January 3, 2026

WEEKLY MENU 01.04.26

Celebrating our love during the Weekly Menu 01.04.26~

The Weekly Menu 01.04.26 is the tip of the iceberg for parties and celebrations for January. Thursday starts the partying ~ it’s our 32nd Anniversary! Bert and I were married on a cold, snowy, definitely wintery Saturday thirty-two years ago this year if we make it that far. That’s a Papaism – he said something along those lines every time his and my Mom’s anniversary rolled around. Fun fact: Bert’s birthday and their anniversary are on the same day. It’s like it was fate.

We got engaged at the end of May 1993~

And Poor Bert didn’t know what was coming. I called him the next day with the fabulous news that our home church (Saint Peter Cathedral) was available on January 8th. “This January 8th, coming up? In seven months, January?” Was his slightly flabbergasted response. I was shocked they had an opening, too. January seems like a big wedding time in beautiful Erieland. (Not.) We had a lot to get done before the big day, of course, but we had so much fun. My favorite party to plan yet!

That was the best decision ever. Marrying him – not the date, although that worked out well too. Except for all the people who couldn’t make it because of the snow. But that’s a story for another day.

In June of 2025, the OG Baby Boy got married. The darling couple also got married at Saint Peter Cathedral, and although I didn’t do the planning, they did let me help occasionally. It was an absolutely perfect day, and we got to welcome our daughter-in-law to the fold. We’re still talking about it!

Where are we thirty-two years on? Celebrating the happy couple with our now slightly larger family.

How gorgeous is this couple?
*All* my boysies look so handsome in their tuxes.

Thirty-two years have flown by, and Bert is still the person I’d most like to be with. I’m looking forward to the next thirty-two. What. It could happen!

Love you, Bert.

Weekly Menu 01.04.26

We’re coming off all the holiday eating and plan to de-deck on Sunday, so we are going low-key with Burgers and Air-Fryer fries. We’re starting with my riff on Buffalo Chicken Dip – Chipotle Chicken Dip with nary any Franks Red Hot in sight. Sometimes I get sick of Buffalo sauce, although please don’t tell anyone.

Despite the groans, we continue with Meatless Monday, and I think I’ve got a real winner this week: Marry Me White Beans. The “Marry Me Chicken” recipes are all over the place on Instagram, but this is new to me. Everyone loves beans, so the lack of chicken should be fine. I bought a can of butter beans, which I may also incorporate with the cannellini beans.

I spend a fair amount of time on Instagram, and there are a bunch of reels with easy recipes.

Don’t forget to follow me – not all the recipes are on the blog.

Click the icon in the sidebar or

HERE

I’m not cooking for our anniversary.

But I never have, so that’s nothing new. Thursday night, Bert and I are going out for our anniversary dinner. I’ve put DATE NIGHT on the menu and recommend everyone gets out of the house to their favorite restaurant. Please don’t forget to raise your waterglass in a toast to, well, us.

We used to go to the hotel/restaurant where we had our reception, but the Bel Air Hotel and Conference Center did not make it through Covid, sadly. Where should we go? Just kidding. If we’re in town (and all signs point that way), we are going to be at the Erie Club. Yay!

Friday Soup Night is Beef Barley for a switch-up. It IS January, after all. Soup in front of the fire in our newly reclaimed home sounds divine, don’t you think?