Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s been a gorgeous week for walking outdoors here in Ohio, despite a couple of tornado warnings – those were a first for this desert girl! I’m grateful that we didn’t have any property damage near our home and we’re praying for all of the families in Logan County who suffered so much loss.
My mom has been visiting this week and we’ve enjoyed the time with her. She’s headed home today, and just in time to keep our house from feeling too empty, my brother and his fiance arrived last night to spend next week with us. (Have I mentioned how much I love having friends and family visit??)
ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Do you like Reuben sandwiches? If so, you might go a little bit crazy over these corned beef sliders – my family sure did!
Corned beef dip is a creamy, cheesy, slightly tangy dip generously filled with chunks of corned beef along with a bit of sauerkraut and caraway to give it that unmistakable Reuben sandwich flavor.
Hearty meatballs, sweet pineapple, and colorful bell peppers are tossed with your favorite barbecue sauce and simmered in the slow cooker to make these sweet and sour meatballs that the whole family craves.
Gently sauteed in maple syrup and butter these maple glazed carrots are a side dish that disappears fast every time I make it.
Crispy cauliflower, toasted bread crumbs, and nutty, savory parmesan are wonderful together in this scrumptious side. This roasted garlic parmesan cauliflower is snackable right off the pan.
Bursting with the sweet tang of blueberries in every bite, blueberry compote is one of my favorite ways to top a serving of crepes, a no-bake cheesecake, or a bowl of ice cream.
Rum raisin ice cream is full of rum-soaked raisins mixed in custardy vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum. This recipe is a little bit old school and a whole lot of creamy delicious.
What I’m CRAVING: These California roll sushi bowls look so good! They’ve been stuck in my head for a couple of days now.
My FAVORITE THING this week is this water bottle. Here’s the deal. We own a lot of water bottles. If there’s an addiction to trying new water bottles, I may have it. However, I’m obsessed with this water bottle. I’ve been trying to up my water drinking game and this bottle has done it for me. With a wide mouth and a chug cap option, it’s just so easy to drink the water and refill it.
This bottle is the PERFECT comfortable 20-ounce size to easily carry around with me. It’s super lightweight and I’ve finally learned that there’s no reason for me to be carrying around a giant insulated bottle when my main goal is just drinking the water. I can drink the whole thing and easily refill it anywhere.
What I’m WATCHING: The Greatest Showman. Do we really need a description here? I have a well-established love for this movie (having seen it an absurd number of times in the theater), so when my son suggested watching it the other night, I couldn’t resist. I hadn’t watched it in years and we had a lot of fun to watching and singing along once again.
What I’m LISTENING to: Cheap & Evil Girl by Bree Sharp. Wow, I just re-read that album title after typing it and burst out laughing. I’ve never even thought about the title before and we’ve been listening to Bree Sharp ever since this was released in ‘99.
When we first discovered her music, like so many others, it was her ever-popular song “David Duchovny” that made us laugh and listen again. However, there is a lot more to her music than just that catchy song. Her sound is unique and somewhat gritty. Her music is a combination of rock and pop, in a style of urban folk music that I just love. Strong vocals and guitar carry most of the songs. I honestly like every song on the album – and they are all so different!
What I’m READING: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. I will admit that I’ve owned this book for at least five years and I finally got around to reading it this week. The book was recommended to me by a few people. However, each time I picked it up to read I’d find myself distracted or just not ready to dive into it.
I’m glad I finally read it though. While it is a great leadership book, some of the takeaway leadership lessons at the end of each chapter are also relevant as a parent. And if you’re interested in reading more about U.S. Navy Seals and how those elite teams operate in combat situations, you’ll likely enjoy this book.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 NIV
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
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