Five Little Things

Not sure where the week went, but it’s been busy with Back to School night, mini-milestones like my son getting his braces off (hurray to eating all the forbidden foods again!), getting used to new routines, and a lot of time behind the camera on various projects. I don’t know about you, but the weekend is most welcome!

Here are Five Little Things I loved this week:

1. Oodles of Noodles

Each week, a steaming bowl of pho is one of my family’s lunch rituals. I can never get enough, and it doesn’t matter if it’s 32° or 102° – I can always go for a bowl of noodle soup. Lately, I’ve been also making it at home – have you tried my faux pho (pho in a hurry!) or prime rib pho (bookmark it for the holidays – it’s awesome for leftovers). I also have a recipe for chicken pho, which my kids love.

2. The Salt Question

If you’ve ever cooked from my recipes, then you will know that I always recommend kosher salt. But not all kosher salt is the same. You may have noticed that I always recommend Diamond Crystal (affiliate) kosher salt — and when I receive a comment from a reader who feels that a dish may have come out too salty, my first question is what kind of salt did you use?.

In some cases, they will have used table salt, which is the saltiest of all. Or perhaps Morton Kosher Salt, whose crystal structure results in a flavor that is twice as salty as Diamond Crystal. This article about The Kosher Salt Question explains it quite well.

3. #coneonly

Cup or cone? Only the second biggest decision after you pick a flavor at the ice cream shop. I’m Team Cone all the way — even despite the fact that as a kid, and a very slow eater, this was potentially dangerous since I could never eat my ice cream fast enough before it melted all over my hands.

Fast forward to now, and I’m still Team Cone, and I love seeing that there is a #coneonly Cone Movement — not just for flavor, but because it’s the more eco-friendly option!

4. Shaolin Master

This video comes to you from my son — he shared this video of the training and testing involved to become a Shaolin warrior monk, and at first, I thought he was sharing kung fu movie footage, until I realized it was an incredibly fascinating piece. Follow along on the journey of a Buddhist warrior monk facing the test that will change the course of his life forever at the Shaolin Temple in China.

5. Forever Now

The first time I heard Forever Now it brought tears to my eyes…but when I finally saw the video this week, I’m bawling.

Here’s a tissue…happy weekend!