What I Was Loving in 2018

Our Puppy

I could not start a post like this without first mentioning our Gimli boy. We adopted our teenie tiny pup in August, and life has not been the same since. Watching him grow and change while becoming integrated into the household has been awesome. Puppy snuggles cannot be beat. Gimli is always a consideration when making plans and often goes with us if that’s an option. I can’t wait for warmer weather and the hiking and patio dining we’ll do with our little man. He’s now 6-7 months old and still has us completely wrapped around his paw!

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Foods

I didn’t know what pimento cheese was. Apparently I fail at living among southern food. But I picked up Aldi’s pimento cheese spread on a whim one day. A new obsession was born. It got bad. I had to limit myself to buying it once a month or so. Anyway pimento cheese is wonderful and I’ve been scanning restaurant menus for it all year.

These peanut butter chocolate chunk bars from Averie Cooks are scrumptious! I pinned them awhile ago and finally got around to making them. Now they are my go to baked good. The dark chocolate bars from Aldi (this really was the year of Aldi!) work great in these. These are also one of the few baked goods I prefer cold over warm from the oven.

Breweries

Canon & Draw Brewing Co. opened in the Richmond this year. It’s our new favorite beer spot in the area. The beers are tasty (their chocolate raspberry stout is my favorite!), the aesthetic is on point, and they’re dog friendly! Gimli can be inside with us out of the elements, and we can play pinball or Mario Kart.

We stumbled across Hawksbill Brewing Co. while we had some time to kill in Luray, VA. I thought their beers were well made standard styles; the red and the pale were particularly tasty. It was a lovely spring day, and we drank flights on the patio, overlooking the down and mountains on the horizon. I want to go back when it’s warm. We can go hiking with pup and then get some beers. 

This Skillet

If you’ve read some of my recipe posts, like Spicy Turkey Burgers or Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, you know I’ve bragged on this skillet before. My grandma got me this last year for Christmas. It. Is. The. Best. Skillet. Ever. Seriously. I convinced my grandma to get herself one, and she loves it. She doesn’t give praise out easily. After a year the nonstick surface is still working great and I haven’t found anything that doesn’t cook well in it.

TV Shows

I binged all of Young & Hungry while Gimli napped on my lap. Such a funny, upbeat show about a young chef named Gabi. She also has the best outfits!

Mr. PC and I watched all of Brooklyn 99. I was reluctant that the humor would be too stupid, but he convinced me to give it a shot. I was laughing so hard at times we had to pause until I got it together. Noice!

Green Accent Wall

The living room finally got painted this summer and a green accent wall is the focus. This is still my favorite wall in our house. I love the bold, but relaxed color. It makes me very happy to come home to my green wall. And my Gimli.

What were you loving in 2018?