The Friday Five, 1/4/19: 5 things I've been up to this week

Welcome to 2019! Since I had last week off work, I did a lot of things (mostly involving food and movies, natch ...), and got a lot of rest, too, which was nice.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

What I've been up to this week:
  1. Eating out ... a lot. Last Friday, a friend and I went to Bahama Breeze for happy hour before seeing a movie at AMC Livonia. On Saturday, my boyfriend and I finally got to try out Founders Detroit after a concert at LCA, and on Sunday, my parents and I went to Blaze Pizza. Monday night we always do an early dinner out on New Year's Eve, and we went to Outback for their 4-course meal, which was a great deal ($15.99, with upcharge options). Finally, on Wednesday night, my boyfriend and I tried out Jim Brady's Detroit (which is actually in Royal Oak) before a movie screening, and I really loved their decor ... the food was excellent, as well. 
  2. Seeing movies ... a lot. Last Friday, a friend and I saw The Favourite, which was a weird movie but I'd still give it 3.5/5 stars, as it will hold your attention. On Sunday, my parents and I finally got to see Vice, which was excellent (4/5 stars). On Wednesday, I saw an advance screening of Escape Room, which was much better than I thought it would be, and I would give it 4/5 stars—read my review here.
  3. Celebrating New Year's Eve. A friend and her boyfriend hosted a NYE get-together at their house, and it was nice and laid-back, which I liked. They live in South Lyon, but luckily from Walled Lake (where my parents live) it was only about a 20-minute drive. We had food and played some games and watched the ball drop (via streaming ... we are millennials, after all ...) and then I left around 12:30am. 
  4. Doing some cooking. I had a free coupon for a Home Chef Express meal, from Kroger, so I did get to cook one time while staying with my parents—I made my dad and I a BBQ Glazed Pork Chop meal, which was super easy and quick to make. Yesterday, I received a Blue Apron box for the week, so I made panko chicken with garlic kale and roasted potatoes, which was also very good. A friend is doing a potluck tonight, too, so I made pizza roll-ups from this Damn Delicious recipe, which has always been a hit when I make them for gatherings (and they are also SUPER easy to make).
  5. Seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at LCA. I have seen them every year since 2014, and they always put on a fantastic show; this year was no exception. We arrived a little late because traffic (and parking traffic) was nuts, but we had floor seats again this year (blogger seats) which were super nice. 
Jim Brady's Detroit, Royal Oak, MI
Interior of Jim Brady's Detroit - I loved the '50s/'60s vibe!

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