Friday Favorites

Key Lime Pie, summer must-reads, Kindle brightness hacks, my newest Texas toile PJ obsession.

Welcome to Friday Favorites! This quick glimpse of my week goes out to all subscribers (free and paid). I include a fan-favorite recipe, something I’m watching, reading, or listening to, a recent find, and a weekly win.

What I’m Cooking

Key Lime Pie! Although I’m craving it, I’m trying to watch my sugar intake, so I don’t know if I can make it right now. I just posted the recipe on my blog, so be sure to check it out. We also posted a roundup of Memorial Day Weekend menu ideas that are perfect for entertaining.

You can find all the SITK recipes I’ve shared on Substack in my Recipe Index.

What I’m Reading

I finished One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune and it’s the perfect beach or pool read. I’ve started The Bright Years and Kindle tells me I’m 20% finished, so that will probably be my Memorial Day Weekend read. I also have Jojo Moyes We All Live Here on my list because I love everything she writes. Just curious: for those of you who are book lovers, do you read on a Kindle or do you prefer good old-fashioned paperbacks? I wish I could read from a book, but my husband goes to sleep early and it’s easier for me to continue reading incognito with the lower light of my Kindle Paperwhite. It also can’t be beat for travel in terms of cutting down on bulk in your carry-on. One gripe I have about my e-reader is that when I turn the page, there’s a quick, bright flash. If this hurts your eyes like it hurts mine (I sometimes get migraines from bright lights), you can do more than turn down the brightness on your Kindle. Go to Settings, then Reading Options, and toggle off Page Refresh. This will reduce the flash on every page turn. The page-turning flash is also more noticeable in Dark Mode, which is what I tend to read in. If you’re not a Kindle user, stop snoring and jump ahead to shopping picks!

What I’m Coveting

There are LOTS of good sales this weekend, but before we get into that, I must share my newest PJ obsession. I met Katie Kime at a dinner I hosted for the Southern C at my farm near Round Top. I was already a fan of her Texas Toile prints, but I didn’t own a pair of her PJs (until now!). I love the red and blue colorway of the Texas Toile PJ pants set I just ordered. If you have a high school daughter headed to SMU or Ol Miss, this would be a great gift to match their school colors. In other news, my email is flooded with 1027 emails about weekend sales. AYR, which makes a recent favorite jean, is having a great sale, as is Mother. Veronica Beard has an extra 20% off sale pricing with code MDW2025. I’m also wondering if I should take advantage of the Serena & Lily sale and get this bed for one of the guest rooms at our farm. It currently has two twin beds, which was great for sleepovers over the past five years, but now my 5’9” daughter hangs off the end or has to sleep curled in a ball.

This Week’s Win

I wrote about a disappointing comment about my cookbook on Instagram, and received so much support from you all, as well as quite a few cookbook orders! A friend shared this quote and I saved it to a note in my phone to reference again whenever I need it.

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Engaging with Substack writers by liking and commenting on posts and notes, even as free subscribers, is a valuable way to show your support. Your involvement makes a big difference!

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Check out all my past Friday Favorite items on my ShopMy page. Using an affiliate link is an easy way to show your support, at no cost to you. It doesn’t add up to much, but helps “keep the lights on.

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GIFT CARD

Looking for a birthday or “just because” gift for your best friend, mom, sister, or aunt Sally? I have the perfect idea! You can gift a subscription to my Substack! The annual subscription can start whenever you want!

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Order my award-winning cookbook, Dinner is Done! It includes over 100 weeknight and family-friendly recipes, including chapters on meatless mains, fish and sauces, appetizers and snacks, cocktails, desserts and more.