Can I tell you guys how much I enjoy writing these weekly finds? I don’t know why, but it often feels like therapy. Perhaps because it’s almost a way of recapping my own week – things I’ve found interesting, cooked, and discovered?
I was really dragging last night and this morning so, I decided to go out of my normal routine, stay in my P.J.’s a little longer, drink coffee, and write my weekly finds. The coffee in my cup is generally black, but a twit of cream felt like what my soul needed this morning – and it did.
Sometimes just a little change of routine or rest is all we need to give us the energy to do the next task. I’m ready.
1
One of my students gifted me with a bag of Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies (Bake Me Some Sugar). That night, I emailed the mom and asked for the recipe – it was that good. #bestpuppychowever
Here are her notes to me:
I always use rice Chex and white chocolate chips, but think cinnamon Chex and/or cinnamon chips would be good, too. It says to shake in a ziploc bag and dry it on a cookie sheet, but I always just do it all in a big bowl and it works just fine. I tossed in some broken up biscoff cookies for something extra, but that’s not necessary. And I’ve tried the generic brand of cookie butter and it doesn’t taste quite as good, in my opinion.
The addition of the biscoff cookies was brilliant and reeeaaaally tasty.
2
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Shopping local and supporting your local small business? This touching video by a family-owned hardware store says it all. #bestillmyheart (CNN)
4
Keeping up with “The Spirit of Christmas” is this one minute peek into this year’s White House Christmas decorations. (American Military News) Beautiful!
5
Add this Cranberry Mulled Wine to your holiday recipe list. (I haven’t made it yet myself, but I’m looking forward to it!) (Gimme Some Oven)
6
I’m generally assigned the meat for any of my family’s holiday dinners. We like to do turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas.
If you have a fresh ham, I like Paula Dean’s simple recipe.
If you have a cooked spiral-sliced bone-in ham, I like Cook’s Country’s Maple-Glazed Ham
7
I haven’t answered my phone in years. My voicemail states that I do not answer due to spam. Yes, I’m on our state’s do-not-call list, but it doesn’t make a difference. It’s not just me: How Robocalls Became America’s Most Prevalent Crime (The Week)
8
Recent winning recipes from my table to yours:
Ground Beef Taco Casserole (The Kitchn)
I would call this the best recipe I found this month! We used it on top of romaine lettuce as a taco salad and it was absolutely delicious. I will never make taco salad again simply using taco-seasoned ground beef. The pinto beans in this recipe really add a nice thick and creamy texture. It would be good as a hot dip as well!
Maple-Mustard Chicken (Mother Thyme)
Two tips: First, I would just mix together the chicken marinade then toss the chicken it rather than putting the chicken on top of the veggies then pouring the marinade it on top and turning to coat. Also, I would cut the potatoes into smaller sizes – like a 1/2 inch dice. They were still a little crunchy by the time the chicken was done.
Baked Chicken Thighs with Brussels and Sweet Potato (Skinny Taste)
The Best Energy Bites (Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)
9
The tile work is finishing up in our master bathroom so we’re getting ready to finally move out of a basement bedroom and into our master suite!
I’ve been on a heavy lookout for decorations and furnishings for the house in general (finally, the fun stuff!) and am loving these websites:
Hayneedle.com – Card Display Holder
HobbyLobby.com – Gray Wire-Lined Basket Set
Wayfair.com (has several sites under its umbrella):
Joss&Main.com
BirchLane.com – Peachy Queen Upholstered Standard Bed
AllModern.com
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Always love your Friday Finds, Amy!
I rarely answer my phone either because of all the robocalls. Glad to hear I’m not the only one!
On my studio website it says the best way to get ahold of me is email. If they really want to call I let them know I’m in & out of the office all the time due to my teaching schedule so they will need to leave a voicemail. The voicemail reiterates the same message.
It’s sad that I’ve had to do this even for my studio. But, the up side is that only those who really are interested leave a message!
It is sad! My voicemail also states that if you are inquiring about piano lessons to visit the link on my website where they can submit a formal inquiry (which also puts them on my waiting list directly in My Music Staff). This works so much better than taking all the phone inquiries anyway!