Almost Spring!

a list of everything, right now.

EATING

Spring is probably my least favorite season, but I don’t hate. It just falls last on the list, and some of that is because the food situation isn’t great! We don’t get fantastic produce until the end of the season, but a few regulars on my list: my spring couscous bowls, lemon artichoke pasta salad, roasted carrot coconut soup and this spring nicoise!

DRINKING

This peanut butter iced latte lives in my head rent-free about 75% of the year. I love peanut butter everything. This is so delicious and if you’re an iced coffee lover, it’s a must make. As far as cocktails go… I haven’t drank much alcohol this year at all. Or last year! It makes me feel like utter garbage, and I just don’t want to feel like garbage. I am also rarely a winter cocktail lover unless it’s the holiday season. Yes, I usually change my tune when I can sit outside in the warm summer sun and enjoy an aperol spritz. But because of that, I’ve been loving a spicy blood orange spritzer. Sometimes I do a tajin rim! I can still get blood oranges at my local grocery store, but time is running out. So I’m enjoying it for as long as I can!

MAKING

A batch of caramelized onion hummus (so worth it!) and a batch of our favorite ranch dressing. I didn’t even like ranch until I made that recipe!

BAKING

My grandma’s orange cake with coconut cream cheese frosting! Everytime I make this, it tastes EXACTLY like hers. It’s actually freaky. The nostalgia I get by

CRAVING

A little taste of warmer weather has me craving the recipes that come along with it. Things like my blackberry chip overnight oats, grilled romaine salads, grilled jalapeno peach chicken and atlantic beach pie bars.

LISTENING

This past month my kids were hit with the stomach bug twice (what an unfair lottery to hit?!) and I found myself up all night in panic mode a few times, which made me switch on my favorite movie while they slept in the living room. Enter: It’s Complicated. Why is it so good? Why am I a 58 year old divorcee owning a bakery like Meryl, in my head? Either way, this Cooking in a Nancy Meyers Kitchen playlist is one I share often, but it’s true. I listen to it and it instantly brightens my mood. Perfect on a Sunday. Or a Thursday at 6pm. It’s GOOD. And if you’re anything like me, you probably forget all about it. Until you remember.

READING

I’m currently reading Care and Feeding, which I received in my book of the month box for March! It’s a memoir and I love it. I almost always listen to memoirs on audio, but this one I am reading on my kindle. It’s heartbreaking but also inspiring and I can’t stop reading it.

SHARING

49 weeks of menu planning ideas, right here! I mean, it’s been three months so lots of people may be off the wagon. I reference this post year round, sometimes every week, mostly for dinner ideas. There are so many family-loved recipes on this list that take 20 to 30 minutes.

WEARING

As a fan of all things leopard print (it will forever be a neutral in my book), this athletic skirt from target is my best find of the month. Sure, the leopard one is my favorite but this skirt in general is fabulous. The younger girls section has been top-notch for athleisure over the last year or two and Emilia has worn so many cute things. I’m so excited that it looks like the women’s stuff is catching up!

SHOPPING

The best collab ever: Serena Williams with Janie and Jack! The colors are so, so good. The ombre romper + the ombre polo… I love it. Easter season, here we come! Also, I am in full Easter basket mode. Some of the winners for us: bunny tail chalk, crayola pops, crayola scribble scrubbies and light bright touch! More here.

LOVING

I love all things by the brand think royln. We first discovered this back at my cousin’s bachelorette party in 2019. I have used a version of their belt bag - the little runway - for years! I have it in so many different colors. Anyway, I am loving this toiletry case that they came out with. I got it in anticipation of some travel and think it will be perfect. Their stuff is so high quality too! I really want the voyager travel bag too because, hello, leopard print!

CELEBRATING

March is a mellow month around here, but can I tell you that I put a drop of green food dye in both the milk and the toilet bowls for Saint Patrick’s Day? I both hate myself and secretly wish my mom did this when I was a kid. I might get one more year out of it with the older two kids before the jig is up.