The Little Things Newsletter #491 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! We’re enjoying the weather so much here in Ohio, nothing beats a chilly morning and a sunshine-filled afternoon. I’ll happily take it for as long as it lasts.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone out for lunch just because I was craving this salad. Crunchy greens, tangy pepperoncini, and hearty chickpeas are tossed with a sweet Italian dressing and then sprinkled with crumbles of creamy cheese to recreate Harvest’s House Chop Salad.

There’s something about the sweet and smoky flavor combination that just works. And this Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon proves it with every perfectly caramelized bite of salmon that practically melts in your mouth.

Crispy roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans and bacon are a fancy-sounding side dish you can eat any day of the week. 

Sweet corn kernels are coated with an irresistible creamy sauce in this easy Creamed Corn. It’s a dish that instantly takes me back to holidays at my grandma’s house. Why not make it year-round?

The -ber months are in full swing. Wonderful sweater weather has arrived. And, that means it’s time for all things pumpkin at my house. This Pumpkin Spice Creamer is the perfect at-home fall treat.

You know how food just feels more fun when it’s tiny? Maybe it’s the cuteness factor, or maybe it just reminds me of being a kid. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but a tiny stack of Silver Dollar Pancakes hits that sweet spot every single time for me.

Packed with tart and tangy flavor, this Cranberry Ice Cream is balanced perfectly with the soft crunch and slight bitterness of dark chocolate chunks. I cannot get enough.

What I’m CRAVING: These peanut butter cookies. I’ve been making a tiny batch several times a week and can’t get enough of them. I’ve learned I can bake just a few in the air fryer on a paper liner. That’s dangerous knowledge, my friends. I’m only 6 minutes away from a fresh batch. 

What I’m READING: When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Guptil Manning. My sister stumbled on this book a couple of weeks ago and immediately told me about it. I have a lifelong love of books, and this one is a treasure. It tells the story of the ASE (Armed Services Edition) books that were published during WWII and sent to the troops serving during the war. Before this, I’d never even heard of the ASE books.

When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. And in 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks for troops to carry in their pockets and rucksacks in every theater of war. These Armed Services Editions were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today.

While that might not immediately grab everyone’s attention, I found this story fascinating, and I very much enjoyed picturing the GIs in their foxholes, and everywhere else possible, finding moments of escape in the stories. The letters written by the soldiers thanking the authors and the publishers touched my heart deeply, even all these years later. I wish that my grandparents were alive today to tell me their own stories and what they recall of the ASE books, if they were fortunate enough to read them.

What I’m WATCHING: Dragonheart. It’s my middle son’s birthday this weekend, so he gets to choose our movie for family movie night. I couldn’t help grinning when he suggested this one, and we’re all looking forward to watching it again tonight.

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2 NIV

Wishing you a beautiful week filled with little things that make you smile!

Mary