Ok so I get that this post probably seems super self-involved, but there are a few things I’m just flat out obsessed with right now and I wanted to mark this moment in time with a post to celebrate them. Maybe you’ll find a new obsession on this list too!
Homemade pizza
Don’t fret, this homemade pizza takes about 10 min and it is SO GOOD. Honestly, I don’t think I can call it homemade, it really isn’t, it’s just me assembling things onto a frozen crust and calling it homemade. But it’s not takeout and it can be (sort of) healthy so, I think it’s a win.
Here’s what we do: Caulipower crust for the base (but use whatever you’d like) and then we pile on the toppings of our choice. That’s it. That’s the secret.
Topping varieties have included:
Buffalo cauliflower (or chicken if you prefer), made up of one layer shredded mozz, one layer buffalo cauliflower, one layer of (a whole lotta) blue cheese crumbles. Pop that baby in the oven, drizzle with Bolthouse Ranch (it’s greek yogurt-based, so, low calorie!) and you have a very delicious pizza. I don’t use sauce under the mozz but you could use a buffalo/ranch mixture.
Veggie (or pepperoni) and Boursin pizza. One layer red sauce followed by shredded mozzarella cheese, veggies or, in husband’s case, pepperoni, then a layer of either cheddar or parmesan (or both!) and THEN the best part, and what makes this pizza, a bunch of delicious clouds of tasty tasty Boursin. If you have never had Boursin, this is a game-changer. If you have, then you already know this is a GREAT idea. (see photo above for an example of this pizza)
White pizza: believe it or not, making your own white sauce is pretty easy. I adjust this recipe, but it’s basically milk or heavy cream, garlic, pepper, and some flour and boom. Note: you can use almond or oat milk for this, you may just have to thicken a little more with flour. I have used both. Sometimes I don’t even use butter, or I use margarine. Totally up to you.
Once you have your sauce, let it cool a bit then spread it on your crust, add some shredded mozzarella (are we seeing a pattern?) add globs of ricotta and boom! Delicious white pizza.
Pro tip: Don’t forget the oregano! This one relies on good seasoning to take it over the top. If you’re really into trying something new, add Boursin on top with the ricotta. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve been wanting to, so you’ll have to let me know how it is.
Matching flannel PJs from LL Bean
When I first met my husband, he used to roll his eyes at stories of my grandparents coordinating their outfits to match. Now, not only do we also coordinate our outfits, but we match identically when it comes to our night routine.
The best part? In a fascinating twist, it was he who suggested we get matching flannel pajamas from LL Bean. It was he who dragged me to the store because the online order “was taking too long” (yes, he had already ordered them but didn’t want to wait another week) and it was he who said, “I’m so excited that from now on, every trip we go on, we will get to wear these.”
And so we do.
They are cute, cozy, and surprisingly flattering given that it’s a flannel set of pajamas. Pair that with the slippies (read: slippers) we got to match (duh) and nighttime is now my favorite time.
Date Boxes
During the height of the pandemic, finding ways to connect and not go stir crazy was….challenging at best. Even still, we find ourselves sometimes staring at each other going “what do you want to do?” “I don’t know…what do you want to do?” It’s like a very boring version of middle school where no one wins.
Enter: date boxes. There are SO many of these to choose from and sometimes you do get a dud. But, at their best, date boxes give you a few hours of silly fun and a chance to really bond and discover new things about each other.
We like to pair them with a cocktail and, depending on the season, sometimes play them out by the firepit to really up the experience. It’s about creating an experience after all.
We’ve tried a few at this point and I can safely recommend:
Crated With Love: this is probably our favorite. The dates are really creative, interactive, and different. The first one we ever got had us shooting down zombies (really! They gave us cardboard zombies and slingshots!) Plus they always give you little souvenirs like themed pens from the date (I love my cactus-shaped pen and seahorse pen, and my dog still wears a yellow bandana we got during our Wild West date). You can grab a box here and use the code TREATSANDTRAVELS for 10% off your order. (note: this is an affiliate code and we do make a small commission if you use it)
Bonding Bees: We’re just getting started with this one, but it has potential. There are a lot of card games, which I always like because I’m very conversation-focused. For me, meaningful conversation leads to a feeling of connection. What I like about Bonding Bees is you can also purchase some of the date games separate, so if you’re like us and tend to fly through the dates, but want a little something for the rest of the week or non-date box weekends, this is a great option. Plus, it’s a small business, and we love to support a small business,
Shaker and Spoon: This isn’t really a date box, but it is a monthly cocktail kit and you can totally make a date night out of learning and making a new cocktail together. They send you everything you need (minus the liquor because, shipping that between states with different laws is a nightmare), so all you need is one bottle of your favorite brand of alcohol and you’re good to go!
