Mimi Takes Five - #189

ONE // Death on the Nile

We actually went to the movies last week and it was so good to have a night out. We went on a Thursday to avoid the weekend rush and were plenty distanced in the theatre while wearing our mask (other than when eating popcorn). We chose to see Death on the Nile, an Agatha Christie murder mystery. We'd seen Murder on the Orient Express a few years ago, which was also an Hercule Poirot led story. I like a good murder mystery and this one sure kept me guessing till the very end. This movie has an excellent plot with a great cast. There were many familiar faces to me and each actor really brought their respective characters to life. A must watch for sure!

TWO // Dog Wardrobe

We are in so deep at this point that there really is no going back... Our dog has many knit sweaters and outdoor gear of all sorts. She really enjoys going for walks and couldn't be bothered by the weather. This means we are walking rain or shine! It also means that I have to dress her appropriately for the weather to keep her healthy. Winter jackets are necessary to keep her warm, the little booties (or paw balm) are necessary to protect her little paws from the salt and ice (or hot pavement) and the raincoats are necessary to keep her dry. At least they keep parts of her dry. She's very close to the ground and loves to splash through puddles, so she can still manage to get wet regardless of my efforts. At least she's enjoying herself, ha ha! Finally, we noticed this past fall that she actually really enjoyed wearing little knit sweaters indoors. We had no idea! Rocket was never one for sweaters... We got her a sweater at the end of November, when she got a haircut. Turns out she really loves wearing them so we got more! When we take it off for her daily scratches, she pretty much begs us to put it back on afterwards. So, I ended up getting this adorable bright rainbow sweater on clearance and sprung for the yellow raincoat too. She has a raincoat with little sleeves that do well at keeping her front legs and belly dry, but the yellow one will be better for days it's actually raining. So that's one jacket for rainy weather and one for puddle hopping. I think I've covered all bases at this point!

THREE // Wiley Wallaby

Let me introduce you to the best licorice on earth: Wiley Wallaby! I finally got my hands on the elusive licorice brand that Mary Orton has been ranting and raving about for years now! After searching high and low for months, I found the goods at my local Dollar Tree store, of all places. After letting out a little squeal of excitement, I proceeded to grab one of every available flavour (except black). Sadly, my husband noticed I "missed" the black licorice and added it to the basket... I like my licorice fruity, thank you very much. Once home, I couldn't wait to taste test. I started with the classic red and it was love at first bite! The flavour is beyond! I also love that the pieces are quite chunky, they are definitely two-bite chunks you can really sink your teeth into. Next up was Huckleberry (the purple one) and it was just as delicious as the red variety. Finally, I tried the Blueberry-Pomegranate (blue pack) and, while very tasty, was my least favourite. Now I'm on the hunt for the flavours I haven't gotten to try: Watermelon, Green Apple, Blasted Berry and I really want to try the Sourrageous Drops! Sour candies are my weakness...

FOUR // Most Worn Nap Dress

In honour of St. Patrick's Day this week, I decided to take a closer look at my green clothing. I've added a lot of green to my wardrobe these past few years because I noticed a gap. Funnily enough, the second Nap Dress I purchased was the Emerald Trellis. This is the print that made me fall in love with Hill House Nap Dresses. I was thrilled when they relaunched it last August and snagged one as quickly as possible. I decided to count how many times I'd worn a Nap Dress since I got my first one last summer and the grand total in 50! I'm not great at math, but nothing motivates me more than a fashion problem, ha ha! So that means that I've worn a Nap Dress on 50 out of days 252 days (as of the day I calculated this). I've figured out that I wear a Nap Dress 19.8% of the time. That's not a bad cost-per-wear if I say so myself. The Emerald Trellis dress also happens to be my most worn so far, standing in at ten wears! Who knew the green dress would have been the one I reach for the most? It really is perfect in every way!

FIVE // Irish Soda Bread

In keeping with the theme this week, I tried my hand at making Irish Soda Bread. My bread baking journey is still a recent one and I hadn't tried this variety of bread yet. It's unique in the sense that this particular recipe does not have a leavening agent, meaning no rising time, meaning I get to eat my bread sooner! It's a very simple four-ingredient recipe that I snagged off @pickleandmyrrh. I had all the necessary ingredients so decided to give it a go. It turned out just the way it should and smelled divine. I actually find it had a slight biscuit scent and I think that's down to the buttermilk. It gives off a slight tangy flavour, the same way yoghurt does when used in baking. It also yields a denser loaf. I sliced it up when it was still warm and smothered it with butter. Delicious! However, I highly recommend having it with a sweet topping (jam, honey, Nutella, etc.) as I find it pairs well with the flavour of the bread. Happy to add this recipe to my recipe binder! One cannot have too many bread recipes, right?