Raindrops on roses

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…brown paper packages tied up with strings…

These are a few of my favorite things*:

  1. Damask reusable bag — this pretty decorative bag from Pier 1 makes it soooo easy to be a little more earth-friendly (ditch the plastic bags, people).
  2. Frontera salsa — my obsession started with the tomatillo salsa, which I use for my soon-to-be-famous heuvos rancheros. But, I love all the styles (and Rick Bayless).
  3. Dark Choco Dream — a Belgian dark spreadable chocolate found at Whole Foods. It is delicious with bananas, croissants, pancakes (or, licked off a spoon).
  4. Cinnamon — a few sprinkles go in my coffee every day, and I love the flavor in Mexican dishes, curries, and pancakes. Not too mention the numerous health benefits associated with the spice.
  5. Maker’s Mark Bourbon — bourbon, my friend, you helped get me through a long, cold, lonely winter. And, I’m planning to keep you around for the spring (so many ways to use it!).
  6. Wilco album — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was my first album, so it will always have a special place in my heart. But, if I was stranded on a desert island, I’d probably take Kicking Television.
  7. New York Times — I’m one of the twelve people left who actually have a daily newspaper delivered. I’m loyal to the Washington Post, but I would trade just about any magazine subscription for the NYT weekender (Friday-Sunday). The Sunday edition alone gives you enough reading material for days. Fave sections include: Arts, Sunday Styles, NYT Magazine, and the Corner Office column.
  8. Cashews — rediscovered this yummy snack when looking to add more protein to my diet.
  9. The Unbearable Lightness of Being — I read this masterful novel by Czech author Milan Kundera upon my return from Prague (actually bought my copy there in a tiny bookstore).
  10. Yoga — in my opinion, there’s nothing like it when you want to take your mind to another place. I go to my local yoga studio, Mind the Mat, at least twice a week. And, I’ve recently downloaded the Pocket Yoga app for at home practice.

*Background on my favorite things: My lovely group of friends have started a tradition. Every Spring, with a budget of $50, we put 10 of our favorite things in a basket (or a decorative damask reusable bag). We meet for dinner, draw names, and exchange baskets. It is So.Much.Fun. It is fun to get a basket of goodies, fun to hear friends talk about why these items are their favorite, fun just to hang out.

I touched on this concept last year. And, I still consider every item on the 2009 list one of my faves (with the exception of the battery-powered toothbrush–I’ve gone back to a regular toothbrush).

Ms. S&C wants to know: what favorite things would you put in your basket?

posted by Ms. S&C

One response to “Raindrops on roses

  1. May I just say, you continue to impress me. A., the reading of the NY Times on a daily basis – WOW. B.) you gotta love a woman who loves bourbon, the smell alone makes me gag and 3.) may I introduce Ray LaMontagne if you havent heard of him, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_6?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=ray+lamontagne&sprefix=Ray+La.

    I enjoyed listening to the samples on Wiki from Wilco, who I’d never heard of before your post.
    :-)

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