Things I'm Loving

I love trying new things, and when those new things turn out well, I want everyone else to try them, too. Here are a few of my recent loved items, starting with an amazing spice blend, gifted to me by my sister: 

I wasn't sure how to use this spice, so I went a safe route and sprinkled (Okay, honestly, I don't sprinkle when it comes to spices. I pour) it on roasted veggies. I hadn't planned ahead, so the veggie combination depended upon local availability. (Very local. Think: counter and refrigerator.) This time it was sweet potatoes, onion, baby carrots, and cauliflower. I cut everything into roughly 1/2-inch chunks, doused it all with avocado oil, and baked it on a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes at 450 degrees, adding the cauliflower and onions after about ten minutes. If you keep all the veggies separate in their corners, you can test and remove each kind as needed. Delish! 

On to the next item. I'm a huge fan of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, so I used my last teacherly gift card to buy Better Than Before. 

It's a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it. Gretchen Rubin uses a fun blend of geeky statistics and science, along with a conversational, easy-to-read writing style. I reach for the book every night as though it were fiction.

I also enjoyed reading this post by Eva at Prairie Garden Blog:  

All those posts are good, but I could especially relate to her vacation problem that rose from reading a particular book.

And while you're reading all my recs, first make yourself this peach smoothie/milkshake/delicious drink:  

​My peaches were kind of small, so I used two. I don't do so well with milk, so I used coconut milk. I'm trying to cut back on sugar, so I used 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and 1 tsp. of birch xylitol. I believe enough of the original recipe remains to merit posting it here! 

I feel guilty recommending this next glorious thing, because it will only benefit locals, or possibly those traveling through. Last night we ate supper in Kansas City before picking up someone from the airport. One random choice from my phone became a new favorite: Jerusalem Cafe. 

We tried the gyros, of course, after starters of Greek salad and lentil soup. Beautiful, warm triangles of baklava for dessert with Turkish coffee. And that coffee came on an ornate tray, in an ornate Turkish pot (we called it an ​ibric in Romania) - full of grounds and topped by golden foam - ready to pour into tiny white porcelain cups. The food was amazing, but I'd go back just for the coffee. 

One more thing. Go read this poem: 

A friend shared it with me the other day, and I'm glad she did.

Well, that is the end of my list of recently loved things. It may become a regular feature. 

What have you been loving?