A few of my favorite things

I rarely do these monthly round-ups of things I’m reading or listening to, mostly because I don’t think my tastes are all that interesting or unusual. But because it’s December and I’ve got “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things” on a loop in my head, I thought I’d share. For whatever it’s worth to you. And share yours with me, too! What are the things you recommend to everyone or that are just plain fun additions to your life right now?

Here are mine:

• Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. This series on Netflix was a recommendation from a friend when I was sick. I didn’t get a chance to start watching until after I was already feeling better, but now it’s my go-to lunch show or what I do while I’m folding laundry in the afternoon. It’s set in 1920s Australia and focuses on Phryne Fisher, who has returned from abroad. She stumbles into detective work. Really enjoyable stories, and they’re based on books, so I’ll be checking those out as well.
• Amazon Prime Music channels. I’ve been jamming to a variety of stations while I clean lately. Two of my favorites are classic hits and classical Christmas. Also if you’re looking for the *perfect* gift for a reader/TV watcher/music lover or a family with all of the above, consider gifting an Amazon Prime membership. We got ours last year at a discounted price and we love it. (Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link, which costs you nothing but means I earn a small percentage of your purchase.)
• Square One coffee. Small-batch roasted, local, fair trade. I started drinking this regularly after we returned from Kenya, and I discovered that I can drink this stuff black because it tastes so good. No cream required. 
• Global + local=interesting. We introduced the kids to Nepalese and Indian food recently. Before that, Phil and I ate at a buffet that serves African dishes. Our Thanksgiving meal included locally raised pork tenderloin, bread from a local bakery, vegetables we bought at two separate markets in the area (and one of those was a squash native to Japan). We are so grateful to live in a community that offers a wide variety of both global tastes and locally made items.
• And speaking of homemade (sort of), we whipped heavy cream to top or Thanksgiving pie. This is the second time ever we’ve done this, and people, I cannot go back to store bought whipped cream. It takes almost no time and it is so tasty you can eat it with a spoon.

TV, music, food, drink. The only thing missing is books! But I write enough about books on this blog, so  if you’re a regular reader, you probably already know some of my favorites.

What are you raving about these days?