A Few of My Favorite Things: July's List

1. That photo
We spent two days visiting my brother- and sister-in-law and nephew. They live and work at a gorgeous boarding school within driving(!) distance of our new house. Lee actually took this shot, and it takes my breath away every time I look at it. We were walking across the lawn after dinner. The sunset over the mountains was magnificent, catching the eye of even the littlest among us. I love the wide green expanse of grass, the fiery orange horizon, the towering trees, the clouds painted across the sky, and her tiny little self drinking in the view.


2. Kind Fruit & Nut Bars
I always like to have a portable snack with me when we're out and about. I noticed my sister-in-law munching on these and had to try them. Oh. My. Goodness. So yummy! They do a great job of keeping me going and are good for me too. My favorite flavors are Almond & Apricot and Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate. I see from their website that there are some new flavors that I'm going to have to hunt down soon.


3. Borrowing cookbooks from the library
I did a big cookbook giveaway before we moved, only keeping my most favorite ones. Our new library has a fantastic cookbook selection so I checked out a few that have been on my wish list. It was a free way to give them each a test drive before spending the money and finding more shelf space in my kitchen. I had fun reading through them and cooking from them for a couple weeks before returning them. Of the four I checked out, there was only one that I'd like to have in my own collection.


4. Kinfolk Magazine
This magazine has been on my mental list of favorites for a few months now. I haven't written about it yet because I'm not exactly sure what to write, how to do it justice. It combines three of my loves...photography, writing, and food. It's printed on heavy matte paper, more book-like than glossy magazine. Perhaps only bibliophiles will understand this, but I even love the way the pages smell. The marriage of paper and ink makes me want to stick my nose right into the middle and breathe deeply. It's the kind of magazine that I pick up when I only have a few moments to myself. I can take a minute, read a whole story (they're short), rest in the photos, and feel ready to begin again.