Well it looks like I didn’t need to dash out for those mango strips after all (actually, I’m kind of glad I did as I got the very last bag!) The snow didn’t start falling ’til late in the evening then kind of petered out after 2 inches. Talk about anticlimactic! The remaining 4 finally fell overnight though, so it should be a fun, snowman-filled day for the kiddos. ;)
I’m not sure what’s on tap for this weekend – maybe a snow walk. I’ve decided to adopt a Minnesotan mentality and not let the cold weather stop me from getting outdoors. I was always amazed when I lived in Minneapolis after college that no matter how cold it got (and OMG IT GETS SO COLD) nor how many inches of snow were on the ground, Minnesotans were always out and about walking, running, and being active. Blew my mind. Anyways, I figure my down jacket, warm boots and gloves exist for a reason – time for me to stop being the reason I’m stuck indoors!
Wherever you are, and whatever you do, I hope you 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 healthy: Soft Batch Dark Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies. No butter nor white sugar, yet dense and gooey as all get out? I’ll take 6 dozen, stat. Eek!
Favorite furball. Hey dog, pour me a cup, too! ;)
Favorite sip: Blood Orange Margarita. This babies look so, so refreshing. They’d be fun for a bridal shower or something, on account of them being so gosh darn PINK!
Favorite find: Circulation Chest. I am 1000% obsessed with this chest, with it’s varying sizes of drawers and antique-y look. Plus there’s a look-alike dresser in the guys’ apartment on the Big Bang Theory, which makes me love it even more. Cough, #NERD
Favorite fake-out: Chinese Orange Chicken. WOW!! This takeout fake-out meal looks so much better than the restaurant version. Super light and fresh.
Favorite view: Seeing the World Out an Airplane Window. You guys have to see these views from the window seat of an airplane on flights from around the world. They’re good photos, too, not like my crappy iPhone shots…
Favorite bite: Lemon Yogurt Sugar Muffins. Mmm, bright, light, and zippy! Love anything rolled/dunked/dipped in sugar, too.
Favorite makeover: Ceiling Space –> Play Space. While I love a stunning, open, and airy entryway as much as the next gal, this is SUCH a better use of otherwise space.
Favorite twirl: Lemony Pasta with Goat Cheese and Spinach. I could eat this ENTIRE recipe myself. Pasta, pasta, pasta!
Favorite outfit. RIGHT?! The top’s from J Crew, I believe. Cute and classy.
Favorite treat: Key Lime Pound Cake. In case you can’t tell I’m all about the citrus right now, especially a dense and buttery cake spiked with puckery key limes. :)
Favorite photo. I think as part of my garden overhaul this summer I’m going to plant some dahlias – except, does anyone know if these grow from bulbs/I would have needed to plant them last Fall?
Favorite quick: Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce. I think Ben and I would love this dish equally. He’d go for the beer-laced sauce, while I’m excited about the squeeze of sweet honey and shallots.
Favorite DIY: Cheerful Flower Topiary. Oooo, a few of these would look nice and cheery on my mantel.
Favorite sweet: Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes. Yes!! These! So cute and yummy!
Have a great weekend, all!
Leah | So, How's It Taste? 04.30.2013
Thanks so much for including my Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce!
steph 02.24.2013
Love the playroom idea! I went to an art studio/gallery once that had a play area built underneath the stairs. What a great way to use extra space.
Debtgirl 02.23.2013
Its summa in So Cal! Not gloating though! You folks in the midwest and east coast are hardy folks! I wouldn’t make one winter! Love the flowers every where on the web today .
SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen 02.23.2013
Those flowers make me wish spring was here! But, in the meantime, being a Minnesotan, I’ll continue to bundle up and go outside. I wish I was as winter hearty as my dad who walks 1-hour every morning before work and hasn’t missed a day all winter! I prefer afternoon walks with the sunshine :)
Debtgirl 02.23.2013
Love the pics! We are so lucky to be in southern cali! Come here!!!
Lori Edgington 02.23.2013
Another Fantastic Friday Favorites! I look forward to your posts every day!
Hannah McBride 02.23.2013
My (now) husband grew Dahlias for our wedding this past fall. They were absolutely gorgeous–all different vibrant colors. He started them in a green house (we live in Southern Maine) and then planted them in a pretty big space in the back. He said they were easy to grow and they grew in excess. Perfect.
Mindy 02.23.2013
Kristin – don’t know if this would help you out or not, but I’ve ordered my flowers/herbs/veggie plants for the last couple of years from the Homestead http://www.thehomestead.org . It’s right across from Southeast Polk High School, so not terribly far from you. My plants from them have been outstanding. Think it helps that they are grown right here in the DM area. Outstanding cause too (autism). We also get our CSA boxes from there – can’t wait until it’s time for the boxes again. Anyway, I don’t know if they have dahlias but I’ve gotten zinnias from them for the last couple of years and they are now my favorite flower to plant. Gorgeous colors! When you cut them, they stay pretty for around a week, which makes me love them even more!
Brigid 02.23.2013
As others have stated, dahlias are tubers and are not winter hardy in Des Moines (which is zone 4/5) meaning if you leave the tubers in the ground during the winter they will freeze and turn to mush because of the freezing temps. In your area, the tubers are planted in the spring when the soil is warmer (maybe around early May?) and then you have to dig up in the fall and save to re-plant in the spring. (there are many ways to save them for the re-planting) Somewhat labor intensive if you are not really ready to do all of this. How about some alternatives? Zinnias, which are heat loving annuals, are a great cutting flower and can somewhat get the same look as a dahlia or for a more petit flower but VERY heat tolerant—try lantana. Both are annuals in your area, but need little water and love hot summers.