Welcome to the weekend, friends! I did a double-take when I wrote today’s date for the newsletter. Much like Anne Shirley, “I’m so very glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” The pretty leaves, the cooler weather with a promise of fall and winter activities, cozy fires (we lit the first one last night!), mugs of tea and cocoa in the afternoon, I love it all.
And not that I’m rushing things one bit, but I can hardly wait for the first snowfall. (Sorry, native Ohioans, that will never not be exciting for me!) I’ll be in Phoenix this week, and while the sunshine and visits with family and friends are always lovely, I can tell you now that I’ll be counting down the days until I’m back home to enjoy all the awesomeness that is fall in Ohio.
ON THE BLOG this week: Full of spiced ground beef and covered in tangy tomato sauce, cabbage roll casserole is a hearty stick-to-your-ribs meal. With all the flavor of the more labor-intensive Cabbage Rolls with a minimum of effort, this is a dinner-time win.
Peanut Butter Apple Dip is simple and slightly sweet, perfect to enjoy with apples, pretzels, or anything you can dip into it. Judging from the fact that at least 4 people requested the recipe the first time I made this, (and I nearly couldn’t stop laughing when I told them how simple it was) I’m calling this a success. What’s not to love about an appetizer that takes about 3 minutes to throw together?
This fully loaded Chicken Potato Broccoli Casserole starts with fluffy mashed potatoes that are mixed with tender bites of broccoli and chicken, then generously sprinkled with bacon and cheese. The result is an absolutely irresistible dinner.
Pumpkin muffins filled with melting chocolate chips and bursting with autumn spices – is there anything more quintessentially fall than the smell of pumpkin spices drifting through the house?
Baked oatmeal, loaded with summer berries and lightly sweetened with brown sugar is a great way to start the day. Berries are a mainstay in my refrigerator. The other day I had a few things that needed to be used up and baked oatmeal was the perfect way to make sure those berries didn’t go to waste.
What I’m CRAVING: These Cinnamon Coffee Twists caught my eye this week. They sound fantastic and I don’t know when I’ve seen a prettier cinnamon roll.
My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these inexpensive little jar openers. Nothing makes me feel older than when I can’t get a jar open these days. Seriously though, what’s the deal with feeling like such a weakling these days?? I’ve tried countless jar openers over the past few years and these little grippy pads work beautifully. (And they get bonus points for taking up almost no drawer space.)
What I’m LISTENING to: Like My Father by Jax. I heard this song for the first time this week and it’s just such a sweet tribute to her parents. It makes me grin every time.
What I’m WATCHING: The Terminal List. This show has surprised me. Sean and I are watching it together, we have one more episode to go. It’s pretty dark and a bit more violent than I typically like, but it’s been a great watch and I’m impressed with Chris Pratt’s acting. It’s different from anything I’ve seen him do in the past.
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” Psalm 62:1
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
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