Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
Friday Favorites No. 648
Good morning friends! It’s been the best week, the weather has been rainy and dare I say chilly? They say it’s the “false fall” and it is because let’s face it, it’s only August. But I will take it and savor every second, it will help me limp over the summer finish line into Fall.
Can you believe that pumpkin spice is already in the stores? Don’t worry I wont share any pumpkin spice recipes yet but I am looking forward to my first piece of pumpkin bread and a slice of pumpkin pie, oh and a bowl of pumpkin soup.
It is difficult to stay in the moment and in season when blogs are 3 months ahead, the stores already have Fall and I don’t want to scare you but “early” Christmas as well. Some of my most pinned posts on Pinterest are Christmas, and Valentines.
Oh well, I say do whatever makes you happy, after all I am sipping piping hot, hot chocolate as I type this and it’s the middle of summer.
What are your plans for the weekend? Is it hot? Cool? Ot just the right temperature for you?
On to my favorites for the week.
FOOD
Does it get any better than a one pot 20 minute dinner? This lemon pasta looks delicious, I cannot wait to make it.
Chicken Caesar with roast broccoli orzo pasta salad, this is a small batch meal that you will love.
Southwestern Chicken Chopped Salad with a Creamy Chipotle Dressing would make a delicious lunch or dinner.
Why not make this blueberry lemon bread this weekend?
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
What’s the deal with electrolyte drinks — do you need them to stay hydrated?
The ‘Contrarian Friend’ Is Real—and They’re Driving Everyone Crazy
At 17, Hannah Cairo Solved a Major Math Mystery
Allergens May Make Us Cough and Sneeze by Poking Holes in Airway Cells
This man survived Hiroshima bombing – and has a stark warning for us all
Students, AI is done helping you cheat.
The only fast food hamburger worth buying.
7 Everyday Distractions That Keep Us from Living Fully
BOOKS~ ON MY LIST AND MY BEDSIDE TABLE
The Book of Wonders
Live every day like it’s your last.
Thelma is the busy single mom of 12-year old Louis. When Louis is hit by a truck one morning, their lives are changed forever. Louis falls into a coma and if he doesn’t regain consciousness in the next four weeks, he may never wake up again.
At home in Louis’s bedroom, devastated Thelma finds a “bucket list” of all the things Louis wants to accomplish in his life, and she suddenly sees a way to survive. She will fulfill her son’s dreams in the hope that it will bring him back to her. With the help of his nurse, Thelma sets up a video link in Louis’s hospital room so he can follow her on his adventures.
Bellbird River, 1998: Teacher and single mum Alex is newly arrived in the small NSW country town of Bellbird River after escaping the city in search of a change of pace and the chance to reconnect with her young daughter. Across town, well-known matriarch Victoria and her globe-trotting, opera-singing cousin Gabrielle find themselves at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives, while local baker Janine and newcomer to the district Debbie are each secretly dealing with the consequences of painful pasts. With its dusty streets, lone pub and iron-lace verandahs, Bellbird River could just be a pit stop on the road to somewhere else. But their town holds some secrets and surprises – and it has a heart: the Bellbird River Country Choir.
Amid the melodies and camaraderie of the choir, each of the women will find the courage to leave the past behind. And together, they’ll discover that friends are much closer to home than they’d ever realized.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
At forty-eight, history professor Kelly McMichael decides to pursue a dream she’s harbored for two decades: attending the prestigious Ballymaloe Cookery School in rural Ireland. Leaving behind her comfortable academic life in Texas, she embarks on an intensive twelve-week culinary program that promises to transform her from home cook to professional chef.
What McMichael doesn’t anticipate is how this experience will transform not just her cooking skills, but her entire perspective on life. As she struggles with unfamiliar techniques, demanding instructors, and younger classmates, she discovers that cooking school is teaching her far more than how to make the perfect soufflé.
Through butchering sessions that require total presence, failed dishes that demand humility, and unexpected moments of joy in creating something beautiful from scratch, McMichael finds herself absorbing essential life wisdom alongside culinary principles. The chaos of the professional kitchen becomes her meditation cushion, as she learns to navigate stress with greater mindfulness and to find balance in the midst of intensity.
With unflinching honesty and self-deprecating humor, McMichael recounts her journey through the competitive world of high-end culinary training—complete with heart palpitations, imposter syndrome, and even stress-induced incontinence. She weaves together mouthwatering recipes with profound reflections on perfectionism, aging, and finding purpose, while revealing how cooking becomes a metaphor for living with greater awareness.
From the bucolic Irish countryside to steamy, high-pressure kitchen environments, from crushing moments of failure to unexpected triumphs, Secret in the Sauce serves up a relatable story about pursuing a long-held dream and discovering that sometimes the most important lessons come when we approach life with a beginner’s mind.
Part cooking memoir, part spiritual journey, this book speaks to anyone who has ever wondered if it’s too late to chase a dream, change careers, or find new meaning in life. Like the best recipes, it combines seemingly disparate ingredients into something wholly satisfying—proving that sometimes the real secret in the sauce is simply the courage to throw yourself into the pot.
Looking for more books?
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
For the most part I am a conservative dresses but I do love a fun piece now and then. This Paris sweater from Boden recently caught my eye. It’s whimsical, colorful, and a great gift for the Francophile in your life. Paired with blue cords, and red mules but you could also wear ballet flats or your favorite sneakers.
Boden has a lot of new sweaters if you are looking for something fun for Fall and winter.
Outfit Details Below~Click the Photos
UNTIL TOMORROW
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet!
Before you go, tell me what you are reading this week
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On My Radar
Hi Elizabeth,
I’ve been enjoying your blog for some time now and will take your advice on the Secret in the Sauce book as it looks quite fun.
I just finished Charlie Donlea’s new book Guess Again which I really enjoyed as I’ve read all of his books and love them.
I normally don’t go for any of Oprah’s picks as they are too depressing most of the time, but I must say I did buy her recent one, Culpability by Bruce Holsinger and really did like it. Thought provoking.
Thanks for fun reading each week.
Peace and Love from Ojai, California.
Dani, thank you for the book suggestions. I have not read either one. I completely agree about Oprah’s book selections, many are “heavy” subjects.
I hope that you have a wonderful weekend,