Friday's Favorites: Mish-Mash.

Today's Friday's Favorites is a mish-mash of things I love because I couldn't decide on just one.

1) America.  Today is Veterans' Day and it is always a poignant reminder to me how fortunate I am to live in the good old U S of A.  I am so grateful for our Armed Forces who make tremendous sacrifices for all of us, each and every day.  These men and women tear themselves away from their spouses, sweet little children, parents, and everything else familiar, for the sole reason that they desire to protect our great nation.  In my personal opinion, I cannot think of a more admirable occupation. So, from me to you-- thank you to all of our military. Your hard work and sacrifices do not go unnoticed. Thank you to all the families who have sleepless nights while a loved one is fighting abroad, have moved half of dozen times from one base to another, and who give love and support to their men & women in uniform. You are in our prayers daily.  God Bless America!

2) Days off Work. The bank is closed on Veterans' Day, so it's a holiday for me!  These types of holidays are one of my favorites (really, I love any and every holiday though) because it's more of a "catch up" day for me.  This morning, I have already been to Target and Publix, baked some goodness (see #3), watched the Today Show, folded some laundry, and made a list of the Christmas decorations I need to buy.  I'd say that's considerably impressive since the clock just hit 11 AM.  When the rest of the working world punches the clock at 5 today, I will have already completed all my weekend errands, meaning the rest of the weekend is mine. All mine.

3) Pumpkins. I love anything and everything pumpkin.  Pumpkin-spiced lattes. Pumpkin Bread. Pumpkin Pie. Pumpkin Gelato. Pumpkin soup. Pretty much, if you put some pumpkin in it, I will eat it. No complaints.  Last night, my book club (I realize this sounds so incredibly dorky, so just go with it) had an outing (see #4) and we grabbed dinner at Hunter Gatherer beforehand.  Their special dessert was Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Pecan Praline Sauce (My mouth starts to water just typing that out). I didn't try theirs, but I just couldn't get it off my mind (food has a tendency to hijack my thoughts quite often), so when my eyes flew open this morning and my tummy growled, I knew I was going to have to make my own.   After researching some recipes on the internet, I didn't find any that looked delicious and fatty enough, so (like the chili a few weeks ago), I decided to be adventurous and create my own.  The bread cubes are soaking up their special sauce right now, and after she bakes up all golden & delicious this afternoon, if she is any good, I'll post the recipe on here...  If she's bad, I'll never speak of this again.

4) When a movie based on a book is just as good as the book.  My book club recently read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, and I discovered that the movie Sarah's Key was playing at the Nickelodeon Theater this week only. We decided to go grab dinner and see the movie.  So, if you were wondering if we were actually intellectual (read: dorky) enough to have regular Book Club outings in addition to meeting each month, the answer is no. We're not that cerebral, but I will say, it was a ton of fun! I digress. Sarah's Key was a great book. Not my absolute favorite book ever, but definitely worth reading if you are looking for a thought-provoking, quick read.  What I loved most about Sarah's Key is that as I left the movie last night, I was not at all disappointed that the movie didn't match the book, as I usually am with these sorts of films (The Nanny Diaries was the most disappointing one for me, to date.) Sure, the movie left out some details and changed some events around for cinematic purposes, but it was fantastic! I really feel as though the movie enhanced my opinion of the book, and I enjoyed both the book and the movie equally, which I feel is very rare.  I think every one else agreed, as well.  So, if you have a chance, read Sarah's Key, but if you are not a "reader", the movie is great, too!  It's an Indie film, so not sure if it's on NetFlix or not...

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has a great weekend!