The Little Things Newsletter #467 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m in Arizona for a few days and as I write this, I’m enjoying a cool morning on the porch at a friend’s cabin a few hours north of the already very warm Valley of the Sun. Every time I visit Phoenix, it makes me appreciate the beauty of cooler weather and changing seasons all the more.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Ohio? I hope I never take for granted what a gift it is to wake up to my favorite place in the world every morning.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: It’s pasta salad season over here and I’m pretty happy about it. Al dente tiny pasta tossed with generous amounts of cooked shrimp, crunchy fresh vegetables, and a citrus-spiked creamy dressing all combine to make this Shrimp Pasta Salad irresistible. It’s about to become your new summer favorite!

Mozzarella cheese, salami, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, and black olives are combined with bite-size pasta and tossed in a tangy, garlicky, vinaigrette to make this Salami Pasta Salad. My boys went a little bit crazy over it the first time I made it.

Oh how I’m loving fresh asparagus right now! Asparagus wrapped in bacon is an impressive-looking side dish that is every bit as awesome to eat as it is to admire on the plate. I could happily make a full meal out of this asparagus.

Tender pasta, shrimp, bacon, and asparagus are tossed with garlic in a creamy sauce to make this irresistible Shrimp Asparagus Pasta. This is a deceptively easy recipe, friends. While the directions look lengthy at first glance, I promise you that this is a quick and straightforward recipe.

With layers of sweet vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers tucked under a fluffy layer of whipped meringue, this Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding is a hit every time it is served.

Rich, sweet, and infused with whiskey that has been mellowed by heavy cream, Homemade Irish Cream is dreamy. It’s much more subtle and sophisticated than its commercial counterpart.

And if you’re a fan of Bailey’s Irish Cream: this Irish cream infused Bailey’s Ice Cream is going to make you weak at the knees!

What I’m CRAVING: My friend Christi’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, this recipe is about as good as it gets. I could very happily eat this entire batch myself. These cookies really are THAT good.

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these pens. I just opened a fresh package of them this week and I still love them more than any other pens. I’ve mentioned them more than once over the past few years and if you haven’t tried them yet, you’re missing out. Not only are they the best pens I’ve ever used, they’re unbelievably cheap.

I’m a pen snob. I’ll admit that freely. These are the smoothest, most smudge-free, comfortable to hold, beautifully clean writing gel pens I’ve ever used. The writing dries almost as soon as the ink leaves the pen. If you give it even a couple of seconds, you can’t smear it. And at barely a dollar each, they’re not only the best pens, but the best deal ever for a fantastic writing pen.

What I’m LISTENING to: I’m all about some classic Smash Mouth this week. I stumbled on their Smash Hits album and I’m loving it. So many of my favorites plus a couple of songs I wasn’t familiar with too. It’s such a fun listen!

What I’m READING: Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund. Oh my friends, this book is a must-read. I was only a few chapters in when I realized what a treasure this book is. I bought copies for my boys and I’m looking forward to reading through it as a Bible study with them.

“You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus. Your very burden is what qualifies you to come. No payment is required; he says, “I will give you rest.” His rest is gift, not transaction. Whether you are actively working hard to crowbar your life into smoothness (“labor”) or passively finding yourself weighed down by something outside your control (“heavy laden”), Jesus Christ’s desire that you find rest, that you come in out of the storm, outstrips even your own.” ― Dane C. Ortlund

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!

Mary