Thursday Things

Nothing here is essential to my life’s happiness and well-being or anything, but they’d be nice.

1. A mini-donut pan

2. Or else a donut maker

3. A big hatchet A knife for slicing through a 9 x 13 pan of brownies, bars, or cake in one fell swoop I hate when I am slicing desserts and running my knife through the frosting and through the cake, row by row.  It creates a total mess and my lines and rows are never even.  I want to just attack it with one fell swoop. Not sure if this tool work on desserts as it’s intended for pizzas but it’s worth a try Anything I can do to not get brown crumbs into the white frosting of Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting is a good thing <– And I realize if this is my worst problem in life, I’ve lived a blessed life. But see the foodie sites don’t like my pictures if they’re messy.  <– Harsh but true.

4. A new flat iron that is One Pass and Done If you love your flat iron, tell me about it and where I can buy it! So many of them either get too hot (major damage), not hot enough (re-passing, over and over; also damaging), the plates don’t touch, the plates have corners and rip or snag your hair out (yikes, ouch!) And yes, I did the Brazilian Blowout (twice) but it’s worn off and I won’t do it again.  Fine while it lasted but not something I want to maintain.  I’d rather just flat-iron as need be.

5. Another external backup drive.  Mine is almost full.  Already. How would you feel if you lost ALL your digital photos, documents/work, digital music, and everything else you have on your computer? I cannot fathom it. Yes, please back up your machines as I urged here

6. Wacom Wireless Pen Tablet I didn’t even know this product existed until reader Jenny told me about it this week.  Thanks, Jenny! Basically, I could ditch my mouse and do all my photo editing with a pen which would give me much better control over what I am doing. When editing, the tiniest, slightest little motions can really make a huge difference in the finished photo and sometimes I feel like Mrs. Butterfingers with my mouse.  I barely touch it and a major change occurs to the photo and I have to start over or try to back track.  I’d love the wireless pen tablet for control and precision.

7. Another memory card for my camera

All this crap this camera stuff is just so pricey! 8. And a faster card reader I shoot in RAW and sometimes it takes 10 minutes (or more!) just to get the photos into my computer because the files are so large.  And that’s before I even make a single edit. Being more efficient = better and more time to spend thinking about #9 9. Drinks on the beach with Scott 10. Chocolate + Peanut Butter Nutella & Peanut Butter Graham Bars with Chocolate Frosting (No Bake)

The winner of the 500 Business Cards Giveaway is: Kristin @ STUFT Mama September 20, 2011 “Ahh!!! I need new busniess cards big-time. I’m running a race to raise money for my friend’s deaf daughter and need help getting the word out! I only have cards for my fitness, not my blog. Yay for this amamzing giveaway! Averie- you ROCK!” Congrats, Kristin Questions: What are your Thursday Things?  Any recommendations on anything I’ve mentioned?  What do you have your eye on?  Have a great day…the weekend is coming up.  Yay!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-15” author: “Virginia Thurlow”

1. When I saw an email for this new iphone I got really excited

Why? Well, because I love my iPhone and the camera on it is great, but…

…The new iPhone is supposed to have an even better camera All you need to say is better camera, and I want this phone. I took the eligibility “quiz” and it seems that November 2, 2012 is the magic date for me for when I could get this for $199.  But, in 14 months, they could have iPhone version 9 out.  Way too long to wait.  Sigh. Can you say, hello Ebay?  I must source one of these bad boys, asap.  And not at $750 bucks which is approximately the going rate if you’re not currently eligible for an upgrade.  At that price, the camera on my current iPhone is “fine”.  I guess. 2. Wordpress Bloggers, back up your blog.  It’s easy. Install a plugin like this one, and then it will instruct you to go into your “Tools” from your Dashboard, click a few bubbles and the backup will run and will probably take a half hour or so to complete and you can have it saved to your computer, saved to your computer, or emailed to you. It’s probably not “perfect” and if your site ever did get hacked like I thought mine did… Or crash like mine actually did… …Some form of backup is better than nothing. Backup your blogs! 3. And while you’re at it, back up your computers, too, on an external drive

4. Limited Edition Caramel Tootsie Pops   I found a bag of them at my local Rite Aid this week. And have done plenty of damage on the bag.  Super tasty.  Sort of like butterscotch hard candies but a bit more caramely tasting with that lovely Tootsie center. I love Tootsie Pops, big time. And I love caramel anything. Case in point are the Caramel Apple Bars so it’s no surprise I’m lovin’ the caramel Tootsie Pops

5. These Be Present Mobility Pants in Silver Fox I just received them and I am in love. I love the Be Present Mobility Pants in general and have a couple other pairs. I wear them all the time. To the mall…

To the hair salon.. Excuse the roots, that was the Before Picture …And I just wear them everywhere. They are lightweight, drawstring (hello comfortable!), wash up beautifully, air-dry in a hurry, fold up into next to nothing if you’re traveling, and have deep pockets. Cannot recommend them enough or say enough awesome things about them. And in this post

6. A Cookie Scoop Katie recommended this cookie scoop to me and in the past I have attempted to use a cookie scoop but the dough has always stuck to the metal and the “releasing” mechanism never really properly released the dough, and I ended up have to use my finger or a spoon to get the dough off the scoop and onto the cookie sheet.  Basically more of a PITA than it was worth.  But I trust you, Katie.  I think I need this gadget in my life Along with all these gadgets Uniform-sized cookies are the way to go.  Not even just for “pretty food” purposes but so that bake in a uniform amount of time So they all get done at the same time and there’s no violations of any Baking Rules, i.e. dry or overdone I want to make Snickers Bar Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies with a cookie scoop

7. The winner of the $25 Manna Bread Giveaway is: kris (everyday oats) October 5, 2011 Favorite bread of all time…hmmm, this is a hard one! – I pretty much love ALL breads. Whole wheat, brioche, french baguettes, cinnamon raisin, banana, sourdough…you name it, I probably love it! Congrats, Kris! Questions:

8. What are your Thursday Things?  Have you seen anything interesting, fun, or that you’re pining away for? 2.  Do you have an iPhone?  Do you want one?  Anyone planning to get the newest one? I never thought I’d be able to handle touchscreen.  I still make tons of mistakes when I’m typing and auto-correct is both a blessing and a curse, but my iPhone is light years ahead of my Blackberry and I couldn’t imagine not having an iPhone now. I don’t use anywhere near what the phone is capable of doing but one thing I adore about it is the camera.  I’d surmise it’s a better quality camera than most other phones have and for me, the ability to take pictures of my day as I am out and about without having to lug a separate camera of any sort (from a small P & S to a huge DSLR) is worth it’s weight in gold. Other things I love are Instagram, and all the apps that you can download (the picture I used in this post of my phone is old and I have other apps on it now) I mostly use my Instagram, Twitter, and just check my email/Gmail from my phone I thought I’d be able to comment on blogs with the the phone and that’s been a bit of a disappointment because although y0u can do it in theory, it takes about 5 minutes per blog to leave even a 10 word comment after you fill in your name, email, your URL, and then type the comment.  Lots of little boxes to click in and out of and fields to fill in, and it’s not practical from a phone, even a smartphone, in my experience. The other drawback, because of the way Apple protects music, there is trouble interfacing between the phone and my iTunes and having all my music, all in one place between my various Apple computers and iPhones.  I have 3 computers: an old Mac desktop, my new Mac desktop, and my Macbook; and then the iPhone.  And that music is not all synced which is unfortunate because I paid for it.  I own it.  But they have these precautions in place to prevent music pirating. If anyone knows a way to centralize your music so that all your computers and all your phones are all “current” with all the music you own, I’m all ears.  I have googled this and have talked to the Genius Bar people and I think I am out of luck.  I know others must have this issue too because many of us have an old/new computer or a desktop/laptop plus a phone.  But I digress. All in all, I love my iPhone.  No plans to switch! If you have an iPhone, what do you do the most with it?  What features do you love about it? Keep those Silpat Giveaway entries coming!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-12” author: “Kazuko Bowman”

1. Halloween candy season has definitely caught my eye.  All the limited editions, special flavor offerings, and once-a-year candy combos the candy manufacturers come out with.  I never met a drop of HFCS or highly processed chocolate that I didn’t love. These KitKats I spotted at Target with white chocolate?  Yes please.

I’m a big fan of white chocolate

2. This big, sharp, lightweight knife.  The bigger the better, baby. I’d gladly take this one.  It’s on sale for $400.  I better hurry.
3. These measuring cups from Anthro I pinned them on my Dishes Board
4. Or this milk bottle measuring cup set

It somehow reminds me of the Russian nesting dolls I used to play with as a child.  Stacking, nesting, and cute little pieces that fit together.

5. It was a full moon yesterday.  So technically a Wednesday thing, but who’s counting. Did you notice any full moon effects? Moody, edgy, intense, passionate, meltdowns, insomnia, things breaking or going haywire, mechanical or electrical problems? Blame it on the moon.
6. Salsa Verde.  Not as much garlic and onions in it compared to red salsa which I prefer.  The sodium content is still a big high for my liking, but I’ve been dealing with it. And making some fun things with it in my hopes of creating more new recipes.
7. A new Flexipat from Kelly

It’s like a Silpat but even more indestructible and comes with a lifetime warranty. The Flexipat sounds like the Vita-Mix of baking sheet liners.  I can’t wait to break it in. Maybe with a batch of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Kelly is also offering two specials for one week only in her store.  Perfect time to think about holiday gifts. Buy three, get one free on medium Silpats and A general discount of 20% off on any purchase in her store.  (If you plan to take advantage of this great offer, before you submit your order, email Kelly your order at kellyreck@gmail.com so she can apply the discount manually to your order) And if you want to start your own business by selling Silpats and related products, you can start for a $149 (limited time offer)  8. The winner of the Not Nuts! Giveaway is Bev Weidner “Um, if I just open my mouth, will you pour that entire bag down my throat? Please and thank you.” Congrats, Bev!  Two bags of seeds coming your way. 9. We’re having a heat wave in San Diego!  95F and sunny the past two days.  Not complaining, at all, but I am back to craving these rather than these. What are your Thursday things?  Any items, discoveries, products, books, blogs, recipes, or anything at all new and noteworthy that you’re just dying to mention? Do tell!  Sharing is caring.

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-03” author: “Karen Castle”

1. These Vegan Boots that are part boots + part Minnetonka Moccasins.  I had to many Minnetonka mocs growing up but nothing ever that was furry with pom-poms.

