Not surprisingly, this month’s favorites center mostly around food. The list of foods I’ve consumed include cubed steak, beef and noodles, deviled eggs, lasagna, mashed potatoes, and corn. I think I’m the poster child for the midwest. Also, my stomach has decided that it likes it this way, even if my blood sugar doesn’t.
It’s not all bad though. I’ve come away with some new recipes to add to my “tried and true” recipe binder, as well as a new favorite cookie (store bought too). So, if you’re into coffee, cookies, and crafty things, just keep reading!
LIFESTYLE
Fairy Lights with Timers
This one is a bit general, but so important. I will never again purchase a set of lights that don’t include timers. When the sun goes down early, it’s nice to have the fairy lights click on instantly. It makes me feel all warm and cozy and a little less angry about daylight savings time. The same goes for battery-operated candles that can be run on a timer. They’re super useful as nightlights too!
Music Punch
I grabbed a handful of sixteenth note music punches from Meijer’s craft department. They were in the dollar bin section. I have no idea how I plan on using them, which means that they’ll probably be included in a giveaway in the future. Hooray for dollar deals!
TECH
Amazon Echo
I bought an Amazon Echo for my husband this year. We haven’t had enough time to test it out extensively. However, I’m already in love with its music lists and awesome speakers. We used it right out of the box to play Christmas Music while visiting with family. We simply said, “Alexa, play some Christmas Music”, and she did. I also love hearing the news in the morning, asking about the weather, and adding items to my shopping list. I’m looking forward to seeing how else we use it as the year goes forward.
ENTERTAINMENT
Star Wars. No spoilers. I just think everyone should go watch it. That is all.
FOOD
Archway Salted Caramel Shortbread
I don’t know what angel directed me to these heavenly morsels, but I’m eternally grateful. I wonder if I’m overstating the beauty of these cookies…but the multiple empty boxes I’ve created since December beg to differ.
DIY Starbucks Toasted Graham Coffee
I usually steer away from individual Keurig coffee pods because I don’t like the waste. I have a reusable pod, which I fill with my own ground coffee, and it works perfectly. However, I will occasionally get new flavors just to try them out. Such as I did with Starbucks Toasted Graham. It’s wonderful, but I didn’t want to continue getting the pods. I discovered that using the Cinnamon Dolce ground coffee, and then adding a bit of honey to my brewed cup mimics some of the toasted graham flavor. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s close. If you have a better copycat of the toasted graham flavor, please share it with me in the comments section!
TEACHING
Basics of Tempo
I just added the Basics of Tempo to my Basics Bundle. The entire bundle is my favorite resource, hands-down. If I could go back in time to my first year of teaching, I would’ve handed myself the Basics Bundle and saved hours upon hours of planning/prep time.
One of my favorite pieces of feedback I’ve received so far is this:
