january wrap up: seven dials and truffle popcorn.

January is usually the month that feels like it drags on forever. After all the December festivities, returning to my everyday routine can feel like a bit of a letdown. Somehow, though, this January didn’t feel like that for me at all. The month flew by, and I can’t believe it’s already February.

Compared to much of the eastern U.S., the weather here in the PNW has been practically balmy, which has definitely thrown off my usual winter vibes. Less hibernation, more “is it really still January?” energy.

Here are some of the things I’ve been up to in January:

What I’m watching:
I sat down and watched Seven Dials on Netflix, a three-episode miniseries adapted from an Agatha Christie novel I’d never even heard of. I went in completely blind and ended up really enjoying it. It’s set in the 1920s, and the costumes and set design were absolutely fabulous. I thought the actress who played amateur sleuth Bundle gave a particularly strong performance.

I do wish Martin Freeman’s role had been a bit bigger, mostly because I like him in everything he does. The one thing I couldn’t get past, though, was the driving: watching people race around in convertibles with no seatbelts was oddly stressful.

What I’m eating:
I’ve been making a lot of what I call “fake mini pizzas” for dinner. By that, I mean I take a sandwich roll, cut it in half, add pizza sauce and cheese, and pop it in the oven. Sometimes I go for more of a cheesy-bread situation and skip the sauce in favor of olive oil and a little garlic salt. It’s quick, cozy, and exactly what I want to eat right now.

I also recently discovered the truffle and sea salt popcorn from the Whole Foods 365 brand. I love truffle and I love popcorn, so this feels like the perfect combination. It’s delicious and has just the right amount of truffle flavor. It is dangerously snackable and I can eat a whole bag in one day.

And that’s it! I worked a lot in January, went on some walks, made many trips to Michaels, and slowly ate all my leftover Christmas treats. See you next month!