And they’re cheap.  I’m almost in heaven.  However, I have huge feet and they don’t make my size and am out of luck. Darn. 2. Kim’s Fairytale Wedding I finally got around to watching it via DVR and Skylar was glued to the set with me.  Skylar, age 4, said that Kim looked like a Princess and she wanted her wedding to be “just like Kim’s wedding”. When she asked me if her wedding will be just like Kim’s, I thought to myself, yes if your Prince Charming has a seven figure salary, you can undoubtedly pull off a 20 million dollar one-day event. photo source But for now, let’s stick to this kind of Princess attire and fairytales of that nature. 3. Peanut Butter is going up in price by about 25% in November due to the Great American Peanut Shortage 2011 Curious? Read More Here I love Peanut Butter Recipes Like Nutella & Peanut Butter Graham Bars with Chocolate Frosting (No Bake) What am I going to do? Obviously, pay the price increase.  Duh. Or eat more sunflower seed butter

Sunflower Seed Butter Balls are easy, no-bake, vegan, and GF.  You can of course use PB, Cashew Butter, or Almond Butter 4. The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book Whether you’re looking for baubles, boots…

…or a boat, they’ve got you covered. The boat runs a cool $250k

Did anyone happen to see if my lottery numbers won anything today? 5. Remember my little Corningware Baking Dish that I bought at the thrift store?

Turns out the pattern is called Spice of Life (thanks to everyone who chimed in and told me your mom, grandma, or relatives had that exact pattern and that it was a staple of your childhood.  I love fun stories like that. Well, when I googled Spice of Life, among other things, ahem, I found a website called Classic Kitchens and More: Authentic Retro Kitchenware They have tons of vintage and retro Corningware and cookwareMove over Etsy and Pinterest, I have another site that I just fell in love with.  Something about retro kitchen  items just makes me so happy and warm and fuzzy inside. 6. My new Donut Paraphernalia also makes me warm and fuzzy inside

7. I have to go to Target for Carmex, deodorant, body wash, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and the like.  But am putting it off. Why?  Because next to BB & B, Target is my #2 source of wallet-thinning. In the meantime, I am down to the hard plastic part of my deodorant and my armpit skin is thinning.
8. The winner of the KeVita Drinks Giveaway is: Lisa October 18, 2011 at 3:18 am I would love to try the pomegranate! Congrats, Lisa
9. I won Lindsey of Gingerbread Bagels Giveaway for Starbucks and enough coffee to keep me wide awake until 2017 showed up on my doorstep Wednesday. I’m in jittery, caffeinated heaven. Thanks Lindsey and Starbucks! Now if you’ll excuse me while I slurp down a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte with some of my new ‘joe

Questions:

1. Did you watch Kim’s Fairytale Wedding?  Thoughts if you did?  Did you have a lavish wedding or do you want a lavish wedding?  If money was no object, would you go all out on your wedding?  Or regardless, would you keep it lower key? I watched it and enjoyed the behind the scenes shots, dialogue, and emotional highs and lows that were captured. When it comes right down to it, I think that most people are generally pretty stressed right before their wedding, they tend to bicker, they tend to get caught up in the hub-bub of the wedding rather than focusing on the marriage.  The wedding is one day, the marriage is forever and I think they realized that and seem very happy and in love.  I wish them the best. Glad Scott and I eloped 10 years ago and didn’t do anything other than a $199 Las Vegas special.  It kept stress (and costs) to an absolute minimum.  We had a ball just being with each other and have great memories of how the whole event went down.  And 24 whole pictures of the event that were taken on a disposable Kodak camera and I have never had them made digital.  They’re in an album that I don’t exactly know where it is right now.  Storage locker maybe?  I know I have it.  I just don’t exactly where.
2. What are your Thursday Things?  What’s caught your eye or your given you something to think about this week? Stay tuned for a truly amazing Giveaway…

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-30” author: “Benton Bryan”

1. I am so excited about iTunes Match. It’s not here yet, but it’s coming soon.

“If you want the benefits of iTunes in the Cloud for music you haven’t purchased from iTunes, iTunes Match is the perfect solution. It’s built right into the iTunes app on your Mac or PC and the Music app on your iOS devices. And it lets you store your entire collection, including music you’ve imported from CDs or purchased somewhere other than iTunes. For just $24.99 a year” What that means to me is that if you have an old Mac, Macbook, iMac, iPhone, iPod, iPad, and you’ve upgraded but have bits and pieces of your music scattered on all your different devices and computers, it will soon all soon be able to be synced up and consolidated. All your devices can have all your music.  Yes, there’s a small annual fee but it’s well worth it to me.  Between laptops, desktops, iPods, and phones, I’ve had about 7 Apple products in the past 5 years and have bits of it strewn everywhere.  I was just complaining about this the other week, and no “enable home sharing” doesn’t fix this for me. If you open iTunes, from the home screen, look at the right hand sidebar and notice it’s “coming soon”. I knew I wasn’t the only one out there who had their music scattered on various devices and I was wondering how long it was going to take for Apple to figure out that if a person legitimately bought music on one computer, when they get another computer (another Mac!) they should have access to that music on the new machine.   iTunes Match, oh yes please. 2. In cooking related things, this week I managed to crack 10 eggs all over my counter top, all at once.  It was not a pleasant thing. I bought a new carton of eggs and noticed that one had cracked open I was trying to get it out of the carton and toss it.  Well, it had gotten stuck to the paper carton and for some reason, I thought that gently shaking the carton as I was wrestling with this semi-broken and stuck egg was a good idea and would help unlodge it.  It wasn’t a good idea. 10 more eggs that weren’t lodged into the carton became unlodged and in slow motion, they all cracked all over my couter top, all at once.  Lovely. 3. I am really excited about the finale of Top Chef Just Desserts I am taping it on my DVR so don’t tell me who wins.  If you’re following the show, who do you think should win?  Chris, Matt, or Sally? I think Sally is the best cook of the three; I think she’s the most creative, she turns out the prettiest food and food that just suprises me because it’s so unique and clever.  Plus, the Girl Power thing.  I hope she wins! 4. Candy Corn season is here.  I made something with my leftover C.C.

Not these No-Bake Candy Corn Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites, either.

Something else.  And I’m loving it. It also involves chocolate.

Recipe coming soon 5. This Epiphanie Bag 6. This Kelly Moore Bag Boy Bag 7. Pinterest.  Such a time suck. Such a beautiful place. I love it. I could devote days and days to just browsing, clicking, and being inspired.  Food, drink, clothes, travel, architecture, furniture, home decor, desserts, photography; it’s like one big happy place for all things wonderful. 8. Halloween is coming up.  I have no plans other than to take Skylar trick or treating.  No adult dress-up, nothing crazy, just going to be princess-ing with my Princess. 9. Asian Foods Giveaway going strong for one more day 10. White Chocolate Cookies & Cream Fudge.  Scott requested it.  I will probably oblige his request and make some.  It’s no-bake and easy but he thinks it’s complicated which scores me brownie points.  Maybe he’ll get me a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer in return.  I can hope, right.

Questions:

1. What are your Thursday Things?  Anything have you excited this week?  Does that iPhone syncing stuff excite you?
2. Do you have Halloween Plans?
3. Ever dropped eggs everywhere? That was a first for me but I have dropped a glass jar of caramel sauce all over my kitchen.  Nightmare.  For months later I found caramel splatters on just about every cupboard drawer handle, crevice, and nook and cranny in my kitchen. If you have 1 spare second, could you please Vote for Me in the Delta/Biscoff Bake-Off.  Thank you and I really appreciate it!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-02” author: “Anna Breton”

1. This Latte Coffee Maker.  Not that I need this.  I have this which has been sitting in a box since our last move.  But something about that perfect looking latte makes me want that latte maker.  And reminds me that I should just unpack the one I have.

2. Vintage Tapestry Boots.  I could store these over-priced boots in the over-priced copper bucket.  Yes, good idea.  300 for the bucket + 600 for the boots = me and my coppery boot fantasies can keep dreaming.

3. Skylar’s Spanish is officially better than mine.  She asks me to make a chonga for her or fix her chonga if it gets messy.  Her teachers speak Spanish and she’s a little sponge soaking up it all up. When she counts to twenty in Spanish, she sounds authentic with proper dialect and a proper accent.  Not like my gringo-ey Spanish sounds.  She laughs at me when I butcher the words.  My four year old laughs at me.  But that’s okay she’ll always be my little princess.

4. I got my hair done earlier in the week.  Thank God for freshened up highlights.

5. My stylist used this Oribe leave-in conditioner on my hair.  (Pronounced Or-BAY, not O-reeb-ay.  I didn’t know that either.) Yesterday I mentioned that when I was in high school extra frosting at Cinnabon was a great use of .50 cents. If I shifted the decimal two places to the right, I could buy the Oribe.  I really loved the smell, the feel, the oooh-la-la my hair is happy feeling.  Luxury in a bottle and I loved what that pea-sized amount did for my hair.  I could probably make that bottle last year(s) because you only need a tiny amount.  How’s that for rationalizing it.  However, I should probably just stick with my Drugstore Top 10 items because everything is under $5 bucks. 7.  I was running through my neighborhood and smelled the scent of a fire burning and Nag Champa burning.  It was wafting through the air and I was in heaven for that tenth of a mile.  I almost rang the doorbell and asked if I could please move in.  That and I wanted to buy a plane ticket to an ashram in India.

6. There’s one more day to win a $25 gift card

7. I’d love it if you would vote for me here in the Delta/Biscoff Bakeoff

8. And the best thing I’ve eaten in the past day has been the Cinnamon Bun Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze.  Sticky, messy, gooey. And calorie free <– Sure Questions:

9. Have you seen any things lately that have you excited?  Food, products, people, places, trips?  What are your things? Pinterest is my second home of things I love.  I love that site.

10. When you’re walking, running, or outside in general do you ever smell things wafting through the air that you adore?   Or loathe? Sometimes I’ll smell what other people are cooking and it smells good.  Pizza, cookies, Mexican food, Asian food, bread.   I love the smell of fires burning, incense, and candles.  I live amidst so many restaurants there is always something interesting wafting through the air. Sometimes I’ll smell things that are a turnoff.  I really don’t like the smell of meat on charcoal grills.  Or garlic.  I tend to run much faster on those blocks. Have a great day!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-07” author: “Mark Moore”

1. Casetagram.  Make an iphone case from your Instagram photos.  Holy coolness and I think I have to start designing mine.  As soon as I get our holiday card designed.

2. Lens Skins  I didn’t even know these existed.  It’s both fashionable and functional because it adds a layer of scratch protection to your lens.

3. When I was out in my neighborhood in the evening before garbage pickup day, I noticed a man with a headlamp on.  He was apparently taking his trash-can rummaging very seriously and needed to illuminate the situation.  I see lots of people dumpster diving but he was the first with a headlamp that I’ve seen.

4. Joy’s 10 Real-Talk Blog Tips.  The best and most honest set of blogging tips I’ve read in ages.  Or ever. I have a Blogging 101 series but Joy is my hero.

