Appetit's Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet. Strawberry buttermilk is the most incredible combination. It tastes like pure summer, and we may as well fake it 'til we make it, amiright? The sherbet part means those flavors get to shine even brighter without all that rich custard getting in the way. (god, what I would give for that to be my only problem..) 

How One Stupid Tweet Ruined Justine Sacco's Life.  This article discusses what we never think of, the long-term effects on the subjects (victims..?) of viral social media stories. The biggest shock of this article is that these people's lives do actually keep going after the news headlines have run through. Like, they don't just disintegrate into the atmosphere?? Weird.

wishlist:

Chrissy Teigen's new cookbook, Cravings. Chrissy Teigen is so honest and hilarious (I follow her on Instagram, so, like, I basically know her personally). 

From her intro: "It you're expecting a model to write a cookbook full of diet recipes for you to perfect your bikini bod, I think you'll be a little surprised here. These are recipes we love to indulge in with family and friends. Some more hearty than others, some even more hearty than the hearty ones. But every single recipe is something we love. "
Also, there is a section in there called Shit on Toast, and that's all I need to know.



Thanks for reading, it means a lot. Now shut your laptop or flush your phone down the toilet, go outside, and get some good quality vitamin D.

–Michelle <3