Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
Good morning friends, it’s Friday! It’s been another busy week here, my niece has been visiting so there have been lots of family dinners, outings and fun. My schedule is a little off, I had planned on posting an Easter recipe on Wednesday but time got away from me.
Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet(tomorrow) and Friday Favorites are on schedule and packed with all sorts of recipes, books, articles, fashion and more.
FOOD
If you are looking for something to make this St. Patrick’s Day why not try Traditional Irish Potato and Leek Soup?
Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigretteis the perfect salad for spring!
I have this recipe forGreek risotto with roasted tomatoes and olivesbookmarked to make this summer with fresh garden tomatoes.
An easy and delicious treat, Banoffee pie in a jar!
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
The only canned tomatoes worth buying.
How to become an artist: a novices guide.
The Best Food Processors for All of Your Kitchen Prep Tasks
Just discovered this podcast, Solicited Advice.
Giant Redwoods are thriving in the UK and there are now more there than in their native California.
The terrible cost of a phon-based childhood.
An elegant Atlanta loft that demonstrates how to make the most of a small space
BOOKS~ ON MY LIST AND MY BEDSIDE TABLE
After Annie
When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her children, and her closest friend are left to find a way forward without the woman who has been the lynchpin of all their lives. Bill is overwhelmed without his beloved wife, and Annemarie wrestles with the bad habits her best friend had helped her overcome. And Ali, the eldest of Annie’s children, has to grow up overnight, to care for her younger brothers and even her father and to puzzle out for herself many of the mysteries of adult life.
Over the course of the next year what saves them all is Annie, ever-present in their minds, loving but not sentimental, caring but nobody’s fool, a voice in their heads that is funny and sharp and remarkably clear. The power she has given to those who loved her is the power to go on without her. The lesson they learn is that no one beloved is ever truly gone.
Second Chances
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU GOT A SECOND CHANCE?
The tale of four very different women whose lives have fallen off their expected paths and the story of how they navigate the friendships, relationships, and uphill journeys through their entangled ‘do-overs’ in the game of life.
- A single mother deserted by her adulterous ex-husband
- A socialite who abandoned her family and fled to the Caribbean
- A high-powered executive with a disconcerting fear of commitment and a questionable sense of judgment
- A privileged teenager plagued with a lecherous father and absentee mother while bewildered by an unforeseen opportunity with the most sought-after boy in school
Although the women are each dealt cards they never expected, they find friendship, family, and love in the least likely of places, and with those, they find hope.
If it’s Free I Can’t Afford It
When Natalie’s rent doubles and her work hours are cut, Grandpa suggests that she and her dog move into his spare room at the seniors-only, no pets allowed complex. She begrudgingly accepts the temporary arrangement, but before the last box is unpacked her grandpa goes missing on a kayaking trip. With the sheriff certain that Grandpa will turn up wet and embarrassed, Natalie keeps the disappearance and her residence at the complex a secret.
At first, tricking the wrinkled relics is as easy as getting two cups of coffee from the lobby and mentioning one is for Grandpa. A rumor that he’s sick brings a dozen casseroles to the door and provides free rein for three weeks. The ruse works, but it’s a lonely existence in the quiet apartment. Complications begin when coffee turns to conversation. Natalie becomes a regular at the morning table where most residents are wonderful and accept her meticulously fabricated excuses without question, but Angie is suspicious, and Moose is no help with his untimely barking, frequent need for walks, and his unusual taste for plastic oxygen hoses.
As weeks turn into months, hope for Grandpa’s return has long passed, and the “just visiting” charade has turned into a complicated scheme that’s tearing Natalie up inside. She realizes the seniors fill a void left by her grandpa, but her new friends come with old problems. She sits for a man who has Alzheimer’s, endures odd stories from the resident nutcase, and watches helplessly as a new friend prepares to die. Turning to her priest for guidance is no help, with his cryptic advice requiring more effort than dealing with the problems on her own.
With Angie hot on her heals and Christmas fast approaching, Natalie develops a complex plan to get through the holidays, but pulling the plan off will raise her deceit to a new high and drop her self-respect to a new low, forcing her to make the hardest decision of her life. The apartment is free, but can she afford it?
Professionally trained chef Julius Roberts left a busy and frantic London restaurant life to pursue his dream of living sustainably on a small farm in the English countryside. The Farm Table transports us to his farmstead, taking us through a calendar year with diary entries and images grounded in the natural world. We take joy in reading about new goats and sheep being born, learn to grow some vegetables, and forage for simple herbs and flowers, all while discovering Julius’s outstanding recipes.
Broken into sections based on the season, The Farm Table encourages cooking with seasonality in mind through scrumptious recipes to inspire joy and confidence in the kitchen.
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
It was a beautiful week here, chilly in the mornings but the afternoons were sunny and warm. Spring is in the air and I am starting to add touches of it to my wardrobe. White jeans and a button down shirt are classic wardrobe pieces. The can be worn with ballet flats, sandals, wedges, sneakers and even heels. At this time of the year it is always a good idea to bring a sweater or wrap, in the morning and in the evening, especially in restaurants it can be chilly.
If you are adding pieces to your wardrobe this season, add pieces that you can wear for multiple seasons and year after year. Mix and match new pieces with old favorites.
If you want to see all of the outfits and home goods I share each week on the blog be sure to follow along on LTK.
UNTIL TOMORROW
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites.
What did you read this week? Did you make anything good? Do you have a St. Patrick’s day recipe that we need to try?
Follow along with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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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