5. Cultures for Health. If you want to ferment anything, this place rocks.

Cheese, yogurt, homemade kefir Homemade Komboucha (also here, here, here) I love playing with bacteria.  And drinking homemade komboucha 6. Also see the Happy Herbalist for komboucha making info.  If you think Alton Brown can geek out, wait til you read Eddie’s site. 7. SpaBettie turned me onto these Bakers Edge pans.  If you like extra edges, these are for you.  

She loves hers.  I don’t own one.  Yet.

8. The winner of the Coffee Giveaway is: Lindsay @ Lindsay’s List November 7, 2011 at 5:23 pm “Following and just tweeted!” Congrats, Lindsay!
9. Cork Knife Set  “Worthy of the most epic tree house habitat, this craggy bark case holds a set of stainless steel cork-handled cooking knives.” How cool!  How expensive.  But I bet they are really lightweight and they’d feel wonderful in my hands.  The cork case they come in would make a stellar photography prop.
10. Dark Rum Oatmeal Raisin Cookie time I hope you get your rum on soon. Questions:
11. Have you seen any things lately that have you excited?  Food, products, people, places, trips?  What are your things?
12. Have you ever fermented anything?  Seen anyone rummaging through your trash cans or your neighbor’s cans?  Do you like edge pieces? Talk to me. Have a great day!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-12” author: “Gerardo Jones”

1. Rancho La Puerta in Baja California, Mexico.  Less than 90 minutes south of San Diego.

They have everything from cooking classes to spa treatments, massage, Reiki, acupuncture

Yoga classes, mountain hikes, and more.

Not that far from San Diego and they do have some day trips/day classes.  I’d love to try a day trip sometime in 2012. 2. Speaking of travel and trips, we leave for Aruba very soon.  Like in 48 hours Scott just got his passport back yesterday.  His passport was coming up on the 10 year renewal and he sent it in for renewal about two months ago; which should have been ample time.  Nothing like white knuckling it down to the wire. The beach has my name written all over it and if his passport wouldn’t have come in time, we agreed that he’d meet Skylar and I down there so that we only would have only had to change one airline ticket (his) rather than three.  Thank goodness we didn’t have to cross that bridge!

3. I made our 2011 holiday cards already. But if you want to make photo books, calendars, and more using you Mac, you can. I’m all about the gifts that you don’t have to go to the mall for.
4. Homemade Kombucha Coffee You need to first have be brewing your own ‘booch and have (an extra) SCOBY, but this looks interesting.

I’m going to try it with one of my extra Scoby’s when I get back. Because once you use the Scoby for coffee, they’re done and you can’t use them for brewing plain kombucha anymore. But that’s okay because they multiply like weeds like bacteria. 5. Backup your entire computer for less than $5 bucks per month with Backblaze More info

  6. I’ve posted about this before that I back up with an external drive but recently I attempted to recover a Word Doc from an older external drive of mine. However, when I plugged it in, realized that the Word Doc that I needed ‘was not found’.

Panic.  What if you spilled coffee on your computer or your laptop was stolen or you got a virus?  What would you do about your lost photos, files, music, documents, and information.  <— Panic much? And what about when external drives fail.  Because I just experienced a failure. I researched more options for backing up my machine; all my files, music, and photos. Some photographer friends told me about Backblaze. It’s a simple download, it backs everything up, and it’s $5 bucks a month. Do yourself a favor and sign up.  What if you lost everything? Photos, music, documents? The document I needed was not life or death but did cost me major scrambling and a total make work project but a lesson learned that external backup drives are not 100%. 7. Pumpkin Season is over.  A sad day, I know, for all the pumpkin fiends but please put down the pumpkin and pick up the Peppermint.  It’s holiday baking season!  Mint Chocolate Coconut Snowballs (No-Bake, Vegan, GF).  Melted chocolate, coconut, melted coconut oil, and mint.  Scott loves these things. 8. The winner of the $50 Asian Foods Prize Pack Giveaway is: Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather November 29, 2011 at 4:52 pm Awesome giveaway! Ever since making sushi a couple weeks ago I’ve been loving Asian flavors. But homemade Mexican probably steals my heart Congrats, Heather! 9. Holiday Baking Season is just around the corner and that makes me really excited.  It’s not even around the corner.  It’s here.  Happy December 1st! 10. I’d recommend starting off baking with a batch of Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy, easy, chocolatey and a good way to kick off holiday baking because who doesn’t like a warm chocolate chip cookie. Questions:

1. Have you seen any things lately that have you excited?  Food, products, people, places, trips, tips?  What are your things?
2. Can you believe it’s already December 1?  Where did this year go?  Anything you want to accomplish with the remainder of the year? I’d like to just get on the plane.  If I can get that handled, the rest of December and rest of 2011 should go pretty well!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-14” author: “Sarah Wisnowski”

1. Paula Deen sells butter-flavored lip balm Other flavors include banana pudding and key lime pie.

And, yes, the slogan really is “Put a little South on your mouth” Speaking of butter… 2. Norway is running out of butter.

“(Reuters) – The soaring popularity of a fat-rich fad diet has depleted stocks of butter in Norway creating a looming Christmas culinary crisis.” 3. Best Cookbooks of 2011 according to David Lebovitz. He kinda sorta knows what he’s talking about and I tend to take note of his recommendations. 4. He also has published the best and the most comprehensive post about Food Blogging that I have ever seen, period. I’ve read a lot of tips and tricks for staring a blog, what to do, to not do, what to say and not say, etc.  I feel like I had had “read it all” until I recently came across this treasure of David’s.  And if he didn’t say it, he linked to dozens of other highly informative and valuable posts on blogging, food photography, and the like. His post is what I’d call the Bible on Blogging.  I’d go to far as to say that no one else ever needs to write another post about What to Do if you Want to Start a Blog, How to Grow your Readership, Search Engine Optimization and Your Blog, etc.  He’s said it.  It makes my Blogging 101 Series look, well, pretty 101-ish. 5. This cableknit blanket I want.  I love cableknit anything.

6. This Pouffe  <– Just typing that word is fun I bet meditating on this would be pourffect.  Perfect.

7. Random life musing: Do men somehow think a woman won’t notice that they left 1 square of toilet paper attached to the cardboard roll of toilet paper?  That one square is so absorbent that it’s precisely enough to wipe the urine quantity from a hamster.  But for normal sized females, we’d need quite a few more squares than that.  Thus, we change the roll and don’t just leave that one, lone, straggly square of T.P. dangling. Plus the last square usually has glue marks where it’s attached to the cardboard and I don’t want to be wiping old dried glue on my privates. Changing the roll would be a fantastic holiday gift idea Under $10.  It’s the small things or ‘homemade’ gifts that matter most.  Like changing the roll.

8. The winner of the Chobani Yogurt Giveaway is: Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers December 12, 2011 at 8:54 pm “My favorite way to eat yogurt is plain greek yogurt with fresh berries, a dollop of peanut butter, chocolate sunflower drops and a pinch of raspberry or strawberry jam! I eat greek yogurt about 3 times a day!! I love the stuff!!” Congrats, Jennifer!

9. This Pineapple Banana Coconut Cream Smoothie

It’s so good.  This weekend I’m going to add some rum and make it better. 10. If you thought Chocolate Saltine Toffee was crack-like (and make no mistake, it is)…

Then, go get a load of Cheez It Bark.  I am making this once I’m back in San Diego and not in a 88F un-airconditioned Caribbean kitchen.  Then again, I may break down and make it sooner rather than later.  Same concept as using saltines but using Cheez-Its and I love those things. Questions: Run out of butter lately?  Changed the roll lately? Have you seen any things lately that have you excited?  Either for the holidays and gifts or just ‘everyday’ things? Any fun holiday recipes, tips, or products…What are your things?

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-26” author: “Lisa Lara”

1. Joy’s Bite-Sized Baked Brie on a stick.  Oh Lordy, come to mama.  Good thing it’s far too hot in Aruba to run an oven.  And that puffed pastry probably doesn’t exist in the freezer case here.  Heck, it’s hard enough getting fresh lettuce, or I’d be all over these. I’d like to make Joy’s brie with cranberry orange ginger mango chutney in the middle.

And channel my inner Matt since Joy used sticks. On a Stick! is one of the most fun cookbooks I’ve ever read.

2. Let’s talk about sand.  It belongs at the beach, period.

There is nothing worse than finding part of the beach all over my floors.  Which then ends up in my bed.  Not good. 3.  Laundry detergent is even more over-priced in Aruba than it is in the States.  Who only uses one cap-full for one load?  Certainly not I. I used to be brand loyal to Tide or All but I’m cheap.  And I use way more than one cap-full so I buy what’s on sale. Just like I like to dump a lot of stuff into the Double Chocolate Caramel Corn & Cocoa Rice Krispies Candy Bars, I like to dump a lot of soap into the laundry.

My theory is more is better when it comes to both chocolate chips and laundry soap. 4. Speaking of laundry, if you need a quickie, for your laundry of course, pop into the Quickie Lickie in Aruba.

Fabulous name, no? 5. We also seem to go through a ridiculous amount of Kleenex and I do mean the Kleenex brand, not just tissues.  I buy brown or gray boxes with white Kleenex but I got tricked and bought a brown box but it has tan Kleenex inside.  Probably because I can’t read the labeling.  Brown Kleenex feel a little dirty to me.   I just had a flashback to Pink Kleenex, circa 1984, my Grandma’s bathroom.  Did your Grandma have pink Kleenex? Or maybe Blue Kleenex in the bottom of her purse, full of lint and purse sand for good measure. 7. Instragam Feeling like I haven’t missed a second of everyone’s holiday parties, cookie baking extravaganzas, cute kid and dog pictures and their lives in general back in the States while I’ve been gone has been great.

