The Friday Five, 1/29/21: 5 things I've been up to this week

Here we are at the end of January already ... that went by fast. Today I have to bring my car in to the shop—apparently there was an axel recall, so they will do the work for free—and my parents are going to pick me up so I don't have to wait there for three hours. Then I will set the "kids" (haha) up with a movie, while I keep working. 

Two-cheese veggie calzone, from Dinnerly (huge!)
Two-cheese veggie calzone, from Dinnerly (huge!)

What I've been up to this week:

    1. Most important: getting my parents the vaccine! This happened last Friday so now I can post about it. Beaumont has been extending random invites online to its patients who are 65+, but I learned of a "COVID hotline" number you could call. I waited on hold for 40 minutes, and was able to get appointments for my parents at Beaumont Dearborn ... I called last week, Wednesday, and they got them in on Friday! I was shocked. I asked if they were immunizing immunocompromised people (me) and/or essential workers (boyfriend) yet but as of now it's only 65+. Dearborn was also the only location, although others' parents who have called were able to get Southfield. I'm very happy they got their first shots, and their second round is in mid-February, of the Pfizer vaccine. 
    2. Trying out a new restaurant. An Instagram friend asked me if I wanted to try out Charminar Biryani House, in Troy, in exchange for posting, and I love Indian food so I took her up on that offer. Their food is very good, so I recommend trying them out if you're in the area. My boyfriend and I tried their Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower), although it was a bit spicy for me even though it was mild; Chicken Tikka Biryani, one of their signature dishes (basically chicken and rice, and came with tasty sauces); Butter Chicken, good but their sauce was a bit sugary; Garlic Naan; a mango Lassi, for me; and Gulab Jamun for dessert (see pic below—like mini Munchkin doughnuts dipped in honey and sweet sauces). They will be restarting their lunch buffet once restaurants can open again in February, as well. 
    3. Attending the Yelpies! Last night, Yelp Detroit hosted its first ever (virtual, obviously) "Yelpies," aka Yelp Awards—I know other Yelp markets do this, because my friends in Florida have spoken about it and posted pics in the past. I had received an email from our CM (Community Manager) saying that I was nominated for something, but it didn't say what. Turns out it was for "Takeout Expert," basically ... and I ended up winning my category! I get a trophy and a goodie bag, at some point, so I'm pretty excited about it :) it was also a fun night, they had some unique presentations and also there was even a service dog puppy there too. 
    4. Getting takeout and cooking. And the last of the birthday freebies—on Saturday, my parents and I got Red Robin takeout, and I used my free "burger" to get their Banzai chicken sandwich. We called the Commerce Twp. location (~2 miles from them) first but was put on hold for literally ten minutes ... WHILE on hold, I called the Novi location (~4 miles away) and they picked up promptly, so I hung up on Commerce. Also, I had Dinnerly last week, for cooking (and will again, next week), and had HelloFresh this week. I know this is a very FWP (First World Problem), but they screwed up my order: they substituted pineapple for mango, in the mango chicken tacos (but did note that), and also sent sweet pork sausage instead of pork chops for the pork chops recipe ... so now I still have to go to the store (and the point of these subscription boxes is to NOT have to go to the store, especially in a pandemic ...) and buy pork chops. Fresh Thyme just sent me $5 off for my birthday though so I will go there, I also need to go to ALDI tomorrow. 
    5. Attending a virtual memorial service. This was a first for me. A friend's dad suddenly passed away recently, and since we can't all gather in person, she and her mom and siblings hosted a "celebration of life" type gathering on Zoom. It was nice to see pictures of him and also my friend when she was younger, and they had a video of him playing guitar, too. 
    Gulab Jamun (doughnuts with honey), from Charminar Biryani House, Troy
    Gulab Jamun (doughnuts with honey), from Charminar Biryani House, Troy


    Popular Posts

    Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

    Image
    *Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
    Read more

    Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MAMMA MIA! will be playing at the Fisher this April, from April 23-28, and I'm excited to see it—I'm a big fan of the movies but I've never seen the Broadway show. About the show: Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. MAMMA MIA! opened on Broadway in 2001 where it played for a record-breaking 14 year
    Keep reading

    GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I had a great time at Duel in the D last year—I'm a UM alum, but I had only ever seen ONE hockey game in my life at that point, and this was the second one.  I'm looking forward to it again this year, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it as well! About the game: The return of college hockey is headed to Little Caesars Arena with the annual “Duel in the D,” presented by Meijer, set for Saturday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m.  The fans of Hockeytown will be treated to one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in college hockey, as the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey teams will add another chapter in their storied rivalry and clash for the “Iron D” Trophy.  The “Duel in the D” matchup features the most-played rivalry in college hockey. The game will mark the 346th all-time meeting between the h
    Keep reading