Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Are you as excited as I am about the sunshine this weekend?? Hopefully you’re getting a bit of sun wherever you are too! We have friends coming in for a visit this week and I’m thrilled that the weather is supposed to be lovely for them to explore a bit of Ohio while they’re here.
ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Creamy and unapologetically bold, Homemade Caesar Dressing packs loads of flavor into every bite with garlic, anchovy paste, and rich Parmesan in wonderful balance. This dressing can make a simple bowl of greens feel like a steakhouse treat.
Juicy, well-seasoned steak and plenty of melting cheese in an irresistibly crunchy tortilla? This Steak Quesadilla satisfies all my cravings at the same time. And, I’m convinced that there’s no better way to use up leftovers than in a buttery, crisp, and cheesy quesadilla!
Sweet and earthy beets dance with tangy goat cheese, crunchy candied walnuts, and a drizzle of rich balsamic in this Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese. I get so excited about the interplay of these textures and flavors. This is the recipe that made me a forever fan of beets!
With fresh berries, mint, and lime juice, this easy Blackberry Bourbon Smash is the perfect cocktail for any gathering. It’s irresistibly beautiful, fabulously refreshing and I just love how easy it is to make!
With zero baking required and just three ingredients (hello, melted chocolate, Ritz crackers, and peanut butter) these no-bake Ritz Cookies are the ultimate salty-sweet combination that will satisfy the craving you never needed to satisfy. And once you’ve taken the first bite? You’re never going to forget these cookies.
This Chocolate Pudding Bundt Cake is pure chocolate lover’s heaven! Rich, deeply chocolatey, and super moist, topped with this decadent Chocolate Glaze, this cake gets rave reviews and recipe requests every time I serve it.
My FAVORITE THING this week is this 2-quart saucepan. I am borderline obsessed with it! I’ve been a big fan of All-Clad pans for years, but man, the price point is not my favorite thing. When I needed a smaller saucepan, this one popped up on my search when I started looking for All-Clad pans. And since I have LOVED my Tramontina stockpot for over 20 years now, I figured it was worth a shot.
Friends! Side by side with my larger All-Clad saucepan, this 2 quart pan is every bit as sturdy and it is exceptionally well-made. I am THRILLED with it! What a unicorn of a find at less than a third of the fancier pan price. So far, I’m loving it each time I use it, and I’ll keep using it as much as possible and will keep you posted. I am just so excited with this find, I couldn’t wait to tell you! Fingers are crossed that it will prove as long lasting as its 20 year old big brother in the cupboard over here.
What I’m READING: Memory Man by David Baldacci. Fair warning, the opening chapter of this book is gruesome and hard to read, and there are flashbacks later in the book as well. However, the book is well worth continuing. If you enjoy a great mystery, some suspense, a thriller, and a barely likeable underdog main character that you desperately want to see pull through, this one might be for you. This book is an emotional roller coaster and I found it hard to put down.
(Spoiler and sneak peek alert – I’ve already read the next 2 books in this series, Amos Decker is one character I just can’t quit reading.)
What I’m LISTENING to: God’s Highway by Sandra McCracken. With a sound reminiscent of Americana and folk, Sandra’s voice never fails to make me smile when her songs start up on my playlists. I’m so glad that I stumbled on her Psalms album last year. She’s one of my favorite morning listens now.
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3:13 NASB
Wishing you a beautiful week filled with little things that make you smile!
Mary
The post The Little Things Newsletter #511 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food! appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.