  Sometimes it’s nice to unplug.  Sometimes it’s not. 8.  You may want to enter the 30 Day Home Fitness Program Giveaway if you’ve been enjoying those holiday parties and treats in real life rather than just the cyber or Instagram version of simply gawking at them. 9.  If you enjoy combining booze and sweets, I recommend these cookies this weekend.  Or any time. Dark Rum Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

10. And I fully recommend the Creamy Cookie Butter White Chocolate Banana Smoothie

I gave optional suggestions in the recipe for enhancing it.  Marshmallow-flavored vodka perhaps?  It would get the weekend (my weekend) off to a good start.  To each her own, of course. Questions: Have you seen any things lately that have you excited?  Either for the holidays and gifts or just ‘everyday’ things? Any fun holiday recipes, tips, products, parties, events your attending, family celebrations for the holidays…What are your things? Winner of the 30 Day Home Fitness Program Giveaway announced tomorrow

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-14” author: “Terri Fordham”

1. I was hit by a parked car while I was running just a few days after we got home from Aruba.

Allow me to explain how this (painful) fluke happened. I was nearing the end of my run, I was in The Zone, I was tired, I was running fast, I was going down a hill, and was on the sidewalk and I was not thinking about much of anything other than I was almost home and I was going to get dinner started, and then it happened. Bam. A person inside a parked car that I was running by opened his car door to get out at the exact moment as I was running past it.  I didn’t see him sitting in his dark parked car just waiting to exit his vehicle at the moment I was running, but I don’t make a habit of gazing into parked cars that I am running past because I run past hundreds which line the city streets on any given run, either. I took the impact of his car door on the underside of my forearm on the ulna bone because my arms were pumping up and down.  The skin broke and it was bleeding and I had a golf-ball sized welt and although the swelling has slowly been going down, it throbs when I move my arm. And the other place of impact was the top of my thigh.  Black and blue and welted with a bruise the size of an egg.  Not pretty. 2.  I made these to console myself. Pretzel Peanut Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles

3. Chocolate heals all wounds.  Or that’s what I’ve been telling myself.

4. Can you believe Valentine’s Day is only 5 weeks away? That’s exciting to me because I plan to bake with lots of pink sprinkles.  I already have a few tricks up my sleeve.

5. A Whoopie Pie Pan

I’ve seen lots of people baking cookies in them with fabulous results.  Like a deep dish cookie of sorts and with different enough results than just using a muffin pan. I’ve tried that and those are fun, too. 6. I love my donut pans…

…Maybe I need a whoopie pie pan, too, and can show that some love with some new creations. $12 bucks at BB & B with a coupon.  Cheap thrills baby. I had one in my hand the last time I was at BB & B and then set it down thinking I could live without it.  How foolish I was.

7. NuNaturals Stevia Giveaway is open one more day
8. I am really looking forward to the weekend.
9. The weather has been in the 80s here in January, which is very unseasonably warm, even for San Diego.

But it’s been fabulous and I think people have spring fever.  The parks are crowded, people are out in full force running, walking, and seem to be just be outside soaking up the great weather. I know I have been.

10. These Fiesta Pie Plates

Don’t they just make you wanna bake?  They do for me.  Cute dishes are my weakness. Questions: Have you ever experienced any injuries or accidents? I took a terrible fall last spring.  Hopefully these flukey running calamities all behind me and so 2011. How’s the weather been in your neck of the woods? Have you seen any things lately that have you excited?   What are your things? The weekend is close.  TGIF a day early!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-28” author: “Alena Hays”

1. This may seem self-evident, but do you know how to properly measure dry ingredients for consistent and optimal baking results? The Food Network has a two minute video that I found informative.

Packing versus just lightly layering in ingredients, some ingredients leveled with a knife, some it doesn’t matter.  If you’re not measuring the proper way, you can end up with a recipe flop and no one wants that. 2. But I want this: a Twinkie pan.  Ever since I saw it, I need it.

Homemade Twinkies? Come to mama.

3. Because when I saw Kristan’s Pumpkin Twinkies on Pinterest, I about died and went to spongecake heaven. And moments after I read her post, I saw Kris’ homemade Twinkies (gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan) The Universe is clearly telling me I need a Twinkie Pan.

Did I mention, I love Twinkies. 4. Peanut Butter Cheerios are new and they sound awesome. I have looked at my grocery store (Ralph’s) and at Target, but so far, they’re not available here yet in San Diego in those two stores.

I grew up eating cold cereal for dinner many nights, survived college, and many evenings in my early twenties consisted of Cheerios for dinner, Twinkies for dessert, washed down with some Ketel One. Those were the days, and I mean that in a good way. 5. There is also new Dulce de Leche Cheerios and those are on the shelves here, but no Peanut Butter Cheerios as of yet.  I’ve heard people say they’ve seen the new Cheerios in their grocery stores or at Wal-Marts, so I know they exist in some states already. 6. I read this article called Don’t Eat Like a Caveman in reference to the Paleo Diet.  I am not Paleo but it’s an interesting turkey leg to munch on interesting food for thought. 7. This copper-colored over the door vanity could be a space saver in tight bathrooms. Or in any bathroom where storage is at a premium, which would be 99% of bathrooms I presume.

8. Free People’s 1970s Vintage Collection of One-of-a-Kind pieces.  Once they’re sold, they’re gone, which is pretty amazing that a big company like Free People is selling one-of-a-kind’s, Etsy style.  I heart Etsy.

9. SOPA – What’s This SOPA All About Anyway? Blocking access to certain websites. Censorship. Kind of a big deal.  You may want to read up on this and Take Action. Wikipedia went black for a day to give a glimpse of what life may be like without access to the information we may likely take for granted.

Here’s the Wikipedia SOPA Learn More Link Heavy stuff. 1o.  Heavy stuff also comes in the form of Samoas Bars (Vegan & GF options). Dense and rich, just the way I like desserts.

Questions: Had you heard of SOPA until recently? Fan of Twinkies? Fan of Etsy or one-of-a-kind clothing or items for the home? What are your things this Thursday?

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-12” author: “Shannon Holifield”

1. Heath Ceramics.  Every piece is handmade in Sausalito, California since 1955.

2. It was my visit to Sausalito with Scott in 2003 that sealed the deal: I had to live in California. Scott and I had lunch here and the rest is history.  We moved to California.

If Sausalito and the Bay Area were warmer, I’d live there.  But San Diego is much more my speed, weather-wise.

It’s 79F in January today.  A little unseasonably warm even for SoCal, but I’ll take it.

Plus it would be dangerous for me to be that close to the Heath studio.  I could have a field day. 3. Pouring Bowl.  I’m in lust with that glaze, Moonstone.  I’m not in lust with the price.

4. These tumblers

Shades of aqua, Tiffany blue, teal… 5. …and Turquoise of any kind…

… are colors that I love, gravitate toward, and make me happy. 6. These Vegan Boots combine boots  and the Minnetonka Moccasins look of my 1980s childhood with furriness with pom-poms, and they’re inexpensive.

However, they don’t come in my size so it’s a no-go on these.  They look so warm and cozy, too. You know, for all those frigid San Diego “cold” winter nights in the low 50’sF where I need a down jacket, three sweaters, long underwear, mittens, a hat, the fireplace going, and boots. 7. A Princess Cupcake Making Kit

Someone’s birthday is coming up and I know this would be a hit. 8. Pretty much anything from This Store would be a hit with me. Like a kid in a candy store.

Or like an adult in a candy store, literally. They have more items to decorate with, create, bake, and make things with, and to get your sugar rush on with than I know what to do with.  And that’s perfect. 9. For now, it’s a Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting for my sugar rush.

10. Last chance to enter the Chobani Yogurt Giveaway.  Have you ever had an event, trip, a moment in time, a circumstance, or something happen that you believe really shaped, altered, or impacted the course of your life? Without a doubt, that trip that Scott and I took to the Bay Area in 2003 was one of those life-changing and life path altering trips.  After spending time in downtown San Francisco with all it’s culture, Marin County for all it’s beauty, the Wine County (Napa and Sonoma and the Russian River Valley) with all that great wine; I fell in love with California and had to make it my home. Ironically, I feel in love with the part that I don’t live in: Northern California.  But then I fell in love with San Diego. We left the South Carolina coast where we were living and headed to the Southern California coast, and I can’t imagine living anywhere but SoCal now.  We tried living in Phoenix for 9 months but it wasn’t my cup of tea and moved back to San Diego. What are your Thursday Things? Another of my things is that it’s almost TGIF time. P.S. Thanks to everyone who said you voted for my Chocolate Donuts in the “My Family’s Favorite Breakfast Recipe Contest”.  The winner is announced tomorrow and I really appreciate everyone who took a second and voted with a quick comment.  

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-01” author: “Carmen Davis”

1. It’s a very special day today.  See #10 below after you’ve read 1 through 9, of course. 2.  Keepsy is a fun site for all you Instagramming-obsessed people.  It turns your Instgram pics into a calendar or hardcover book, or r you can use pictures from Facebook or Flickr.

2. National Food Holiday list.  You know you’re a food blogger or read too many food blogs when you actually look forward to National Peanut Butter Day or National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day (April 20) and you create, cook, plan, and post certain recipes on certain days. Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints (No-Bake, Vegan, GF) were timed with National Peanut Butter Day.  Geek central, right?

3. Have a question about anything photography related? Jenn Cuisine put together an amazing resource page with more links, info, and help than you can shake a DSLR at. I also linked this up in my own Photography Section where I discuss everything from my camera bodies, to lenses, camera bags and gear reviews, editing programs, and food styling tips.

4. When I made the Sweet Potato Graham Cracker “French Toast” Sticks, I mentioned that sometimes the strangest looking food tastes the best.

Here’s 10 strange looking foods, straight from nature to your table. Hopefully the Buddha’s Hands won’t scare the children.  Or the husbands. 6. I upgraded my computer operating system with OS X Lion.  My timing is impeccable because the $29.99 upgrade is free if you bought your computer after July 21, 2011. I bought my computer on July 20, 2011 so I’m 30 smackers lighter.  Oh well.

As for Lion, I have no idea about the “benefits” or why it will make my life better, but hey, I’m up to date now.  Just in time for Octopus or Zebra or whatever the next operating system they’ll announce will be to come out and render Lion old news. 7. I upgraded to Lion because I wanted to try the PicFrame app so I could “write” on my photos.  So after buying Lion because it was necessary in order to install PicFrame, I realized that you can’t “write” on images anyway.  Or, if you can, I haven’t figured it out.

PicFrame was only a buck and is a cool app and I’m sure I’ll use it to fritter time away on photography projects make photography collages. 8.  After buying things for my computer that I may or may not need, I went to the mall I bought something I did “need”.  More Victoria’s Secret Bombshell. They have a new limited edition Bombshell, Bombshell In Love, but I was on the fence about the limited edition version and stuck with the tried and true.

9.  These are tried and true, also. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (No-Bake, Vegan, GF)

10. I gave birth 5 years ago today.  I can’t believe she’s five years old. I could talk about parenthood, motherhood, how amazing she is, how much I love her more than I ever knew was possible, how I can’t believe how fast time has gone the past five years, how my life before her doesn’t even feel like it was real and that it wasn’t complete and that it’s a foggy memory; and that in just over a decade she’ll be getting ready to go out in the world on her own, which I shudder to think about her leaving the nest.  I’ve been crying Hallmark tears on and off all day today, thinking about this special day.  My baby is 5. She’s my world, my everything; that I love her so very much, I don’t know where to begin so I’ll simply say, Happy Birthday Skylar.  I love you.

On the beach in Aruba a few weeks ago.  Four going on 14, but she’s 5 now!

What are your Thursday Things?  Anything new, exciting, noteworthy, or fun that you’ve eaten or seen this week?

