Happy Friday everyone! I hope you had a nice week and have a few fun plans for the weekend!
Ben took a couple days off work for marathon March Madness watching and will be smoking ALL the meats today, including pork shoulder, ribs, chicken, salmon, and any other protein he can get his hand on. I wouldn’t be surprised to see my purse smoking away in there! If you ever feel the urge to get into smoking, Ben recommends picking up a starter smoker for $20 at Walmart (or wherever,) to see how you like it. For him it’s become more than a hobby over the past five or six years – it’s an addiction! Me? I’ll tolerate the smokehouse smell that inevitably wafts into the house as long as I get to eat all the aforementioned meats. Especially the salmon. Holy moly is it delicious!
Other than that we’ll just be hanging around doing sun dances in hopes to bring back the warm temperatures we enjoyed over the past two weeks. Lincoln is furious that post-nap activities are back to Sesame Street and indoor golf. Give him walks and parks or give him nothing! We’ll also be curating a small wine collection to fill the new wine fridge Ben finally picked out after I “gave” him one for his birthday this past October. This…could be trouble. And by trouble I mean terribly fun – muwahaha!
Tell me your favorite red and whites to fill our fridge with!
Anyway, wherever you are and whatever you do have a wonderful weekend and in the meantime please enjoy my favorite finds from the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Click on the light blue links to be taken directly to the source.
Favorite breakfast: Bangin Breakfast Potatoes. Bangin INDEED! These are the crispiest home fries I’ve seen outside of a restaurant. Can’t wait to replicate ASAP, aka tomorrow morning for brunch. :)
Favorite dress: Trinette Shirtdress. So adorable, right? I’ve had the same sundresses for years now so I think I’m going to pull the trigger. I like how versatile it is – could be dressed up or worn as is for a casual summer event, plus it comes in petite. Hollar my fellow shorties!
Favorite splurge: Baked Sweet Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Sauce, Bacon and Green Onions. If this doesn’t scream March Madness face stuffage than I don’t know what does. Drool, drool, drool – especially to those crispy sweet potato chips.
Favorite DIY: Ping Pong Ball Cafe Lights. So, this is THE YEAR I string lights under my pergola for majestic summer nights. I found this DIY ping pong ball cafe lights project, which I’d do with just plain white lights, but do you think water from rain would get into the balls and mold? Maybe if I sealed each ball with hot glue or something, but that’s a lot of ping pong balls!
Favorite spring: The Crispiest Spring Chicken. Ben made us a roast chicken the other day with just three ingredients and it was honest to goodness the best roast chicken we’ve ever had (think I’ll post the recipe soon.) I love the addition of herbs to this recipe though, which helps to make a yummy sauce to drizzle on top.
Favorite groove: Uptown Funk Treadmill Dance. If this doesn’t make you want to get up and dance and/or run, I don’t know what will. You go, Glen Coco!
Favorite snack: Mini Cuban Sandwiches. I am LOVING the latest snack I created for The Laughing Cow, whom I’ve been creating snack pairings for over the past couple of years. I slathered gluten-free crackers with their Creamy Swiss cheese then layered on deli ham, mustard, and a pickle. Instant, fuss-free Cuban sandwich!
Favorite summer: High Low Cover Up. Ben got me this coverup in black for Valentine’s Day, in anticipation of our Puerto Vallarta vacation, and I LOVE it. For some reason black isn’t available anymore, but these beachy colors are gorgeous anyway. I wore it alone at the pool, and with shorts while walking to the beach and through town. (Black has a bit more coverage than the coral shown here.)
Favorite splurge: Authentic Canadian Poutine. Ben and I had poutine for the first time in San Diego several years ago and have been obsessed with it ever since. Fries, gravy, and cheese. What’s not to love? Locals, if you’re craving poutine head to Louie’s Wine Dive where they toss gluten-free fried cheese curds and lobster into the mix. TO DIE FOR!!
Favorite find: DIY Ant Poison. Ant season is coming and with constant crumbs under Lincoln’s high chair, we’re bound to get a colony coming through at one point or another this summer. I can’t wait to try this three ingredient ant killer solution vs the highly toxic gels and traps we’ve previously used, which would be a nightmare to have around now that Lincoln’s on the move.
