The little things
Plus a power ranking on cottage cheese that nobody asked for
Well, hello!
Happy Happy Hour and more importantly, TGIF!!!
On Happy Hour, I’ll give you a glimpse of what’s going on in my personal life - both glamorous and unglamorous aspects - as someone would during a Happy Hour outing with their friends. Things like big life updates, behind-the-scenes stories of videos I share, highlights and lowlights, unasked-for takes on random things (that don’t really matter), and things/products I find myself using way too much in a given week (not sponsored).
On the real - you can expect a new email in your inbox every Friday at 3:30 PST (my favorite time to go to a restaurant for happy hour)!
The little things
I have been trying to get better at taking more photos (while staying present in a given moment), which is a practice I admittingly stopped doing in recent years (I’m blaming this on the pandemic ). This is problematic because I have found that the act of looking through old photos helps me have a greater appreciation for moments of time. Plus, what else am I going to do on airplanes if I don’t have new photos to nostalgically scroll through while listening to music??
All that said, I am now *trying* to take more pictures of the little moments that evoked some sort of (positive) emotion, in addition to taking photos of the big moments. Here’s this week of little things:
I run past this traffic sign and it cracks me up every time because I’d like to think the radar was reading the speed of my running pace, instead of the cars driving adjacent to me. At this point, it’s as funny as your worst dad joke, but it still never fails to make me laugh. Every. Time.
Note: I am not running over 25 mph.2. This dog.
My grocery list and meal plan for last Sunday’s feast also including 1 box of Eggos (the best pre-workout snack IMO).
Things I found myself using way too much this week
Trader Joe’s Onion Salt - I ran out of onion powder this week and this onion salt that I had bought on a whim last year came in handy. I actually grew to love it, considering it contains onion powder, garlic powder, minced onions, chives, and kosher salt - what’s not to love??
2. Target Pasta Bowls - I found these bowls last year and fell in love. They’re $7.00 and feel almost indistinguishable from overpriced, high-end dishes. Plus, they make plating 10x more fun and beautiful. 11/10 recommend.
Amazon Athleisure (specifically this hoodie) - this week’s little obsession is going down the rabbit hole of finding affordable, comfortable athleisure on Amazon and this recent purchase is one of my new favorites. I did laundry TWICE this week so I could wear it again - if that’s not indicative of how much I like it, I don’t know what is. I plan on buying another one in white. (Note: if you don’t want this hoodie to be tight-fitting, I’d recommend sizing up).
Cottage Cheese Power Ranking
I know, this is what you’ve all been waiting for. Whether you love it or hate it, I’m going to give you my two cents.
Since I ended up on cottage cheese TikTok, I felt I had to voice my opinion on what brand tastes best, in case you’ve been debating giving cottage cheese a second chance. Please note, none of this is sponsored.
#1: Daisy Cottage Cheese (9.8 out of 10)
Daisy has this competition in the bag. Considering the macros are almost exactly the same for all standard cottage cheese included in this power ranking, I won’t elaborate on nutrition facts (calories = 110, fat = 4.5g, carbs = 5g, protein = 13g). Not only does Daisy cost anywhere from $3-$4, but it has (what I believe) the best flavor, texture, and consistency. Let me make this clear - if you’re interested in trying cottage cheese, start with Daisy. It’s like the gateway to being fully bought into cottage cheese.
#2: Good Culture (7.2 out of 10)
I’ll admit, I was influenced to try this newer brand of cottage cheese after seeing so many people eat it on the clock app (TikTok). I’ll keep this short. It’s fine, but nothing better than Daisy. I think I tried the organic version and was disappointed that I had paid $6 for something that tasted worse than Daisy. Not only does this cottage cheese have a slight tang, per se, but it’s also small curd - I am not a fan of small curd.
#3: Knudsen (6.8 out of 10)
Unfortunately, this is the only cottage cheese my local Costco carries and it’s devastating. I will eat this brand if I have to, but it really carries no pizzazz. It’s (sadly) small curd, a little too creamy, and weirdly tangy. It tastes as if it didn’t really commit to having a tang, so when I eat it I have to ponder whether it’s supposed to be tangy or if it’s on its last leg. If I do force myself to eat it, I enjoy this brand best on a piece of sourdough toast with a drizzle of olive oil and (flakey) salt & pepper.
#4: Nancy’s Probiotic (5.2 out of 10)
The only thing I have to say is that eating this cottage cheese (this morning) prompted the idea of making a cottage cheese power ranking. Everything I said regarding Knudsen not committing to the tang is true about Nancy’s, but I should add this brand had an essence of vomit taste. I hate saying that because I feel bad (sorry Nancy!!!!), but this brand isn’t for me. Unfortunately, I still have the rest of the container left, so wish me luck as I try and mask the taste.
That’s all for today, friends. I hope you have a fabulous rest of your Friday.
Happy weekend!!!
Love always,
Zoe
I like Daisy too! 😘