Third Edition

Welcome back to Kiki’s!

Read on for facebook marketplace finds, a few tips, and mostly healthy recipes.

Interior 

So much of the furniture in my house is from Facebook Marketplace. This edition features finds that found a home in my dining room.

Dining Room

Dining Room Details

The tabletop was left for us from the previous renters, but you can find the original table here. It’s sold at a number of retailers. The cushion I purchased for the bench is from Amazon, as are the black picture frames. I got a killer deal on the artwork from one of my favorite local stores in Cincy, Lucca. The plant pot is from another local Cincy store - Gia and the Blooms. The plant basket is from Goodwill. The lamp on the console is from Home Goods and the standing lamp is from Target. Rug is from Ikea. 

For anyone looking for a festive centerpiece mine was very budget friendly.

I collected the glass trees over the last few years from the dollar section at Target but noticed this year they started making them in plastic :( The candles are from Walmart and hurricanes are from the Dollar Store (both left over from my sister’s wedding). The greenery was $9 from Whole Foods (& smells amazing). 

FB Marketplace Tips

1. Check often - and I mean multiple times per day. I usually scroll through “today’s picks” on the “for you” tab and the “local” tab. Be aware of the “more picks from farther away.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally almost bought something from there, not realizing it’s 1hr+ away. 

2. Save everything you like - even things you don’t intend on buying. I don’t have any evidence but I think this helps train the algorithm 

3. If you’re struggling finding a specific item try searching for a brand or particular material 

4. Haggle with people! I have almost never paid the listed price. I usually offer to pick things up right away too (people usually want things gone).

5. If there’s something you really want but it’s out of your budget, watch it for a few weeks. The palmer console pictured above I watched for weeks before I reached out and ended up getting it for $200 (almost half the original list price). Sometimes the seller will drop the price on their own over time too

6. Do your due diligence before reaching out about an item to avoid getting scammed. It’s usually pretty easy to tell with a quick glance at the person’s profile. I’m always checking for ratings/reviews of other items they’ve sold. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

Breakfast

Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies

• Full recipe here 

• We go heavy on the cinnamon and often skip grinding up the oats to avoid the extra step. The recipe also calls for ground flaxseed but we’ve used whole before too.

• Recipe recommends baking for 11-13 minutes but we usually bake them for 30 mins

• Pro tip: store in fridge without almond butter and add some when serving

• Our favorite jam 

Lunch 

Greek Style Lemon Chicken Soup

• Full recipe here 

• The easiest way to shred chicken IMO is just to toss it in your stand mixer with paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer)

Dinner 

Healthier Smash Burgers + crispy roasted potatoes

• Erik’s latest obsession.

• For the burgers:

  • Make sure you have a 96/4 lean ground beef (or leaner) and your favorite cheese (american melts best)

  • Form loose small (~70g) balls. Get a skillet, stainless steel pan, or cast iron pan ripping hot (this one is great for a stove top). The hotter it is the easier it will be. Let one side of the ball sear for a second and then flip it and smash it as thin as you can (this helps). Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. After 30s-1m you’ll see a crust form and you can give it a flip. After flipping toss on your cheese slice. Once the cheese is fully melted your patties should be done. We cook them all off because they’re easy to reheat.

  • We use these buns

  • Erik prefers pickle + raw red onion for the crunch and flavor

  • Any sauce works!

• For the potatoes:

  • Preheat oven to 425 and place baking sheet in the oven while it preheats. Halve the potatoes and toss with olive oil and desired seasonings. I usually opt for Lawry's season salt.

  • When the oven is preheated, add potatoes to the hot baking tray, try to get as many as you can cut side down, and bake to your desired crispiness. For me this takes at least 30 min

  • Start these before the burgers to have everything ready at once!

Juicy Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Basil Sauce with Burrata

• Full recipe here

• SO good. Serve over your favorite pasta 

Dessert 

Healthy Brownies

• Full recipe here 

• These are on almost weekly rotation at our house. Perfect for satisfying the need for a nightly sweet treat

• These chocolate chips are pricey but my favorite if you can find them at your local grocery store

Thank you so much for continuing to read and share! I’ve had so much fun sharing meals and my home with you all. 

Please share any feedback, pictures or things you want to see in future editions! (you can always reply to this email)

If there’s any specific furniture you are looking for let me know! I’m always coming across a lot of interesting finds and deals.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Christina 🤍