What are you up to this weekend? My college kid is back home, which means all my babies are here for a whole month and I love it. (Daisy is likewise ecstatic.) It also means we need some great cozy dinner recipes: if you have one you love, please tell us in comments! We’ll also be on the hunt for quality fun-for-the-whole-family entertainment options if you have any to spare.
I’m also planning to do some more baking this weekend: I found so much inspiration in our MMD Holiday Cookie Exchange! Last weekend, thanks to your comments, we tried the chocolately World Peace Cookies and they were DELICIOUS. (Has anyone tried the 2.0 version? I want to try that just as soon as I can track down cocoa nibs!) I have about a dozen tabs open with your suggested recipes and am excited about what I’ll bake next.
I hope this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind. May your weekend be filled with grace, peace, rest, and good books.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- A new writer tweeted about a low book signing turnout, and famous authors commiserated. (NPR) Sometimes good things happen on Twitter.
- Daisy Jones & The Six Kicks Off a Tension-Filled Show In New First Look. (E! News) Who’s excited?
- How to Make Charcuterie Actually Look Cute on a Cheese Board. (Food52) Great tips.
- 11 Mysteries and Thrillers That Are So. Much. Fun. (Crime Reads) Sign me up!
- New favorite thing: this sparkle maple syrup. I’ve gotten so many good ideas from this glorious list of little luxuries!
- John Krasinski’s Kids Think Emily Blunt Married Him “Out Of Charity” Because They’re Convinced He Works In An Office. (Buzzfeed News) Hilarious.
- 12 Tips From a Rare Books Expert to Keep Your Books Looking Great. (Mental Floss) I am never doing some of these things, sorry/not sorry. I don’t mind if my books look like I actually read them!
- How do you find your favorite lipsticks? (MMD) I jotted down several colors to try from the comments section.
- The 25 best movies of 2022. (Vox) See any favorites here?
- ‘AudioFile’ Magazine’s Best Audiobooks of 2022. (Publishers Weekly)
- These Stuffed Shells filled with Spinach and Ricotta were a hit for family dinner. (NYT Cooking gift link) We subbed manicotti for the shells because that’s what my grocery had in stock and they were delicious.
- Instagram Is Over. (The Atlantic) I miss the old Instagram.
- I love this for a gift idea, because: plants! Get two unique, organically-grown succulents every month with a Succulent Studio subscription. Snag this holiday deal and receive three plants + free shipping for $5.
- In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything. (Eater) Such a different way of life.
Don’t miss these posts:
- 24 winter holiday romances that will make your season bright. These winter holiday romances will take you from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve!
- Elevate your reading experience with these favorite bookish things. Are you looking for more comfort and joy in your reading life?
- 20 riveting wilderness mystery and suspense novels. These gripping tales about detectives, park rangers, and hikers are perfect for enjoying indoors, preferably in front of a cozy fireplace.
Have a great weekend!
19 comments
Our winter home is 30 miles from a grocery store. Our summer home is–guess–30 miles from a grocery store. I shop for groceries in a somewhat similar method as the folks who live in Alaska. We have two refrigerators in both homes plus a freezer in the Montana home. A huge pantry in both homes allows me to stock all sorts of dry goods. Friends tease me, “Janna is the only person we know who can have a dinner party for 20 people at the drop of a hat!” When I married my Montana rancher husband my niece asked me, “what if you forget something at the grocery store?”–we punt, change the menu–we certainly don’t run back to the grocery store!
I made this recipe this week for the first time and it was a winner! https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/easy-zuppa-toscana-recipe/ The only change I made was subbing orzo for gnocchi…not a fan a gnocchi in soup. And I cook the orzo in a separate pot to be added to each individual bowl so it doesn’t absorb all the broth, because, boy orzo will do that!! And some of us like a little orzo and some like a lot. It’s win/win.
I really enjoyed the little luxury conversation!
This is not a luxury but a link you might appreciate. I just listened to this fascinating Ezra Klein podcast in which he interviews literary scholar Maryanne Wolf about “deep reading”: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/22/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-maryanne-wolf.html
Coming back with a gift link for the Ezra Klein page
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/22/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-maryanne-wolf.html?unlocked_article_code=d56DOnN43GzL2LeDmpPNkdwxgxnvzU7sm-zqO0ZgsfGlmo1vzbvfvh42HDdzdYG_34o92AqJXDS9aSbr29TBwbm-3Xt_mRQl_6Ch3lG1arD4MpsuJCIFvbQD4jbeNcbxeXIbMcHQ2A53FPiWc6UJhAiLF8wKioAD9V7sfaZAjimn7rwsO6UHlIrv-Wyv7YwhN15jqIajY6Lg-X5393_2el23RftIH5JD9M0Gfyo1t-mf3ZLrGHvrlPnyJ4UWC9nES7OEVTKlxExvUK_DRcFmfrpRKfE_LHXF5Rot7OcBQ5l-P61uc7iVGtBfWHH0aEDEn9D7w0xuIU1a94kLxkn11HIq2ypgMBGzNg&smid=share-url
This is one of our favorite cozy recipes. I veg it up by adding a can of black beans and sautéed orange pepper. You could easily switch out the beef for ground chicken or turkey: https://www.acedarspoon.com/beef-enchilada-casserole/
Re: cocoa nibs- if you have a food co-op near you check them out. Mine always has them and they’re sold by weight so you can get exactly what you need for the recipe. Happy baking!
