Norman looks so relaxed; thanks for sharing how he is doing - your cats are do friendly . Really enjoyed hearing how you blend a work day and home duties together in one day - thanks for sharing

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

He has now taken up residence in the guest room and he friggin loves it in there. We likely can't keep him inside longterm with Dani due to some incompatible health issues, but I'm in no rush to make him leave. Glad you liked the video!

I hope Norman stays an indoor cat!!!! So cute 🥰

@liddlekiddle1962

3 жыл бұрын

Me, too! I love both kitties but Norman's eyes are so cute!

Loving the extra tips/comments, gratuitous kitten footage, and the video content overall. Thank you for sharing!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

Such a great channel! I always enjoy your videos, regardless of the content, they are engaging, interesting and entertaining. Please keep making & sharing and stay well during this time. Best wishes from Australia.

You're kitties are so sweet! My cat will also hang out in front of her food cupboard when she's looking for a handout. Norman giving you the "I love you" eyes melted my heart!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

He. Is. Such. A. Sweetheart! Say hello to your fur baby from me and mine!

Great video. I love all your videos. Stay safe. Love from England xxx

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Good to "see" you again! You as well!

Very nice and enjoyable content. Loved seeing kitties looking well. Stay safe.

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Norman is doing great!

@zoraidarodriguez1761

3 жыл бұрын

@@VestedInterests Thank you for your reply. So glad Norman is well. Take care

Ohhh, the slow blinks from Norman! What a love.

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I've tried to slow blink back at him and Dani, and they always look confused when I do.

Yay! Loved this! :)

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

I was almost done watching when I noticed YOUR AWESOME SHIRT

@priscillacarey877

3 жыл бұрын

SEE YOU AT LUKES!!

Don't worry about this video, it was a treat to watch! Hopefully I'll be moving into my second year dorm room in the next couple of weeks, and I'm lucky that it's equipped with a kitchen. I'm definitely going to be using all of your kitchen/grocery tips. Any go to simple recipes you made when you had your very first kitchen to yourself?

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

The honest answer: I remember making a lot of chocolate chip pancakes, eating boxes of cereal, and always having a block of chocolate and a block of cheese in my fridge. I also lived above a Chipotle so there were a lot of leftover burrito bowls. That's not at all helpful or what you were looking for, but that's how I ate. I also had friends who were better cooks than me to host dinner parties, so be the cool person with a real kitchen and feed your friends pasta and wine. That's the part you'll remember! Have fun next year in your new digs!

@juliakerrigan5133

3 жыл бұрын

Vested Interests just got the email today that I won’t be returning to campus. I’m pretty devastated but I’ll be taking your advice to my next place, for next year! Time for a room declutter and rearrangement....

great video. I just have to say one thing... coffee should not go in the fridge, it is a natural deodoriser and will absorb all the food odors, too much moisture and thus ruin your coffee. it should be stored in an airtight container in the pantry. :)

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

TBH I go through it so quickly that I've never noticed it tasting weird, but you are not the first person to tell me this, so perhaps I should invest in a better container to keep it in.

Glad Norman is settling into being an indoor cat. And I wish I could eat a lunch portion like you! That would be just a snack for me. I joke that I’m still a growing girl at 33, or else I must have a hollow leg! To be fair, I’m probably 8-9 inches taller than you.😅

@artofthebudget

3 жыл бұрын

it sounds like you are listening to what your individual body needs to feel good and satisfied, that's awesome!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Some days I eat bigger lunches--that's just what I had time for and what looked good to me that day. I also have a tendency to eat light during the day and then turn into a ravenous monster from 5pm-midnight.

Awesome update! I do agree with first making sure the pantry is completely empty before filling it with stuff from the food shop! Our curry recipe is the same! So delicious. Also, happy to see Norman is doing well and accepts his temporary domestic situation 😁

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Phil! Norman is out of his cone, he has moved to the guest room, and he seems to absolutely love it in there. Due to some incompatible health issues, we likely can't keep him inside forever with Dani, but I'm not in any hurry to make him move. Also, the curry was saved by the addition of several handfuls of pepper flakes and turned out great, if I do say so myself. Hope you're well!

