May Favorites
I thought it would be fun if I took a moment each month to let you know what things are currently striking my fancy, so here goes the May installment! Current favorites:
Song: Girl Named Tennessee by Needtobreathe. My friends and I had our own little dance party when this song was played at the concert we went to a few weeks ago. We went crazy rocking out to the upbeat tempo, singing the lyrics at the top of our lungs. It's just one of those feel-good kind of songs that makes you crank up the volume and dance like nobody's watching.
Book: Restless: Because You Were Made for More by Jennie Allen. This book prompted me to slow down and take some time reflecting upon my past, my passions, and how God might be using the different parts of my life and personality to point me to a way to spend my life serving Him in a way that gives my life new purpose. I loved how the book coupled encouragement and teaching from Jennie with introspective questions designed to get the reader to really examine his or her own life.
Blog: Minimalist Baker. I have grown to be such a foodie over the last year or two, and I really appreciate recipes that use a short list of ingredients, especially when they're healthy, too. These recipes always look so delicious, and they motivate me to make good food.
Food: I made the most delicious homemade pizza over the weekend. It was so good that I made it again the next day. I started by cooking red and white onion slices in oil in a skillet, then I added broccoli, tomato, spinach, and avocado to the mix. Once it was all sufficiently cooked, I removed it and set it aside. Then I cooked a tortilla in the same pan, topped it with pizza sauce, a little bit of mozzarella, my sautéed veggies, and some basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, and parmesan cheese. It was heavenly.
App: Grocery IQ. I like that I can add things to my list of favorite items, which makes generating my weekly grocery list much simpler. I also can customize the aisles of the store to allow my list to appear in the order in which I will find the items in the store, instead of having a haphazard list (which is what happens when I write it on my own). And I can add prices for the items so I can stay within my budget every week without trying to do mental math as I pick things up in the store. The app also syncs with the web version, so you can update your list on your computer or phone.
Store: Aldi. The small building may not look impressive, but that's one of the things I actually like. With very little besides food, I am not tempted to buy things I don't need (like I do when I go to larger stores that have more to offer besides groceries). Because the store is so small, I also spend far less time wandering the aisles. I go in with a list, which is also helpful, but I am able to find exactly what I'm looking for much faster than I can in larger stores. Their prices are also very affordable, which works really well for me. Since switching to Aldi, I have cut my grocery budget to about a third of what it used to be. I have come to really like some of their store brands, and their website has some great recipe ideas.
Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite things?