Happy Friday everyone – I hope you had a great week!
I finally got the time I needed this week to sit down and breathe for a second! Freelance projects have been turned in, birthdays have been celebrated (recap coming Tuesday – pinky swear,) and meetings have been had. A free weekend is on the horizon, too. Bliss! Last one for awhile but it’ll be good to recharge and do something summery because, sniff, September will be here before we know it!
That said, shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I’m kind of craving an apple and pumpkin-picking day. Right? On one hand I don’t want to see the summer end, but on the other hand I can’t help but get excited for some of my favorite fall activities and, dunh dunh dunnnnh – the return of the black fleece. MUWAHAHAHA!
Ahem, anyway, many of my Friday Favorite picks this week reflect my new attitude of looking ahead. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya’!
Well wherever you are and whatever you do have a wonderful weekend, and in the meantime please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Click the light blue links to be taken to the original source.
Favorite mouthful: Bourbon Caramelized Bacon and Heirloom Tomato BLT w/Fried Eggs + Smoked Gouda. Be still my heart! I am seriously down with every single ingredient in this ultimate BLT. Especially the smoked gouda. It’s so amazing that I bought a wedge this week for no particular reason other than to gnaw on it for a few days.
Favorite style: Nantucket Beach House: Get the Look. If Ben and I ever build a three or four season porch onto our house this is exactly how I want it styled. Effortlessly cozy yet classic, too.
Favorite sweet: Brown Sugar Pound Cake. Oh my stars! This cake looks dreamily-dense and, dare I say it – moist. Muwahaha! I can only imagine how delicious that glaze must taste, too.
Favorite must-have: Family Command Center. I am going to BEG Ben to let me make this! We don’t have a desk in our kitchen (probably my only complaint about the space,) so I’ve taken up an entire corner of it for filing, bills, odds/ends, etc. That said, the side panel of the fridge built around would be perfect for this type of command center.
Favorite slurp: Cheesy Potato Soup (in Pretzel Bowls!). Get ready for it you guys – soup season is coming! This will likely be the first one I make, on account of it’s dreaminess and also because it calls for my very favorite smokey ingredient. Any guesses?
Favorite father/son: DIY Skateboard Shelf. Anyone else have a husband who’s obsessed with skate boarding? No? Just Me? Well it’s true, and I can’t think of a better way to use one of his dozens of extra decks than to build a custom hanging shelf for Lincoln’s room. How cute!
Favorite supper: Spicy Pork and Kale Soup. I have been capital O-bsessed with kale lately. Baby and lacinato, to be specific. Combined with pork sausage and chewy rice noodles, this is one quick dinner that I will be making pronto.
Favorite melt: Fried Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers. Though my soup cravings are intensifying, there’s still a few weeks left in grilling season. Must recreate these drippy, ooey-gooey burgers perhaps for Labor Day?
Favorite tip: How to Make Crispy Kale Chips. What’d I tell ya’? Obsessed! Simple yet great tips in this easy to follow post for getting the most crisp out of your kale.
Favorite crave: Chicken and Dumplings. Ok I promise I’ll stop with the cold weather posts after this recipe, but how perfect do these dumplings look? Chewy and dense. Will definitely be giving them a go with gluten-free flour this fall.
Favorite project: DIY Rustic Industrial Chalkboard. How amazing does this rustic chalkboard and frame look? Very Restoration Hardware, yet you won’t believe how inexpensive it is to make at home.
Favorite breakfast: Simple Poached Egg and Avocado Toast. This recipe from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum spoke to my soul. I’ve been eating two eggs over-medium with sausage and sauteed baby kale or hash browns pretty much everyday for months. What a fabulous way to freshen it up!
Favorite treat: Cake Batter Monster Cookie Sandwiches. Honestly, since taking the Go Sugar Free course I don’t find myself drooling over sweet recipes all that often anymore (hence why there’s TWO sweet recipes in today’s roundup vs the average TEN in past months!) That said, the delectableness of these Cake Batter Monster Cookie Sandwiches is absolutely undeniable!!
Have a great weekend!
Amy 08.25.2014
Oh my gosh! I made the poached eggs and avacado toast the past two days, and I don’t even like eggs! I think I have a new breakfast fave…
em@simplypresent 08.23.2014
I’m all about the chalkboard decor “phase”. I’ll have to show my boyfriend the recipe for those mozzarella burgers. We’re on a tomato and mozzarella kick. Those kale chips would be a great side!
Emily @ Life on Food 08.23.2014
I am not ready for summer to end but I am really looking forward to Fall too. Loving all of these soup recipes. Ick, did I just say that?
Millie l Add A Little 08.23.2014
Love the roundup! Everything looks amazing!
Desiree {CHIC COASTAL LIVING} 08.22.2014
Thank you for sharing my Nantucket beach house get the look! That was one of my favorite design boards!
Meg 08.22.2014
Dying over that chalkboard! That might need to be my weekend project…
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health 08.22.2014
I’m trying to resist the temptation to think about fall already but I can’t help it! Cozy sweaters and pumpkin treats are on my brain as well.
And I can’t wait to see pics from Lincoln’s 1st birthday. He is just so stinkin’ cute and I bet you got some great shots!
Anita 08.22.2014
Oh my goodness– that BLT! I just had lunch, but I think I might be hungry again. ;)
Sarah (People, Places & Plates) 08.22.2014
That skateboard shelf is so sweet….and that BLT…!!
Tanah 08.22.2014
Ooh i can’t wait for fall! These recipes are so cozy!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting 08.22.2014
Thanks for sharing my cookies!! :)
I need to make them again!
Heather @ Shards of Lavender 08.22.2014
Loving these Friday Favorites, especially the skateboard shelf and the brown sugar pound cake! A weekend with no commitments sounds fabulous:)
Joy 08.22.2014
Wow – that BLT looks incredible!! Anything with a fried egg on it is OK in my book. Thanks for all the great posts once again! Cheers!
Ali | Gimme Some Oven 08.22.2014
I’m secretly ready for apple and pumpkin too. Just not fall! ;)
Love this week’s roundup!
Tieghan 08.22.2014
Doesn’t smoked gouda just rule?? it’s my favorite!! :)
Have a great weekend and thanks so much for the link love this week!
Katie 08.22.2014
Oh PLEASE do not stop posting the fall recipes! The chicken and dumplings absolutely made my mouth water– fantastic. Soups and casseroles and pastas and pumpkin-y everything– I’m so ready for fall (and for my wedding diet to hit the road, ha!). Happy weekend!
Julie 08.22.2014
Maybe it’s a summer thing because I’ve been on a smoked gouda kick lately too. I’ve bought 3 rounds in the past month and a half. Can’t get enough.
I’m looking forward to soup season so I can make your Cheesy Pepper Jack Potato Chowder again. Yum!
Brynn 08.22.2014
Love, love, love the skateboard!
Bri | Bites of Bri 08.22.2014
I feel like I get the evil eye everytime I say I’m just about ready for fall food. I’m loving the last bit of summer but cannot wait for honeycrisp apples and sweaters with boots. Until then, savoring summer over here! Loved the links.
Colleen 08.22.2014
That spicy pork and kale soup looks amazing! I’m in the same boat as you – I don’t want summer to end but I LOVE fall