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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! We’ve been in Arizona for the past couple of days, getting ready for our annual family camping trip, and I sure am looking forward to the cooler weather up in the mountains. Want a peek at some of our past camping trips? You can find them all here.
With 7 siblings and a whole lot of nieces and nephews now, camping has proven to be the easiest way to get us all together in one place. Not everyone makes it every year, but even when our crowd is smaller, it’s still a whole lot of fun.
ON THE BLOGS this week: The best ever BBQ Meatloaf is here to add variety to your dinner table! Take an easy meatloaf recipe and make it even better with the addition of tangy barbecue sauce and bacon.
Jalapenos and cheddar cheese make this Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad a guaranteed win. With a creamy, spicy dressing and smoky bites of bacon and egg throughout the salad, it’s a crowd favorite.
Crisp broccoli florets mingle with savory bites of smoky bacon, tangy cheddar cheese, and zesty red onion in this awesome broccoli salad. Each bite offers a delightful balance of textures and a terrific combination of rich, creamy, and savory notes.
Juicy, salty kielbasa sausage and tender-crisp cabbage is a match made in food heaven. With the addition of some chopped onions and garlic, this Sausage Stir Fry becomes a simple one-pan dinner the whole family loves.
A quick and easy, flavorful side dish is only a few minutes away with this Bell Pepper Rice recipe. Combining jasmine rice, fresh bell peppers, and chicken (or vegetable) stock, this rice is a staple in our house.
Crispy tortillas, sweet corn, and gooey cheese combine to create these flavorful, hearty Mexican Street Corn Quesadillas. Whether served as a midday snack or a last-minute dinner option, the whole family is sure to love these quesadillas.
Fluffy Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes layered with sweet strawberry compote, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream are a breakfast dream come true.
Creamy Cookie Monster Ice Cream filled with chunks of Oreo and chocolate chip cookies is a hit with all cookie-loving kids and adults!
What I’m CRAVING: Watermelon Margaritas are calling my name. Fresh watermelon meets Serrano peppers along with a splash of tequila to make this unforgettable drink. They’re a little bit spicy and a litte bit sweet and they are summer sipping perfection.
My FAVORITE THINGS this week are my wireless earbuds. My whole family has these and they’re the best ever for road trips. It still surprises me just how inexpensive they are considering how well they perform. I’ve gifted them to a number of people over the years we’ve had ours.
What I’m READING: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. This is a modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice and it was a fun read. If you’re a die-hard Jane Austen fan, this one probably isn’t for you, but I enjoyed it a lot.
What I’m LISTENING to: Foxlore by The Crane Wives. My middle son Ben gets a giant thank you for introducing me to this one. They’re an indie folk band and I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve heard so far.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 ESV
Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!
Mary
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