Hello, hello!
So glad you want to come eat and chat with me at Panera next week! I had visions of sitting alone surrounded by half eaten pink ribbon bagels, so, thank you for not making that a reality. ;) If you’re just tuning in, locals: I will be at the Panera on University Ave in WDM next Tuesday, 10/2, from 7-7:45pm with free nibbles. Leave a comment on this post if you plan on attending (so they can plan for food!)
In other news, I was up at the BC of dawn this morning, working like a crazy person to get a bunch of projects out the door so I can semi-relax this weekend. I think a few beers while watching my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Minnesota Gophers tomorrow morning are in order (especially after the way they’ve been playing this season) and, let’s be real, nothing productive ever gets done after day drinking.
C’est la vie!
Hopefully you have plans to get out and enjoy the weekend. It’s supposed to be gorgeous around here, so thinking a long walk will be in order at some point, too. :) In the meantime, have a fabulous Friday, and please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Favorite fall: Spiced Sugar Pumpkin Doughnuts. Possibly Most definitely worth breaking my no deep-fat frying in the house rule…
Favorite pooch. Awww! Fall foliage furball!
Favorite thing ever: Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Apples. OMG!!!!! I am SO making this!
Favorite tip: A Year of Mantles. This blogger has some seriously adorable mantle designs for every season and holiday throughout the year. So cute!
Favorite sweet: Loaded Cookie Bars. Mmmm – look at the dense, squishy goodness. :)
Favorite fashion. I am all about wearing white jeans this fall. I love mine!
Favorite upgrade: Bacon-Cheddar Cornbread. Cheddar cornbread > cornbread. Bacon-cheddar cornbread >>> cheddar cornbread!
Favorite crunch: Honeycrisps. Well, I finally caved. Soooooo worth it! These might have been the best, most crisp and sweet Honeycrisps I’ve ever tasted.
Favorite grab & go: Make-Ahead Healthy Egg McMuffin. A healthier version of McDonald’s Egg McMuffins, which you can make ahead to grab & go in the morning. These look soooo good.
Favorite tool: Favorite Paint Colors Blog. Want to know what a specific paint color looks like in real life before you paint your walls? Search for the name on this blog to see a real-life photo of a room painted in the shade you’re after. Gee – wish I had found this before my cotton-candy kitchen fiasco! ;)
Favorite healthy snack: Sweet Potato Chips. You’ll never guess how this blogger gets super-crispy, HEALTHY, sweet potato chips at home!
Favorite DIY: Criss-Cross Headband. Super cute, and so easy.
Favorite game-day dip: Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Bacon Spread. Upscale football watchin’ food! I would destroy a dish of this.
Favorite view: Naples, Italy. Sigh! This totally reminds me of Ben’s and my trip to Italy a few years ago. Every corner we turned there was a new and unexpectedly beautiful surprise.
Favorite bite: Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes. Oooo these looks so buttery and decadent. YUM.
Favorite jewelry: Initial Necklace. These necklaces are adorably dainty.
Favorite BFF: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars. Forget diamonds – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars are a girl’s best friend!!
Have a FABULOUS fall weekend, everyone!
Donna 09.29.2012
New to your blog since KCCI appearance and Loving. It. I’m an OLD Iowa Girl who loved to bake before the nest became empty. The sweet tooth must be monitored these days so I’m enjoying your blog that much more. Love your happy enthisiasm — it is catching!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.29.2012
Thanks for stopping by, Donna! Glad you are enjoying the blog!
Krystle 09.29.2012
Ahh!! You’re finally hosting a hang out with your blog followers and I’m not in Iowa! Totally bummed right now, but can you host another one when I come back in the Spring??? Pretty PLEASE :)
Iowa Girl Eats 09.29.2012
Oh no! Let me know when you’re back! :)
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles 09.28.2012
Love the copycat english mcmuffin idea. I make the boyfriend something similar most mornings, these would be great on mornings that I’m gone!
Kim 09.28.2012
The most expensive item on my grocery bill was $16.50 worth of Honeycrisp apples (worth every penny thought;)
Iowa Girl Eats 09.29.2012
Hahaha, so worth it!!
Cher @ Weddicted 09.28.2012
Omg. That Mac n Cheese.. and those cookie dough bars. How dangerous!! They look delicious!
Bek @ Crave 09.28.2012
Those loaded cookie bars! Ughhh num num! Can’t wait to visit Italy :)
Morgan 09.28.2012
Honeycrisps in Washington are only about $1.99 a pound right now. Sooooo lucky that we have great orchards in this state! As much as I love them, I don’t know if I could do $3.99 a pound!
Emily 09.28.2012
What the what??! Those Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars look amazing.
Emily 09.28.2012
Not that I don’t love your Friday Favorites every week but I’m loving every.single.thing. on the list today. That puppy? The mac and cheese? The necklace? Ahhhhhh!! Everything!!
Melissa in IA 09.28.2012
All the goodness of fall…in one post! I’ve been looking for things to paint the past few days! Seems like autumn does that to me! Will have to check out that paint blog before I buy paint this time around! :)
Debbie 09.28.2012
Love your Friday Favorites! GO GOPHERS! (sorry)
kim@hungryhealthygirl 09.28.2012
Those chocolate chip cookie dough bars would be EXTREMELY dangerous in my house. Love that necklace too! Wish I lived closer, I would love to meet up with you at Panera.
Lindsay 09.28.2012
I keep getting an error message for the sweet potato chips…
This might be my favorite of your FF posts! Holy cute- and yummy- ness!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.28.2012
Hmm, maybe try clearing your cache? Here’s the direct link to try too! http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/09/crispy-baked-sweet-potato-chips-with-rosemary-garlic-salt/
Susan 09.28.2012
I am also having trouble connecting to the chip link.
Jules 09.28.2012
I can’t get it to work either… it says “Database Error.” Maybe so many people wanted to get the recipe we made the site crash? :)
Jules 09.28.2012
ETA: It’s working now!
Katie @ Blonde Ambition 09.28.2012
We got a couple of gala apples in our CSA box this week! They aren’t quite honeycrisp, but still soooo good.
Those chocolate chip cookie dough bars look in-SANE!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio 09.28.2012
That cornbread looks awesome!!
Nancy 09.28.2012
Love all your Friday favorites, but I have to say Go Gophers – beat those Hawks!
Susietron 09.28.2012
look on pinterest – there are some great looking baked pumpkin donuts – they would keep you from breaking your no fry rule.
Karen @ Runner Girl Eats 09.28.2012
I’ve made the butternut squash mac and cheese. It is absolutely incredible. We DEVOUR it. Def two thumbs up!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.29.2012
Ok good to know!!
Lauren 09.28.2012
I should just call your Friday Favorites my pin board (along with a bunch of your recipes too!)
Trish 09.28.2012
Pretty sure I just had a heart attack over those chocolate chip cookie dough bars. The good kind of heart attack though.