Miss Bella and I have been belting out the Sound of Music's Favorite Things song, "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." since she was three and I love the concept of sharing a few of my favorite things with my readers, thus the introduction of "A Few of My Favorite Things" - a monthly assortment of 10 items (or websites or apps) I love.
1. A Microplane Zester - this tool is something we use at least every other day in our kitchen. I can't imagine zesting lemons, limes, nutmeg or grating fresh ginger or hard cheeses such as parmesan, without it. Every kitchen must have this tool!
The Trader Joe's blend of dried cherries, blueberries and strawberries can't be beat for a great oatmeal stir-in or scone/muffin addition.
2. Who doesn't love s'mores and fire pits? I fell in love with this cute idea for a s'more kit along with a recipe for homemade marshmallows and this inspiration for a rustic bonfire.
3. M.A.C. lipsticks are my all-time favorite and the M.A.C. lip glass makes my lips shimmer with just the right amount of nourishment (and very little stickiness). Friends always inquire about what I'm wearing when I have it on. Did you know that if you recycle and return 6 empty lipstick tubes M.A.C. will give you a new lipstick! Just another reason I love this brand and their green philosophy!
4. I am really toying with the idea in purchasing Aperture as it takes iPhoto for Mac users to a whole new level! I'm thrilled that iPhoto and Aperture "speak" the same language and one can move easily between each photo tool. Do any of you readers use this photo tool and have any feedback to share?
5. Tutor for iMovie will hopefully take our home video splicing and movie making to an actual creation! It teaches how to add pictures, to add voiceovers, to organize clips and share projects!
6. I learned so much from this article on Cooking One Day a Week:
- Boil eggs; bake potatoes and bread; braise meat; saute onions and mushrooms; prep veggies; make mock sour cream with low-fat cottage cheese and enjoy as sour cream; make a lentil stew. My addition to the article is to make pizza dough and cookie dough and "hide it" in the freezer. The cookie dough must be "hidden" in our house as we are all tempted by the delicious dough.
7. Annie's Eats has the best pizza crust as well as a terrific spaghetti sauce, pot pie, meatball sliders and an enchilada recipe - all perfect "freezer meals". She also put together a great"how-to" on stocking the freezer with meals.
8. I love this Living Well article providing you with 10 secret cooking timesavers for better cooking. My favorite suggestion is to prepare large batches of quinoa, healthy rice, soups, and sauces for the freezer. I also love the idea of grating fresh ginger and put it into freezer trays. I use fresh ginger for morning green smoothies and this would really help cut the time down. Using a cheese grater to grate cold butter for recipes like scones or pie crusts is a brilliant timesaver as well.
My mom is famous for her amazing pie crusts and her Marion Berry Pie!
9. Several years ago, a Sunday paper ran James Patterson's note to his 9-year old son that inspires me to want to help my kids continue to devour books and reading like Chunky Monkey ice cream.
10. Common Sense Media is a website that I am constantly referring to for guidance with movies, television, and video game ratings for my kids. I highly recommend the site as it breaks down why a movie or show is rated the way it is and for what specific age is appropriate.
What are a few of your favorite things?