@PhiloftheMetaverse

3 жыл бұрын

Vested Interests I totally understand about the kitties - I can imagine the outdoors cat is enjoying the comfort of your home! I can’t imagine how much you had to put to spice up the curry but if you were using the red paste it might have been under spiced. I’m doing great! I’m working with my Texas team right now and I’m glad I’m doing it remotely haha.

Glad Norman is doing well! 🙂

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Love it! Make another video like this and let’s see how you make the chocolate covered strawberries 🍓🍫

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Iiiii just throw dark chocolate chips in a bowl, microwave them in 10-15 second intervals until melted, dip the strawberries, and then put them in the fridge for half an hour or so until set. My only real tip is to buy organic--organic strawberries are always so much tastier.

Protip for anyone whose berries get moldy: when you wash, soak them in water with a little splash of white vinegar. Also, looks like your coffee is more coffee-flavored milk :D

@airari24

3 жыл бұрын

I do this and they last so much longer!

We have a CSA share that works out to about $20/week and they email recipe ideas weekly. But sometimes we do get items that we aren't fans of. You could either try to combine those things with something really flavorful like cheese, or give away to a friend or relative. Not in Texas though, so no okra for me to worry about.

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Yaaassss, cover it in cheese! We speak the same language.

Love your Gilmore girls shirt! 😄

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! My husband gave me that shirt and it has survived many years of decluttering.

I like snooping in other people's refrigerators and pantries. The curry looked delicious! I think that I have that same jar of curry paste, and it's NOT spicy enough! Stay safe! Stay sane!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I chose that one specifically because chilies were the first ingredient, unlike the other options I saw. It tasted like tomato paste but was remedied by several handfuls of pepper flakes.

Hi Mel Thanks for the nice video. I was always the same when I came home. It does indeed get easier. Here in the Netherlands I can still buy in bulk, but it is no longer allowed in my own bags and trays. There is, however, a webshop that sells stock of products in jars with a deposit. It is delivered at home and the delivery person takes back the empty jars and the deposit is then settled with my next order. It is not ideal, but the situation is no different. Stay save Nice weekend

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

That sounds amazing, and kind of romantic, like having milk delivered in glass bottles back in the day.

During this time of pandemic have you been tempted to stock up on anything? I live in a very rural area and people from larger surrounding cities came and raided our store so it was hard to get a lot of things for awhile. The big store we can do pick up from is an hour away and even things there are not well stocked yet.

Like this type of video))

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Hi Mel, Norman is adorable. We struggled to get eggs a few months ago from the supermarket. Only found them at farm shops when doing a walk. There were odd things not available. We made our shopping last 2-3 weeks. Porridge oats cheap and available, muslei, tinned mackerel, tuna, potatoes, rice pudding. But it felt amazing to get fruit and veg. I appreciate them even more than I did before. Did actually grow some potatoes, should be ready in a few weeks. We took it for granted before but now as most things available we really enjoy them. Making meals out of nothing too. Partly people stock piling and baking so made things difficult to source. Porridge, rice, couscous, tinned foods helped. Still not going often to the supermarket. How do you disinfect your food?

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I don't usually disinfect anything, but it's a precaution we've decided to take for now. If possible, I just remove the item from it's packaging. If not, I use a Clorox wipe (not compostable but it's what we have). I don't disinfect produce--I just wash that by hand like normal. Anyway, I'm glad you've been able to slow down and appreciate food more. I tried growing cucumbers this year, and, while the plant is HUGE and happy and taking up a good fraction of my yard, it has yet to give me any fruit... Enjoy your potato bounty!