Favorite wakeup: Cubano Breakfast Sandwich. Speaking of Cubans…I could go for one of these breakfast sandwiches right about now. As they say – never hurts to put an egg on it.
Favorite truth: When Toddlers Interrupt. Just…yes. Except I don’t even try to work on the computer while my toddler is up. This is so fantastic!
Favorite mess: Quick and Easy Philly Style Sloppy Joes. Ummm, I’ll have 18. Gosh these look good.
Favorite project: DIY Raised Garden Beds. I’ve been thinking a lot about my gardening plans for this spring/summer (I skipped out the last two summers because we were moving, then had an infant and it was just too much,) but I think I’m going to take a crack at these raised beds to place against our fence line this year. Our backyard is mostly all shade except for one area on the west side, so I’m thinking that’s where it will go. Will definitely write a post when it goes up!
Favorite stuffed: Baked Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Artichokes with Blue Cheese. So clever, and March is a great month to enjoy artichokes. Awesome recipe!
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Have a great weekend, everyone!
Whites- Chenin blanc from South Africa (Stellenbosch region.) Also any Austrian white you can get your hands on– a very well-kepy secret.
Could you post or pinterest some of Ben’s smoking recipes. We have a smoker which we love playing with and salmon is a fave! However, I have yet to find a brine or rub that doesn’t make the salmon a little too salty for us.
I would love to have Ben share his smoking tips. We have a smoker that sits collecting dust! I think we need to remedy this situation!
Yes to the DIY garden bed! I also have this on my list for our tiny Chicago yard – saving the link you shared. Thanks!
Thanks Kristin! Hope you enjoy the potatoes. Umm smoking meats all day CAN I COME OVER? Tell Ben I’ve been researching which smoker to buy for the past few months, if he can give me any pointers that’d be great!
We researched like crazy (well, more like HE did), and he came up with the brand Smoke Hollow and we opted for a gas one vs. an electric one. This is the one we got: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/smoke-hollow-pro-series-44-lp-gas-smoker/prod7820290.ip
Go with a great Torrontes by Alamos for spring. Or even a nice Pinot Grigio like Ecco Domani! If you like a little sweeter, hit up the Chardonnay by Mirassou, it’s got a peachy flavor that is different than most Chards.
Red in the summer can be tricky, so you might want to stick to something light like a Pinot Noir, Mirassou also has a nice one of those. And, if you can get it in your area, try Apothic Crush (their Red is fantastic as well). If you’re smoking a lot of meats like lamb or ribs, try a nice Malbec like Don Miguel Gascon or Alamos has a nice one too. They’re both really velvety.
WINE FRIDGE! Jealous. The Cupcake red velvet, the Cupcake pinot grigio (which, sadly, isn’t sold in Canada), the Georges Duboeuf beaujolais (2008 and 2010 in particular) and the red Bear Flag are my personal favourites. If you can find a ripasso, they’re often overlooked, but are quite tasty! I’ve yet to taste a bad one. I don’t know if you get Ontario VQA wines in your corner of the world, but the Henry of Pelham baco noir is crazy smooth too.
(Sorry, my mum is a French Canadian wine lush, so it’s in my blood.)
Those Philly style sloppy joes look incredible! I may have to add them to next week’s meal plan!
Love the laughing Cow ideas!!!!!
At the Valley West Target last year (and I’m sure online) I found outdoor patio lights that are round like your ping pong ball idea, but clear bulbs with a white light that specifically state they’re fine to be left outside. They were Target’s brand of outdoor stuff (blanking on the name at the moment) but they definitely didn’t break the bank & were such an easy, “I’ve wanted patio lights for so long/ why didn’t I look for these sooner?!” type project :)
I’ve totally been into sparkling wines lately. Hands down, Toad Hollow’s Risqué. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness. And it comes attached with its own lid if you don’t drink it all. Got to try!
I also enjoy Jam Jar Shiraz. I saw it on the Today Show once and it ended up being my go-to wine for years. I like to chill it too sometimes. (I know, not really supposed to do that but it’s good!)
