Friday Favorites No. 674

Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor,  fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.

Friday Favorites No. 674

Good morning friends, I hope that you had a lovely week. The weather here is warming up and sadly I can feel the winds of change, soon a new season will be upon us-pollen season. My eyes are itching just thinking about it.

In addition to getting my ducks in a row for tax season, I have been working behind the scenes on the blog to undo the damage of 15 years. In the old days you wrote willy nilly, added countless categories and tags, you didn’t label the photos and that has created a behind the scenes mess, for me and for Google. Things are starting to take shape and are more organized, hopefully they will stay that way.

What are your plans for the weekend, anything exciting? We have a family dinner, an outing with friends and a quiet Sunday to look forward to.

I have lots to share this week so let’s get to Friday Favorites.

FOOD

An easy and delicious pastry dinner, artichoke pasta with breadcrumbs!

Doesn’t this Creamy Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup with brown rice, white beans, baby spinach soup look healthy and delicious?

If you like Chinese takeout you will love this homemade chicken fried rice, it’s my husbands’ favorite and we make it often.

I made this cinnamon walnut coffee cake to give to a friend, it’s delicious for breakfast or dessert and it freezes well just in case you want to make a spare.

LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN

Where was Hamnet filmed?

Scientists Discovered the Oldest Clothing in Human History

Colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults. Here’s who is most at risk and symptoms to watch for

The Seeds of a Nation In Virginia Gardens

Why We Need an AI Bill of Rights Before It’s Too Late

How Epstein and Maxwell used an elite Midwest arts school to prey on girls

Parents are opting kids out of school laptops, returning them to pen and paper

Heading to NY? Be sure to read Annie’s post before you visit the NY Public Library. 

BOOKS

Today I am sharing two new to me books and one that will be released next week. If you have read the books please share your review.

The Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee by Yuka Maeno 

Twenty-nine-year-old Momoko has been tragically dumped. She thought her boyfriend was her soulmate. She believed he was going to propose. Instead, he broke things off at a love hotel.

So Momoko does what many broken-hearted people do—she gets incredibly drunk. So drunk that she passes out in a nearly empty café. When she awakens, she’s eager to tell her story to anyone who will listen and pours her heart out to a curious manager and the sole other customer in the café, a Buddhist monk in training. As Momoko describes how she doted on her ex and how he loved her cooking, the manager decides to indulge her by allowing her to slip into the kitchen and cook up her former beau’s favorite dish: a warm, delightful butter chicken curry.

As Momoko finishes telling her story, she realizes that this combination of cooking and sharing has stopped the flow of her constant tears. And the manager has a brilliant idea.

What if they started doing this regularly, inviting patrons to share stories about heartbreak while cooking dishes that held significance in their relationships? Thus, an unconventional therapy group, the “Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee,” is born.

Based on the author’s viral heartbreak story, this is a charming novel (with recipes) about a woman who uses the power of a warm meal to bring together the fellow lonely hearts in this small suburb of Tokyo.

If I Forget You by Thomas Christopher Greene

Two former lovers reconnect in this beautiful and haunting tale of great lost love from the critically acclaimed author of The Headmaster’s Wife.

Twenty-one years after they were driven apart by circumstances beyond their control, two former lovers have a chance encounter on a Manhattan street. What follows is a tense, suspenseful exploration of the many facets of enduring love. Told from altering points of view through time, If I Forget You tells the story of Henry Gold, a poet whose rise from poverty embodies the American dream, and Margot Fuller, the daughter of a prominent, wealthy family, and their unlikely, star-crossed love affair, complete with the secrets they carry when they find each other for the second time.

Six Little Words by Sally Page

Can one small note give her the courage to find a new path?

Kate gave up her dreams of being a painter years ago. But six little words pinned to the noticeboard of her local café could change her path forever.

“To be, or not to be …”–printed on an orange card with no explanation–appears one morning.

Each day, a new line from a different Shakespeare play is added, sparking curiosity throughout the café. Among the regulars is Bardy, a retired English teacher grappling with writer’s block.

As Kate and Bardy follow this breadcrumb trail, they discover a local community group encouraging people to rediscover their own creative spark–and the long-lost courage to chase it.

For Kate, their new group might just offer a second chance at happiness, if only Bardy can find the strength to share his story too …

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.

SHOPPING~OUTFIT OF THE DAY

It’s only 28 days until Spring for those who are counting, almost time to put away your sweaters, winter coats and boots and to pull out something for warmer weather. I personally think an eyelet shirtdress is a classic wardrobe staple, pair it with your favorite sling-back sandals, or ballet flats, add a handbag, bracelet, some earrings, a spritz of perfume and you are ready for whatever adventure you have planned.

Click the images to see the outfit separates

Follow me on ShopMy for more outfit inspiration, home decor, books, bags and more.

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!

I hope that you have a wonderful day, thank you for spending part of it with me.

Before you go, tell me what was the best things that you read, watched or did this week?

If you like the post please share and don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) or Pinterest.

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