Don’t be afraid to try some of the liquors you wouldn’t normally try. I got my husband the rye box for Christmas, and while I typically don’t like rye, I was surprised how much I enjoyed their “Baklava” drink that we created. This is an ideal date to pair with another box!
Happily: Sadly, this is one I wouldn’t recommend. I had heard such good things about this one that I signed up for a 6-month subscription right away and sadly, was pretty disappointed. The dates were just sort of weird for us personally. While I did like that each box came with conversation starters and the card games could be really fun (like the time we got all the ingredients to make lemon bars!) it felt generally hit or miss.
For instance, while we loved getting to bake or try new things, sometimes the activities were just too far fetched for us and we’d end up skipping them. Like the birdseed craft kit we got, or the crocheting with your hands activity, or the one where they wanted us to make a hanging plant pot design. On the right track but…just didn’t work for us, and we ended up only really getting to do half the date because of it.
I encourage you to check all of these out and choose a one-month trial with a few to see which fits your personality best.
Going through my grandmother’s old photos
What started off as something to connect over during our weekly Saturday visits with my grandmother, has quickly turned into one of my favorite activities. My grandmother has hoards and hoards of printed photos from as far back as when she and my grandfather were first married, to as current as 15 years ago. Every time we open up a new sleeve of photos, I feel like I’m getting to step into the past and relive my grandmother’s life with her. Photos of my mom as a kid, of my grandparents square dancing, of family events or friend’s gatherings, open up a world of discussion where I get to see and learn things about my family and their lives that I never otherwise would have known. It’s a beautiful experience, and I look forward to it every week.
Firstleaf wine subscription
I love wine. I don’t know how this happened because I didn’t even drink (at all) until I was about 28 but now, I am just in love with red wine, and I want to pair it with anything and everything. (Speaking of, we pair our homemade pizza above with red wine and it is a DIVINE pairing if I do say so myself.)
Firstleaf is a monthly wine subscription where you can pick the kind of wines you like (red or white or both) the acidity, tannins, mouthfeel (ew, who came up with that word) boldness, etc that you prefer, and the frequency of delivery, and voila! Every month, delicious wines are delivered right to your door.
You can rate the different wines as you get them, so that Firstleaf learns your taste, and continues to adapt to it when they send you new wines each month. And if you really like a certain wine, you can usually buy it off their website at a discount!
They even send little cards with each order that describes the region, taste, and history of each wine, so you really get to know it. The cards also suggest what to pair each wine with, so if you’re like me and want to pretend you know wine, but really don’t, you can still make a delicious pairing.
Figure Skating
This is my #1 obsession right now. Which is why it makes the list even though it has nothing really to do with anything else. I’m talking I eat, sleep, breathe figure skating. It’s all I want to do, all the time. I have dreams where I’m practicing, I wake up and think about when I get to practice next, and then after practice, I replay what I did and plan for the next session. It has become all-consuming in the best way.
As a former competitive roller skater, being on skates isn’t new to me, and for a long time I missed it terribly, and always hoped I’d find a hobby to fill that void. It wasn’t until a friend who used to roller skate with me took up figure skating that I first thought of it as a possibility. It took 6 years of watching her succeed, but I finally decided this past December of 2021 to take that first step and sign up for group lessons.
After just 2 group lessons I signed up for private coaching and with that one session, I went from “this would be a fun thing to learn” to having withdrawal symptoms if I miss a day of skating.
See? OBSESSED.
For funsies, check out this video of me in my old competitive roller skating days to get a feel for what I used to do and what I’d like to do on the ice:
This is called Precision Skating, which is like synchro (but dare I say harder because, 8 wheels that are much heavier than blades and can interlink to cause a disastrous fall. Why they won’t enter it into the Olympics, I don’t know!) I would LOVE to get good enough to join a synchro team next year.
And finally, here is me in my first private lesson, learning a one-foot turn, when I thought I could barely stand. Huzzah!
Bonus:
Pretzel bites (and pretzel rolls, and regular pretzels…)
We use these primarily when we make homemade fondue (anyone want that recipe? Happy to do a separate post about it) but honestly, I could eat these all day every day on their own. Why doesn’t everything come in pretzel form?
What are you currently obsessed with right now?