The Little Things Newsletter #499 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s getting even chillier over here in Ohio and I am soooo here for it. The snow started falling around noon and it’s supposed to keep falling through tomorrow. Do I even need to tell you how excited I am about this?!?! We’re supposed to get 3-6” and for us here in central Ohio, that’s a whole lot of snow.

I’m about to start some tomato soup simmering on the stove and we’ll be dipping the best ever grilled cheese sandwiches into it tonight. My son, Ben, requested clam chowder for dinner tomorrow and I’m looking forward to that too. I’m thinking that we might need some cheesy biscuits to go with it.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Sometimes the simplest things end up being the biggest wins. That’s how I feel about this cheesy, crispy, Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla. My boys and I threw them together a few weeks ago for the first time with some of the items we tend to have on hand in the freezer. Suffice it to say that these are way tastier than they have any right to be!

This crave-worthy Ground Beef Fried Rice is absolutely packed with flavor, and it’s ready to eat in under 20 minutes. Did I mention that it’s a one pan meal? Yep. Quick and easy with almost no dishes to do? Count me in for seconds.

Everyone seems to have a different name for these melt-in-your-mouth Mexican Wedding Cookies. Regardless of what you call them, they’re dangerously delicious! Eat just one? Yeah, right.

Imagine you’re sitting at a European streetside cafe, sipping a tiny cup of espresso and watching all the people bustling along. The waiter brings you this confection for dessert. It’s a slice of Chocolate Salami, a rich and silky ganache, absolutely packed with crunchy cookies and walnuts. And, the good news? You can make this no-bake dessert at home in just 10 minutes. Buon appetito, indeed!

This luscious Chocolate Sea Salt Ice Cream is the kind of indulgence you whisper about at the end of a long day. I don’t know what it is about sea salt ice cream that has me hooked, but I’m in deep now, and there’s no going back!

What I’m CRAVING: This Christmas salad with fresh greens, mandarin oranges, pomegranate, candied pecans, and crumbled feta in a zesty citrus vinaigrette caught my eye this week. Not only is it beautiful, but it sounds absolutely delicious too!

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are still my earbuds. They’re in my ears as I write today’s newsletter and I stream my favorite Christmas music too. If I’ve mentioned them once, I’ve mentioned them countless times – and they’re still half off. I love them!

What I’m LISTENING to: Forever Christmas by David Lanz and Kristin Amarie. I stumbled on this album a few years ago and it became a new holiday tradition for me almost immediately. The music is beautiful in every way. David is a pianist/composer and Kristin is a vocalist with a breathtaking voice. 

O Holy Night and Silent Night are long-time favorites for me and their renditions are flawless, but Forever Christmas is excellent as well. The album is available to stream pretty much everywhere, so if you do check it out, I’m curious what your favorite will be.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NIV

Wishing you a beautiful week filled with little things that make you smile!

Mary