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!
terri 02.22.2013
My husband and I are avid fitness walkers, but dislike walking on potentially slick pavement. We got snowshoes for Christmas in 2011 and love them. Snowshoeing burns a ton of calories…800 an hour, I believe…so it’s a great outdoors snowy weather workout. Try it!
kim@hungryhealthygirl 02.22.2013
Those soft batch cookies look to die for!! Stay warm this weekend, even if you do decide to venture out!
Kelly @ Happy Wifey 02.22.2013
OHH! The orange chicken looks GREAT! I wish I had enough chicken at home to make this tonight!
Jess 02.22.2013
OH my the food in this post looks amazing!! Wow! I pinned them all! LOL
I’d love for you to join me at my Blog Hop! :)
Heather 02.22.2013
I grew up in Wisconsin and went to college near and lived in Minneapolis for a couple years before moving to Denver. When I moved here, I couldn’t believe how nobody wore hats or scarves. In MN, you had to wear a hat and/or scarf to survive!
Sally 02.22.2013
You are so much braver than me! I live in Virginia, and it has gotten SO cold this winter (well, cold for VA standards …) I haven’t done an outdoor workout in I don’t know how long – good luck!
Love the Friday favorites, especially that outfit! Also, would love to see a post on a variation of that goat cheese and spinach pasta – yum!
Have a great weekend :)
Nina @ Too Hottie For That Body 02.22.2013
I don’t know which recipe I want to try first! Oh and I’m pretty sure you can plant dalias in the spring. They are a bulb plant. But you might not want to take my gardening advice because I have proven to be the crappiest gardener ever.
Emiles 02.22.2013
You’re good on the dahlias, plant ’em this spring! :)
erin @hooleywithaz 02.22.2013
i’m a st. paulite gal. thanks for the shout out, we just bundle up really well, that’s how we do it. puffy coats for the win!
that outfit up there screams spring, i want! i posted about some gorgeous gold shorts from j.crew (that are of course sold out) and an imitation pair from kohls. i’m craving spring clothing lately. wonder why…
Claire @ Health Nut Claire 02.22.2013
I love these posts! Your last FF convinced me that I need a labordoodle and this weeks is making me drool over dense cakes! And I gave up sweets for Lent – oy!
nic 02.22.2013
i like your list, but i think it’s sad that so many photos on the web are used on many pages like via… via… via… without giving any proper credit. :(
the yawning dog is “maddie” and she belongs to theron…
http://instagram.com/thiswildidea
happy weekend & link with love!
http://linkwithlove.typepad.com/linkwithlove/what-we-are.html
nic
Iowa Girl Eats 02.22.2013
Hey Nic! I totally understand your concerns, this is an issue that I find really frustrating, too. I actually spend a lot of time each week finding original sources to my favorites – usually not including them if I can’t find them. The only via link here was the dog and outfit, and I have replaced the source with the link you provided. Thank you for that!
nic 02.23.2013
thank you for responding to my concerns and replacing the link, kristin. i’m sure you spend a lot of time researching the net for sources, but…
it’s a thing that i watch everywehere on the blogs and it makes me sad ( it actually make me marking my own pictures with an ugly signature ;)
what i don’t understand ist this point: why taking photos that we can’t credit properly because we can’t find out to whom they really belong? why not taking ones we can credit instead and just leave them, even if they are damn cute… ;)
just my two cents to think about. no offense.
have a great weekend!
nic
Anna 02.22.2013
You are lucky you didn’t get much snow…I live in Kansas and we got dumped on! I’m still debating on whether or not I’m going to work today!
I’ve been reading your blog for a while and love your Friday Favorites. This week’s is especially fun! Those blood orange margaritas look to-die for!
Jodie 02.22.2013
That pup looks just like my Addison Lucille! Red-healer/Cattle Dog. Best pups around and ADOPTED!
Erin 02.22.2013
I live in Alaska and our growing season is pretty short. I start my dahlia tubers in pots in my garage and replant them outside when it is warm enough. Gives them a nice head start so I get pretty flowers much quicker!
Amanda 02.22.2013
I’m an Iowa gal turned Minnesotan…I live in Minneapolis now and definitely have grabbed my longest coat, scarf, mittens, hat and layered up to simply just get outside for that breath of fresh air! I love your blog…it reminds me of my Iowa roots!
Elizabeth 02.22.2013
I live in Boston, which is certainly cold, although not nearly as bad as the midwest. The past lots of winters I’ve definitely used the weather as a reason to park my booty on the couch and watch West Wing reruns until I can recite the entire series. But this year, I’m forcing myself to just suck it up and go outside. It’s brutal at first, but I always warm up after a few min, and my dog is so happy that we can go on real walks; the past few years it’s been me yelling from the porch “come ON Milton, it’s freezing, let’s go in”. And I’ve really discovered the beatuy of winter, now that I’m actually seeing it in person. Have fun!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health 02.22.2013
Those strawberry cupcakes look so good. I can’t wait or strawberries to be back in season!
Amy M 02.22.2013
I hear ya about weather being an easy excuse to be a hermit. I conquered that mindset and ran outside yesterday morning. Only my cheeks got really chilly — of course that made me think I should run in a ski mask….but no, that would be creepy and claustrophobic.
Tami 02.22.2013
Dahlias are planted in the spring. The bulbs typically aren’t winter hardy in Iowa so you will need to dig them up, store them, and replant them the following spring.
Iowa Girl Eats 02.22.2013
Ahh ok, gotcha. Thanks for the tip – clearly I have no clue about these things!
Kari Knudson 02.22.2013
Thanks for the Minnesota shout out! I live in Northern MN (so north we get Canandian tv channels – they rock the Olympics!). There is a meme going around – Hell is frozen over. Minnesota schools are two hours late.
Dahlias grow from bulbs and they are beautiful. Just make sure you pluck them out of the ground in the fall and store them in your basement.
Have a great weekend!
Iowa Girl Eats 02.22.2013
Hahaha, it’s so true!! ;) Have a great weekend!