Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Home sweet home is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? After traveling so much (and getting ready to travel again next week) I’ve been soaking up the days at home this week and enjoying the time with my boys whenever I manage to catch one of them at home. We played a new (new to us!) game this week and really enjoyed it! I know we aren’t usually the first to try these things but Flip7 might be the easiest game I’ve ever learned and it’s a ton of fun with any number of people!
“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang
ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Melting cheese, salty ham and spicy green chile are rolled up in tender chicken breasts and baked to perfection in this fun new (and easy!) twist on cordon bleu. This Green Chile Chicken Cordon Bleu is what the classic dish would look like after a tour of the American Southwest!
Perfect Baked Potatoes with crispy skin and a fluffy buttery interior are a kitchen staple you need to know how to make. Here’s the thing about this perfect baked potato recipe. It’s really not rocket science, learning how to make baked potatoes in the oven. But, this method does create spuds that are deserving of the label perfect. And, that’s not a word I throw around lightly.
I’m convinced that these Smashed Brussels Sprouts with a balsamic glaze are quite literally the candy of the vegetable world. The secret is in the sauce! The balsamic glaze makes it almost impossible to stop, once you start snacking on them.
Crispy, tender, Honey Glazed Asparagus is an absolutely unforgettable side dish for any meal. The smoky heat of the cayenne melds beautifully into the honey in the glaze. Have I mentioned that asparagus is my husband’s favorite vegetable? So, I have something of an asparagus aficionado at my table. And, this honey-glazed asparagus is one of his favorite dishes.
With jammy pockets of berries in every bite, these buttery, fluffy Sheet Pan Pancakes are cooked all at once, on one pan, with no flipping at all. This is my go-to breakfast for when the whole house is hungry and I don’t have time to stand around the stove.
With a flavor like buttery cinnamon rolls and a topping that has the perfect crunch of cinnamon toast, this Cinnamon Toast Cake is an awesome surprise. With just a few ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry, this simple unassuming looking cake has been one of my favorite desserts for a very very long time.
Fresh rhubarb and sweet strawberries topped with a crunchy oatmeal crumble makes a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp that no one will forget. This dessert shouts spring like no other dessert. I’m ready for all the fruit crisps this year, blackberry, peach, pear. Thankfully it’s all coming into season!
What I’m CRAVING: Okay, it’s time to talk about these Cornmeal Cookies. (Who could’ve guessed that Cornmeal Cookies would be so awesome?!) Lynne made these while she was visiting me a while back and I have been verrrrrry impatiently patiently waiting for her to share the recipe. They are almost unreal in their amazingness. They’re chewy cookies, with the perfect amount of crunch at the edges. They aren’t too sweet and the salt on the top is perfect!
I’m telling you now that these are the kind of cookies that you simply can not stop reaching for. They’re oddly irresistible in their unexpectedness. (Can that be a thing?) We shared some with a friend and she texted within an hour of getting home to tell us that she was keeping them for herself and wouldn’t be sharing the bag with her family. They’re that good.
My FAVORITE THING this week is my Lion Latch keychain jewelry holder. I’ve been using mine for three years now. It’s very small, clips to my keychain or bag or water bottle for the gym. It easily holds a few rings, earrings, or a necklace, and I LOVE how secure it is. It absolutely will not open accidentally. I don’t travel with much jewelry, but I can certainly appreciate being able to take off my rings and not worry about how secure they’ll be.
What I’m WATCHING: I watched Knives Out again this week and it still makes me laugh. I’ve enjoyed all of the movies in this series, but none of them compare with the first one in its laughable whodunit fun.
What I’m LISTENING to: Look Up Child by Lauren Daigle. My brother Karl introduced me to Lauren Daigle a few years ago and I actually mistook her for Adele a time or two – if you want a reference for her sound. Her voice is incredible and she’s had a place in my morning playlist ever since.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ESV
Wishing you a beautiful week filled with little things that make you smile!
Mary
