December Favorites and a Sublime Broccoli Puree with Parmesan and Lemon

Happy Monday!  If you’re here for the Broccoli Puree with Parmesan and Lemon recipe, that’s bonus content for paid subscribers.  Scroll to the bottom!

How is everyone holding up?  I am sloooooowly chipping away at the gift list and trying to work AND eat healthfully and work out and help my daughter plan her wedding.  All blessings, yes, but I am looking forward to actually having a minute to be with family and celebrate the holidays!

Here are some good things that came on my radar lately:

Went to a holiday party and OMG the entire dining room table was covered with charcuterie and crudites and cheese and it had such WOW factor!  There was plastic underneath parchment paper and everything was beautifully arranged on the parchment and dips and oily things were in bowls.  Very easy to duplicate and such a fun idea.  You could do this on a kitchen counter too!

You know I’m not much of a drinker but I do love a cocktail with amaro, which is a bitter Italian liquor.  I can’t drink Campari or Aperol because the red food coloring makes my nervous system buzzy, but I do like Amaro Nonnino, Cynar, and my favorite is a local brand called Angeleno Amaro.  They also sell a pre-made spritz in small cans and I spotted it in Trader Joe’s!!!! So exciting.

I was getting a little bored of my everyday Heath dinnerware, so I ordered some beautiful ceramics from Sarah Kersten at Food52.com.  I still kept my Heath but these have been such a nice change and I love the weight of them.  I got the three-piece place setting in “fig”, but she has some other really pretty colors that I have my eye on.

New website alert for gorgeous home things and gifts: TheFavorites.com.  Whoever is curating this site has fabulous taste.  So many special pieces that I haven’t seen anywhere else.  I have been searching high and low for a really beautiful and special cake stand and I discovered the cake stand of my dreams at TheFavorites.com.  Guess what they gave me?  A discount code!  Use code PAMELA20 if you still have some gifts to buy. Check out the curated list for “The Entertainer.”

New card game!! We went to a dinner party recently and the hostess taught us all a card game called Three Thirteen.  It was easy to learn and a lot of fun.  You can play with a big group of mixed ages, so I’ll teach my kids and nieces and nephews over the holidays. All you need are cards - one standard 52-card deck for two players. Two decks for three or four people. The key is that there be enough cards for all to play, so additional decks can be added for larger groups as needed.

I will be putting out a plate of crushed red pepper, dried oregano, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese whenever we have a pizza night.  Gjelina does this and it elevates the pizza experience.

Saw a video on Divina’s IG feed showing how to use their sour cherry spread in a cocktail or a mocktail.  I must try!

I bought this jacket at Maje recently and I can’t stop wearing it.

I do love this sheer foundation from clean beauty brand Saie.  It is light but gives me a little glow. I guess that’s why it’s called Glowy Super SKin Tint Foundation.

These double walled glass mugs are SO cute and they’re on a big sale!

Even More Musings is an extension of my weekly newsletter, Monday Musings. My newsletter is a sponsor-free zone and is fully supported by readers like you. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to get Even More Musings! Each week, I share my tips and tricks along with a new recipe. For only $5/month or $50/year (less than $1 a newsletter), you'll also gain access to the entire archive, featuring favorites like My New Hyper-fixation High-Protein Fluffy Breakfast Bowl  and the Hillstone Copycat Emerald Kale Salad.  This week I am sharing a recipe for a delicious and super easy Broccoli Puree with Parmesan and Lemon. It ‘s the perfect winter side dish and a nice alternative to mashed potatoes.