Author - Amy

Turkey day is just around the corner!

We have more than 25 days to enjoy our next holiday. Can we vow to put aside the excitement for what’s to come and give the next few days to the important celebration at hand? Hope so. 🙂

Have a great holiday week, everyone!

1

I’ve been working on a Thanksgiving playlist on Spotify this week.

Some of my favorites on the playlist include:

• All Meat and No Potatoes (Louis Armstrong)
• Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie (Jay & The Techniques)
• Everybody Eats When They Come to My House (Cab Calloway)
• Let’s Turkey Trot (Little Eva)
• Mashed Potato Trot (Dee Dee Sharp)
• Simple Living (Keith & Kristyn Getty)

Oh, who am I kidding…I love them all!! You’ll just have to listen and be delighted. 🙂

2

Watch 2018 National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman Perform her Thanksgiving Poem (CBS This Morning)

3

The Thanksgiving Reader for your gathering. (Seth Godin)

4

Feed Yourself: On diets, Bingeing and Abundance (Addie Zierman)

My favorite snippet from this article:

What does my body actually need – and is it the same as what your body needs? Is it possible for the soul to require chocolate or chicken soup even if the body itself doesn’t?…

What about joy? What about taste and texture and beauty and decadence? What about the way that food is all knotted around memories and emotions and nostalgia and fear?

What about lemonade bought from the neighbor kids on the way home from work? What about the pancakes served by the community Lion’s club or the Jell-O salad served by the church ladies or family pizza night?

To refuse these foods may save you calories, but does it cost you something else, something more precious, something more sustaining even than the food itself?

5

Just for fun, here are a few music-themed Thanksgiving jokes.

• What’s the musical part of the turkey? The Drumstick
• What kind of music did Pilgrim teenagers like? Plymouth Rock
• What key do composers never write music in? Tur-key
• What were the piano teacher’s two favorite foods at the Thanksgiving dinner? TurKEY and KEY lime pie!

6

Overcoming Envy (Joshua Becker | Becoming Minimalist)

7

After Receiving a Touching Piece of Fan Mail, Author Asks Teen to Collaborate on a Book (The Week)

8

These Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits are the bomb! I try to not keep too many pre-packaged things like this around but these are soooo hard to resist! They also have a peanut butter version but they’re not half as good as the almond butter ones!

9

Put your order in this week for your advent calendar! Oh, so many to choose from.

I don’t normally purchase advent calendars like this but decided to have a little fun this year and decided to splurge on #7, Williams Sonoma’s Peppermint Bark Advent Calendar. I looovvveee their peppermint bark.

10

What about Advent Reading? Every year I have intentions to do advent reading but it never happens as I want. This year, I’m determined it will be different.

I’ve had this link saved in my Evernote account to help me decide on a book: 5 books for Advent Reading. They all sound incredibly good, but the first one made it into my Amazon cart for this year. I’m still keeping it bookmarked for years to come!

Do you do an advent calendar or reading each year? If so, what are your favorites? Share in the comments!

~Amy

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

We’re not quite to Thanksgiving yet, but if it’s not already on your mind you might be scrambling!

Over the next week, I plan on finalizing all my plans for Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll look forward to sharing a list of what makes it onto our table!

As far as my studio goes, Thanksgiving week used to be group week but now I’m using it as a week “off” with only Monday students scheduled as a make-up for not having a lesson on Labor Day.

On Tuesday of that week, I’m excited to try something new! I offered an open “monitored” practice hour. I have four keyboards, so four students will come for one hour and I will rotate between them every five minutes or so. Four session times were made available to families: 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00.

If this goes well, I think this would be an excellent thing to do a few times a year and am looking forward to feedback from parents and students on whether they would like having more of these available.

Do you teach the week of Thanksgiving, take off, or hold group classes? If the latter, this week’s list is kicked off with a few Thanksgiving-themed items to get you started!

1

Two games from Susan Paradis: Chasing the Turkey and Save the Turkey

From Wendy Stevens: Melodic dictation of Thanksgiving tunes and Pumpkin pie listening thermometers

2

Thanksgiving sheet music for piano:

Now Thank We All Our God arranged by Leila Viss is currently on sale. Get is for single-use or as a studio license.

A Thanksgiving Prayer (elementary solo) by Wendy Stevens

3

As you’re making your own plans for the upcoming holidays, check out my holiday favorites list of favorite recipes, tools, Christmas albums, and more!

4

If we were lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s near us, I would be all over these mini Almond Florentine Cones filled with a creamy cheesecake filling. (The Kitchn)

5

A new culture term: Self-Partnered: The Sudden, Surprising Rise of the Single Positivity Movement (The Guardian)

6

Piano Safari just released their Older Student Level 3 books.

