The Little Things Newsletter #405 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!
Welcome to the weekend, my friends! After a week of gorgeous sunshine-filled weather in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, we woke up this morning in a fresh winter wonderland. Ohio never fails to surprise me. As I write this, I’m watching the snow as it continues to fall outside. I’ll be headed to the gym in a couple of hours, but right now, I’m grateful for a slow start to the day and the time to enjoy my hot coffee.
ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: The sizzle of perfectly seasoned vegetables is snugly under wraps with oodles of gooey cheese in this golden, crispy Fajita Quesadilla.
Tart lime juice and peppery cilantro infuse the long, fluffy grains of rice with fabulous flavor in this simple Oven Baked Rice.
Fragrant and filling, when Hamburger Cabbage Soup is simmering on the stove, anyone wandering through the kitchen is going to grin.
The crisp crunch of cabbage is elevated with a tangy dressing in this Spicy Pickled Cabbage. With just the right amount of heat, each bite will have you coming back for more.
Smoothie Ice Cream is what happens when strawberries, blueberries, and bananas are blended into a frozen concoction so thick you can eat it with a spoon.
Skip the traditional fried donuts and make these Apple Cider Muffins at home. With a sugary coating reminiscent of their namesake, these muffins offer a delightful twist on a beloved classic.
Tender apples topped with buttery brown sugar streusel work together perfectly when making an Apple Crisp without Oats. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the entire family was scraping their bowls clean and asking if there was any more of the crisp.
What I’m CRAVING: I’m going to make a big pot of this Baked Potato Soup today and serve it with a loaf of my friend Lynne’s Italian bread. (If you haven’t yet tried this bread, put it on your list to make soon, my friends. It’s perfection!)
My FAVORITE THING this week is this sea salt body cream. I’ve been using it for over a year and I still love it. It’s thick, creamy, and doesn’t leave your skin greasy at all. I love the mild scent and how incredibly moisturizing it is. I first tried this lotion as a sample and loved it so much, I ordered the full-size product almost immediately.
Just a heads up that the price fluctuates a lot on Amazon, so watch for sales, or if you go to the brand’s website you can usually catch it on sale. Right now it’s part of a “spend $61, earn $61, plus free shipping” deal. Making it a stock-up price if you love it and effectively half off – a price I can more easily stomach.
What I’m WATCHING: Everything Everywhere All At Once. My oldest son and I planned to see this movie in the theater and it just never worked out. We finally watched it this week and I have to admit it’s a mind-bending, at times quite confusing, movie. Jamie Lee Curtis was incredible, like nothing I’ve seen her do before, and the rest of the acting was solid as well. Were they portions I’d rather have not seen? Absolutely. Would I watch it again? Maybe someday. Do I recommend it? Yes.
This is not the movie for a calm, relaxing night at home, but it is a movie that is completely engrossing, chaotic, and memorable. You’ll either enjoy it or hate it. I don’t think that there’s a neutral ground here.
What I’m READING: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. This is the first book in the Scholomance trilogy. It took me a bit to really get into this one. The protagonist isn’t very likeable, and yet, you’ll find yourself rooting for her survival before you’re very deep into the book. It’s a dark, adult twist on a magical boarding school and an unwilling dark sorceress who finds herself trying to survive there.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 ESV
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
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