A first butterfly, a nervous thunderstorm, three books I cannot stop thinking about and the recipes I am making this weekend. Friday Favorites is here.
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It is Friday and it has been a week. Yesterday the first thunderstorm of the season rolled through and I will be honest — ever since the tree fell on the house, I am nervous when the wind picks up and the trees start to sway. More than a little nervous. That said, what we experienced here is nothing compared to what happened in the Midwest this week. The devastation and flooding from the tornadoes is heartbreaking and those communities are in my thoughts.
About an hour before the storm I was sitting here working on this post when I caught a flutter of yellow at the window. My first butterfly sighting of the season. Yellow and black gossamer wings, floating around the glass, perhaps looking for somewhere to land or just taking stock of things. Whatever the reason, it made my heart sing. I am not a spring girl — you know this about me — but I can absolutely appreciate these little fairies of nature.
It is not officially spring yet and it is certainly not April, but the thunderstorm and the butterfly seemed to have their own ideas. Let’s get to the good stuff.
Food
The weather has been all over the place this week and so have my recipes.Â
Pizza is my favourite meal and I found a version that is even easier than I expected — Tomato Basil Pizza Rolls loaded with marinara, basil pesto, mozzarella and fontina, all rolled up into a perfect Friday night dinner.
For a completely no-fuss weeknight there is also Tomato Parmesan Pasta, where every ingredient cooks in the same pot.
And Crockpot Lemon Chicken — ten minutes of prep, set the timer and dinner is waiting when you walk in the door.
Tonight we are heading to an oyster roast and I am in charge of dessert. I am torn between Chocolate Guinness Stout Brownies with a Chocolate Drizzle and caramel stuffed brownies. I may need to make both and call it research.
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
A few things I read and watched that I think you will find interesting.
A red fox stows away on a cargo ship, traveling from England to the US
The Lost Language of Ancient Humans
The Ethical Dilemma of Being Friends With a Cheater
Artist Builds Giant Butterfly Wings From Thousands of Tiny Porcelain Fragments
NYC’s Best Independent French Bakeries (& What to Get There)
What are sea mines? Why do they matter in the Strait of Hormuz?
The audacious plan to refill the Great Salt Lake
Books
 Three this week and they could not be more different from each other.
The Shape of Us follows four lonely strangers in London — Daisy, knocked over by a cyclist who asks for her number; JoJo, a woman in her sixties trying to win her husband back from his mistress; Adam, who lost his job and lies about where he goes each day; and Dylan, a teenage boy confined to his bedroom by illness and hopelessly in love. Their stories weave together with humor, heartbreak and a good deal of hope. Charming and warm and exactly the kind of book I love on a Friday afternoon.
One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World is the extraordinary account of six years of Saturday conversations between the author and Stella Levi, who is ninety-nine years old, and one of the last survivors of the Jewish community of Rhodes. She was deported to Auschwitz along with 1,700 others, ninety percent of whom were murdered upon arrival. This book is both an intimate portrait of a remarkable woman and a testament to the importance of preserving these stories while there is still time. I have studied the Holocaust for years and I am very much looking forward to this one.
Abundance: Eating and living with the seasons chronicles author Mark Diacono’s documents a year on England’s south-west coast through writing, photography and over eighty recipes that celebrate what the garden and landscape offer through the year. Part meditation, part cookbook. For anyone who loves seasonal living and beautiful food writing — this one is for you.
Looking for more books?
You can find everything I have recommended on My Bookshop. Many if not all of the books are also available from Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org and on Libby from your local library.
SHOPPING~OUTFIT OF THE DAY
A casual t-shirt dress paired with sandals, and a tote will take you from lunch to the beach. This dress would make a great cover-up as well, just slip it on over your swimsuit and can be worn with your favorite sneakers. Add your favorite jewelry and a sprite of perfume and you are ready for a day at home or out.
Click the Images to see the outfit separates
UNTIL TOMORROW
What are your plans for the weekend? Tell me in the comments — I always love to know.
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites. Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet! And if you missed it, yesterday I shared my a delicious shaved asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette perfect for this in-between weather and on Monday I shared a spring outfit you will love.
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. And last but not least, if you like Pinecones & Acorns share it with a friend!
On My Radar
You find the best books! I ordered Abundance. Thank you for your research. Yes, I worry, too, every time a storm heads to North Carolina; perhaps this is because I grew up in Kansas.
Thanks, too, for including my EWG notation about strawberries in your earlier post this week. I hope it helps your readers choose wisely.
I really like the sound of the lemon chicken crockpot recipe as it’s one of my favorite flavor combinations, so thanks for sharing it!