Things I'm Loving {#8}

Carol of the Bells by Pentatonix. I'm not a YouTube junkie, so when I say it's not a waste of three minutes of your life, I really mean it. This song is amazing.  They use only their voices and it is powerful.  Talented would be scraping the surface of all the adjectives I could use, but I'll keep moving along.

Oh, and if you are in the Christmas mood, check out Brandon Heath's "The Night Before Christmas."  I usually don't like Christmas songs that are songs about Christmas (vs. traditional Christmas tunes) but this one is different. It's less jazzy, more deep. Trust me though, I'll have a new "favorite" Christmas song each week. This is probably my favorite non- traditional Christmas song though.

Word Search. This app is so much fun!
~It's free!
~Doesn't drain battery
~Is customizable - you can pick whether the letters are upper or lowercase, you can pick the background or use your own photo.

 

 

See?  Fun, huh? :)

Egyptian Licorice Tea.  My grandma gave me a box for Thanksgiving.  I have never had a tea like this before!  The first sip is very mild, but as soon as you swallow, there is a very strong honey flavor - but you don't add any honey!  It's the licorice and it's so cool.  Apparently, it's only grown in Oregon, so I'm trying to make the tea bags last.  If you ever have a chance to try this, please do, because it really is incredible. 

Light pink legging cords from Gap.  I really, really, really like these. They're actually very comfortable (which pleasantly surprised me) and are pretty versatile because the color is softer.  My dad took me shopping and we found these and I'm so excited about them!!! #justgirlythings (No, I didn't pay full price for these ... I don't think I've ever bought anything full price, not even for pants that I absolutely adore - like these.)

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. 

So I talked about how much I enjoyed the movie several months ago and just this week, I finally got around to reading the book.  Do you know how long it has been since I've sat down with a good book and was unable to put it down?  A really long time!  Even though I knew how it would ultimately end, I couldn't figure out how it was going to get there, because the book is slightly different than the movie, although the slightest ice ever seen between book and movie.  It is incredibly stressful, emotionally, but so rewarding.  The characters are developed so well; you learn the ins and outs of their emotions and decisions.  Note of warning; it is literally resolved on the last two pages - and this is a thick book.  It felt a little abrupt (okay, more than a little) but it was satisfying.  I discovered there are many sequels written by other authors and I'm going to try Margaret of the North this next week.  Both Margaret of the North and North and South are free on the Kindle.  (Haha, side note, half my friends all have Pinterest boards devoted to North and South ... you can tell who has watched it recently by the amount of North and South pins!  But it really is that good.)

Clementines or Cuties.  Sweet and sour little orange look a likes that are easy to peel and easy to eat.  I really enjoy them for snacks!

Recipes that got a number one rating this week!

These Mint n' Oreo Chocolate Chip Chess Squares

Wandercrush's Mulled Wine Cranberry Sauce Pumpkin Cornbread

Sugar Hero's Oatmeal Walnut Butterscotch Pie

Flavor the Moment's Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Swirl Bread

What are you loving this week?  

Personally, Auburn beating Alabama was a huge highlight. I'm not the hugest Alabama fan and this was one pretty incredible game. There were failed 4th down conversions and missed field goals. Alabama had several long passing plays when they were on their own 1 yard line, but Auburn's defense was great. By the final minute, we were all in the sun room, on the edge of the seats (or pacing the floor *cough*) and when the missed field goal was caught by Auburn and we realized the punt team was out there and they were actually blocking their way to the end zone, well, we were all yelling and cheering.  The game lived up to its hype and because my team won, I had a blast watching it. KU will always be first, but I choose to spend my cheering energy on basketball, when where we have a chance of winning ... although we did lose to Villanova. Ok, sick of my sports rambling on a food blog?  Yeah, me too. :)  Let's call it a post, alright?  Have a great day!