June 30, 2024
Welcome to A Lovenote.
A weekly digest where I say hello and share. You’ll find your weekly meal plan + some things you didn’t ask for but might enjoy. I’m so glad you are here!
I just couldn’t wait!
So here I am on a Friday…sending you into the long weekend with all my thoughts and recipes and ideas. I’m sorry but I just couldn’t wait until Sunday!
This last stretch has been B.A.N.A.N.A.S. I’m sure it has for you too. Is everyone now officially on summer mode? We moved out of our house and the renters have arrived. It’s a huge job to pack us up, clean up and get out of the house. Then we drove to Syracuse with a car full of boys and moms for a lacrosse tournament. It was so much fun! I did my favourite thing ever - hit up Target…TWICE! We came to the cottage with cousins and friends for a couple of days, but then had to go back and forth to the city for a few things. I am slowly starting to feel settled into our summer routine….which is to say…no real routine at all!
I’m excited to share what’s on my mind so let’s dive in!
Cottage Life when the sun’s out! We had cousins and friends and sun and surf, we had easy nights and breezy days and it was EXHAUSTING! We ate non-stop! These teens are hungry! And it was perfect. I’m so glad to be home!
WHAT I DID THIS WEEK
I wrote the Simple yet Special Long weekend Menu which was overdue but turned out so perfect! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
I finally put all my thoughts about Airbnb’ing our house into a blog post. If you have any other questions that I didn’t answer, please let me know. It’s a great way to earn extra money when you are away from your home.
I shared this appetizer which you guys loved and I’ve since made it several times. Also, this Lemon Basil Burrata appetizer is an exclusive to the Long Weekend Menu and I think you’ll love it!
What caught my eye this week
LISTENING to Sahil Bloom on the Liz Moody Podcast. I think we get very caught up in our own busyness that it’s important to pause and reflect on what IS working. On the podcast, Sahil gave really tangible and granular suggestions on how to refocus on the positive. I loved the reminder.
I am listening to Gary Vee’s Day Trading Attention for the 2nd time. There is just so much to take in! I mentioned this in my last newsletter. If you are in business in any capacity, I highly recommend you pick up this book. It’s a wealth of knowledge about how to grow in business in the current age.
BOUGHT this WEEK We arrived at the cottage without an air fryer 😱! So, I bought one to keep there. I now own 3! I have this one (it’s on sale) and one with a double basket (that I love) but is no longer available. The Ninja baskets are dishwasher safe and it’s currently my favourite kitchen appliance!
The Studio McGee for Target line had me swooning. I wanted one of each but just didn’t have the space in my car. :(
DRINKING Shandy’s! My mom used to make these when I was growing up and I forgot about them. It’s like a Radler, but super easy to make at home and you can use non-alcoholic beer.
STOCKING UP As we head into the summer entertaining season, I was thinking about gifts that I can have on hand to take to a dinner party or a gathering of any sort. I feel it’s important to always bring something…even if the host tells you “not to bring a thing!”…please do, bring a thing. Hosting takes effort and it’s nice to show your appreciation. Lately, I’m stocking up on fancy chocolates that can serve as a gift or as dessert. I also love the idea of gifting bougie cleaning supplies. The counter spray is my favourite. An inexpensive cutting board with a fun set of napkins tied with a nice bow goes a long way. I also like to gift a seasonal cookbook.
READING The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza. It’s currently free on Audible and I’m so tired at night I might need to switch to the audio version!
I loved learning about the daily habits of happiness experts.
EATING Focaccia! With the kids being home from school, I’ve been distracted and messed up 2 of my last batches of sourdough! But they were salvaged by turning them into a flatbread with lots of olive oil and salt. Then we cut it into thin slices and dip it in balsamic and olive oil! Simple and so good! If you want me to show you how, let me know and I‘ll film a reel for it. I think special bread needs a whole section on my blog!
Looking for past issues of A Lovenote? Catch up on what you missed with Episode 23 and Episode 24 and Episode 25
NEW
MENU
IS
Just in time for the Long Weekend, grab my Simple yet Special done-for-you Long Weekend Menu Plan to help take the hassle out of feeding your people this weekend.
Fun things to make and eat this week…..
Recent posts
Let’s do yoga!
Don’t forget that I have a library of classes available on my website for you to access anytime this summer. Before I started cooking on the internet, I was/am a yoga teacher!
I will be adding at least 1 class a week to the library through the summer months for my students, and you can join too!
I’d like to kick us off with an instagram live class this week. Would you been keen? If so, can you reply to this email and just let me know if you’d prefer an AM class (7:00-7:45am) or an evening class (6:00-6:45pm)
Thank you for being here!
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I would LOVE to hear from you! Please let me know what is on your mind and how I can help!
These easy protein peanut butter and jam cups are the perfect midday treat. Rich and creamy peanut butter center, with a dollop of sweet jam hidden inside, they taste so good you won't even be able to tell these are packed with protein!