Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 581
Good morning friends! Happy Friday Favorites to you. I am ready for the weekend, what about you? It is going to be hot and cloudy but at least it will be quiet. It’s been busy and noisy here all week. Not only from all of the people coming and going at our house but at the neighbors as well.
Once the tree fell on the house, our neighbors decided it was a good time to cut down 12 trees around their house, it has been a buzz of chainsaws and stump grinders the last 4 days. We will all enjoy a little silence this weekend.
What are your plans for the weekend?
Ok, let’s get to all of my favorites from this week.
Food
This week my email box was filled with chicken recipes, here are a few of my favorites.
Better than takeout, creamy, cheesy, green chicken enchiladas.
Creamy Chive Chicken, a 30 minute meal the whole family will love.
Lemon chicken pasta, an easy spring meal made with leftover chicken.
Blueberry crumb bars! A delicious treat at the end of a long day.
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
Five Situations You Should Be Using a Contract (and How to Make One)
7 Genius Phrases to Shut Down Conflict
The dos and donuts of planting a vegetable garden.
The 5 Most Important Areas of Life to Simplify (and the Stats to Prove It). This is a great article!
People share the 18 things that are a ‘subtle sign’ someone is really smart
Ending a Friendship Over Taylor Swift
Amazon is filled with garbage ebooks. Here’s how they get made.
The origins of 151 crops that we eat today.
Books
These are the books I currently have on order from Amazon or at the library. What are you reading or waiting to be released?
Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade
1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.
1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.
Based on the extraordinary little-known history of the women who received the Croix de Guerre medal for courage under fire, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of literature, and ultimately the courage it takes to make a change.
The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope.
When Lilith dies suddenly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns Lilith charted one last course for Mattie: a series of tasks that she must complete to earn her inheritance, with Penelope overseeing the process.
Both Mattie and Penelope are outraged by Lilith’s seemingly random stipulations: throw a Halloween party, take a local pizza cooking class, share secrets with someone . . . But Mattie soon realizes that if she completes the tasks, she may unearth her mother’s secrets, including the identity of Mattie’s father. She may also discover more about the Russell family “gifts” and why Lilith chose Penelope’s former love to be the executor of the will. She may even learn how and why Jonathan Carlisle, the boy who stole her heart ten summers ago, also happens to be back in town.
Mattie can only hope that Lilith’s final map will finally point her home.
The Circus Train
When all is lost, how do you find the courage to keep moving forward?
1938. Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena—who uses a wheelchair after a childhood bout with polio—yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, her mind stronger than the limitations placed on her by society. Then her unconventional life takes an exciting turn when she rescues Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past.
As World War II escalates around them, their friendship blossoms into something deeper while Alexandre trains as the illusionist’s apprentice. But when Theo and Alexandre are arrested and made to perform in a town for Jews set up by the Nazis, Lena is separated from everything she knows. Forced to make her own way, Lena must confront her doubts and dare to believe in the impossible—herself.
MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
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
Is there anything more classic than blue and white in the summer? Breton stripes are traditional in France and are just as beautiful here when paired with jeans or linen pants. Add tennis shoes or cognac colored sandals and a market bag to match. Don’t forget your sunglasses and SPF.
UNTIL TOMORROW
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites. Thank you for spending part of your day with me, your time is valuable and I am grateful that you spend a little of each day with me. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Don’t forget that Kim, Juliet and I will be back tomorrow on Weekend Meanderings!
If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here.
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On My Radar
Sounds as if your neighbors are taking your weather related damage to heart. We’ve had several natural disasters here in Colorado. Fires, and wind most recently. It’s a good idea to protect yourself as best you can! After a major fire destroyed over 1,000 homes in my hometown, we took a good look at our homeowners insurance policy. No fun, but we really are sure that we’re fully covered for loss.
I did some stocking up yesterday, and bought a two pound package of shredded chicken. After some thought, I just stopped by the store for chicken enchilada casserole ingredients I always cut the tortillas into wedges, and layer the ingredients. It’s just easier for me. I also like to bring on the veggies. I dice peppers, onions, summer squash, and add frozen corn. Saute everything, add the chicken, and go from there. We’ll end up with four casseroles. One for dinner and three for the freezer.
Lisa, I love your idea for cutting the tortillas into wedges and layering the ingredients. I have never tried that. Not to mention making ahead and freezing that is always a great idea, especially for days when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Yes, my neighbor and many others in the neighborhood are taking preventative measures. It is certainly a wakeup call. I had the same conversation about insurance with my husband. I think we may need to update our policy.
I cannot imagine 1000 homes destroyed that is so tragic.
Have a wonderful weekend!