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-30” author: “Stephen Harrison”

1. Manuka Honey.  This is the Cadillac of honey.  If you like honey, Manuka honey is going to rock your world.  It’s the most wonderful tasting honey I’ve ever tried.  This type of honey is typically produced in Australia or New Zealand and there are different brands of Manuka honey.  To be labeled Manuka honey, honey should have a manuka pollen count of at least seventy percent. I tried Manuka honey for the first time about six years ago and fell in love.

I am a believer in the healing properties and benefits of honey, too.  Honey is antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, but most honey you buy in stores isn’t living and has been pasteurized and has had the good properties stripped away. Honey has UMF Ratings.  “The UMF® found only in selective Manuka honey describes the anti-bacterial property (from non peroxide activity), sought after for its qualities that support the body’s natural health and wellbeing. Independent laboratory testing determines the UMF® value after the honey is packaged. The higher the UMF level, the higher the level of anti-bacterial benefits.  Besides the health promoting properties this product has wide appeal as a pleasurable eating experience…” UMF: 0 – 4:    Not detectable 5 – 9:    Maintenance Level 10 – 14:    Suitable for therapeutic usage 15 and higher:   Superior levels with very high activity levels for therapeutic usage 2. UMF Active 10+ honey is a little bit of a splurge but you’re worth it.  Consider it your sweet treat to yourself for Valentine’s Day.

Use code AVE630 to save $5 on your iHerb order and all orders over $40 ship free.  Never pay retail for anything from vitamins to protein powder, nutritional yeast, stevia, lotions, probioics, bulk spices, and more. 3. The Eater Spring 2012 Cookbook and Foodbook Preview

Do I “need” another cookbook?  No.  Do I want 27 more after looking at this list?  Yes.  I love cookbooks. 4. Deb’s post on Why Did My Cookies Spread? There’s all kinds of possible reasons.  Dough temp, butter or margarine, temperature of the cookies sheets, surface of the cookie sheets… 5. That post ties in with my thin-nish Mango and White Chocolate Cookies.  Tasted great and were super soft and chewy (even more so than thicker cookies which was a bonus), they just a little spready.  But they got eaten.  No problems there.

6. And that ties in with flour and does the brand of flour matter?

Thanks for your thoughts and comments on if you think King Arthur is worth it. 7. These Tom’s Lina Woven Ballet Flats.  They are not backordered in my size.  For once, it’s good to be a bigfoot.

8. Can you wear the Valentine’s Women Classic year round?  I think I’d like to try.

9. Can you eat chocolate and peanut butter year round?  I don’t have to try.  I do. Ritz Cracker Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups (NoBake and Vegan. Ritz are ‘accidentally vegan‘) combine my two year round faves.

10. Personalized spoons on Etsy.  So cute.

Happy Valentine’s Day! What are your Thursday Things?  What’s caught your interest lately?  Food, recipes, websites, products, books?  What are your things? Do you like honey?  Shoes?

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-06” author: “Shirley Karol”

1. I rarely use my dehydrator anymore.

Aside from once a year dehydrating bananas…

Or making chocolate coconut kale chips once in a blue moon, it unfortunately collects dust. I just can’t plan 8 to 12 hours ahead of time. So I use the oven because the only planning involved is the amount of time it takes to preheat.

2. Here are 10 Creative Uses for a Dehydrator in case you have one. Or in case yours collects dust and you want to dust it off or stop using it as a place to store your unused cookie sheets and backup boxes of aluminum foil and parchment paper.
3. If you don’t have one, I’d buy something else with the 200 smackers instead. Like a refurbished KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Watch the KitchenAid refurbished store site because there are rotating deals, sometimes daily, that can be incredible on everything from stand mixers to food processors to toasters. Or just enter this giveaway. You may get lucky and win one. 4. The same holds true for refurbished VitaMixes. Keep an eye on this site if you’re in the market for a Vita and want to be in the $300 range rather than the $500+ range. Yes, this is a life-changing appliance and well worth the money.

5. New research suggests that popcorn has more antioxidants that fruits, vegetables, and is The Perfect Snack. “Antioxidant substances called polyphenols are more concentrated in popcorn, which averages only about 4% water, while polyphenols are diluted in the 90% water that makes up many fruits and vegetables. Popcorn may be the perfect snack food. It’s the only snack that is 100% unprocessed whole grain. All other grains are processed and diluted with other ingredients, and although cereals are called ‘whole grain’, this simply means that over 51% of the weight of the product is whole grain. One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70% of the daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn could fill that gap in a very pleasant way.”

6. I love popcorn and rarely a day goes by without 3 tablespoons of kernels into a brown paper lunch sack, folded over at the top, and microwaved for about 90 seconds. Fast, easy, and makes my house smell like a movie theater, nightly.

7. Have you tried chocolate coconut oil (protein) popcorn? The popcorn is tasty even if the pictures aren’t.

8. While I eat popcorn, I like to lay in bed and watch anything from Bravo that’s on my DVR. Bethenny, Million Dollar Listing, Shahs of Sunset, Khloe and Lamar, the Real Housewives, your standard issue trashy tv lineup.

Crunching on popcorn, getting nutritional yeast that should stay on the popcorn all over my sheets, and watching mindless tv after Skylar’s asleep is about as good as it gets for me. Ahh, the simple things are usually the best. 9. Homemade food could be thought of a simple thing and a good thing. California is preparing to legalize homemade food. How do we feel about this? 10. I feel great about this type of homemade food. White and Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake Bars

What are your Thursday Things? Anything new, noteworthy, fun? Have you made anything delicious? (links welcome in the comments) What do you think about homemade food, popcorn, trashy TV? Talk to me. P.S. Thank you for the entries in the KitchenAid 7-Quart Stand Mixer Giveaway.  My inbox has never been so full.  

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-16” author: “Gary Stafford”

1. Fishs Eddy. Don’t click on that link unless you want to be tempted to buy copious amounts of adorable stuff for your kitchen that you probably don’t really need.

2. Nut bowls are totally practical, right? They’re an ounce each, perfect for this ‘n that’s. I mixed ‘n matched some colors for my this’es and that’s. At only $2.95 each, it’s cheap thrills.

3. Moucharabieh Coasters from Harabu House. “TFrom Lebanese designer Peggy Raphael Dabar for Images d’Orient, these heat resistant coasters keep your counter or table surfaces safe while adding an intriguing accent. The moucharabieh is a screen generally built out of small wooden elements turned and assembled according to a complex geometrical scheme. It allowed the viewer to observe without being seen, thus its nickname, Jealousy Windows. This meticulous technique was used on windows, balconies, ceilings and vaults as well as furniture. These coasters are waterproof, heat resistant and dishwasher safe. It is also handmade with small variations, characteristic to its uniqueness..”

4. I went to Discount Fabrics and like kitchenware and housewares stores, I had to exercise massive restraint not to buy a yard or two of this ‘n that.

5. This was my stash. Florescent lighting and iPhone photography are not a match made in true-color-translation-heaven, but so far the items from my stash I’ve used, have been photographing nicely.

6. I came across this New York Times article about a 12 year old who wrote a book, with a little help from his mom, called Portion Size Me: A Kid-Driven Plan for a Healthier Family. I think many adults could use a little kid-friendly advice on portion sizes. It’s interesting because I get asked very frequently how I make and bake all the desserts that I do, yet not weigh 900 pounds. My answer is always the same: moderation and portion control. I don’t eat two dozen cookies, a 9-by-13 inch pan of Nutella brownies, and Cinnamon Bun Pie in their entirety, all on the same day. I have a bite, a taste, a piece or two, and then I move on. After that initial few bites of anything, my craving is satisfied and eating three more cookies isn’t going to taste any better than the first one, and in fact, things go from the this is great to the what was I thinking state pretty quickly.

The authors, Marshall and Alexandra Reid, are going to be on the Today Show on Monday, May 14 at possibly 8am and definitely at 10am, on ABC’s Revolution on Tuesday, May 15 and on CNN on May 15. 7. Have you seen Don’t Be Tardy for the Wedding? I happen to think Kim is quite hilarious and I laugh out loud at some of the things she says.

Nut bowls, fabric remnants, and some trashy reality tv. I keep it classy like that. 8. When I’ve got my DVR cued up with Kim or the Bravo Housewives, a bowl of White Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Puppy Chow (GF) makes life a little better. I love popcorn like Kim loves her wigs.

9. The charity bake sale I participated in last weekend raised $2469.43 at the sale itself (including the donations brought in cash by bakers from their friends/families/coworkers) and $495 in web-based donations/payments. Our grand total was $2964.43

That total is just for the San Diego chapter alone and there were 40+ chapters across the country hosting sales. I suspect lots of money was raised and every little bit counts especially when the money goes to hungry kids. Thank you to everyone who came out to the sale and showed your support; either in San Diego or in any of the bake sales in your areas. 10. Thanks for the Kitchen Knives Giveaway entries What are your Thursday Things? Have you made anything delicious or done something fun? (links welcome) How are you at portion control? Could you spend hours and hours in a fabric store, thrift shopping for antique dishes, furniture shopping, or housewares shopping? Strolling the aisles of Bed Bath & Beyond or the housewares section of TJ Maxx is one of my favorite pastimes. It’s a good thing I have almost no storage space which reduces the temptation to load up a little bit. Have a great (almost) weekend!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-14” author: “Stacy Kellam”

1. French Terry Crop Pants, French Terry Raglan Sweatshirt with Ganesh and a Renew Long Sleeve Raw Edge Tee with Ganesh from Be Present Everything is so ridiculously soft and comfortable. I have been wearing Be Present, almost daily, since 2004. This is what I live in for yoga, for power walks, for grocery shopping, and for life in general, I love it.

Ganesh is the remover of obstacles and the lord of beginnings. I need all the help I can get. 2. Need yoga info from clothes I love to what kind of mat I can’t live without to what kind of music I like to the finer points on the different styles of yoga? 3. I got my hot little mitts on a copy of Lindsay Landis’ soon-to-be-released book, The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook For anyone who loves cookie dough (the recipes are all egg-free so no risk of salmonella), this is the book for you. The recipes are for more than just cookie dough balls. She has everything from cinnamon rolls to donuts, all using cookie dough.

Lindsay did all her own photography for the book and her images are just stunning. If a book doesn’t have images that jump off the page, unfortunately I probably won’t make the recipes. I crave jump-off-the-page-imagery and every single image does just that. I was drooling for cookie dough while thumbing through the book.

4. Lindsay mentions in the book that the highest viewed post on her blog is her recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough truffles, which she posted back in 2009, and that the post was also the beginning of the inspiration for her cookie dough cookbook. Ironically, in 2009 I posted Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (no-bake, vegan, GF) and they are one of my highest viewed posts of all time. Stats don’t lie; people love cookie dough.

