The Little Things Newsletter #435 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s a lazy-ish Saturday for me and I’m looking forward to it. Yoga this morning (I still can’t believe how much I am enjoying it!), followed by brunch with the family, a bit of cleaning/organizing and laundry, a walk at some point, and hopefully a movie too. Days spent at home are often my favorite kind of day.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Chunks of tender chicken, crunchy dill pickles, fresh green onions, and parsley are tossed with a creamy, tangy, dill pickle dressing to make this unforgettable chicken salad. Served with crackers and chips, layered in a sandwich or a lettuce wrap, or eaten with a fork, Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is a big win for pickle lovers.

Fresh, juicy peaches are tossed with cinnamon sugar and then baked inside a buttery, flaky crust to make this easy Peach Galette. You only need six ingredients to make it and it never fails to impress.

Creamy Orange Sherbet is an old-fashioned frozen treat that I always associate with trips to visit my grandmother when I was a child. She loved sherbet and it was often found in her freezer.

A perfectly toasted crust, melting cheese, and toppings that sing are all achieved quickly and with no fuss in an air fryer. Air Fryer French Bread Pizza takes this beloved comfort food to new heights – and it’s easy enough to make for a quick weekday lunch.

These Banana Split Pancakes are on our meal plan again this weekend. I love serving pancakes with an abundance of fruit alongside them, so this particular stack of pancakes thrills me.

Have you tried this Sweet Kale Salad? It’s a much-loved Costco copycat recipe. It starts with shredded kale, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, and a generous handful of broccoli matchsticks. The greens are topped with sweet cranberries and salty pepitas before being tossed in a tangy sweet poppyseed dressing. (While describing this salad to a friend yesterday, I realized it’s been too long since I made it. So, I’ll be picking up some kale, broccoli, and Brussels this weekend!)

What I’m CRAVING: I have 3 words for you, friends. Sausage. Gravy. Casserole. Oh, my word. Classic biscuits and gravy married to the ease of a casserole? YES! This looks and sounds incredible.

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these pens. I mentioned them here a couple of times last year and I still LOVE them. They’re unbelievably cheap and truly the best pen I’ve ever used – including a few ridiculously expensive designer pens I have been gifted over the years.

I’m a pen snob. I’ll admit that freely. These are the smoothest, most smudge-free, comfortable to hold, beautifully clean writing gel pens I’ve ever used. The writing dries almost as soon as the ink leaves the pen. If you give it even a couple of seconds, you can’t smear it. And at barely a dollar each, they’re not only the best pens, but the best deal ever for a fantastic writing pen.

What I’m READING: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn more about trauma and the way it impacts the brain, mind, and body. This was a slow read and one I often had to put down, reading it just a bit at a time. There are stories in the book that were not easy to read. 

What I’m LISTENING to: Rockferry by Duffy. I’ve been listening to this album for a few months now and I still think her voice is incredible. The music is “neo-soul” – a mix of very laid-back soul and R&B.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:21-26 ESV

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

Mary