It’s feeling like fall around here. However, it was 88° on Saturday, a bit too warm for my blood for October. How about where you live? Do you love fall weather? Pop down to the comments at the bottom, and let me know!
I’ve got two amazing and easy 30-minute(ish) recipes, great for game day snacks, holiday appetizers, and just a quick weeknight meal!
This week’s newsletter is filled with great recipes, September book reviews, remodel updates, and a little inspiration.
What I’m Makin’ | Sliders
Hawaiian Roll Sliders are the best, and if you have never made them, now is the time to try! I’ve got a couple of news ones (and more coming). They make the best quick meals, are always a hit at every party I bring them too.
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Quick and Easy Pizza Sliders Recipe with Hawaiian Rolls
Need an easy weeknight dinner or delicious appetizer? These easy pizza sliders are for you! Easy to customize for the entire family and ready in 30 minutes or less!
Best Baked Funeral Sandwiches (Ham and Cheese Sliders)
Best Baked Funeral Sandwiches (Ham and Cheese Sliders), these are gobbled up every time I make them, people rave about them! Great to use leftover ham or deli sliced ham.
More great slider recipes
- Roast Beef Sliders, are super good, great for the holidays.
- Philly Cheesesteak Sliders Recipe, my most popular slider recipe
- Easy Baked Meatball Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
- Easy Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls (30 Minute Meal)
- Easy Breakfast Egg Sandwich Recipe (Breakfast Sliders), these are on repeat in our house.
- Easy Oven Baked Turkey and Cheese Sliders Recipe
In the here and now | Real-life stories
We had a quieter week this past week, yet it sped by quickly. Our house was put back together enough that I could finally host a birthday dinner for one of my girlfriends. Oh, it felt so good to have people over again! I made my shawarma chicken (a favorite)! We had so much fun talking, laughing — just being together.
And I finally did a little fall decorating.
We popped up to take our youngest to lunch, buy him some groceries, and spend a little time with him; that was so good! I feel the need to do that with our oldest too, but he’s further away; I’ve got to figure that one out!
Main Floor Remodel Update | Week 13
Yay, some finish work is being done on our remodel; we are slowly returning furniture to each room, and updating things. Our contractor finished our built-in hall/mudroom cubbies, he just needs to hang the hooks (yay!) he’s built the cabinet base for the utility sink, and I started moving my small appliances into my cubbies and into the pantry.
Have you tried…
- Tomato Bisque Soup – Make it with canned tomatoes or garden tomatoes. A great way to use up some older, wrinkled tomatoes!
- Easy-peasy bow-tie pasta is made in the instant pot! Add some grilled chicken for some protein.
- Have you tried a Christmas Morning Chai Latte? Pssst, not just for Christmas morning!
- Whip up this simple Pumpkin Yogurt!! Great for a chilly weekend breakfast!
A giggle
This makes me laugh! We need to get back to these kinds of “chats” in person, no emojis, nothing touched up, just real life!
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What Readers Are Saying about…
Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread
October is cornbread and chili season! Enjoy these family favorites!
“Highly recommend this delicious cornbread! It was the perfect blend to satisfy my whole family. We all like our cornbread differently. It’s been tricky to satisfy everyone’s different taste for years. And now I’ve found the perfect recipe! Not too sweet, but enough to satisfy the sweet pith. Not to dry, but not so moist it’s cake like. And it cuts nicely. Before this mine were very crumbly. Thanks so much ♥️♥️♥️
Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe {Buttermilk Cornbread}
A deliciously succulent sweet buttermilk cornbread, with a slightly sweet and tender crumb; serve warm dripping with butter and honey. Is a great side with chili, soups or stews.
Cinnamon Chili Recipe (Firecracker Chili)
Spicy, but not HOT Firecracker cinnamon chili. Give this delicious, but unusually spiced chili a try, adding shredded zucchini to increase the nutritional value and flavor! A healthy best ever chili recipe1
What Caught My Eye | Sales and Deals
Check out the below items HERE! Plus, previous week’s finds!
September Book Review
- Project Hail Mary | I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite make it through this book, the first part held me captive, but the middle lost me in the scientific details, and I just couldn’t pick it back up.
- The Search for God and Guinness | I loved this book, a non-fiction biographical history of the Guinness family and the generosity that changed the world.
- The Best Summer of Our Lives | by Rachel Hauk, loved this story set in the ’70s and 90’s following 4 friends through some turbulent times bringing them back together with forgiveness, transparency and love.
What I’m Loving | Thanksgiving Must-Haves
Below are my favorite kitchen helpers for making your Thanksgiving feast.
- All-Clad Roasting Pan with a nonstick roasting rack. It is an investment but used for years to come. On Sale
- Gravy-Fat Separator: this tool has saved me so much time and grease! LOL!
- I love and still use my electric knife, a great meat fork, and a large cutting board to hold the turkey juices.
- I use these Staub bakers all season long; they bake and clean up beautifully. ON SALE!
BROWSE MY AMAZON STOREFRONT
Weekly Inspiration | Kindness is Contagious
I heard this story on the radio this week and was so touched by Jennifer Garner’s contagious kindness that inspired a man “stalking her for pictures” to give generously too.
A paparazzo caught actor Jennifer Garner performing a touching act of kindness. Instead of being annoyed at having the moment filmed by the photographer, she asked him to help.
Garner was at the beach in Santa Monica, California, handing out bags of necessities to the homeless when she came across a man in a wheelchair who had no socks or shoes. Garner took the socks off her feet, gave them to the man and then attempted to hand over her shoes, but they were too small.
Garner then briskly walked over to the photographer filming her and asked him for assistance.
“What size feet do you have?” she asked the photographer repeatedly. “Can I buy your shoes for him? He needs a shoe.” When the random paparazzo asked what size feet the homeless man was, Garner replied, “10 and a half.”
“Oh, I’m 11! Want me to give it to him? I can give it to him,” he responded, adding that Garner didn’t have to pay him for the shoes. The photographer had a blanket to give to the homeless man as well.
When Garner came across the man in the wheelchair, she was handing out plastic bags filled with necessities, similar to those Upworthy reported on in March of 2022. Garner created a viral video for Instagram that showed how the average person could make bags to give a “random act of kindness” to someone in need.
The underlying message of the post is that with a bit of forethought and preparedness, we all can help people experiencing homelessness.
Upworthy
Kindness matters, I love how Jennifer lives her faith out loud!
I pray you have a beautiful weekend! Thank you for supporting The Fresh Cooky! God bless your fall!
P.S. If you missed last week’s Fresh Fridays, recipes, sales, tips, ideas, and more!
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Joy
Jennifer’s generosity and care for the homeless blessed me. As you do Liebling! What an inspiration. Must try the chile. Joy
Thank you, Mom!!