Hap-py Friday, everyone!
Ben and I celebrated the weekend’s arrival a little early by visiting Orange Leaf for dessert after dinner last night…on the coldest day in over 2 years. What can I say, I had a fro-yo craving that no windchill could crumble!
This was our first Orange Leaf experience, and it was delightful!
I had a big swirl of pineapple/coconut (love,) and a small swirl of red velvet (kind of tasted like vodka,) and snickerdoodle (WOAH – seriously tasted like the cookie!) Topped with tons of toppings, natch. My downfall. Pay by the oz places always get me because I always seem to like the heavy stuff. I can’t even look Ben in the eye when we weigh our salad containers at Whole Foods. The shame.
Anyways! Should be another low-key weekend ’round these parts! Think we’ll hit up Lowe’s for supplies to tackle a few projects around the house on Saturday (the joys of home ownership!) then we’ll head to my parents to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. My Mom has a bunch of dishes she’s THIS EXCITED to make for the big game. The jury’s still out on my selections! What will you be making?Â
Wherever you are, and whatever you do, have a great weekend and please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Click on the light blue links to be taken to the original source.Â
Favorite sweet: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip. Ben has recently banished me from saying this word, but, ERMAHGERD!
Favorite furball. Ma! MA! Let me in – it’s freezin’ out here!
Favorite bite: Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites. For some reason I’ve always been intimidated by making pretzels, but, I feel as though if I can make cinnamon rolls, I could probably make these tasty bites. Perfect for the Super Bowl, and I love the step-by-step instructions in the post.
Favorite place: Cancun + sun + sand + surf + beer. I have been to Cancun a handful of times and it really is this beautiful, fun, and relaxing in real life. Nay, MORE!
Favorite healthy: Raw, Gluten-free, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars. Like homemade Larabars!
Favorite fashion: Steve Madden Marrvil Wedge. Don’t these just scream SPRING?
Favorite dinner: Spicy Sausage Pasta. This looks absolutely mouthwatering.
Favorite fitness: 20×3 Workout. Love the looks of this intense, heart-pumping circuit.
Favorite sip: Pink Grapefruit Breakfast Smoothie. I am so obsessed with all things citrus right now. Can’t wait to whip up this sweet-tart smoothie soon.
Favorite flashback: FRIENDS! Will there ever be another show like it?!
Favorite summer: Peach Moon. Blue Moon is one of my faaaavorite summer drinks. I cannot wait to bust out this killer combo of Blue Moon, Peach Schnapps, and orange juice on a patio in just a few, short months!
Favorite reuse: Canning Jar Egg Cookers. Given my hatred for unitaskers in the kitchen, I have never bought one of those round egg molds to make, well, round eggs. What a genius idea for getting the same effect from mason jar lids. Perfect for my Copy Cat Sausage, Egg & Cheese McMuffins!
Favorite treat: Red Velvet Monkey Bread. How much fun would this be to make on Valentine’s Day? So sweet!
Favorite DIY: Mudroom. I am obsessed – obsessed – with mudrooms. Our next home must have one, or at least a space for one. Here’s a great DIY idea for building your own out of two book cases and a cabinet!
Favorite game-day: Turkey, Pesto, Onion & Cheese Poppyseed Sliders. I would be ALL over these if cough someone cough made a batch this Sunday!
Have an awesome weekend, all! :)
Beth @ Running with the Sunrise 02.01.2013
The Peach Moon sounds really good. It reminds me of this drink one of the bars in the town where I went to college used to feature–the “Pear of Titties” (kind of a disgusting name, I know). It was pear Woodchuck cider mixed with Framboise lambic. It inspired me to add Framboise to all sorts of adult beverages, which was just plain delicious. (My personal favorite is what my fiance and I nicknamed the “Framoboisa”–champagne/sparkling wine and Framboise.)
Nicole @ Fruit 'N' Fitness 02.01.2013
I love orange leaf! Trying the new flavors is always so fun! I tend to go a little crazy on the toppings, oops!
Kristin Macri 02.01.2013
Love orange leaf! Try cinnamon crunch toast with the snicker doodle next time!
Lindsey 02.01.2013
I love Friday Favorites! You never disappoint! :) I even call you “my friend” to my fiance. For instance, “My friend featured Cancun on Friday favorites today!” And he knows exactly who I’m talking about! We are going to Cancun for our honeymoon in April so I was WAY excited to see it featured today!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets 02.01.2013
Hey girl, thanks so much for giving my PB dip a shout out!! Those ham and cheese bites look amazing. And NO, I don’t think there will be a show like friends ever again, sniff sniff!!!
Amy 02.01.2013
Too funny–I had a major fro-yo craving last night also (and it was frigid here in Chicago too!) and made my husband go after dinner to my new favorite place Forever Yogurt. I’m victim to the heavy toppings too–hello frosted animal crackers and cinnamon toast crunch! Glad to hear we weren’t the only nuts out getting frozen yogurt last night :) Have a good weekend!