@melisse8150

3 жыл бұрын

@@VestedInterests hahaha well I like the fact you're seeing the positives....healthy plant bonus, no fruit yet. I'm sure you'll get some cucumbers before long. Not really resting, work in a hospital and restarting service now building up again. Big effort by all. However I'm definitely more reflective on how my life is going and what is important and what I want to achieve. Life is so busy but not going out other than walks gave us a lot if time to regain focus. It's nice to be able to see people again but it's still sensible, within the guidance and whilst not the same and still majority meet ups on Wats app etc it's so nice to see friends and family. We lost our rabbit due to old age last week. In the grand scheme of things it's not the same as losses endured with family but he was part of our lives and he was an absolute pleasure to have in the house. Clean, lovely temperament, playful, loyal, at times when ill or felt a little low he would stay by you. Really lovely pet. I'm sure we will give a home to another but not just yet. Animals have brought so many people I know a lot of comfort at this time. Uncertain, anxious at times but can only do your best and keep hope. Smallest of things can give you a lot of strength. Quite enjoying vlogs like this.

How nice that your husband eats the same way you do! Mine wants way more than this whereas this would be very much my preferred route... cheaper, too. Coincidentally, I was just looking for a tofu dish idea! (and I spot a GG t-shirt...

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Yay, I'm glad you noticed! My husband bought me that shirt.

Great ideas! I have to have more protein in my day otherwise I get hypoglycemic and discombobulated and that's when I reach out for junk food. Thanks for sharing! 🍽

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Huh, I had no idea hypoglycemia was a protein-related--I thought it was blood sugar thing. Do what your body tells you to do to stay healthy! I don't need protein every day, but, when I do, that's what my massive collection of eggs is for.

@veegee3291

3 жыл бұрын

@@VestedInterests Thanks for your thoughts - Just seeing them for the 1st time today. Yes, hypoglycemia is sugar-related. I have just found that when I have protein in my diet routinely, I don't have the light-headedness and other probs. Maybe it has to do w/ how one's body converts protein into other ingredients one's body needs. Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts and I realy enjoy your videos/thought process on minimalism and practicality. Have a great rest of the wk and stay healthy. ☀

Love how you drain the water from your tofu with the heavy lid. I should try this. Love curry!!!!! Are you vegetarian? I just found your channel today.

Please come back! We miss you.

yes yes thank you so cool please do more like a whole week or month of your meals and breakfast as-well!!! so exciting and i love how easy and delicious it looked made me want chocolate covered strawberries too) have a great day!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I don't usually eat a big breakfast, if I eat breakfast at all. Anyway, glad you liked the video! My husband would be very sad if I tried to film every meal for a month, but good to know you liked it and I can try to make more in the future!

@orandjad5868

3 жыл бұрын

Lol why would he be sad? Any ways i understand its a pain to film i thought maybe film here and there like once a week and then compile together. So it sounds like you do kind of intermittent fasting style

A fellow GG fan :)

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Yay! My husband gave me that shirt 😊 ☕️ 🍕 🍪

You can find an organic CSA that lets you specify things like "more fruit than veg" or "hate okra" or things like that. I sure hope you have enough eggs!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

The CSA that I've been dancing around usually lets you swap out two items for other things if you're not a fan, but that practice is temporarily on pause to keep things simple for the people packing the CSA boxes for now. Understandable, but it also means I should just get my act together and go to the farmer's market early to pick out my own stuff. Also, I'm basically Ron Swanson and I eat breakfast food all the time, so I eat a lot of eggs. If we ever move to a house with a bigger yard, I want a chicken run and three chickens.

speaking of beans, have you heard of rancho gordo? they make heirloom mexican beans at their farm in california. in the past, when i bought beans, it was always the cheapest i could find because i was on a student budget. i purchased a variety of beans from rancho gordo because the reviews are outstanding--they are supposed to be very special. i havent made them yet, im kind of intimidated tbh, but maybe tomorrow is the day i will make #brothybeans with them :)

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting, I've never heard of them. I usually get beans from a bulk section, so I don't really pay attention to who produced them, but now I am intrigued by these fancy beans. Hope they were delicious!

Great video!! So, are you and your husband vegetarian? I am an aspirational vegetarian. I wish I would eat like you two do!!

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

We're not, but we don't tend to cook a lot of meat at home and we try to reserve it for when we go out to eat. The exception being that, come fall and winter, I'm a huge fan of a roast in a slow cooker, which I'm happy to keep adding potatoes to until I've consumed all the delicious fat.

