"My Friday 5"

Several of the blogs I love to read have weekly posts that detail out the writer's 5 most favorite things for that week..

I have enjoyed those posts so much...found numerous new online sites, great books, adorable clothes, new delicious recipes and many, many other interesting and inviting places to visit and sights to see..

Well, as inspiration generally goes, those postings have inspired me to come up with

"My Friday 5"

My favorite people, places and things for the week..

Hope you enjoy my favorites as much as I have enjoyed others.

1.  Re-discovering camping and the peace-fullness of getting away from 

it all..spending some time with the people you love and the thoughts you think..

So having said that, I aim to put my re-discovery to work in my life..but before I do we will definitely need a few things like this..

We did have a tent and it was a nice one, but as lending goes, our son borrowed it to go camping with his buddies and the tent came back, torn and with none of the stuff you need to put it up...

I really like this one and I especially love the little flaps in the front that protect the door area for the elements...

Next I will need one of these for darn sure...

Because we are old people and we need to sleep and get up in the morning not half dead...

Have to have one of these...

And it has to be a 2 person sleeping bag because after sleeping away from my hubby for 4 years I am never going to do it again!!!

Oh and lastly one of these..

Because I have to read before I sleep..no question about that..

2. This show...

I love this show!!!

Something about seeing hard working people doing what they love!

And I actually like this guy too...he cracks me up..

3.  Now I admit this is kind of weird..but let me explain..

I like things to be tidy and I especially like to have my dishes be sparkly clean..I know, I know..lame huh?  But honestly I appreciate my dishwasher, but there is something about doing dishes by hand in soft, bubbly water...standing there thinking about things and looking out the windows over my sink at my beautiful flower garden..

So here is the weird part...

I love this dish soap...

It brings back memories honestly...I remember having dish duty when I was a young girl at home and using this same soap.

4.  The weather has started to change from the mid 90's at the first of the week which just about killed me...to the very pleasant fallish low to mid 70's..

Having said this...done are the nights of sleeping with just the sheets or nothing at all..to having my snuggly, cuddly comforter..

This isn't my bed, but this is my down comforter and I love, love, love it...!!

and lastly.....

5. A big pot of yummy homemade soup...

Sausage, Kale and Lentil Soup

Courtesy of the lovely Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound hot sausage, bulk or casing removed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped, leafy tops reserved
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 large Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and chopped into small dice
• 1 Fresno or Holland chile pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bundle Tuscan, black, or dinosaur kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup white wine
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups lentils
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water

Directions

In a soup pot or large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces, and cook until lightly brown. Add the onions, celery, carrots, potato, chile pepper, rosemary, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook to soften, 8 to10 minutes.

Wilt in the kale, and season the kale leaves with a little freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the tomato pastefor 30 seconds, then add white wine. Cook to reduce by 1/2 and stir in the lentils, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately or cool, store, and reheat. Serve with chopped celery greens, to garnish..

Yummmmmmmmm...

So there you go...my 5 most favoritist things for this week..

Off to watch this show and listen to my husband laugh his butt off...to dah loo!!

Me