Benediction #43
two great weeknight recipes + the comfiest sneakers...ever?
Thanks for sharing in our joy when I announced our big news last week!
I spent a lot of time this week thinking about our nursery design, perusing baby clothing websites, and stalking registry must-have lists, but somehow I ended up with a full post of non-baby-related things. Annnnd this week’s recs are *solid*, if I do say so myself, so let’s jump right in:
eating
After too many first trimester weeks of takeout, frozen pizza, and chicken tenders, I finally feel back in the groove of meal planning…and can also trust my aversions enough to not suddenly hate something I planned. I made two new-to-me recipes this week that had Zach commenting that we were “eating like kings” 😂:
Flaky Chicken Pot Pie (Texaflora) — Y’ALL. This is my favorite recipe I’ve made in a long time… undoubtedly my fave of the year, if not longer. It was simple enough — store-bought pie crust for the bottom, frozen puff pastry for the top, homemade filling — but gosh, we absolutely devoured it. The recipe makes two pies, so I can foresee making a couple for the freezer in advance of baby coming. I wish I would have gotten a photo of the inside too, but it was gone before I got one, and I gave away the second pie! Notes: I used slow cooked chicken breasts rather than rotisserie chicken. My oven runs hot, but at 425* my pies only needed about 25 minutes, not 30.
“James’ Spaghetti” & Garlic Bread (Recipes for Tuesday) — If you’re looking for another Substack newsletter to add to your list, I highly recommend my friend and former co-worker Morgan’s new newsletter, Recipes for Tuesday! I made her spaghetti and garlic bread recipes this week and both were winners. I love suping up a jarred sauce like this, and the garlic bread was just *chef’s kiss.* I will mention that I used mild Italian sausage as it was all I could find, and I used a lot less red pepper flakes than the recipe (just a tsp or so). Served with Olive Garden-style salad.
reading
The Hospitable God by Lore Ferguson Wilbert — I came back to this blog post a couple times this week. My favorite part:
What I am learning, though, is that I have not entered into the hospitality of Jesus toward me. I have not stepped into the room he has made for me, allowed myself to feel the welcome of being in his abundant life, let myself be nurtured by him, and then released into living the life he has for me, even if it is a different life than the one he has for another.
Sometimes Jesus welcomes me to despair because he knows I will find my only good in him. Sometimes he welcomes me to joy because he knows he is its only source. Sometimes he nurtures me in one friendship and not another. Sometimes he releases me into something someone else would never choose for themselves. Sometimes he withholds what I would choose for myself because he has something different, not necessarily better, but just different.
loving
Hoka Clifton 8s in “blanc de blanc/white”— It took a while for the look of these to grow on me, but once I decided I needed a pair of comfy walking shoes, I knew these would more than likely be the winner. I’ve worn them all week (multiple neighborhood walks included) and they’re comfy as can be. This color looks white on the website but is actually the liiiightest lavender. Also highly recommend going into your nearest Fleet Feet and getting sized. I ended up getting a 7 wide… never worn a wide in my life, and I wear an 8 in most shoes.
Cuyana Zip Cardholder — This was a Chicago in-store purchase, but the shop didn’t have my preferred color (dark olive) in stock, so it just arrived this week. As I mentioned in my Insta stories earlier this week, I’m on a mission to make my personal effects a bit more baby/baby bag friendly (think a wristlet of my necessities that can go from bag to bag). Consolidating my wallet full of cards I don’t even regularly use into this pretty, more compact cardholder was the first step. This is my third Cuyana purchase and their leather is just buttery soft. I haven’t settled on a wristlet yet, but this one caught my eye while I was in their store.
One last note before I go: The Benediction Google Sheet is up to date again! One would think I would just automatically update this thing every week…
Wishing you well,
Mollie