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hot chocolate, a book and cosy throw
Good morning friends, are you ready for the weekend? Me too. I have a busy day ahead, including a meeting with the builder and the kitchen designer, then I will be ready to settle in and relax this weekend. I have four new books on my Kindle, three books from the library and a pile of magazines, I am ready for some “Friday Food” and time by the fire reading.
Enough about me, let’s get to it because I have lots to share today.

Weekends
Friday Favorites:Food, Finds, Books and More
Food
Pot roast was a staple in our house growing up with carrots and potatoes, but this recipe for pot roast, butternut squash and plums is new to me and sounds delicious! You can find the recipe at The Suburban Soapbox.
If you like enchiladas than I think you will enjoy Enfrijoladas from What’s Gabby Cooking.

Image Foxes Love Lemons
I love finger food, I also love dips. This Greek Layer Dip is perfect for the playoff games, the Super Bowl or just movie night. You can find the recipe at Foxes Love Lemons.
Doesn’t this chicken sound delicious, “chicken with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives” it is a Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breast made by The Roasted Root.
50 Smoothie and Juice Recipes for those that are eating a little “cleaner” this year.

Coffeecake, perfect for breakfast or lunch.
I think I am going to bake some brownies or cinnamon walnut coffeecake.

Home is where the heart is.
House, Home, Interior Design
Have I got a treat for you, 7 of my favorite bloggers and interior designers teamed up to write posts on Design Trends for 2022. You can see what they each had to say if you click the links below.
If you are hosting a Galentine’s celebration, Brenda has a great post with tablescapes, food and decorations and more.
How a vintage Cigar Cabinet Became the Perfect Home Storage

Discover Adventure Quote
Travel and Wanderlust
If you want to visit the East Coast and stay in a beautifully renovated cottage on the Rappahannock River look no further than this AriBnB. This lovely cottage in Virginia is located very close to The Tides Inn one of my favorite places to stay. There are fabulous restaurants, and antique shop not to mention the water which is why people visit this area.
9 French AirBnb’s with History to Visit if you are traveling to France.
When we visit Paris, if we are not staying with friends, we stay at a very small boutique hotel that I have been staying at for over 28 years. If you like small hotels with a lot of character check out The Best Boutique Hotels in Paris: Hidden Addresses.
By the way, if you will be traveling in the future and need help navigating the “new normal” contact my friend Sandy. Sandy is not only a fellow blogger and writer but she is a travel advisor. In this day and age with all of the confusing rules, closures, etc., it is important to know if you need a vaccine passport, a Covid test, and whatever else may or many not be required to enter a country, or to return home.
Interesting Articles
Have you heard of Swedish Death cleaning?
The New Year Once Started in March, Here’s Why
The 17th Day(long read but very interesting).
8 Must-See Stargazing Events to Watch in 2022
Forming new habits isn’t impossible, but it’s much easier for some people than others.
Sumo Girls: Meet the Women Changing the Face of Japan’s National Sport
26 New TV Series Everyone Will Watch This Year
How on earth did “Yellowstone” become America’s favorite television show?
How the Speed of Climate Change Is Unbalancing the Insect World
Inspiring Athlete Becomes First Person With Down Syndrome To Complete the Grueling Ironman Triathlon
This is so beautiful, Young Man Invites 89-Year-Old Neighbor To Live With Him So She Is Not Alone in Her Last Days.
A Personal Catalogue of the Worlds Most Storied Bookstores
Books

The Yellow Wife
Best book of 2021 NPR and The Christian Science Monitor.
Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.
She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.

The Devils Half Acre
The Devil’s Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South’s Most Notorious Slave Jail (pre-order)
Kristen Green draws on years of research to tell the extraordinary and little-known story of young Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who blazed a path of liberation for thousands. She was forced to have the children of a brutal slave trader and live on the premises of his slave jail, known as the “Devil’s Half Acre.” When she inherited the jail after the death of her slaveholder, she transformed it into “God’s Half Acre,” a school where Black men could fulfill their dreams. It still exists today as Virginia Union University, one of America’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Learn more about The Devil’s Half Acre here,
Finds
I haven’t really been shopping lately and this year I am trying to be more intentional in my buying. If I am shearing something I bought I will let you know and give a little review, otherwise I am just sharing things I like.

Boden Tote
I love Boden, they always have beautiful and uniques pieces for every season, like this tote.

Classic and Colorful Shirtdress Boden
I also like this colorful dress. The style is my all time favorite and the color is cheerful. This one is beautiful too!
These are just a few of these things I discovered while perusing Boden you might want to check out the new arrivals if you are looking for some colorful additions to your wardrobe.
Or check out my new old favorite store Banana Republic.
You can find all of my “Finds” On My Daily Finds Pinterest Board
Pin Me For Later

Pin Me Friday Favorites
That is it for this week, I hope that you found something to read or make and that you will also share any of your favorites from the week.
What are your plans for the weekend? Will you get snow this weekend? If so, do you have a favorite winter activity? I personally love to shovel snow, but only at night when it is dark and quiet, and I love to be out on my snowshoes. Whatever you do I hope that you have a happy and safe weekend.

Tom Allen Quote
Thank you so much for stopping by today friends, I appreciate you spending part of your day here.
Don’t forget you can also find Pinecones and Acorns on most social media sites, Facebook Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Or you can subscribe to the blog and get the posts in your mailbox.

In our new semi retirement reinventing, reading has taken a big role. Same as you…digital books and magazines, trips to library and one delivered weekly newspaper. Bliss!
Laurel, I hope that you are enjoying your semi-retirement, that also means more time to blog! Enjoy all of your books.
I’ve joined in for all of the fun this morning! Pinned a zillion recipes, decorating trends and ABNB sites…I always look forward to joining you on Fridays! Happy Weekend! Snow is forecast here, so bring it on!
I always look forward to your Fridays.
.Enjoy reading by the fire this weekend
Thank you Cindy! I really appreciate that.
Thank you Leslie, I appreciate your support.
Oh thank you, my friend! With good books, a warm home, sweet pets and delicious food, you are ready for the weekend.
Brenda
Brenda, I am indeed. I hope the packing and move prep are coming along. Have a great weekend.
Thank you for all of the great reading material to enjoy!
Thank you Paula. Have a wonderful weekend. Happy Birthday to your sweet pup Sherman.
I have always liked pot roast.
Me too! Have a wonderful weekend William.