Friday Favorites No. 511 from This Savory Vegan, Dinner at the Zoo, Sugar & Charm and More

Welcome to Friday Favorites, a weekly series where I share interesting articles, books, fashion finds, recipes and more.

Good Friday Favorites morning to you friends. It has been a busy week of last minute scrambling to get everything baked, gifts wrapped and shipped and now we can relax.

Last night we had a friend for champagne and appetizers to celebrate the season. It was the perfect way to start Christmas week. Although I will be posting on the blog I am going to slow down this week and enjoy time with family and friends. We have holiday activities and outings on the calendar and I just want to savor the magic of Christmas.

Are you ready for Christmas? Do you have your packages wrapped? Gifts purchased? Family favorite cookies baked? Whatever your answer make sure to take time to enjoy your favorite parts of the holiday. Christmas comes but once a year and you do not want to miss out.

I have lots to share so let’s get to it.

FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 511

Food

It’s soup season friends! Add this white bean gnocchi soup to your menu this month. Filled with veggies, beans and gnocchi you are sure to enjoy this hearty soup.

If you are skipping the turkey for Christmas and are looking for the mani course, look no further than this scrumptious glazed ham!

I have always wanted to make these ham and cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls, have you made them?

Do I have a treat for you! Mini Brownie Bite Christmas Puddings.

My grandmother served her family mulled wine recipe every Christmas Eve. This recipe is very similar to the one she made.

Don’t like mulled wine, try this cranberry gin shaker!

Interesting Links

Netflix fans, Here’s Everything Coming to Netflix in January 2023

These party appetizer recipes are ideal for passing or grazing while you talk, laugh, sip, and celebrate the season

5 Ways to Survive the Holidays

New Human Metabolism Research Upends Conventional Wisdom about How We Burn Calories

The Linguistics of Swearing Explain Why We Substitute Darn for Damn

The Antiques & Garden Show Returns February 2023

People who engage in random acts of kindness may not fully recognize the impact of their behavior on others

Inside the Royal Family’s Christmas Traditions

Apparently the Brontës All Died Young Because They Spent Their Lives Drinking Graveyard Water

Influencing Is The Dream Job — But Is It Really Worth It?

Easy Holiday Simmer Pot

The poinsettia’s forgotten history

The Home From ‘A Christmas Story’ Is Up for Sale — But Not to Just Anybody, Owner Shares

Books

The Spice Master at Bistro Exotic

Kate Jenkins doesn’t believe in fate. She believes in a clear vision, meticulous planning, and hard work in order to achieve her culinary dreams. On the cusp of opening her own Parisian restaurant, Bistro Exotique, she isn’t even concerned when her standoffish—and annoyingly sexy—neighbor dismisses her as a crazy American tourist or when she meets the wildly eccentric Garrance, the self-proclaimed Spice Master of Paris, who ominously warns her of the previous owner’s failures.

Confident and optimistic, Kate keeps calm and cooks on. Until a series of unfortunate events derail her plans and her entire staff quits.
 
Kate is about to throw in the kitchen towel on her lifelong dream when Garrance offers to use her mastery of scents and spices to help her, but it comes at a price: Kate must work with Garrance’s son, Charles, a world-class chef and total jerk. After Kate hesitantly concedes to the deal, she slowly learns to open her heart and mind to new concepts, not quite sure if the magic she’s experiencing comes from Garrance’s spices, from within herself, or from the growing chemistry with Charles. One thing is certain, though: her kitchen is getting increasingly hot.

Cocktails with a Curator

Based on the critically acclaimed video series of the same name, Cocktails with a Curator is a collection of lively and informative essays. Paintings, sculpture, furniture, and porcelain—from medieval times through the glorious Renaissance to the early twentieth century—are discussed for their exemplary status. The creators are some of the greatest artists and include Rembrandt, Vermeer, Whistler, Manet, Velázquez, and Veronese, and the stories (of both artists and subjects) are tantalizing. Cocktails, with recipes, are thematically paired with the works: a Jaded Countess (absinthe, vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup) with Ingres’s portrait Comtesse d’Haussonville; a classic Pimm’s Cup with Gainsborough’s depiction of English beauty Grace Dalrymple Elliott; and a Bloody Mary (named after the last Catholic regnant queen of England) with Holbein’s painting of Sir Thomas More, who opposed the Reformation of Mary’s father, Henry VIII. The perfect addition to any art connoisseur’s library, this book is an innovative and intoxicating way to enjoy the treasures of a world-renowned art collection.

Hermes Straight from the Horses Mouth

Drawn from the archives of Hermès, here is a collection of enchanting stories and profiles that trace the odyssey of the family business founded by Thierry Hermès in 1837.

Author Luc Charbin brings to life the voices of the saddlers, sales assistants, window-dressers, silversmiths, and gardeners of Hermès across several generations, accompanied by the distinctive drawings of Alice Charbin.

A leather-clad wheelbarrow to store the Duchess of Windsor’s many gloves, a capricious apple tree, an extraordinary museum, an iconic bag, and a 40-year-old diary in the spotlight—these are among the characters and objects that tell the story of Hermès: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth.

If you want to add a book to your kids/grandkids stocking or to read this week here are some of my favorites.

Finds

weater //scarf//faux fur coat//jeans//shoes//brooch//polish

Cosy Holiday Outfit on Sale! 

Guess what, almost everything in this outfit collage is on sale, the only thing not on sale is the nail polish.

Even better a little bling! All of these brooches are under $10.00! Perfect for stocking stuffers or just to add a little something to your holiday outfit. Don’t forget to add #blingit to your photos of brooches this year and Kim and Juliet will share them on their Instagram stories.

UNTIL TOMORROW

Have a great day friends, I hope you found something to read, make or enjoy on Friday Favorites. Thank you for spending part of your day with me, I always appreciate it. If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here. 

 I hope to see you back here tomorrow for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet!

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P.S.

Check out my Holiday Shop on the blog. You can find Christmas decor including trees, wreaths, pillows and more.  You can also find holiday outfits, plaid finds , Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him ,  Hostess Gifts, toys and and so much more. You can also shop my Amazon storefront for gift ideas.

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