Welcome to the weekend! Every morning this week, I listened to the birds chirping, appreciated the wonderful weather, and thought endlessly about how much I love living in Ohio. I hope you never take it for granted that you wake up in your favorite part of the world every day.
I am going out for a walk with a friend this morning and a (very easy) hike with Sean in the afternoon and I am very happy with both. My youngest son had his last day of school yesterday and will be taking him to Tennessee next week to celebrate his 13th birthday (just the 3 of us).
We took the boys solo for their 13th birthday. You can watch the trip here and here. I can’t wait! Do you have any suggestions for food and fun in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area?
About blog This Week: This tangy Italian dressing is super easy to make and ready in minutes.and it promises infinitely Tastes better than the store-bought ones.
Once you’ve made your dressing, add this California Spaghetti Salad to your summer must-have list. Loaded with fresh vegetables, tangy Italian dressing, and delicious pasta, you’ll want to savor every bite.
Pot pies have never been easier to make – All the tantalizing flavors of classic chicken pot pie are here The perfect balance of flavorful chicken and healthy veggies wrapped in a buttery crescent roll.
Three types of beans are pot-simmered with plenty of seasonings and hot sauce to make one of the easiest side dishes you can put on your table. These spicy baked beans are ready in just 5 minutes.
Cauliflower, toasted bread crumbs and nutty Parmesan cheese are the perfect combination for this delicious side.this roasted garlic parmesan cauliflower Ready to eat right out of the pot!
Tender buttery sautéed mushrooms and onions It is a great side dish in itself. But if you enjoy them as much as I do, you’ll want to layer or serve them on top of your next steak pot. This roasted chicken thigh.
If you had told me years ago that one day in the future fry the vegetables Had I had it for my afternoon snack, I’m sure I would have laughed. difficult.Well fast forward today and here we are Eating fried green beans happily and bang bang sauce. And they are great.
Soft and moist, bursting with cherry acidity, Cherry almond bread with sweet almond glazedelicious and easy to make.
Strawberry simple syrup can be easily made with 3 ingredients and can be used in various ways!Add a little strawberry syrup to the glass mint lemonade Or match it with a pitcher of mojitos and you might find your new favorite drink this summer. Pour it over your grandmother’s German pancakes for a breakfast everyone will enjoy.
Every scoop of this Twix ice cream is loaded with chunks of cookies, caramel and chocolate. If you love Twix candy bars, this ice cream may be your new favorite flavor.
What I crave: my friend loli Creamy, Cheese, Shrimp & Grits It caught my eye this week and made me drool. Can’t wait to try it!
Likes: These leggingsthis moviethis music
my favorite This week These cropped leggings. Whether you’re working out or lounging around the house, they’re super comfortable and look great years later. The cropped length is my favorite and I have ordered a few more pairs for the summer.
For those who care, they’re sturdy, high-waisted leggings with big pockets. Fits as well as others that are much more expensive than these. (I stumbled across this brand on TJ Maxx a while back, so I’m still keeping an eye on it. Luckily, $72 leggings often carry that tag, but Amazon has most If so, you can get it for just $22.)
What I see: life. My eldest son persuaded me to watch this movie with him. It started very slowly, but it was a great movie and kept me hooked until the end. (This movie is an adaptation of Kurosawa’s movie Ikiru. I plan to watch all the originals and subtitles in the near future.)
Bill Nighy plays a 1950s paperwork bureaucrat who finds out he’s dying from cancer. This movie is about what he will do for the rest of his life. It wasn’t exciting, adventurous, or suspenseful, but the film nailed my older sons and me, and we talked about it later.
What I hear: shovel and rope. I remember discovering their music years ago and playing it on repeat for a while. A reader reminded me of them last week (thanks Amy!), so I immediately added them to the Nathaniel Ratliff/Houndmouth/Shaky Graves station. Some of their music is a little rougher than others, and I really like that mix. They are a bit of a combination of traditional folk, rock and roll and country rock.
“I couldn’t be happier to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” – John 3 1:4 ESV
I hope you have a wonderful week full of small things that make you smile!
Mary
