“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…”  Everyone has favorite things, and the other day, I found myself wishing that I could share one of my favorite things here on the blog. I was worried about taking credit for someone else’s hard work though: because I can’t even come close to claiming it as my own recipe- I don’t change a thing- I didn’t want to mislead anyone about who the true genius behind it was!  Then I remembered how Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks posts favorites lists (among other bloggers), and I knew what I was going to do!  Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things as we move into a ridiculously warm spring.

– First up, the recipe I mentioned above.  Homemade pad thai from Big Girls Small Kitchen.  One of the few recipes that I don’t alter at all, and I make it at least once every two weeks.  Try it- it’s easy and way cheaper than ordering from your local Thai restaurant, plus you can pick what toppings you want (bean sprouts, peanuts and extra egg are my favorites!).

– Girl Scout cookies!  I limited myself to two boxes this year, but I have to admit that the sight of Girl Scouts selling their cookies at the grocery store always makes me smile.

– The cherry blossoms in DC.  They are gorgeous (pink and white and EVERYWHERE), and going to see them is one of the few things that I make a big effort to do every year.  And beyond their prettiness, the history of how they came to the U.S. is interesting and worth learning about!  They’re expected to peak early this year, mainly because of how warm it’s been, possibly in just four days, unfortunately well before the official festival starts.  I guess we know where I’ll be after work this week!  The photos below date all the way back to 2007.

See what I mean by everywhere? They bloom all the way around the Tidal Basin

– My Sodastream machine. I got it for Christmas over a year ago, and I love being able to make sparkling water, not to mention experimenting with adding different juices for just a smidgen of flavor.  Oh-so-fun.

– This recipe for homemade Galbi from Rasa Malaysia.  Galbi (Kalbi?) are Korean BBQ’d shortribs.  They were easy to make and DELICIOUS, plus making them meant that my boyfriend got a taste of Korea at home (he lived there for a while), which made it feel like a really special meal.

– I’ve been wishing that I could buy a new quilt, and this one from Anthropologie is just beautiful!

– Finally, my pasta maker, it’s one of the hand-crank ones.  I just ordered a gorgeous new cookbook to go along with it, and I can’t wait to share some of my learning experiences with you!

What are some of your favorite things?  Happy Spring everyone!