5. In 2009 and early 2010, I think most every post I did was for some sort of cookie dough ball, bite, truffle, or no-bake little round globe. Ahhh, the memories. I’ve moved from ball recipes <– (every ball recipe I’ve ever made is there) to bars, but will always have a soft spot for all those little balls I used to roll out. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bite (no-bake, vegan, GF) anyone?

6. This “31 Bits” 87 Cuff from Harabu House- Using fashion and design to empower women to rise above poverty.

“Kallie Dovel traveled to Uganda in the summer of 2007, getting a first- hand look at life in Northern Uganda. While she was there, she met women making paper beads but who lacked a plan to market and sell them. After spending time in their homes and hearing their stories, Kallie knew there had to be a way to give opportunities to her new friends. She brought a box of jewelry back to the U.S., and spent the next year finishing her degree and dreaming up the concept of a development organization. She brought a few friends on board and her ideas quickly evolved into 31 Bits. The girls traveled back to Uganda in August 2008, and selected six women to begin buying jewelry from on a monthly basis. Since then, we have grown to 99 women; each with a unique story of suffering that has been overcome with joy and liberation.”

7. 7 Budget-Friendly Wines from Trader Joe’s. All under $10 and some of the featured wines can be found at places other than TJs. Read the comments because there are suggestions for budget-friendly wines from a variety of stores, not just TJ’s. We all love a bargain vino, right?

8. Chef Talk – Food and Cooking tips, tricks, and chatter.

People share the nitty gritty and their opinions on everything from a very obscure types of knives, to their thoughts about a certain type of microplane, baking sheet, food processor, mixer, and more. These people really get into discussing specifics. If you like to research kitchen and cooking items before you buy them, and then research some more, this forum is chock full of very detailed opinions.

9. Have you entered the Sprinklebakes Cookbook Giveaway?

10. I have 3 product coupons for 3 free bottles of Trop50 with Tea Beverages ($4.99 each). If you’d like the coupons, leave a comment below about anything at all from yoga to cookie dough to baking to tea. I’ll pick a winner and announce it in my next post.

What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything great, done something fabulous, bought something exciting or fun, link it up below. Do you prefer baked cookies or cookie dough? Favorite kind of dough? Both have their place, depending on my mood. The chewiness of a baked cookie, warm and gooey straight form the oven is fabulous, but so are spoonfuls of cookie dough straight from the mixing bowl. I’ve never met a dough I didn’t like. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, molasses, snickerdoodle, you name it, I wouldn’t say no.

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-19” author: “Pamela Bruno”

1. When I was on the Avocado Tour a couple Saturdays ago, Scott took Skylar to the mall and they went into the Disney store. She’s been talking about these “pink sparkle boots” at least nine times a day, every day, since then. She’s five years old and weeks later, she’s not pining away for toys, dolls, or wishing she had a playdate with a friend or that we’d take her to the movies. Nope, she’s jonesing for shoes. I can relate. So I decided to surprise her and I bought them. Just in time for the 80F degree weather we had on Wednesday. She says she doesn’t mind sweaty feet.

2. I dropped my ultra-fine point tweezers, similar to these, on the bathroom floor last week and the tip broke. Darn. I love the ultra-fine tip for getting at ingrown hairs, random tiny eyebrow hairs, popping zits, or whatever your tweezing needs are. You’ll never go back to fatter-tipped or slanted-tipped Tweezers after the fine-point kind.

3. I did a tiny bit of spring cleaning and donated a few bags of clothes that were outgrown or weren’t getting any love anymore. It’s such a good just feeling getting it out of my house. Freeing up valuable closet space is worth it’s weight in pink glitter boots.

4. Plus, I had an ulterior motive. When I dropped off the clothes, I poked around to see what kind of dishes I could score at the thrift store.

5. I got this little wooden bowl for 50 cents. Big spender.

You know the expression, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure? Well, apparently even thrift stores get picked over and have “off” days where it truly all just looks like someone else’s trash because I didn’t have much luck. Better luck next time.

6. I have absolutely no where to wear this dress, but I wish I did because I love it.

7. The dress sort of matches the Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria. Being color-coordinated with drinks is always a bonus, right?

8. Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt is available in vanilla, raspberry, wild blueberry, key lime, peach, mango and espresso. Greek frozen yogurt bars are also available in wild blueberry and peach.  These non-fat creamy treats have 9 grams of protein and only 130 calories per serving.  This Greek Frozen Yogurt isn’t only a scoop-able treat. You can layer your favorite berries and granola with it or blend it with other ingredients to create a creamy smoothie. Want to win some? Leave a comment on this post telling me so and on the next post, I’ll pick a winner. The winner will receive three product vouchers for three free Adonia items.

9. King Arthur’s website has quite a comprehensive Baking Tips & Techniques section. I love getting down to the baking nitty-gritty about creaming, sifting, piping, and similar earth-shattering discussions. How long to chill cookie dough before it’s considered sufficiently chilled and how to properly separate egg whites and yolks is the stuff I live for which is why Alton Brown is my hero.

10. I need chocolate every day. It was National Chocolate Chip Day on Tuesday but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want chocolate on Thursday. Or the other days of the week. Dark Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate Covered Strawberries should do the trick.

What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve seen anything, done anything, or made anything fabulous, feel free to link it up in the comments. Have you ever seen something in a store, not bought it, but wished you had and not been able to stop thinking about it? I think we’ve all done this, I just didn’t know it happened to five year olds. I did this with a pair of jeans I saw and tried on just weeks after I found out I was pregnant with Skylar. They fit perfectly but because I was pregnant and had no idea what my body was going to do, I didn’t buy them, but I’m still thinking about them six years later. Have a great wrap-up to your week!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-02” author: “Peter Matchette”

1. I need a free-standing storage unit for my living/family room area for dishes, books, knick-knacks, and just stuff. Between a stand mixer, a Vita-Mix, and enough random little plates to start my own thrift shop some days, my kitchen storage area is maxed out. I am storing my books and cookbooks in boxes and in random parts of my house and they’re not all in one place because I don’t have proper shelving and storage. Need to fix this.
2. This unit from West Elm would be lovely. Part open, part glass doors, part solid doors. A nice balance.

I actually got a great modular storage unit from Ikea for Skylar’s room (the Trofast line) a few years ago. The storage system is worth its weight in gold. I need to poke around the Ikea site and do some research but it’s one of those don’t even want to start researching it because I’ll drive myself crazy with options type projects. It would be easier to just get the West Elm but then I wouldn’t get to drive myself crazy researching the options. See how I am? 3. Last week when I went to the mall and someone got lucky with a pair of boots, well mama got lucky when she saw this: a sale at Anthropologie. Unfortunately, a sale doesn’t necessarily mean affordable. Tiny bowls are still $20 bucks and plates are still $10 dollars each and up, but anything beats full price.

4. I picked up a few little plates. Half were on sale, half weren’t. The things I really want never tend to be the things on sale. Funny how that works.

5. If I get more storage in my house then I can buy more at Anthro, right? Can I borrow your credit card while I’m at it?

6. Bloody Mary Tomatoes sound fabulous. I love bloody Mary’s. Hate the sodium, but love the taste. The spicier the better.

7. Popsicle maker. Yes, you could just freeze your popsicle “batter”; you don’t need a “maker”. But I’m all about quirky, fun gadgets. Unless they’re $50 bucks. This one makes popsicles in 10 minutes after you first freeze the base (for a few hours).

8. I picked up these for $4.99 and they’ve been working like a charm. Who needs quirky $50 gadgets anyway. Recipes are coming for some popsicles and frozen treats (hopefully before summer is over).

9. Mango Banana Vanilla Softserve (vegan, GF) is more fun to eat push-up style than in a bowl. And eating it from a mold beats eating it straight from the Vita-Mix canister.

10. Adorable old-fashioned style straws from Sweet Lulu. Way too many adorable baking supplies, party supplies, and party favors under one roof.

Cupcake Liner Pick-a-Mix. I want these which would mean I’d have to make more cupcakes. Oh darn.

3 Musketeers Marshmallow Candy-Stuffed White Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream would look much better in cute liners.

What are your Thursday Things? Feel free to link up anything you’ve made, done, seen, tried, or bought that’s fabulous. If you have any fun kitchenware sites you love, link those up because I always need cute cupcake liners. Do you have any storage systems that you love? Link it up because I’d love to hear about it. I would like to keep it as classy as possible considering it’s going to be in my living room. In general, big huge plastic storage bins and carts on wheels don’t scream stylish and chic, but at least they’re functional. Ideally I’d like something that doesn’t break the bank, looks great, and is functional. Have a great (almost) long weekend!  

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-26” author: “Jim Hamm”

1. I was getting my hair done last week and I asked my stylist what flat iron she uses and she showed it to me. They sell it at the salon for $145 plus tax. I went online with my iPhone, googled it, and up came this deal from Overstock: $67.99, no tax, free shipping. Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Variable Temperature.

2. I plopped that sucker into my virtual shopping cart faster than you can say 450 degrees. My other flat iron was nearing it’s last leg. I bought it in 2004 and it gave me 8 great years but I needed a new one.

After just a few days, I am loving the new flat iron. My hair doesn’t get snagged in the plates and they’re five-inches long so I can fit a big section of hair in at one time. The faster I can flat iron and be done, the better. I don’t go tiny section by tiny section and make it look perfect; I literally do maybe ten huge sections, ten passes, two minutes max, and I’m done.  Good enough.  Just something to tame the frizz, and make my half wavy, half straight, part kinky, part frizzy, definitely confused follicles all get on the same smooth, flat, page. 3. Cupcake Icing Kit – 5 hand-selected jumbo tips and re-usable pastry bag for $19.50. Great value. Now, if only I could get past my mental issue of wasting tons of glorious frosting as it sticks to the sides of the pastry bag and not having the patience to clean pastry bags. But this set is cute enough that I think I could be swayed.

4. It seems Betty Crocker may be trying to get in Christina Tosi’s league by adding beer and pretzels to cookies. Yes, good old Betty is putting brewskies into cookies.

Betty Crocker (General Mills) is a Minnesota-based company and I grew up in Minnesota and will always have a soft spot for Minnesotans. And Betty Crocker and cookies of all types. 5.  I wonder if beer would work with potato chips, Cap’n Crunch, butterscotch and chocolate chips in Compost Cookies. Actually that may be a little bit too much composting for even me.

6. Remember when I started canning? Well, you may not, but I sure do. Boiling water, time, energy, lots of research, pectin, and hot pepper fumes wafting into my sinuses, I figured it out. Enter Hot Pepper Jelly

Then I found Stovetop Hot Pepper Jelly and no true canning is required.  Stovetop.

