Food and cheer and song #1

Three things I've fallen in love with this week

Food

I came across this Smitten Kitchen recipe for Broccoli Melts a little while back and I can’t stop making them. I am obsessed. Frankly, it’s a little weird how obsessed I am. In the photo below, I used some focaccia rolls that I had that needed to be used up, and they were perfect, so I’ve done that since more than once. I’ve considered putting the top and bottom together after the broiling and making a sandwich out of it but I haven’t done it yet. It’ll happen eventually. Like, if I have to go somewhere right after making them, I can slap the two halves together and wrap it up and go. And then if I run into someone, and they ask me what I’m eating, I can say “I’m eating a broccoli sandwich” and I just think that’ll be really funny. Maybe I need to get out more. That might only be funny to me.

Anyway, definitely make these. They can be an awesome appetizer. They can be a meal. A side. They can be whatever you want them to be, as long as what you want is flavorful broccoli on toasty bread covered in toasted cheese. Don’t skimp on the red pepper flakes. Don’t over-steam the broccoli, either. You want it to still have some texture.

So good. Like pretty much every recipe on Smitten Kitchen.

Cheer

There’s a lot going on in the world right now that has nothing to do with cheer, no? But I’m not ready to fall into despair. I’m still looking every day for moments that bring me cheer.

During the pandemic, I acquired a habit of having fresh flowers around the house. I’d buy a little bouquet at the grocery store about once a week, and for a while I had a monthly subscription to The Flower Mamas, and one of their gorgeous arrangements arrived each month. But that ran out, and due to traveling a bunch I haven’t renewed yet, and I haven’t had fresh flowers around for a long time. Then my cousin sent me a lovely arrangement, and now I’m hooked again. (I believe these came from Maley’s Flower Shoppe).

It’s amazing what fresh flowers can do for my mood. Little luxuries sometimes make a world of difference.

Song

I had to do some waiting in my car today, and while I was doing that, a song by Lucius popped up on the radio: “Next to Normal” from their new album Second Nature (this is a link to the whole album on Spotify because that’s what I use, but please find it on your music service of choice!). I kept having to wait, so I queued it up on Spotify and grooved out to it a few more times, and now it’s in regular rotation on the ole favorites playlist.

*Please note: I provide links to services, shops, goods, etc. where appropriate because I loved whatever it was they provided to me and want to share. I am not affiliated with either of the florists I linked above!