I wanted to pass along these things that have become staples in my home. Hope you enjoy! 2 salad dressings, 2 podcasts and 2 prayers.

These 2 vinaigrette dressings are on repeat for me.

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

If you want a spicy, savory vinaigrette – this Chipotle Vinaigrette is a great one! It is inspired by Chipotle restaurant’s dressing. When we get Chipotle, I always order a salad. One day they didn’t have dressing, so on the way home with our take out I googled “copy cat Chipotle vinaigrette” and I found this recipe. Luckily I had all of the ingredients at home. I have been making it ever since. (The only thing that’s maybe not regularly on hand for me is the can of Chipotle in adobo sauce, but now I keep a jar in my pantry- and since the recipe only uses 1/3 of the can I put the rest in a ziplock in the freezer for the next use.)

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

borrowed from Once Upon A Chef

• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¾ cup canola oil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor or immersion blender (my favorite method) and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

(This is great on a green salad with Mexican type ingredients- or this week we paired it with sour cream as a dipping sauce for bean and cheese quesadillas!)

Favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette

If you want a savory, versatile vinaigrette- this Balsamic Vinaigrette is a winner! It comes from Carolina Gelen, a hip, young, multi-lingual Romanian chef that my son introduced me to. Her balsamic vinaigrette video wooed me to try it and it is ON POINT. I have made it on repeat. My family loves it. It works with so many different salads and toppings.

Favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette

borrowed from Carolina Gelen

1 shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup – the real kind

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

a big pinch of kosher salt, about 1 tsp.

Add the shallot, garlic, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and salt into a blender (I use an immersion blender and a jar). Blend until smooth. While blending, slowly stream in the olive oil to emulsify. Taste and adjust to taste. Keeps in the fridge for ~2 weeks.

2 Podcasts I love

I love podcasts. As my children are flying away from the nest, and my high schooler has less interest in chatting with me, I have more quiet that longs to be filled with meaningful conversation. Kate Bowler and Kelly Corrigan have been my go-to Podcasters this season. They have thoughtful, real, articulate, insightful and inspiring conversations that I cherish and that nourish me.

So, if you are looking for inspiration, insight, authenticity, smart, thoughtful podcasts, I submit:

Kelly Corrigan Wonders

and

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

and as a bonus- the two of them teamed up with a 2 part podcast together entitled “the Crappy Happy Files” which are delightful!

2 Prayers

The 2 prayers that have bookended my days these past several months have been from Lectio 365. The thoughtfully curated scriptures, prayers, readings and prompts for prayer- spoken by lovely people from the UK have been such a gift. The morning prayer sets the course of my day. And during the dark evenings, after many gray-days, the evening prayer has felt like God tucking me in bed. It’s a free app.

I need easy yummy recipes, inspiring things to listen to and centering prayers to focus my days during these winter months. And the joy is increased by sharing these and gleaning from others the same!