7. Well it seems that Sue from The View From The Great Island has a French friend, Elisa, who grew up making jams and jellies from the fruit of her family’s orchards, which dates back to the 1500s. Her family has been at this awhile. From Sue’s site: “According to Elisa, for the most basic of all jams you technically need only 4 things: fruit, sugar, clean jars, and a scale.  The scale is essential because you need equal amounts, by weight, of the fruit and sugar.  There are lots of variations and subtle changes you can make, including using special sugars with added pectin, and different combinations of fruit and flavorings…” And from Elisa: “I’ve never heard of anyone, either in Belgium or in France, boiling the jars after filling them. Sometimes they do it before filling them – but just as a way of cleaning them well. But most people nowadays just put them in the dishwasher. To make sure, I checked more than a dozen websites on jam making in French, and none of them mentioned boiling the jars. However, they all said to turn the jars upside down when the jam is cooling down. This creates a vacuum that allows for the conservation of the jam and prevents contamination from bacteria or molds. You know, like when you open a jar for the first time, it makes this popping sound when the vacuum is filled with air? … and the extremely high sugar content stops the proliferation of bacteria (this is why historically sugar is used for food preservation – just like salt or vinegar). AND, my biggest argument: people in France and Belgium have been doing it like this forever and we’re perfectly fine :-)” Leave it to the French to make amazing food and have a shortcut. I am so on board. Sue’s Plum Chutney with Thai Chili and Lime is one example of no canning. Just boil the mixture, pour into jars, and invert. Done.

8. With the abundance of summer fruit, I hope to make jam with it.

Or put it into Creamy Mixed Berry White Chocolate Crumble Bars

9. Ever wondered about seasoning a cast iron pan? The differences between seasoned, unseasoned/bare, enamel, and recommendations are discussed. Short ‘n sweet and very helpful.

10. Have you entered the Champion Sports Bras Giveaway? What are your Thursday Things? Feel free to link up anything fabulous you’ve made, done, seen, or bought. Do you have a favorite flat iron? Favorite pastry bag and decorating tips? Favorite cast iron pan? Ever tried canning? I want to hear about all that stuff!

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-21” author: “Myrtle Maldonado”

1. If you’ve ever wanted to smell like birthday cake, blueberry, bourbon, or brownies, Demeter Fragrance has you covered.

Scents in their Top 30 scents include: Sex on the Beach, Jelly Belly Blueberry Muffin, and Cannabis Flower. You probably wouldn’t want to wear them all at once. 2. This Oxo Multi-Purpose Scraper & Chopper ($9.99). I like that it has measurements etched in so that if I really want to be precise and cut my bars 2-inches-by-2-inches, I know exactly what I will yield from an 8-by-8-inch pan and everything will be precise. I don’t own it yet but have no idea what I’m waiting for. The OCD precision-loving cook (me) must have it.

  3. Rainbow Glam Wrap – Crystals meet friendship bracelet. Why my 7th grade self never thought to put crystals into the friendship bracelets I made all summer long I will never know. 4. Crystal Covered Cocktail Ring – Somehow I don’t think you’re supposed to wear the friendship bracelet and the ring together unless you want to look like you just raided your mom’s jewelry box and are five years old and playing dress-up, which sounds kind of fun actually. Skylar does it all the time. Both the bracelet and ring are from Bauble Bar. If you’re feeling weak or don’t have your credit card locked up and 10 rooms away, don’t open that link because it would be so easy to get extremely carried away. Kris I blame you for turning me onto this site. 5. Plastic that looks like China from Pottery Barn. Set of 4 plates for $28. Or at least could pass for finer China in pictures, which is all I care about for food photography.

They are a little “busy” for food photography but sometimes a “boring” slab of chocolate can look fabulous with some busyness. I never know until I plate it up what’s going to work and what’s not. However, in all reality, it’s hard to make chocolate look bad. 6. Lots of talk of jewelry in this post. Well, it’s been a hot topic in our house this week. Skylar wants to get her ears pierced and has been asking me at least 17 times a day. My mom made me wait until my tenth birthday but there’s no way we will be holding out four and a half more years. She’s five and going on fifteen and the thought of getting her ears pierced is all she can talk about. That and her red boots.

7. All this talk of ear piercing and my “baby” growing up makes me want to have a cold one. Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria

8. I wish it was hot enough outside for cold ones. Unfortunately San Diego, especially near the coast where I am, is not hot this time of year. It’s maybe 72F at the warmest point of the day and when I run in the morning , it’s cool enough that I have to wear a hoodie. “Hot summer days” are just a pipe dream. Even this day was from from hot. We were all wearing light jackets.

9. Do you like frosting? I do. Especially peanut butter frosting

This post has links to 16 bloggers’ favorite frosting recipes. Wow.

10. I bought this Calphalon 8-by-8-inch baking pan a few months ago and can vouch for it being the best little 8-inch square pan I’ve ever had. Heavy-weight, very durable, extremely non-stick, and I’ve been loving the results I’ve been having with it.

  What are your Thursday Things? Any favorite baking tools, supplies, dishes or fragrances? Feel free to link up anything you’ve made, done, seen, or bought that’s especially fabulous. How old were you when you got your ears pierced? Is there a “right” age? I was 10 and felt that was “ancient”. My friends got their ears pierced around first or second grade. For me it was the summer in between fourth and fifth grade and for years I wished I could have gotten them sooner. Skylar and I have watched some YouTube videos of piercing in the act so she would know what to expect if holes are in our future. She gets so excited and claps for every kid on the videos in the ear piercing chair who didn’t cry. It’s cute. Ironically, I rarely wear earrings, if ever. Maybe once a year. Scott wears his earrings more than I wear mine but the little girls at her school have started getting pierced ears and it’s monkey see, monkey do.

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-27” author: “Tony Johnson”

1. Marshmallow Sauce – Gosh that looks heavenly Bon Appetit featured this sauce in their July issue within a story about ice cream and cold treats for kids this summer. Ice cream, sprinkles, sauces, and raw egg whites. In the marshmallow sauce, for kids. 1 large egg white, corn syrup, powdered sugar, vanilla; beaten together

2. Katie brought it to my attention that although Fritos may have a bad rap, they only contain 3 ingredients: corn corn oil salt And they have a pretty decent profile. I mean, it’s hard to mess up something with only 3 ingredients.

I’ll take that as an excuse to cook with Fritos more often. You know, because Fritos are the next health food.

Scott loved the Corn Chip-Crusted Southwestern Salmon Cakes with Creamy Lemon Chili Sauce

3. Norton Identity Safe – With increasingly complicated password rules on so many different websites, it’s impossible to keep them all straight. I sometimes lock myself out of sites because I have too many “failed attempts” with my password or password and username combination that doesn’t match. Then I have to call the company, prove it’s really really me with the blood of my first born, and then 90 minutes later I can login and pay my cable bill. Download Norton Identity Safe free – I downloaded it but haven’t played around with it yet

4. A two-part series (that’s two years old but bears repeating) from LA Weekly here and here on Words to Avoid when writing about food.

Included on their words-to-avoid lists: foodie delicious gourmet decadent natural food porn <— yes,  avoid Overall, I loved the lists but sometimes something really is delicious and I am as guilty as the next person of using the D word. I guess I’ll call it yummy next time.  Kidding. 5. Not sure how I feel about this Misono Child’s Mini Knife “Get your kids in the kitchen with their very own high-quality but safe Misono Child’s Mini-Knife. With a 50/50 balance it is suitable for right or left-handed chefs. It is sharp enough to cut through most foods, but has a smaller, more rounded blade that is more suited to the small hands of a child.”

A knife is still, well, a knife. Whether it’s smaller, or less sharp than other knives, it’s still a knife. Obviously kids need supervision when using anything from scissors to knives, but so far around here, at age 5, we’re sticking to spoons and forks. 6.  My new storage cabinet has changed my outlook on life and my ahhhh, zen and tranquility quotient is sky high every time I look at it. I find myself just blissfully staring at it and all the happy organization on the shelves. I’m in love with a cabinet. I’ll stop now.

7. Jessica of The Novice Chef wrote an awesome post about blogging from putting the time in to blogging to camera lenses to conferences to working with companies, she covered it and then some.

 8. I wrote a 5-part blogging series that covers much of what Jessica said, and I’ll shamelessly link it up: Blogging 101 Blogging 102 Blogging 103 Blogging 104 Blogging 105 9. Celery. Don’t throw away the leave – 6 uses for celery leaves

My issue is what to do with the actual celery. I had to buy celery for 1 recipe and used precisely half of one stalk. 12 more to go. Sure it was only $2.49 but what do you make with it other than ants on a log or use it as the base of a hearty fall soup. Because it’s not really soup season. And no, I cannot juice it or put it in smoothies. It overpowers everything it touches for me. Sort of like cantaloupe (which I hate). If cantaloupe is used in a fruit salad, the whole salad tastes like it and is “contaminated”. Same with celery; I do like it, to a point and am all for creative uses but I just don’t know what those are. 10. Thanks for the Healthy Surprise Snack Box Giveaway entries What are your Thursday Things? Feel free to link up anything noteworthy you’ve made, done, seen, bought, or is especially fabulous. Any thoughts about what to make with celery, if you have memories of how old you were when you started using kitchen knives, or if you eat raw eggs or think they’re safe for kids? I’m at a loss with celery other than ants on a log and a base for soup, sauteed with onions. But I hate onions. I have no idea how old I was when I started using knives, I know by age 8 or so because that was the age I would come from school, make brownies using a packet of Jif brownie mix, and would cut my almost-raw brownies with a knife. Guess I’ve eaten plenty of almost-raw eggs with my childhood knife skills. In other countries, people don’t seem to freak out as much about raw eggs as we do in America. Orange Julius, some homemade Caesar dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custards, and Hollandaise sauces may be made with raw eggs and people eat them. And the French eat unpasteurized soft cheese and the Japanese eat raw fish and the species has survived. I used to drink orange julius’ with raw eggs as a kid all the time. We made them in home-economics class in seventh grade in a blender with raw eggs. Can you imagine making food in a school these days with raw eggs? Kids aren’t even allowed to bring in cupcakes or birthday cake anymore for their birthdays. Between the gluten, sugar and frosting, frosting has been replaced with fruit cups. And nothing with eggs, raw or cooked.

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-04” author: “Joy Wright”

1. Vanilla Bean Sampler – 3 beans each from 9 countries = 27 beans for $44.95

   Madagascan

Mexican Ugandan Indonesian Tongan Indian Bourbon (Papua New Guinea) Tahitian (Papua New Guinea) Tahitian (Tahiti)

High quality beans for less than $2 bucks each? Score. I love vanilla in anything. From body spray to candles to…. 2. …Cookies! Puffy Vanilla Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

3. These lamps from Pottery Barn – love the eggplant base and the rustic burlap shades

4. I heated some milk for a recipe I was working on, forgot about it, and a skin formed. Milk skin. Lovely. But it going me thinking and I researched what milk skin actually is. When milk is heated, the water the starts to evaporate and the other elements, namely protein and fat, become increasingly concentrated. The proteins – casein and whey – also have a tendency to coagulate once the milk reaches a temperature of about 150°F. Stir more and the problem is solved. More than you ever wanted to know, but I like food trivia.

