Monday Morning Perk Up

Mondays are hard. Let's start the week off on a sunny note with some fun favorites!

Food We've Been Loving:
Renee: I've been meal prepping most of our food on Sundays lately. It's great since work has been so crazy. My recent favorites?

• I prepped this crockpot beef stew when I had a friend coming over for dinner. She brought poppyseed bread that we didn't dip into the stew, but was a great side to this dish! Plus leftovers are a big thumbs up.
• These banana chia seed muffins will make all the dense muffin lovers super happy :)
• I can't get over how indulgently amazing these funfetti buttercreams look! I haven't made them yet, but they'd be the perfect party dessert! 

Lauren: I have not been practicing the fine art of meal prepping lately, but I have found a few winners when I've taken the time to get into the kitchen.  

• Like this Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage and Kale.  Would i get sick of it if I had it for dinner every night this week?   Maybe, but I'd be willing to take that chance!  It's so delicious and easier to make than you'd think.  Bonus: the leftovers heat up great for lunch the next day!
•  Fluffernutter Rice Krispie Treats.  In the infamous words of Ina: how bad could that be? These sold out fast at a work bake sale - and the few extras I kept at home didn't stick around too long either.

Garlic and Rosemary Artichoke Balls Appetizer Recipe

Don't you just love appetizers? Chips and dips, fried vegetables, breads and cheeses, and small bites! They're all so wonderful!

Wouldn't you be happy with just ordering a few apps at a restaurant and then going straight to dessert? Is that just me? Clearly I have a major app love. Do you? Even if you don't, these garlicky artichoke balls make a perfect side dish for dinner, topped on salads, or just as a quick snack. Hot or cold, they work both ways! I can attest to all options.

Put it to the Test: The Makeup Eraser Review

So I bought a $20 washcloth.  Let's just get that out there.  Curiosity got the better of me, and I had to see if this Makeup Eraser thing was all it was cracked up to be.  The claims are that this little pink rag can remove all of your makeup with just warm water.  So I put it to the test!