Friday Favorites from Panning the Globe, Kitchn, Gimme Some Oven, and More

This post contains affiliate links. 

Good morning friends! I’m sorry to be late with my post but to be honest, the days are starting to run together and I forgot what day it is. Anyone else having that problem? How are you doing? Do you feel a little hope after the press conference yesterday announcing the plans for reopening the country? Nothing has changed here, the lockdown is still in place for June 10th so we shall see.

I hope you find something to enjoy this weekend and maybe try a few of the things that I found this week. 

Food

A classic Alfredo Sauce from Gimme Some Oven, this is pure comfort food for those in need. 

Crispy Asian Chicken with Sticky Asian Sauce , this looks better than take-out. 

Rice Bowl Maple reminds me of my grandmothers chocolate rice breakfast, I think I will be trying this next week. 

10 Sheet Pan Dinners That Practically Make Themselves

Blueberry coffeecake is the perfect treat for Sunday breakfast or after a long day of homeschooling with a soothing cup of tea. 

Move over popcorn, this caramel corn is easy and delicious and a treat to eat while watching Netflix or streaming on Amazon Prime. 

Last but not least, if you feel like relaxing with a cocktail this afternoon this Basil Vodka Gimlet from Panning the Globe might be right up your alley. 

Projects

If you are looking for a DIY project check out my friend Leslie’s linen closet makeover, it is fabulous.

Image

I started growing a vegetable garden on my window sill, so far my crop includes, celery, lettuce and cabbage, next up is potatoes and sweet potatoes. Check out this article from A Piece of Rainbow to learn more. 

Articles

50 Books Over 500 Pages

What Plants Can Teach Us About Surviving the Pandemic

101 Tips for Finding Calm in the Chaos

This is How America Drinks NOW.

Interesting, Why Men Are More Susceptible to Covid-19 Than Women

Zoomed Out: How to Tell People You Would Rather Not Chat

Historic Landmarks in the Time of Covid-19

Here’s How Those Jigsaw Puzzles That We are Enjoying in Lockdown are Made

The Best Virtual Art Exhibits To See Now

Dogs Reimagined As Classical Art Characters

Watching

I am going to watch Blow the Man Downon Amazon Prime Video this weekend instead of scrolling through Instagram. 

Books

Drinking French from my favorite blogger and write David Lebovits. 

Bestselling cookbook author, memoirist, and popular blogger David Lebovitz delves into the drinking culture of France in Drinking French. This beautifully photographed collection features 160 recipes for everything from coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to Kir and regional apéritifs, classic and modern cocktails from the hottest Paris bars, and creative infusions using fresh fruit and French liqueurs. And because the French can’t imagine drinking without having something to eat alongside, David includes crispy, salty snacks to serve with your concoctions. Each recipe is accompanied by David’s witty and informative stories about the ins and outs of life in France, as well as photographs taken on location in Paris and beyond. 

The Train of Lost Things

A magical story about a boy’s love for his dying father and his journey to the mythic Train of Lost Things, where beloved lost objects are rescued and protected until they can be returned. Perfect for fans of The Phantom Tollbooth, The Bridge to Terabithia, and Lost in the Sun.

Marty cherishes the extra-special birthday present his dad gave him — a jean jacket on which he’s afixed numerous buttons — because it’s a tie to his father, who is sick and doesn’t have much time left. So when his jacket goes missing, Marty is devastated. When his dad tells him the story of the Train of Lost Things, a magical train that flies through the air collecting objects lost by kids, Marty is sure that the train must be real, and that if he can just find the train and get his jacket back, he can make his dad better as well.

It turns out that the train is real — and it’s gone out of control! Instead of just collecting things that have been accidentally lost, the train has been stealing things. Along with Dina and Star, the girls he meets aboard the train, Marty needs to figure out what’s going on and help set it right. As he searches for his jacket, and for a way to fix the train, Marty begins to wonder whether he’s looking for the right things after all. And he realizes that sometimes you need to escape reality in order to let it sink in.

In this achingly beautiful adventure, it is the power of memories, and the love between a father and son, that ultimately save the day.

I just got The Lost Words and it is fabulous!

In 2007, when a new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary ― widely used in schools around the world ― was published, a sharp-eyed reader soon noticed that around forty common words concerning nature had been dropped. Apparently they were no longer being used enough by children to merit their place in the dictionary. The list of these “lost words” included acorn, adder, bluebell, dandelion, fern, heron, kingfisher, newt, otter, and willow. Among the words taking their place were attachment, blog, broadband, bullet-point, cut-and-paste, and voice-mail. The news of these substitutions ― the outdoor and natural being displaced by the indoor and virtual ― became seen by many as a powerful sign of the growing gulf between childhood and the natural world.

Ten years later, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris set out to make a “spell book” that will conjure back twenty of these lost words, and the beings they name, from acorn to wren. By the magic of word and paint, they sought to summon these words again into the voices, stories, and dreams of children and adults alike, and to celebrate the wonder and importance of everyday nature. The Lost Words is that book ― a work that has already cast its extraordinary spell on hundreds of thousands of people and begun a grass-roots movement to re-wild childhood across Britain, Europe, and North America.

Always Home is on my list to purchase next month! Alice Waters fans will love this book. 

A cookbook and culinary memoir about growing up as the daughter of revered chef/restaurateur Alice Waters: a story of food, family, and the need for beauty in all aspects of life.

In this extraordinarily intimate portrait of her mother–and herself–Fanny Singer, daughter of food icon and activist Alice Waters, chronicles a unique world of food, wine, and travel; a world filled with colorful characters, mouth-watering traditions, and sumptuous feasts. Across dozens of vignettes with accompanying recipes, she shares the story of her own culinary coming of age and reveals a side of her legendary mother that has never been seen before. A charming, smart translation of Alice Waters’s ideals and attitudes about food for a new generation, Always Home is a loving, often funny, unsentimental, and exquisitely written look at a life defined in so many ways by food, as well as the bond between mother and daughter.

Finds 

The only things I am buying right now are baking supplies and replenishing my favorite self care items. 

I use this Olaplex once a week on my hair, you can leave it in overnight too. In the 4 years I have been using it my hair is softer and stronger than ever. You only need a small amount so this bottle will last you awhile.

Opi polish from Wallgreens

And I have been giving myself manicures in bright happy colors, this is totally out of character for me because I typically like pinks or clear polish but to be honest, a bright happy nail goes great with my yoga pants and t-shirt uniform. 

That is it for this week. I hope that you have a happy and safe weekend. Better days are ahead friends.