The Little Things Newsletter #454 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m looking out the window at a beautiful sunrise today and feeling so grateful for this beautiful place where we live. Have I mentioned lately just how much I love Ohio? <Insert all the heart emojis here, because I really do love it that much!>

After a couple of weeks of fighting colds, all three of my boys are out of the house today, so Sean and I are on our own. I’m thinking that a walk and maybe a burger or wood-fired pizza for lunch sound great. Bring on all the sunshine today.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Cottage cheese eggs are a simple dish that’s so packed with good-for-you ingredients and protein that it’ll keep you going well into the lunch hour. They’re truly a powerhouse breakfast and easy way to energize your morning!

These air fryer stuffed peppers give you all the savory, substantial goodness of traditional stuffed peppers in a fraction of the time; no need to wait an hour for them to bake!

Savory mushroom rice pilaf is a dish calculated to win over all the mushroom lovers in your life. From steaks to chicken to pork to fish, this versatile side dish goes with just about anything.

Just three simple ingredients combine to create a rich and creamy homemade hot cocoa that tastes better than any packaged mix at the store. Milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and sugar are all you need to make the ultimate comforting cup of rich cocoa.

White chocolate peppermint popcorn is super easy to make and everyone will be wanting more! Surprise your neighbors with this eminently snackable treat. Pair it with a cup of cocoa for a treat everyone will be smiling over.

You don’t have to wait until summer to have peach crisp! This peach crisp with canned peaches is a comforting, old-fashioned recipe for the whole year ’round.

If you love apple cider, you’ll likely fall completely in love with apple cider ice cream. Rich and creamy, fragrant with apples and real apple cider flavor, this ice cream is heavenly when scooped over an apple crisp or served with a slice of pie.

What I’m CRAVING: This Brooklyn Blackout Cake has my mouth watering this morning. Sue has outdone herself with this particular recipe!

My FAVORITE THING this week is this moisturizer. It’s a bit unusual, as it is an oil gel, so you use it when your body is still damp from the shower. A little bit goes a long ways and it has worked wonders for dry skin. It doesn’t feel greasy and it absorbs quickly. Don’t let the fact it’s in the baby department scare you away. A friend gifted it to me and I LOVE it. Thanks, Christi! 

What I’m LISTENING to: Strangers No More by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors. There are so many great songs on this album, (Find Your People remains an all-time favorite for me) but Gratitude is playing right now and the lyrics are perfect for today. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV

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

Mary