Orrrrrrrrrr, you could just jump right into smoking by buying a $270 smoker the size of our refrigerator!?!? Wasn’t that SUCH a nice Valentine’s Day present for me? harhar. And yes, we smoke ALL.THE.THINGS. Smoked a 15lb corned beef for St. Paddy’s Day and invited ALL.THE.PEOPLE. ;)
Those potatoes look perfect! And I love your Laughing Cow idea – sounds like the perfect little combo. Have a great weekend!
I’m a big fan of Tassel Ridge’s Red, White, and Blue lately, as well as their Star Spangled White in the summer. You should also try out Snus Hill’s Kitten wine–a sweet red that is great for spring/summer. I’m all about the Iowa/local wines!
That dress! If only I could justify the price… but I’ve been cutting back on my spending.
For red wines, I recently discovered Locations–they are from different countries, and have a letter on the bottle saying where they’re from (E is Espana, F is France, CA is Cali). I personally like E and F. Our HyVee doesn’t carry them, but I found them through a wine distributor.
I second the Locations wine. Dave Phinney is the winemaker. E is my favorite. The only one I haven’t liked is the California one.
Before stocking up on any wines, I would check the list of California wines that were found to contain toxic levels of arsenic. I’m going through the list myself. Love that dress, but the price is steep and I wonder if it would fade? We love our smoker and always get it smokin’ for parties.
The “Moon” wines from Trader Joe’s are absolutely delicious! It’s a Trader Joe’s private label and they are all about $6 each and wonderful :)
We recently threw a HUGE wine tasting party with a bunch of our friends to pick out wines for our wedding. The Moon wines were, hands down, the everyone’s favorite (even over much pricier bottles)! My personal faves are the Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.
So many great ideas! Thank you! I would like to second the request for some smoking recipes!
Yay wine fridge! If you have a Costco membership my husband and I LOVE Chilensis try the Carmenere and Pinot Noir)! I like the complex blend of Fancy Pants red who wears the pants? I do! lol) and Dreaming Tree red Crush ). For whites I love Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio and pretty much any Prosecco. Oh, one more red – Root Carmenere!! ) We’ve been trying to find the best of the best for a while now :)
OMG that video…YES x100000! And those sloppy joes are a MUST make. Jay will fall in love with me all over again I think :)
I’m REALLY looking forward to trying out the philly style sloppy joes!! It’ll be nice to eat a sloppy joe, but with a TWIST :)
Also, can Ben do a small post regarding smoking meats? We live in CA and it’s terribly difficult to find good BBQ here – when we travel to Texas we try to fill our bellies with the good stuff
http://www.BundleMeBaby.etsy.com
A wine fridge is definitely on my wish list!
I’m from the Quad Cities and I love local-ish wines. My favorite is Wide River Winery’s Felony Red, but closer to DM (in Indianola) I love Annelise Winery.
My favorite go-to wines are Black Mountain Chardonnay (from TJ’s), Apothic Red and J. Lohr Cabernet.
I’ve been really into cabs lately and love love love the Louis Martini Napa valley (usually $30/ bottle which is a lot but you can get it at Costco for $22!!!) the Kendall Jackson is a great one too – usually around $14-$17/bottle. I don’t like oaky cabs and these are both very buttery!!
Anywho – Panther alum/lifelong Hawkeye fan here – go Cats & Hawks today!!!! I live in Ames so I can’t help but extra hope the Hawkeyes win so I have a little something to celebrate :).
I just have to comment – I am in total agreement, the Lobster Poutine at Louie’s Wine Dive is OUT of this world! I’ve been meaning to recreate it for months!
Snus Hill’s Spinna is a great white, and I love Stella Rosa Black (sold at Hy-Vee) for a sweet red. :) Enjoy the wine fridge!
