Happy Friday, all!
First things first, I need to announce the winner of the White Jacket Required book giveaway. Congrats to…
Chelsea: I would love to read this book :) My favorite comfort food is probably pasta with meat sauce and garlic bread…yummm!
Congrats, Chelsea! Email your mailing address to IowaGirlEats@gmail.com and we’ll get that right out to you. Thank you to everyone who entered, and do pick up a copy of White Jacket Required if you can, to support a fellow food blogger, and for a great read!
In other news, we went from a high of 83 earlier this week, to a predicted high of just 49 today. Brrr!! Seems like most of the country is experiencing some type of dramatic weather right now, from cold temps, snow, and rain, so wherever you are, try and stay warm, safe, and dry this weekend.
That was my Midwest instincts kicking in, btw. We love to talk weather. SO COOL. ;)
Anyways, my Mom and I are hoping to conquer the cold tomorrow and hit up the very last downtown Farmers’ Market of the season (sob!) then Ben and I have dinner plans with friends. Fun! Today I am spending the day staying warm indoors working on a few freelance recipe projects – a couple involving cranberries.
The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming!
Alright, I need to go, clearly. I hope you have some plans in the works, but in the meantime, please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Favorite bite: Cookies & Cream Popcorn. One of my best friends and I used to hoard Hershey’s Cookies & Cream mini chocolate bars in our lockers, which were right next to each other, freshman year of high school. It was all fun and games until the boys on either side of us discovered our locker combinations and stole our entire stash. ‘Twas a sad day indeed. I would keep this stuff under lock and KEY!
Favorite cozy: Fitted Puffer Vest. I saw a girl at the grocery store earlier this week with the cutest vest on – puffy but fitted, with a cute, faux-fur lined hood. Kinda like this one!
Favorite fall: Butternut Bliss Fall Salad. I can’t decide what I like best about this gorgeous, Autumnal salad – the sight of caramelized butternut squash, tofu, walnuts, and dried cranberries – or the cute name.
Favorite furball. I vant…to suck…the cuteness out of this spooky little kitten!
Favorite fashion: Bahari Necklace. This statement necklace is GORGEOUS. I have so many outfits this would totally make.
Favorite project: Gallery Wall. So much easier than trying to figure out different hanging patterns, using a level, nails, and lots of prayers that everything lines up.
Favorite redo: Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bars. A copycat version of Starby’s Cranberry Bliss Bars – these babies look sinfully delish.
Favorite must-have: Winestation. MUST. HAVE. NOW. How freaking cool, right?!
Favorite save: Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee. I received some Colombian Fair Trade Select coffee through my GreenMountain.com K-Cup Ambassador Program earlier this month, and it is hands down my favorite coffee I’ve ever had. Sooo smooth, and not too dark, nor too light. Bonus – it’s on sale right now (as is all GM’s Fair Trade Coffee,) and you can get an additional 10% off all Fair Trader products with code: GMCFTC8131 through November 5 on GreenMountainCoffee.com.
Favorite dinner: Hummus Crusted Chicken. I love how moist and juicy this hummus-topped chicken looks. It would be a great weeknight dinner, plus you can never have too many chicken recipes!
Favorite DIY: DIY Mercury Glass Lamps. Apparently similar-looking lamps sell for $200+ at Pottery Barn. HAHA NO THANKS. This tutorial gives a pretty ingenious way to get the look for a LOT less.
Favorite indulge: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt. So simple. So divine. So want dozens and dozens of them right now…
Favorite vantage point. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this super-cool wedding shot before. Ladies – keep this one in mind for any impending nuptials!
Favorite upgrade: Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Walnut Streusel. Oh dear me! Love this idea for a Thanksgiving side!
Favorite place: Salzburg, Austria. Can you imagine how beautiful this place must be around the holidays, with twinkling lights and a light dusting of snow?
Favorite homemade: Homemade Tootsie Rolls. Homemade tootsie rolls are all the rage this year, and I, for one, am totally on board. How fun!
Have an awesome weekend, everyone!
Bethany 10.27.2012
Ex-CUUUUUUUSE ME?!? Cranberry Bliss Bars?!?!?! I CRAVED those things when I was pregnant with my twins. They are 6 months old now and the craving really hasn’t gone away…..and today is my birthday, so I’ll consider this recipe a birthday present from you! LOL.
P.S. No tickets for me, I’m all the way in AZ!
Connie Conlon 10.27.2012
I would love to go to the JLDM Gift Mart. This would be my very first one. Have a wonderful weekend.
SaraJ 10.27.2012
I would love to go to the Gift Mart on Thursday night!
Have fun at the Farmers Market today, brrrrr, I didn’t make it there as much as I wanted this year.
Brenda 10.27.2012
Love, love, love the street shot of Salzburg. It’s the main drag of the Alstadt (old city). You just brought back some very happy memories for me! Thanks!
Mary 10.27.2012
Salzburg is amazing in the Spring with the flowers in bloom also. I’ve been there, and wandering thru the narrow streets is an amazing experience.
Jill 10.26.2012
Would love to attend Nov. 17! I perfect reason to visit my very good friend who lives in the Des Moines area.
Erin 10.26.2012
I just moved here from Kansas City where I was in the Junior League and loved the Holiday Mart. It would be fun to check out the one here! I could make any of those dates work.
Jess S 10.26.2012
I think it’d be fun to check out opening night!
Jenny 10.26.2012
Friday would be nice, what a great slate of retailers they have listed! Hope to get there!!
Crystal 10.26.2012
Saturday, November 17th
Morgan 10.26.2012
I have never made it to the gift mart but would love to go this year. I would want to go on Friday.
julia 10.26.2012
mmm butternut bliss salad!
xo julesinflats.com
Sue S. 10.26.2012
The Gift Mart is such a fun event, I love to go with my girlfriends. We shop, get a drink and make it a fun night! I would love to go on Thursday, opening night!
Kristin 10.26.2012
It would be so much fun to take my Mom on Friday! We normally travel to Kansas City to a similar event, but weren’t able to go this year. This would be such a neat surprise to get some holiday shipping done! Thanks!!
Bridget Montgomery 10.26.2012
I’d love to go on Friday!
Patrice Goecken 10.26.2012
I’m in Cedar Falls, but would love to bring my mom or sister down on Saturday night! Sounds like a great road trip!
Ashley Courtney 10.26.2012
Love the Friday favorites and would love to go on Saturday the 17th!! :)
Lindsey Scheibe 10.26.2012
The gift mart looks like so much fun! I’d like to go on Friday or Saturday. I’d probably choose Saturday, just so I would be able to spend more time browsing!
Kristen 10.26.2012
I’m so making the cranberry bars–those and the lemon are my sbux fav! Beautiful lamps, too. And the sweet potatoes? Monday’s lunch! I snagged 2 from the swap box at our CSA last week. Always fun to see your Friday posts!
Lauren 10.26.2012
I think I just opened up every single link in this post. :) Happy Friday love!