Favorite Things Friday #14

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Hey friends! Happy Friday:)

Let’s dive right in on the goodies, mmmkay??

1. Faux green plant from Target

I’m just totally digging this little guy right here. His crazy self, the way he’s all wacky and wild and vibrant…just makes me happy. I actually JUST told my mom I was on the lookout for a real plant that was a little different, and something that would cascade out of its pot a bit…then I spotted this at Target the very next day. Still want to find a real one that mimics this fun and haphazard look, but in the meantime, this one looks awesome on my table! Only problem is, I love it in two different spots in this room! 😉 Here in the nook…

…and here by the couch…(look past Charlie in the corner there;). Guess I’ll have to grab a real one and put it in one of those spots!

Here’s a link if you wanna check it out (I recently bought it, so you might have luck finding it in store too)! Faux Vine Plant in Pot 

2. Martha Stewart 6 Quart Dutch Oven

With the brutally cold winter we’ve been having, this pot has been working hard. Soups, stews, chilis, I am such a sucker for all the cozy meals and I have to say, I do love the food that winter brings! Makes the negative degree weather *almost* worth it;) I got this pot a couple years ago and it is in phenomenal shape – I mean, you can’t even tell I use the heck out of it! It was worth every penny in my opinion, and I think every kitchen should have an awesome big ol’ pot. I can’t find my grey one on Amazon, but I did find this red one: (affiliate link)

(I’ve seen the grey one on other websites, but $180 was the cheapest I found!)

In fact, I’m having some friends over for lunch today and made one of my favorite soup recipes to serve in it. Which brings me to my next favorite thing!…

3. Butternut Squash Soup

When I moved out on my own, I became totally obsessed with Food Network. Rachael, Emeril, Giada, Tyler, Paula, Ina…I loved them all and they taught me so much about cooking. Still love them (you know how I feel about Ree Drummond!), but back then, I would have it on 24/7 and print out every recipe I thought looked yummy and stuck it in a binder. One of these droolworthy episodes was when Giada De Laurentiis made Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini. (Link here: Giada De Laurentiis’ Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini ). I made it once and it became a Fall and Winter staple immediately. It is THAT GOOD. Pair it with a yummy salad, and you can’t beat it for a light lunch! So go call your friends and set up a lunch soon – while the weather is cold, it’s a great excuse to fire up that dutch oven and cozy up with a cup of soup and some girlfriends – and it’s pretty guilt-free, so treat yourself to some lemon bars or brownies to top it off;) Sounds like the perfect afternoon to me!

Have a great weekend, all!

XO, Liz