I tend to stick with local Iowa wines and I’m partial to Tassel Ridge since I worked for them for a while. If you like sweet, and I mean SWEET, check out Red, White & Blue if you haven’t already. It tastes like grape juice & I will sometimes use it as a dessert wine. They have a couple sparkling wines that are good for summer, Oskyfizzante Red (sweet) & Oskyfizzante White (semi-sweet). I also really like their Blackberry wine for something different. We also really like Ardon Creek Chancellor and Commission Man Red, great dry reds. You should check out Wines of Iowa in Valley Junction if you haven’t been there!
Apothic Red is delish and it’s light enough for summer!
Awesome post! :)
I always looking forward to reading your Friday Favourites. That poutine looks delish – have you ever visited Canada?
I highly recommend King Estate’s pinot noir, it’s so good and light!
I’m also really into brut rose. I had one by Chandon that my husband and I both really enjoyed. But any type of French rose, sparkling or non, is a good choice both on its own and with seafood or lighter flavored foods.
Those potatoes look soooo good! This is my year to start a veggie garden too. Good luck to both of us :)
Meiomi Pinot Noir is absolutely the best! Around $20 per bottle at Spec’s and worth every penny!
Love the sundress. Where did you buy it? I want to get one.
Thanks so much for shout out! LOVING all the other links. And I’m in love with Puerto Vallarta, it’s our go-to vacation spot. So beautiful and the food!! My goodness. I need to try the lobster poutine at Louie’s here in KC!
That ping pong ball project seems like a hassle. You can find good string lights for a great price at places like Target. Here’s what we did:
I don’t want to be negative, but those ant poison balls look like they could be a real hazard to people’s dogs and kids. A child or a dog is very unlikely to be able to bit into or swallow an ant trap, or lick up a significant amount of powder borax off the ground if well supervised. But picking up and swallowing a sugar filled cotton ball? You bet. My dogs do that sort of stuff when I turn my head to sneeze, and toddlers do too. I’m all for DIY, but these don’t seem safe to me and I hope people will think twice before making them. Just one getting kicked out of your front door could kill someone’s best friend or seriously harm their child… Not worth the money you save on ant traps.
The food in these posts look so delicious especially the sweet potato fries and home fries…yum!
I would fall flat on my face trying to dance on my treadmill like that. Honestly, it’s a wonder I haven’t knocked myself unconscious just running on it.
As for a wines, a few of my faves – Cupcake Red Velvet and Sauvignon Blanc (Target and Hyvee), Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc (Costco), and Josefina Rose (Trader Joes).
Cupcake wines are often $.10 off a gallon at Hyvee btw! :)
Haraszthy Zinfindal (I never remember the name so I call it “purple bear” when I am looking for it in my local wine shop.) I also like Asylum Zin.
I also would love to hear some of the smoking recipes. My husband got a smoker for Christmas,and we have tried a few things, but I am always looking for more. Plus, I love smoked salmon.
Looks like you have had several requests already but please post some of your smoked meat recipes. My husband and I love to use or smoker as well but we are needing some new recipes!
Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay and Edna Valley Chadonnay are some of my favorites! Wente is from Northern CA (Livermore) and Edna Valley is the Central Coast (San Luis Obispo). Enjoy!!!
My husband does the same, every year for March Madness weekend. We hit the grocery store and Costco on Wed to stock up for his annual guy’s weekend as he planned to smoke some ribs and grill the rest of the weekend. Like others, I’d also love some new tips for him to try on the smoker. He’s had a smoker for a few years now and usually just googles a new recipe or such. I wish I had wine suggestions, but I tend to stick to the same few Reislings (Relax, Polka Dot and Ste Michelle). I could use a few suggestions too!
If you and Ben ever come a little north to Paton,209 Main Restaurant has a super yummy dish called “209 Poutin”. Whilst you are in Greene County, stop and get some Santa Maria wine. The TaDa and Sweet Willy are my favorite! My husband wants a smoker really badly-I think that will be his Father’s Day gift this year!
My favorite white wine is the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling. Crisp, refreshing and usually always under $10 at HyVee
Hi Kristin! Love your Friday Favorites, great post! The smoked meats sound amazing too…might have to get my husband on that. Are you willing to share what wine fridge you got? We are looking to get one and would love your recommendation. Thanks!!
I really want those sweet potato chips and poutine. Too much potato?