The Little Things Newsletter #460 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Oh, what a GLORIOUS week of weather we have had in Ohio. Temps have been in the 70s for several days now! I’ve done my best to soak up as much of it as possible with long walks every afternoon.

I’ve been told this is a false spring and the temps are about to fall again. So, it’s unlikely to be this warm again for a while. But as long the sun continues to shine, I’ll be grinning up at it and hoping the plants all survive the coming cold days.

IN THE KITCHEN THIS WEEK: Loaded with our favorite Mexican flavors; this Southwest Chicken Soup is slightly spicy with chunks of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and tender chicken. I like to top my bowl with a handful of shredded cheese and some tortilla strips.

Last night’s dinner was this fully loaded Chicken Potato Broccoli Casserole. It starts with fluffy mashed potatoes that are mixed with tender bites of broccoli and chicken, then generously sprinkled with bacon and cheese. The result is an absolutely irresistible dinner.

Oven-roasted Cabbage with Balsamic Glaze is nothing short of a crazy obsession. Try it and you will understand. I’ll be making it again next week. 

This Spinach Orzo Salad is filled with cranberries, creamy goat cheese, tender pasta, and plenty of fresh spinach tossed in a tangy sweet dressing. The salad can be served immediately or kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days – making this an awesome make-ahead meal for lunch or dinner.

My son requested chili (again), so I’ll be making a big batch of the easiest and tastiest chili for easy dinners this coming week as the weather cools off again. 

Skip the traditional fried donuts and make these Apple Cider Donut Muffins! With a sugary coating reminiscent of their namesake, these muffins offer a delightful twist on a beloved classic.

Andes Mint Cookies are a soft-baked chocolate cookie loaded with Andes Mint pieces and spread with an extra layer of mint goodness. They’re amazing straight from the oven.

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these bath salts. The eucalyptus and spearmint fragrance is lovely and the salts are the perfect way to relax at the end of the day. The muscle and tension relief is like nothing else I’ve tried. In combination with this foaming bath, it feels like a spa experience every night.

What I’m LISTENING to: My kids discovered some old-school DC Talk and it’s been going strong in my playlist this week. For the month of Lent this year, I chose to give up any media that isn’t faith-based, so it’s been fun to re-discover some classic Christian rock when I want a break from classic praise and worship music.

What I’m READING: The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This was not an easy read, yet I found myself drawn back to it each time I set it down. I finished the book convicted, grateful, and challenged.

“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

“Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy’s hatred, the greater his need of love. Be his enmity political or religious, he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love. In such love there is not inner discord between the private person and official capacity. In both we are disciples of Christ, or we are not Christians at all.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 ESV

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

Mary