Any recipe by Half-Baked Harvest or Salt & Lavender. Lots of one-pot and crock-pot meals. At this moment, I have HBH’s Cozy Wild Rice and Orzo Chicken Soup in the crockpot! Even has ‘cozy’ in the title.
Isn’t great to have extended time with your kids?
Fortunato Chocolate uses chocolate from a special cacao tree in Peru. They have cacao nibs, and their dark chocolate almonds are addictive! https://fortunatochocolate.com/
I miss the old Instagram, too. I joined in 2014 when it was all pictures from the people I followed. Now it’s a fight to get thru all the ads and recommended reels, to even FIND my friends. Why can’t they just go back?
And the article about preserving rare books…well, mine aren’t rare, but I do some of these good things…I objected to the “NO WRITING, or inscribing” edict! I love to underline favorite lines in pencil, usually only for books I intend to keep. I do put my name in pencil in the front. In one of Charlie Lovett’s novels, The Bookman’s Tale, it showed that back in the day every owner of a book would add their name to the list of previous owners, just putting a neat line thru the last name and adding their own underneath. I was charmed by the idea! I would love to know the list of people who read my book before me, showing the provenance. I also value it when I come into possession of a book that’s inscribed “To my little Trekkie, love from Aunt Mabel” kind of thing. The book I won in 3rd grade inscribed by my teacher is one of the most treasured books I own. It set off my lifelong reading habit!!
As a child, my favorite cozy winter dinner was my mom’s chili. Unfortunately, my tummy no longer tolerates that recipe, but I discovered this very healthy, very hearty, very delish cremini chili from Dr. Mark Hyman. I make it with the mushrooms AND the ground beef. YUM!
https://www.gutfood.com/blogs/explore/go-to-cremini-chili?fbclid=IwAR0dbG5eR7m9ivMV1PzyY7ucDH68u2t6y5subUpskIdzIbfNyzU93jq_5tY
My fiancé asks for the broccoli pasta recipe from the Cook 90 cookbook pretty much every week! You make a batch of pasta, mix it with some olive oil, the juice and zest of one lemon, and roasted red pepper flakes, then add sliced almonds, roasted broccoli, and a whole packet of feta. The warm feta that gets caught in the noodles is magical!
I’m not sure about a list of best fiction audiobooks from 2022 that doesn’t include Demon Copperhead! Also…Daisy Jones and the Six is one of the best audiobooks ever. The multiple characters and original songs make for a phenomenal listening experience.
This recipe is delicious and fairly easy. I’ve made it several times and everyone loved it!
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/herb-butter-chicken-and-wild-rice/
while the sparkly maple syrup is undoubtedly magical, Runamok’s cardamom-infused maple syrup is life-changing. Trust me.
The book-signing low-show tweet? Who expects tears reading Twitter responses? But here I am, crying and marveling at what support can look like.
The Vegan Winter Lentil Stew from Budget Bytes is a family-favorite dinner here. https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegan-winter-lentil-stew/
I also love her spicy peanut ramen and creamy mushroom ramen for quick, easy, and inexpensive lunches.
We’ve enjoyed some of the mystery party games that are available. The only sad thing about them is that they usually can’t be played again and so end up given away. Our public library has started adding them to their collection, so at least we have a source for rehoming them now.
The plant subscription link just filled a Christmas gift wish. Thank you for that.
Happy holidays, one and all!
These are the two recipes my husband requests I make most often. Sooo yummy!
https://www.inspiredtaste.net/11767/salsa-verde-chicken-enchiladas/
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a32613965/instant-pot-ancho-beef-stew-with-cheesy-grits-recipe/
Cocoa nips – Sprouts
Hey all, I just wanted to share. I was intrigued by the sparkle maple syrup, but I thought it might be easier to buy some of the “sparkle” myself, and wanted to let others know that edible glitter is a thing! It is actually pearlescent mica powder, and you can buy it! Here’s where I got mine: https://ultimatebaker.com/ultimate-baker-luster-dust-sparkle/. Enjoy!