There was a time when I would have scoffed at the idea of making a Chrissy Teigen recipe pulled from a Kardashian website. But that time was last year, and this year I’m absolutely making Chrissy’s lettuce wraps because they sound delicious.
Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs
These were delicious and I might make it our traditional New Year’s Day dish.
Sorry, stodgy old 2017 Nichole. New 2018 Nichole is totally into celebrity cookbooks. I blame Freddie Prinze Jr. If these lettuce wraps are good, I’m buying “Cravings.”
Wednesday: Crispy garlic chicken
I’ve been making this recipe for at least a decade, and never once do I remember to marinate the chicken in time. This was supposed to be tonight’s dinner, but now it’s tomorrow’s.
Thursday: Sandwiches
Either turkey or tuna fish, probably.
Friday: Pizza
Pizza night has gotten a little more complicated, what with my dairy-free life and Pete’s deciding the only pizza he likes is a frozen DiGiorno’s. Pizza Friday might become a monthly thing rather than weekly, which would definitely be healthier for all of us anyway.
Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.
It’s the return of the All & Sundry survey! I’m not sure if it’s still a going concern over there, but we’re going to do it again here regardless. (Here are 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2016 editions.)
What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?
I participated in my first protest march, I started calling my elected representatives a few times a week, and I sent one of my kids to public school.
Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I said I was going to try to treat myself with more kindness and mercy and go out with Rockford more often. I wasn’t consistent with either, but I think I improved on both fronts at least a little. I’m going to have the same goals for 2018.
January. We kicked 2017 off with a pretty decent snowfall.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! We were thrilled to meet a new nephew this year.
Did anyone close to you die?
I don’t believe so.
February. Rockford and I celebrated our anniversary at Nightbell.
What countries did you visit?
I did not leave the United States yet again this year. But I did go to Idaho, where I spent several hours soaking in a hot spring. Those were some of the loveliest hours of my year.
What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
A greater sense of peace.
March. Pete and I started documenting all of the dogs we petted in a Facebook album called Pupapalooza.
What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I have a terrible memory. I don’t have an answer for this.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Successfully cutting out dairy. I still miss sour cream quite a lot, but my stomach feels much better.
April. We took our nephew to Dollywood.
What was your biggest failure?
I mean, I would’ve liked to have lost more weight and been more active, but that’s pretty much what I say every year.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
My gallbladder turned on me and had to be excised.
May. Rockford and I spent a long weekend listening to live music at Shaky Knees.
What was the best thing you bought?
Some family photos that we had done for the church directory.
Where did most of your money go?
To the mortgage, as usual.
June. Idaho was more beautiful than I could’ve imagined.
What did you get really excited about?
Our upcoming trip to NYC to see “Hamilton”! And we’ll do other things too, but we wouldn’t be going if it weren’t for “Hamilton.”
What song will always remind you of 2017?
No clue.
July. The Tigers lost, but we still had fun.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Last year I said more family hikes. This year? More family hikes.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry about that over which I have no control.
August. The total eclipse was one of the most moving things I’ve ever witnessed.
How did you spend Christmas?
At home! And then we went to my sister-in-law’s house and ate crab cakes and played Trivial Pursuit. I had a cold, but otherwise it was a pretty good day.
What was your favorite TV program?
I watched a lot of TV this year. Probably too much TV. I think the shows I enjoyed the most were “The Crown” and “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World.”
September. Our annual trek to the fair. Pete’s applesauce took first place.
What were your favorite books of the year?
Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime” and Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Interpreter of Maladies.”
What was your favorite music from this year?
I’m not sure how much of it was actually new music, but I love the “Baby Driver” soundtrack. I also gained a new appreciation for LCD Soundsystem, Sylvan Esso and The XX when we saw them live at Shaky Knees.
October. We took a walk in the woods.
What were your favorite films of the year?
I loved “Blade Runner 2049,” “Thor: Ragnorak” and “Logan.”
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 39 this year, and we celebrated with an extended cast of friends and family in Pigeon Forge, TN.
November. We took another walk in the woods.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the Powerball jackpot the other day would’ve been a nice thing.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
I’m still going for that Jim James / Mrs. Roper vibe.
I’d set a goal of reading 45 books this year, and I only made it to 34. I was determined to finish “John Quincy Adams” this year, and I did it. But it was a slog and I had to stop reading other things to do it. I’m going to aim for 40 in 2018.
I didn’t know much about Trevor Noah other than that he’d taken over at “The Daily Show,” so I wasn’t really interested when I saw he’d written a biography. But then I was out of things to read and “Born a Crime” was available as a digital download from the library, so I figured I’d try it. I’m glad I did. It ended up being my favorite read of the year.
Once again, many thanks to the good folks at Goodreads for tabulating all of this for me.
