The Little Things Newsletter #436 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! My family’s plans for this weekend took a u-turn thanks to the crazy weather. We spent almost 17 hours in the car yesterday trying to get to my brother’s wedding. Gas stations without power, trees down across the highway, nonstop rain and wind, not to mention all the flash flooding, we finally turned around and drove back home late last night. So, today is alllll about couch time (WHY does driving exhaust a person so much?) and hopefully getting a bit of sunshine on a walk this afternoon.

I soooo wish we could’ve been there, Karl and Marybeth! I love you both tons and can hardly wait to celebrate in person soon.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Baked pumpkin oatmeal is one of our favorite fall breakfasts. There is just something awesome about the way oatmeal changes when it is baked. Almost like a cake, but not nearly so sweet, this is a hearty breakfast that we all enjoy.

Bite-size pieces of chicken are tossed in a mixture of oil and spices before being quickly cooked in a hot skillet to create these flavorful and juicy Indian chicken bites. Served with cilantro lime rice or mushroom and pepper rice pilaf this is a meal that my whole family loves.

Tender broccoli and rich, melt-in-your-mouth cheese bring so much flavor to each broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast. I’ve been craving these for a couple of weeks now, so it’s time to put them back on our meal plan.

Toasted pearl couscous with spinach, chicken, raisins, pine nuts, and a hint of lemon makes a light, warm, salad-like dish. (And it gets bonus points for being absolutely delicious when the leftovers are served cold the next day for lunch!)

I told my boys we’d do a big brunch this weekend, since our fun weekend plans didn’t work out. This French bread stuffed with sausage, eggs, and cheese sounds just about perfect right now.

Oh, my friends, these blueberry lemon bars turned out even more amazing than I hoped! With sweet bursting blueberries in every bite of the tangy lemon bars, they proved irresistible for me.

Swiss Roll ice cream starts with a creamy vanilla base swirled with chocolate and layered with bite-size pieces of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. I shared this ice cream with my boys a few weeks ago and they happily gave it the thumbs up.

What I’m CRAVING: I adore scones and I don’t make them often enough. I’m wishing I had one of Christi’s lemon blueberry scones to nibble alongside my coffee this morning!

My FAVORITE THING this week is this magnetic calendar! It’s simple as can be, and I LOVE it. It’s a great size and I have it on our fridge. The kids (and Sean and I too) can see at a glance what is happening each month: travel plans, houseguests, and family dinners are all easy to keep track of this way.

What I’m READING: Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD. I found this book interesting as a science-based read on ways to increase our healthspan vs lifespan. I didn’t agree with all of it, and rarely do with books like this, but overall I recommend the book. 

The biggest takeaways for me were the reminders that sleep is crucial (odds are good that we all need more than we think we do), physical activity and strength training are more important than ever as we age, the amount of protein we eat is more important than most of us realize, and mental health and emotional health should not ever be ignored. Lots of common sense here, but the science and research behind all of it reinforced it well.

What I’m LISTENING to: Pontiac by Lyle Lovett. This was the perfect relaxing, fun listen last night as we finally made our way home through all the rain. And when, “If I Had A Boat” started, we both burst out laughing. So, there’s that.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!

Mary