Life Lately

We’ve been traveling! Sarah to Missouri to see the totality of the solar eclipse and Abby to Nashville and Huntsville to visit family and friends.

Reading lately

Sarah read Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House, a memoir by Alyssa Mastromonaco, which was a fun look into the life of a young, powerful White House staffer.

Abby just finished the best memoir she’s read in years: The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs. Riggs writes about her cancer diagnosis and life as a young mom–a powerful, beautiful read.

How we roll

We talk about how we get around now and how our transportation situations have evolved over the years. Sarah is part of a car-free family and bikes where they need to go, while Abby’s is a one-car family who loves to walk and bus. On our dream transportation list: a Brompton for Sarah and an Austlen Entourage.

If you want to hear more about car-free or car-lite families, check out Sarah’s new podcast Family Pedals!

Eating lately

Abby is trying to recreate the perfect macaroni and cheese, as made by our friend in Alabama.

Sarah enjoyed a broccoli salad made by her mom.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Life Lately

Abby has found a new allergy remedy for her dog, Tonks.

Sarah is feeling more connected in Bloomington, partly thanks to all of the social events in the summer.

Reading lately

Abby’s book club read Euphoria by Lily King. It is loosely based on the life of Margaret Mead and tells the story of three anthropologists working in New Guinea in the 1930s. It has a similar feel to State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, and The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara.

Sarah read the YA romance When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. The two title characters are children of Indian immigrants in the summer before they go to college.

A Week of Our Dinners

Want to hear the details of what we ate for dinner every night for a week? If so, you’re in luck as that’s exactly what we discuss in this episode. Some nights we had it together and other nights we ordered pizza or ate frozen dumplings.

We got the idea for this episode from the Mom Hour Podcast, which had a similar episode a few months back.

Eating lately

Sarah got popsicle molds at a garage sale and has experimented with three varieties: chocolate banana, key lime, and peach.

Abby’s been enjoying a pre-dinner snack of Knorr spinach dip with salt and pepper potato chips.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!

Life lately

Sarah is obsessed with a new-to-her dehumidifier–so satisfying! Abby wanted to share two recent articles she’s written, which you can read find here and here.

Reading lately

Sarah read the Bronze Bow, which is a coming of age story set in the time of Jesus. It won the Newbery award in the early sixties.

Abby is reading the Maisie Dobbs books, which are mysteries set in England after WWI.

Harry Potter

We discuss all things Harry Potter–when we started reading them, our favorite scenes, books, and quotes, and other Potter-related media.

Eating lately

Abby enjoyed a treat out last weekend: a buffalo chicken biscuit.

Sarah made a chickpea soup, which is light enough to be enjoyed in the summer. Recipe for the soup below:

• 2 cans of chickpeas (or one cup cooked in the Instant Pot)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
•  1/2 cup salsa
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 Tbsp apple juice concentrate (I never add this as I never have it)
• 1/4 cup of cilantro (I usually do half a bunch)

Add ingredients to a blender or use immersion blender until pureed. Heat. Serve!

If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!