Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
Good morning friends, how are you this week? It’s been gray, drizzly and hot(almost 70) the last 2 days. Signs of Spring are popping up, buds on trees, a few daffodils shoots. That seems pretty early even for NC.
Meanwhile, I am still in my cozy nesting mode. I am catching up on my reading, pouring over seed catalogs although to be honest I am not sure I will do much planting other than in containers. It is so depressing to nurture the seeds and then see them mowed down every night by the hungry deer that visit.
What have you been up to this week? Are you having unusual weather or are you in the thick of winter?
Ok, lets get to the good stuff, the recipes, books and all of the rest of my favorite finds.
FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 569
FOOD
Cashew chicken! One of my favorite take out dinners. Now we can make it at home.
We just bookmarked this Philly cheesesteak sandwich to make on game day, you might want to do the same.
Winter pasta with sausage meatballs, mushrooms and crispy sage looks and sounds hearty and delicious.
Valentine’s Day popcorn is an easy and tasty treat to make to celebrate the holiday, you could also make some for game day, just change out the colored sprinkles and candy.
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
The most shocking snubs and surprises of the 2024 Oscar nominations
How to Visit Paris During the Olympics—Even If You Want to Avoid the Games
The World’s Largest Cruise Ship Is a Climate Liability
The Pros and Cons of Washing Your Clothes Inside-Out
How a 27-Year-Old Codebreaker Busted the Myth of Bitcoin’s Anonymity
Why a Supreme Court decision on fishing boats could change everything
The great dollar store backlash~ so interesting.
Argentina: the therapy capital of the world
BOOKS~ ON MY LIST AND MY BEDSIDE TABLE
Recipe for a Perfect Wife
When Alice Hale leaves a career in publicity to become a writer and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she is unaccustomed to filling her days alone in a big, empty house. But when she finds a vintage cookbook buried in a box in the old home’s basement, she becomes captivated by the cookbook’s previous owner–1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. As Alice cooks her way through the past, she realizes that within the cookbook’s pages Nellie left clues about her life–including a mysterious series of unsent letters penned to her mother.
Soon Alice learns that while baked Alaska and meatloaf five ways may seem harmless, Nellie’s secrets may have been anything but. When Alice uncovers a more sinister–even dangerous–side to Nellie’s marriage, and has become increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures in her own relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself with a few secrets of her own.
The Coffee Trader
Amsterdam, 1659: On the world’s first commodities exchange, fortunes are won and lost in an instant. Miguel Lienzo, a sharp-witted trader in the city’s close-knit community of Portuguese Jews, knows this only too well. Once among the city’s most envied merchants, Miguel has suddenly lost everything. Now, impoverished and humiliated, living in his younger brother’s canal-flooded basement, Miguel must find a way to restore his wealth and reputation.
Miguel enters into a partnership with a seductive Dutchwoman who offers him one last chance at success—a daring plot to corner the market of an astonishing new commodity called “coffee.” To succeed, Miguel must risk everything he values and face a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to see him ruined. Miguel will learn that among Amsterdam’s ruthless businessmen, betrayal lurks everywhere, and even friends hide secret agendas.
The Wishing Tide
Five years ago, Lane Kramer moved to Starry Point, North Carolina, certain the quaint island village was the place to start anew. Now the owner of a charming seaside inn, she’s set aside her dreams of being a novelist and of finding love again. When English professor Michael Forrester appears on Lane’s doorstep in the middle of a storm, he claims he’s only seeking a quiet place to write his book. Yet he seems eerily familiar with the island, leaving Lane wondering if he is quite what he appears.
Meanwhile, Mary Quinn has become a common sight, appearing each morning on the dunes behind the inn, to stare wistfully out to sea. Lane is surprised to find a friendship developing with the older woman, who possesses a unique brand of wisdom, despite her tenuous grip on reality.
As Lane slowly unravels Mary’s story and a fragile relationship between Lane and Michael blooms, Lane realizes the three share a common bond. But when a decades-old secret suddenly casts its shadow over them, Lane must choose between protecting her heart and fighting for the life—and the love—she wants.
Big Heart Little Stove: Bringing Home Meals & Moments from The Lost Kitchen
Regardless of whether it’s a dressed-up affair or a quick weeknight meal, French’s recommendations are the same: Start with the best ingredients you can find, keep it simple, and serve with love.
But Big Heart Little Stove is more than just a cookbook. With tips and tricks French has used in her own dining room―at home and in the restaurant―this book is your invitation to use what’s around you to create meaningful moments, from setting a table with found treasures, to adorning dishes with edible flowers, to thoughtful gestures such as offering a cold cloth on a hot day. Full of warmth and spirit, Big Heart Little Stove will show you how to create more joy and connection around your table.
MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
If you have already read these books or missed something I have featured before on the blog check out My Bookshop on Amazon.
SHOPPING
OUTFIT OF THE DAY
The weather between January and April can go cold and hot in the span of a day. That’s what I like to layer my outfits, a button down or t-shit under a cardigan with jeans looks polished, and comfortable. Add you favorite loafers or tennis shoes and you are ready for a day out. Don’t forget a jacket or coat just in case.
Have you seen all of the new arrivals for your home at Anthro? I love this table runner and these plates.
Boden has a fun Valentine edit! Speaking of Valentine’s Day, do you decorate? I bring out my cookie cutters, cute mugs and a few tea towels but that is about it.
UNTIL TOMMORROW
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites No. 569. If you did please share the post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Kim, Juliet and I will be back tomorrow on Weekend Meanderings!
If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here.
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Great post – thank you! Enjoyed the article about the Dollar stores, and loved reading Recipe for a Perfect Housewife. Know what you mean about the deer eating the plants. We used to buy this spray at the garden center that was supposed to keep the deer away….they saw it as salad dressing !!! Never worked. Enjoy the rest of winter!
Well, the article on hidden cameras wasn’t creepy at all. /s
Anne, it is very scary how much this goes on and no one reports it.