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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It was a non-stop week of cooking and photographing new recipes over here and I’m ready for a weekend with my feet up on the couch. Rebecca and Lynne were here working with me and we ate some seriously delicious food all week long. I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you!
ON THE BLOG this week: Tender chunks of chicken and vegetables are simmered together underneath a buttery, flaky biscuit topping to make this chicken pot pie casserole. I made it a few weeks ago and it was such a hit, it’s already been made three times since then.
When you pull this cheesy and delicious ham potato broccoli casserole hot and steaming from the oven everyone will be clamoring for a bite.
This Strawberry Blueberry Banana Smoothie brings summertime straight to your glass – even in the middle of winter. Sweet and creamy, this good-for-you smoothie is an easy way to start your day or refuel in the afternoon.
Pepperoni pizza dip is the perfect party appetizer. I mean, who doesn’t love a piping hot, melting cheese dip full of pepperoni?
Roasted vegetables dipped in Bang Bang Sauce, dare I say it, are better than vegetables with homemade ranch dip. I didn’t think that was possible but it IS! (And yes, this homemade ranch really is incredible.)
After eating parmesan-roasted carrots you will not want to make them any other way. Bite-sized and toasty perfect, you can’t eat just one!
Fluffy, buttery, sweet pancakes filled with bursting juicy berries are possible with minimal effort. Enough pancakes for the whole family can be cooked all at once on a single sheet pan!
Homemade salted caramel sauce is ridiculously decadent and delicious. This sweet sauce makes a terrific addition to countless desserts, like this amazing chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting.
What I’m CRAVING: Have you ever had a Profiterole?? They are homemade cream puffs that have been split, filled, with ice cream, and topped with hot fudge or chocolate or caramel sauce. So basically we’re talking about an ice cream-filled hot fudge cream puff. Absolutely, positively, FANTASTIC. This is an ice cream lover’s dream come true, my friends. I need them in my life again stat.
My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these hydro seal band-aids. If you’ve ever had a blister on your heel or if you frequently deal with them, these band-aids are a complete and total game-changer. Jaw-droppingly effective and absolutely priceless for how well they work. Complete pain relief literally from the moment you apply them. I had no idea these existed until now, and I can’t imagine not having them on hand ever again.
What I’m WATCHING: Brain on Fire. I read the book a few months ago and talked about it at length. So, naturally, I immediately had to watch the movie when I saw it pop up on Netflix. The movie is excellent and stays very true to the book and Susannah’s story.
My review of the book:
This is the true story of a 24-year-old woman who woke up strapped to the bed in a hospital room, unable to control her movements or even speak, with no memory of how she’d gotten there. She was labeled violent and psychotic and at one point even had a 24/7 guard assigned to her before her illness progressed to catatonia. Her hospital records and her father’s journal tell the story of an entire month spent in the hospital – a stay of which she has no recollection.
This book chronicles the lightning-fast path of her illness (a literal descent into madness) and the amazing last-minute diagnosis and intervention of one doctor who saved her life – while every other doctor was ready to commit her to a psychiatric ward and walk away. Her illness is now thought to be the cause of many “demonic possessions” throughout history. This was a fascinating look at an autoimmune disease I had never heard of before now, an illness that destroys the blood brain barrier and effectively sets the brain on fire.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
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