Jon 02.01.2013
I’ve amassed a fair amount of recipe/blog sites, that All-Recipes seems like a Betty Crocker cookbook to me now. So, it takes a lot for me to add another. Shugary Sweets, especially with that dip posted above… DUDE, shut the front door!! That’s my centerpiece for the weekend, and that blog just made the A-list.
Ana 02.01.2013
The pretzel bites and the sausage pasta look so unbelievably delicious!
And no, there won’t ever be a show like Friends! It never gets old. :)
Happy weekend!
Samantha 02.01.2013
Aw, awesome flashback! Friends is still my favorite show. The closest thing to it is How I Met Your Mother. There are TONS of similarities between the two, like Ross and Monica’s mom is Lily’s grandma. So maybe Monica’s daughter grew up to be Lily?! Love your Friday Faves!
Lisa 02.01.2013
About Friends TV show, have y’all seen the thing going around facebook, how old the kids would be now, like Monica and Chandler’s twins are around 10 I think, etc. Yikes, makes me feel old. Seems like it only went off a few years ago.
Iowa Girl Eats 02.01.2013
Someone just tweeted it to me yesterday – SOB!
Ashley 02.01.2013
Friday favorites is always the highlight to my Friday working day, besides leaving for the day. I happened accross your kung pao chicken burgers while looking and that looks like a must just like the potsticker burgers from the past. Love this site :) But it’s doing serious things to my pregnancy cravings!!!
Becky @ Olives n Wine 02.01.2013
The peach Blue Moon looks so GOOD!! I’d love to be sipping on one of those by the ocean right now :) Happy Friday!
Sandy 02.01.2013
I love your blog! Especially Friday favorites!! I had a question–about a month ago, some of the pictures started not showing up for me, both when I use google reader and go to the actual site. Did you change something or I possibly need to update something on my computer but wanted to see if anyone else was experiencing this. I use Firefox. I read many blogs and this is the only one pictures sometimes do not load on. Thanks, and even without all the pictures, I still read, thankfully the cookie dough pic showed up!
Iowa Girl Eats 02.01.2013
Rats! Thanks so much for telling me, Sandy! I’ll email you to get more info!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health 02.01.2013
Every time I see a picture of Cancun, I cry and whine like a baby. I lived in Texas for 3yrs and wanted to go sooo bad but my boyfriend thought we would get murdered if we went so we never did. Now we’re closer to Hawaii, but it is sooo expensive. I may have to just sell my car and go anyway. ;)
Iowa Girl Eats 02.01.2013
Eek, I know – I’m not sure how I’d feel about going back at the moment!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health 02.01.2013
I’m sure as long as you stay at your resort things would be fine. You just can’t venture out too far. He was hard to convince because he’s just not much of a beach vacay kind of guy. He rather go somewhere like Egypt which, to me, is less safe than Mexico!
Kristin from MN 02.01.2013
You’re fro-yo concoction looks so yummy! I am obsessed with CherryBerry and I noticed Sioux Falls now got an Orange Leaf and a Peach Wave, which I have yet to try either. I love tart yogurt with Cap’n Crunch topping. I would be in huge trouble if Marshall (where I live) gets a fro-yo shop. ;)
Jenni Clark 02.01.2013
Orange leaf is our favorite… Especially my three year old daughters favorite place to get her froyo. Sadly we don’t have one in our area, but whenever we are in Des Moines, we always stop in for a yummy treat.
Melissa 02.01.2013
I love Orangeleaf. We are one of the six stores who get to test the cup dividers. YAY! Neatly separating three flavors and toppings in one cup.
Iowa Girl Eats 02.01.2013
Whaaat?! That’s exactly what I needed last night! Hopefully we’ll get some soon!
Shannon 02.01.2013
I don’t usually comment, but I had to say I’ve made the ham and cheese bites recipe (I originally found it on Pinterest) and they were a *hit* with the Jr. High group we hosted at our house- in fact. . . I wasn’t watching closely and there were none left for my husband when he got home from work. They are a little work, but so yummy. I also just recently made Brown Eyed Girls Soft Pretzel Recipe (slightly adapted from Alton Browns) and it was a total hit with my husband and young kids. Check it out if you’re looking for a soft pretzel recipe to try. I’m making them again this Sunday for the Superbowl. I swear you won’t be disappointed.
I always love checking out your Friday Faves. Thanks!
Iowa Girl Eats 02.01.2013
Awesome – thank you so much for the review, Shannon!
Nina @ Too Hottie For That Body 02.01.2013
I think I might be a weirdo because I have to have old fashioned icecream in a cone… and the cone is my favorite part. But by the looks of it you’re as ready for summer as I am. I made your caprese lasagna last night and my husband deemed it firehouse worthy. (Just so you know, that’s an honor.)
Iowa Girl Eats 02.01.2013
Hahaha, that made me laugh out loud. ;)
Brie @ Entrée the Giant 02.01.2013
I have an Orange Leaf within walking distance…I have a problem. They have the best flavors…and don’t even get me started on the toppings.
Sigh.