Welcome to the weekend, my friends! The end of the school year is in full swing here with a friend’s graduation tonight along with my youngest son’s spring concert for school. It’s hard to believe that in less than a month summer will be officially here!
ON THE BLOGS this week: Honey, sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil are all you need to make this irresistibly sweet and tangy broccoli.
The aroma of this ground beef spaghetti sauce as it simmers on the stove is absolutely divine. Rich and savory flavors create a symphony in this easy recipe. And this easy mushroom spaghetti sauce trumps anything you can buy in jars or cans at the grocery store.
This Garlic Herb Bread has become a staple of our diet and I’m not saddened by it. Made with lots of butter, herbs, and garlic, this is an easy way to spice up your next pasta night.
Spicy bites of flavorful chicken pair perfectly with hash browns and broccoli in this BBQ Chicken Potato Casserole. This flavorful and hearty dish is a huge asset in my house. (There might also have been a bit of a squabble over the last few leftovers. It was definitely a hit.)
The delicate pop of juicy sweetcorn balances the mild acidity of peppers and onions in this festive side dish. Colorful confetti corn pairs beautifully with many of our favorite dishes.
Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream is creamy chocolate and almond ice cream loaded with chewy marshmallows, crunchy almonds and chocolate chips.
Did you know that Rocky Road was one of the first ice cream flavors to add additional ingredients? I’m so glad this became a thing because I’m addicted to jam packed ice creams.
Blueberries and lemon come together perfectly in a sour cream coffee cake that’s truly worthy of any occasion.
Indulge in a chocolate lover’s dream with flavors that will leave your taste buds craving for more. You won’t believe how easy it is to make this triple chocolate bundt cake with an irresistible peanut butter frosting.
What I crave: My friend Heidi’s udon stir-fry with sausage, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms looks so good! I put it on my menu for the next month.
my favorite things This week are my new pens! Ok friends, I’m screaming about this in my head right now because for 17 years (yes I looked it up – the Jetstream pen was released in 2006) I’ve been a dedicated user of the Uniball Jetstream pen. I’ve talked about this pen for years and have shared links with you when they come up for sale. Well, not anymore. I’ve got my hands on a new pen and it’s AMAZING.
That’s the deal. These pens cost barely a dollar each. Yes that’s right. My new favorite pen is cheap and it’s also the smoothest, smudge-free and beautifully clean-writing gel pen I’ve ever used. It dries almost as soon as the ink leaves the pen. If you give it even a few seconds, you can’t smudge it.
I bought a $6 five pack of these pens to test them out because I was trying a similar, more popular one and liked it. But when I ordered a pack of the other pens to test, one reviewer specifically mentioned these as better. Oh baby, are they ever
I have these pens everywhere now. My pockets, my desk, my counter at home, my car, the kitchen, anywhere and everywhere I might want to write something down. I wasn’t kidding. I have a new favorite pen and couldn’t be happier about it.
What I hear: Rush: Greatest Hits. My 17-year-old son was in the office with me one day this week and chose Rush for the playlist while I was cooking. It was one of Sean’s favorite groups before we met and I love that he introduced our boys to their music too.
what i’m looking at: notting hill I recently stumbled across this movie on Netflix and couldn’t resist watching it. I haven’t seen it since it was released and it’s still just adorable.
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25 ESV
Have a great week full of little things that make you smile!
Maria