Happy Friday, all!
Hope you had a super sweet Valentine’s Day! Ben surprised me with hot pink roses. I nearly cried. I did not photoshop an inch of this photo either, that’s how brilliant and beautiful they are. What a stud!
For dinner we hopped over to Trostel’s Dish for tapas. Normally I don’t like to share food (Kristin doesn’t share food!) but I am always up for tapas where you get to have little nibbles of lots of different stuff. We started out with calamari strips, which was the best cooked calamari I have ever had, and pan seared brussels sprouts with pork belly lardons (WOAH!)Â
Ben and I always order arancini balls whenever we find them because they remind us of our time in Italy, and some super-tender lamb tacos rounded out the meal.
We finished off with vanilla bean creme brulee and berries for 2. PERFECT!
I’ll have to run several hundred miles to work off that meal, but it was totally worth it. Love splurging every once and awhile like this!
With that, I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend, and in the meantime please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web in this week’s Friday Favorites.  See ya’!
Click on the light blue links to be taken to the original source.Â
Favorite accent: Argento Vivo “Love” Stud Earrings. Dyyyying over how adorable these studs are. Cute for Valentine’s Day, or any day, really!
Favorite healthy: Healthy Strawberry Orange Gummy Bears. WHAT?! Gummy bears are my faaave! You have to check out all the yummy combos of healthy gummy bears this blogger has come up with.
Favorite happy: Bad Hair Day Print. This sweet print makes me sublimely happy for some reason. :)
Favorite snack: Trader Joe’s Just Mango Strips. OBSESSION ALERT! I’ve had the dried mango strips that Starbucks sells, and they’re ok, but these are so. much. better. Softer and they taste just like fruit rollups. Gotta love the ingredient list too – MANGOES. I picked up a bag yesterday and they were half gone by the time I left the parking lot.
Favorite tablescape. I love this fun and festive tablescape, but especially those adorable plates. Believe it or not, they’re actually Diane Keaton’s line at Bed, Bath & Beyond! Click here to buy the plates >
Favorite find: How to Turn Cookie Dough into Frosting. MUST. TRY. Think I’ll swap the flour in the recipe for powdered sugar, as some commenters suggested.
Favorite furball. The labradoodle solves so many of Ben’s and my furball problems. It’s got poodle hair which doesn’t shed (we are both allergic to shedding dogs) and the cute factor of a lab. Squee!
Favorite dinner: Spicy Kale & Chevre Penne. Nothin’ wrong with this combo. Absolutely nothin’!
Favorite place:Â Cafe in Antwerp, Belgium. I can totally see myself sitting here on a crisp morning with a hot cup of coffee and fresh pastry. Perhaps with my labradoodle. Can you?
Favorite fresh: Spinach Shots. I’ve been juicing this combo of spinach, a green apple, and quarter lemon everyday this week – sometimes with some carrots or oranges thrown in. It is so fantastic, and I feel like my skin has been better this week, too (read: not breaking out like a hormonal teenager.)
Favorite homemade: Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix. You can never have too many homemade seasoning mix recipes, and this one for ranch looks absolutely stellar!
Favorite fitness: I Love My Arms. I did this workout on Tuesday, I think, and my arms are still sore today. True, I’m weak, but still, this is a great little routine.
Favorite indulge: Reeses Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark. Want to know what I love even more than Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? WHITE CHOCOLATE Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. This looks fantastic!
Have a great weekend!
HeidiLynn 02.21.2013
What a wonderful post! Gorgeous flowers!
Jason Bradley 02.18.2013
I went to high school with Taralynn from Undressed Skeleton. Small world :)
Stephen Saint-Onge | Designer Dad 02.18.2013
Glad you loved those Diane Keaton plates as well! I loved using them in my makeover feature and photoshoot. They become personal favorites of mine too. You can check out the interview I did with Diane about her line – under “On Location” at the top of my site. Love her design style.
Love your site and now inspired to try out some new foods!
Thanks again for sharing the image of the table setting with your fans.
Have a great, creative day!
Jody 02.18.2013
Hi Kristin,
Our Labradoodle, Roxy is the best dog
smart, fun, sweet and great with kids. No shedding and very easy to train. She just loves people….I’m not really sure she knows she’s a dog.
Maureen Gribble 02.18.2013
Kristin– my “mini” labradoodle, Liddy, is 7 years old and the best dog we could have ever asked for—especially considering I’m allergic to dogs and because of that never had one growing up. She doesn’t shed, she’s got a great temperament and she’s just about the cutest thing (the picture you posted is basically how she looked when we picked her up as a puppy). She’s also very good with our 3 year old, though I’ll admit she probably was happier before we brought him home, ha! Seriously though, never even nipped at us or him, such a sweet girl.
Bekah 02.17.2013
I liked the K by Keaton plates so much, I put them on my registry. I want to try those spinach shots.
Lauren @ Chocolate, Cheese and Wine 02.17.2013
Your roses are absolutely gorgeous!
Alisha 02.17.2013
That cafe looks like a dream!
Darien 02.16.2013
i have a doodle – 75% standard poodle/25% australian sheppard. he is about 35-40 pounds right now (10 months old) and barely sheds. his hair is incredibly soft, but grows like crazy and MUST be brushed and taken to the groomer every 8-12 weeks or so. he is the sweetest, bounciest (seriously, he is spring loaded) boy and is so good with everybody. he is energetic and a lover for sure! just be prepared for the grooming that comes along with a poodle/doodle – brushing 3-4 times a week (takes 30 minutes or so), grooming (they charge more for poodles), and exercise!
Kristine 02.17.2013
Ahh I need to see a picture of this! I have two aussies and I’m obsessed! I want to see the aussie and poodle combo! :)
Emily @ Life on Food 02.16.2013
ohmygodineedthatbarkinmylifenow!
Brittany 02.16.2013
Ok, those mango slices are INSANE.
sheena 02.15.2013
Thanks so much for the shout out!! Happy weekend:)
Jordan @ Jordan's Family of Foodies 02.15.2013
Glad to see you liked my recipe for Spicy kale and Chèvre Penne. Love Trader Joes myself.
Lauren @ BeautifulFight.com 02.15.2013
I recently went to the Philippines and bought tons of dried mangoes. You really can’t get much better than that! :)
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking 02.15.2013
Those flowers and that little cafe… oh em gee! The girly girl in me is freaking out!
Darlene 02.15.2013
We have a labradoodle. I’m probably biased, but he is super adorable. I have allergies too, which is why we got him. If you pick a reputable breeder, you should be able to find one that doesn’t shed.
Katie @ Blonde Ambition 02.15.2013
My friend has a labradoodle, and that thing was THE cutest puppy of all time.
Of all time.
sally @ sallys baking addiction 02.15.2013
Thanks for the link to my white chocolate peanut butter bark :) Have a great weekend!
M. Vivian 02.15.2013
Those roses are CRAZY! And more than a dozen!… Ben is a keeper for sure :)
Taralynn 02.15.2013
Thanks for posting my gummy bear recipe! I read your blog all the time! We are both from IOWA!
Btw, I have a goldendoodle (kinda like a labradoodle) they are the best!:)
xoxo Taralynn
Iowa Girl Eats 02.15.2013
STOP IT – no way! Where are you from?
Taralynn 02.15.2013
Yes way :)
From Ottumwa it’s southeast. I was also living in Iowa City for about a year!