7

Amazon’s early holiday deals for the home kitchen.

The best thing on that list in my opinion is
#5 Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Food Storage Container 4.7 Cup (4-pack). Normally $23 on sale for $18.

I have one of the 9.6 cup containers as well and LOVE it. They have a three-pack of these on sale – normally $30 cut down to $23.

8

Yep, I’m a part of this so-named “micro-generation.” (Jorrie Varnie | Sammiches & Psych Meds)

9

Music Learning Theory basics made EASY. (Robin Giebelhausen)

10

Home cooking rocks. Consider making one of these in your kitchen.

Helen Corbitt’s Neiman Marcus Chicken Salad (Saveur)

I’m very picky about my chicken salads. This one is a favorite. My other favorite is this Avocado Chicken Salad from Simply Recipes.

Soba Noodle Salad (Giada de Laurentiis)

Delicious but a little spicier than I would like. Next time I’ll only use one teaspoon of wasabi paste instead of two. Also, I thought it was a little to saucy so maybe start with 2/3-3/4 of the sauce and add more if you think it needs it. I also added some cubed cold shrimp.

Spiced Pumpkin-Raisin Cookies (Giada de Laurentiis)

These cookies pack a slight yummy crunch as they use sugar in the raw instead of white or brown sugar. They’re a staple in my fall cookie repertoire! P.S. They’re vegan!

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

My piano tuner finally got in this morning to tune my “new” Yamaha C2 grand piano I bought back in August. The word new is in quotes of course because it was manufactured in 1993 – but it looks like new and is new to me!

We got our wires crossed on the day and while I was sitting on the spa chair getting my toes ready for winter boots (a.k.a. a pedicure), he calls.

“Uh-oh,” I tell my pedicurist, “it’s my piano tuner.” I’ll bet he’s at my house waiting on me.

Sure enough…

Luckily, out in the country, we leave our doors unlocked so I told him to just go on in and leave me the bill. I confessed however that I was disappointed I wouldn’t get to talk to him because I wanted to see what he thought of my new piano. Minutes later I got this text:

“I like it already. Very powerful in octaves five and six where we have trouble with most pianos tone quality. Good tone and feel all the way around, nice purchase!”

Yea! My piano tuner approves! LOL.

Hold your tuner dear to your heart.

1

Reflecting on Nearly 3 Decades of Teaching: What Has Worked (Laura Lowe | The Piano Studio)

2

My favorite cutting boards: OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set. Only $19.99 on Amazon.

If you haven’t replaced your cutting boards in several years. Consider doing so – they get so yucky!

3

After Five Decades of Pushing Bachelors Degrees, U.S. Needs More Trades People (PBS)

Surprise, surprise.

4

How to Steal a Website (Janna Carlson | StudioRocketWebDesign.com)

Something we all need to hear.

5

My favorite furniture polish: The Original Bee’s Wax Old World Formula Furniture Polish

Keep a bottle under your kitchen sink and under each bathroom cabinet for easy access to wipe down/clean wood cabinets. Keep an old cotton rag with it so cleaning feels quick and easy!

6

In France, Elder Care Comes With the Mail: Carriers for La Poste Have a New Job: Checking in on the Aged (The New Yorker)

Hmmm…very interesting!

7

“What’s the difference between Late Elementary and Early Intermediate? What the heck is Big Note anyway, and why is Easy Piano NOT easy??”

Get this awesome free leveling chart, courtesy of Carol Matz!

8

Now, THIS is kind of fun! 🙂

4 Kathleen Kelly Looks with 9 Key You’ve Got Mail Wardrobe Pieces (Kelle Hampton)

9

A great big hearty congratulations go out to Tim Topham as he re-brands TimTopham.com to TopMusicCo to reach an even wider musical community!

10

Good news in the world.

Songs for Kids: A Prescription for Healing (CBS News)

11

It’s that time of year my freezer was ready to stock with some homemade goodness – chicken stock, that is!

Ina Garten’s is my favorite. Last Saturday our house smelled soooo good!

Frittata with Tuna and Tomatoes (Giada de Laurentiis | Giada’s Feel Good Food)

I never thought about making a frittata with tuna in it! What a nice and different way to get more seafood in your diet! I served an arugula salad on the side tossed in a light mustard vinaigrette and parmesan cheese.

Best Yogurt Parfait Ever (Ree Drummond | Pioneer Woman)

The ladies at my husband’s work always request this when they have a carry-in.

Turkey, Kale, and Brown Rice Soup (Giada de Laurentiis | Giada’s Feel Good Food)

One of my absolute favorites and a great way to get some greens in your diet! Drew likes soups that are less “soupy” and more “stewy” so I doubled the ground turkey and brown rice and it made a nice thick soup.