I’m agonizing about using plastic bags again, too. Any ideas I have make using the self checkout impossible.

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I was going to complain about plastic produce bags, but it seemed silly when staring at the pile of mostly plastic-packaged foods that we have resorted to. The one thing I will say that I failed to mention in the video is that we always have a plastic bag under our kitchen sink where we collect all stretchy plastic bags and packaging for recycling. From what I've heard, it must be stretchy plastic and it cannot be recycled in single stream recycling, but you can take it to the grocery store. Most grocery stores that I go to have plastic bag recycling containers out front. I'd rather not use it in the first place, but at least there's a plan B.

Like you, I always try to buy loose fruit and veggies. Now, because of covid, I only buy these in clamshells. Not taking any chances 😷

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Do what you need to do to stay safe!

Does your cat has dry food in between breakfast and dinner?

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Nope. We're not usually home during the day, and cats are hunters who are used to fasting, so she gets two meals a day.

so you guys must be vegetarian? We've been vegetarian ( my husband and me part time) for over 50 years! I use tofu every which way. Costco has a very good 4 pack of organic tofu.

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I love tofu, but I am not vegetarian. I used to be, which may partially explain why we don't cook a lot of meat at home. Anyway, I'm glad you and your hubs share the same food values and have stayed committed to them (and each other 😊) for so long!

Are you guys vegetarians? Me too! Do you love Gilmore Girls? Me too! 😊

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I do love Gilmore Girls (and, credit where credit is due, my husband bought me that shirt) but I am not a vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for parts of high school and college though, which may be part of the reason we don't buy a lot of meat to cook at home. We tend to reserve that mostly for eating out.

I’ve always been curious when I see people feed their pets at certain times and only X times a day. Am I the only one who has always left food available for all my dogs and cats? They never overeat, they only eat when they’re hungry, and it’s good for everyone. They’re not overweight and don’t have any issues. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do but isn’t it better to have them eat when they want and when they’re hungry instead of forcing them to have a schedule? Open for discussion, no shade at all.

@MotherCoconuts811

3 жыл бұрын

I feed my cat wet food at breakfast and dinner. He has a bowl of dry food to eat whenever he wants, and he doesn’t over eat, just when he’s hungry :)

@artofthebudget

3 жыл бұрын

timed feeding is definitely a thing. my vet when i first got my cats was adamant about it. i guess some animals will overeat, especially if they are bored/under stimulated. timed feedings are fine for many cats but eventually i had to go to free feeding because my cats were both rescues and the lack of food was a huge stressors for them (like, i actually hired a cat behaviorist because we were having major pee problems). they dont overeat thankfully and they are much happier now.

@stephaniecasper7578

3 жыл бұрын

I used to have dogs, and if I fed them more often, more food, or just left it out they ate everything. They definitely needed a schedule. The one we were more lenient with even died of diabetes.

@candicewaller403

3 жыл бұрын

I have four cats. Some of them might be totally fine with free-feeding on their own. But, they can be competitive and greedy. One of my cats will keep eating even after he's been sick from eating too much. If we let him, he'd finish his bowl then devour all the others. We have a feeding schedule, and the greedy one gets fed in a different room. At least this way, we can definitely tell if anyone's appetite changes or if there are any particular feeding issues.

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

Dani has been overweight before, so we worked with her vet to get her down to a healthier weight. If you look at her shelter photos compared to what she looks like now, she's like a completely different cat. Try as we might, she doesn't get a lot of exercise except for when she occasionally goes bananas and starts jumping on everything. She also does over eat, and sometimes we use a food ball/puzzle thing to slow her down so she doesn't gorge herself and vomit everywhere. That has the downside of leaving kibble dust all over the floor, so we try to just give her a reasonable amount and watch her. All that to say "we stick to a schedule" and that seems to work best for all parties.

Are you vegeterian ?

@VestedInterests

3 жыл бұрын

I am not, but we don't tend to cook a lot of meat at home.