Tell me, what’s the winning find for you from this week?

~Amy

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

1

Important!

10 Safety Protocols for the Independent Music Teacher (Jennifer Foxx | Music Educator Resources)

Why You Need a Piano Studio Child Protection Policy and Plan (Rebekah Maxner)

2

James Clear’s hit book “Atomic Habits” is now on sale on Amazon for 40% off!

3

How Much Should My Child Practice? (Samantha Coates | BlitzBooks)

4

Short and Funny (Seth Godin | Seth’s Blog)

It’s literally two sentences. Read it. We all need a little more of this simple logic in our lives.

5

Lance Crackers: Gluten-Free-Baked-Original.

Best. Crackers. Ever. They don’t need a topper – they’re good just on their own. I don’t eat them for the sake of gluten-free but for the sake of yumminess!

Thanks to Joy Morin for introducing these to me!

6

Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore: Our unpredictable and overburdened schedules are taking a dire toll on American society. (The Atlantic)

7

Just this past week, I started receiving my Amazon orders using what’s called “Amazon Day”. This is a new Prime-member service that allows you to schedule your deliveries to come on the same day of the week to help minimize shipments and thus waste. (Business Insider)

8

How Tobasco Sauce is Made (Insider)

9

My Favorite Christmas Resources for Piano Teachers (Tracy Selle)

10

A Season of Excess (Joshua Becker | Becoming Minimalist)

11

A few items we dined on this past week:

Apple, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad (Ree Drummond Pioneer Woman)

Psst…we used the really stinky Roquefort blue cheese! Yum!

Farfalle (a.k.a. bowtie pasta) with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Swiss Chard (Giada de Laurentiis)

I used the recipe out of her cookbook Feel Good Food. It calls for 1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms which I would prefer over dried porcini’s as the linked recipe uses. You basically would just skip step 1 in the linked recipe if you use fresh mushrooms and sautee them with the shallots before adding the liquid to make the sauce.

*This is so, so good! It has great flavor. Like anything, it’s even better if you use homemade chicken stock instead of store-bought.

Cauliflower Gratin (Ina Garten | Barefoot Contessa)

If I were to make this again, I would completely forego the nutmeg. Yuck. It’s just not my thing in savory dishes.

Blueberry Lime Oatmeal Muffins (Lisa Fain | Homesick Texan)

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

1

Sara Bareilles – “Saint Honesty” This one practically gives me chills every time I listen to it. Play it while you keep reading. Your ears, mind, and heart will thank you.

2

13 videos that will introduce your students to “spooky” classical music. (Piano Pantry)

3

In Friday Finds #147, I mentioned that I was going to purchase one of the artificial arrangements from Target’s new fall line.

Getting nice artificial plants can be tricky and this one did not disappoint! It was a bonus when I found out there were two different sizes! (Yes, I got them both!)

Artificial Goldenrod Arrangement in Ceramic Pot Yellow/White – Threshold 16.5″ x 10″ and 11″ x 10″ (pictured)

4

9 Ideas for You Piano Studio  Chalkboard / Whiteboard (Color in My Piano)

5

Halloween Favorites: Games, Resources, Graphics, and More (Piano Pantry)

6

I don’t watch many random videos on Facebook, but my husband introduced me to The Bus Brother. Have you heard of this?

A brother who wanted to do something special to create memories his last year living at home before going off to college decided to dress up every afternoon to welcome his younger brother off the bus. How special is that?!

7

Which Drink is Best For Hydration? Hint: It isn’t Water. (CNN)

8

Get a free download of Leila Viss’s arrangement of “Doxology” with the purchase of a studio license of one of my favorite arrangements of “It Is Well.” (Piano Pantry)

9

We love this coffee.

Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee Blend, Medium Espresso Roast, 2.2 Pound (Amazon)

10

Reading this felt a little bit like a therapy session (in a good way!): It’s So Much More than Cooking (The Week)

11

Whether you’re a person of faith or not, I think most of us could relate to at least the opening few paragraphs of this: The God Who Asks.

To be honest, I often long to leave social media for good but feel the conflict of also needing to be present for what I need/want to do with my studio business and even on here with you.

Summer, perhaps might be a good time to check out, just once…

12

Coming from our kitchen recently:

“British” Baked Potatoes (The Kitchn)

BLT Panzanella Salad (Pinch of Yum)

No-Bake Energy Bites (King Arthur Flour)

Butter-Bath Corn on the Cob (Spicy Southern Kitchen)

Stay tuned next week for a special Friday Finds as we’ll be celebrating 150 posts!

Please note that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.