5. Congrats to the Top 100 Mom Food Blogs 2012 Many of friends are named in this list – nice going, ladies! I didn’t make the list but Skylar still thinks I’m a Top Mom. She thanked me yesterday for making her hair look cute and told me I was the best mom ever. I melted.

6. I have tomato jam and chutney on the brain and need to make my own. My inspirations include: Spicy Tomato Peach Jam from Lindsay

 Spicy Heirloom Tomato Jam from Brandon (a fellow San Diegan – I told him I’d buy it off him)

Tomato Chutney from Liz (also a fellow San Diegan – and I’d buy hers, too)

Clearly I need to make my own. 7. Would you like 2 boxes of the new Cascadian Farms Ancient Grains cereal? Made with whole grain oats, crisp rice, a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon, a touch of quinoa, spelt and kamut khorasan® wheat, our Ancient Grains Granola is an excellent source of fiber while also packing in 35 grams of Whole Grains per serving and 5 grams of protein

Leave a comment on this post telling me at that you’d like to be entered in the giveaway and what your favorite cereal of all time is. I’ll announce the winner in my next post. 8. I’ve been thinking about something gooey with caramel and chocolate all day and these came to mind. Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars (GF with Vegan adaptation)

9. Enamel-dipped servers from Antrhro – $36 for the pair which I think is a great price. They remind me of something Tiffany without Tiffany pricing and for Anthro, pretty darn cheap.

10. The winner of the Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food Processor & Juice Extractor Giveaway (1000+ entries later)

is… Michele Sparrow July 5, 2012 at 11:23 pm I think the first thing I would make in the food processor is a homemade salsa or some kind of coconut yogurt. That processor is AMAZING!! Congrats, Michele! What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous, feel free to link it up in the comments. Do you like vanilla or ever make your own vanilla extract? Yes and yes. Split open 3 or 4 vanilla beans, put them in a tall jar with 1 cup of vodka with a lid like a canning jar, let them sit for at least a month, probably 6 to 8 weeks, shaking the jar a couple times a week. In two months, you have vanilla extract. You can strain out the seeds if you want before you use it, but don’t. They are little flavor bombs – keep them and your food will have flecks of real vanilla beans in it; so pretty. Top off your jar with more vodka and keep the cycle going.  Add more vanilla beans every now and then. Voila, homemade vanilla extract for a fraction of the price of storebought. You can also use rum (dark or light) or bourbon, but they are not as clean-tasting as vodka. Sometimes not clean is a good thing though. Thanks for the Zoku Quick Pop Maker and Chocolate Station Giveaway entries

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-07” author: “John Davidson”

1. Better Homes and Gardens interviewed me and featured me on their site

I was flattered and honored when they asked me. Never in a million years would I have guessed when I was a little girl watching my mom read her BHG magazines that they’d be asking me for an interview. Life is full of surprises, isn’t it.

2. Although these new arrival Owl Dessert Plates are adorable, they signify autumn. I don’t want autumn. I want summer to continue forever.

3. Smoked Coconut Cheesecake “…perfumed with musky, flowery aromas and flavored with notes of caramel and smoke…” I’m typically not a fan of smoked foods and up until seeing this would say absolutely no way to smoked desserts. But I may need reconsider that position.

4. The only think I like smoked is smores. Or baked smores that you don’t require a campfire. Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars

5. I recently picked up this Amika Shampoo and Conditioner “Amika Obliphica Balancing Shampoo is a Sea Buckthorn Berry (Obliphica) Balancing Shampoo with omega 7 + vitamin c that gently restores and nourishes for fine, medium and course hair. Silicone free, paraben free. Safe for color treated hair.The Obliphica berry, for centuries renowned for its healing powers, has an arsenal of antioxidants, vitamins, healthy fatty acids, Omega 3, 6 & 9, and the rare Omega 7 (usually only found in fish oil). These potent vitamins combined with the powerful properties of the Argan nut oil, native to Morocco, come together to form a line that replenishes, moisturizes, and brings out hairs natural balance. The Balancing Shampoo gently cleanses while infusing hair with fatty acids, proteins, anti-oxidants, and other nutrients.” After just a couple uses my hair is shiner, stronger, and feels like it has more life in it. I don’t know if it will be my forever-and-ever shampoo and conditioner because I do like to switch things up, but I can say for now I like it. Caveats: it doesn’t suds-up much because it’s sulfate-free so if you like really big bubbles, it may not be for you. It has a strong fragrance; the conditioner more so than the shampoo, but the scent fades after a day or two. I only wash my hair a couple times a week, and by day 3 or 4, I’d rather my hair smell like perfume than, well, dirty hair.

6.  Nourishing Hair Mask I have not actually used the mask because it was a little pricey at the beauty supply store, but I plan to order it online. The employees were all raving about it. It smells heavenly, sort of tropical, and if for no other reason that the scent is divine, I plan to order it.

7. If you don’t like a strong scent of pina coladas wafting through your house, then don’t make Pina Colada White Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies One way or the other, you’ll want to either drink or eat a pina colada.

8. Does the Paleo Diet Make Any Sense? With Full Article Here “According to the Paleo Diet, we humans would be better off eating like we did back in the caveman days. We should eat meat (lots of meat), vegetables, and fruit; work out intensely (think running after wooly mammoths); and avoid any food that requires agriculture and civilization to produce (e.g. bread, cheese, Twinkies)… …The whole article is interesting, but basically says that we humans are equipped with a digestive tract that evolved to deal with a leafy diet, but has since adapted to eating starchier grains. Our guts can handle pretty much anything we can throw at them (allergies aside), and there certainly isn’t any reason to suppose that we’re better off eating mostly meat…(source)” Interesting food for thought. Pun intended.

9. I like everything about this Z Gallerie room The yellow print that looks like stone, the silver mirrored piece behind the couch, the tufted bench, in chocolate, the white rug, the low and modern sectional.

What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous, feel free to link it up in the comments. Any thoughts about the Paleo Diet? Do you have any favorite hair products? Household decor or cute kitchen things you’ve seen lately? Link it up I did a favorite hair care products post And a Favorite Drugstore Products – Everything Under $5 post And 90% of everything in those posts, I still stand by and use frequently or even daily.

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-31” author: “Kristina Smith”

1. The Huffington Post ran a featured titled Coconut Dessert Recipes For Cookies, Cakes, and More And they showcased my Mounds Bar Chocolate Coconut Cake Mix Cookies (Slide 1 in the slideshow)

2. I saw Shelly discuss her kitchen favorites and she mentioned she loves her Butter Bell because it keeps butter fresh at room temperature for 30 days, without refrigeration.

How does it work?

I honestly still don’t really get how this works. I’m in Aruba right now and cannot imagine leaving butter out for a day, let alone a month. If anyone has one of these and wants to elaborate more on it, I’m all butterfingers ears. 3. Have to sign a document but don’t want to print, scan, or fax it? Or if you’re like me, don’t own a printer/faxer/scanner that works. You can sign it using built-in software from your Mac

Here’s what you do (From this site):

Launch Preview, and from the Preview menu select “Preferences” Click on “Signatures” and then “Create Signature” Write your signature on a piece of white paper and hold it up to the camera, try to have it somewhat straight on the blue line and watch the “Signature Preview” pane until you are satisfied with the way it looks Click on “Accept” to capture the digital signature

To use it

If you have Windows, use this signature service 4. Yonanas Banana Softserve maker Freeze bananas, put them in the chute, plunge, and out comes softserve.

5. Or just make your own banana softserve (vegan, GF) in a blender or food processor. So easy. Or add some avocado for Vanilla Banana Avocado Softserve – It doesn’t taste like avocados in a savory way; just super creamy and rich. Trust me on this one.

6. Pinpuff – There’s a coolness score for everything now, including how cool you are on Pinterest

7. The Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market – This alone would be worth a trip to NYC

8. Candles are expensive and every time I buy a good one, I think why am I doing this? Now I don’t feel so bad because this Jo Malone Orange Blossom Luxyry Candle is $400. The scent of clementine leaves in the morning dew sparkles above a heart of orange blossom and water lily, transporting the wearer to a garden oasis. With a stunning bouquet lit across four wicks, the Orange Blossom Luxury Candle envelops a room and lingers for hours to create an ambience of warmth, sophistication and style. It is the ultimate luxury. Candle burn time is 230 hours.

Jo Malone anything smells so fabulous  and they do have cheaper candles and room sprays, lotions, soaps, cologne, and tons of things to keep you broke smelling great. 9. Collapsible Beater Whisk, $18 I think I need this, just for the colors

10. I’ve been staring at the ocean and loving every tranquil moment.

What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous, feel free to link it up in the comments. If you have any idea how the Butter Bell works, if you think you need a special device to make softserve (I don’t, just use a blender) or have been to any cool flea markets or on any fun trips, tell me about it. Thanks for the Bella Bars Giveaway entries

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-24” author: “Mildred Burke”

1. It’s Skylar’s first day back to school today, Thursday. She’s a big girl now and in first grade. I don’t even know where the last five years have gone. We went to an open house at her school Wednesday evening and everyone’s feeling a lot calmer and more settled about things after doing a dry-run. Here’s where your lunch box goes, here’s your desk, and so forth. Last year on her first day, it was me that was the bundle of nerves. I didn’t know what to do with myself while she was at school and thought that making pink cookies for my pink-loving princess as an after school treat seemed like a good idea. Apparently it was because she still talks about the time I made pink cookies for her. Strawberry Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

2. While little girls go back to school shopping for pencils and crayons, big girls would like to go shopping for this platter, $58 from Anthro. I had it in my hands earlier this week in the store but exercised restraint and put it down. But I’ve been thinking about it ever since. That means I’m supposed to go back for it, right?

3. President Obama has been brewing his own beer at the White House for a while now. The beer, called White House Honey Ale, is brewed with honey from Michelle Obama’s garden beehive and has recently popped up on the campaign trail. A petition was started demanding the recipe be released to the public. 25,000 signatures are required and there’s about 4,941 signatures so far, with September 17 being the deadline to meet the quota. Regardless, I kind of doubt they’ll be sharing their secret brew recipe. Homemade Kombucha (also here and here)

4. Perpetua Tray from Pottery Barn, $108 It would be a beautiful serving tray for holiday parties. And it would also do double-duty as a fabulous surface for food photography since I don’t throw too many martini parties these days. Or ever.

5. Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls from Saveur They look delicious, but the recipe looks like a fair amount of work.

6. Cinnamon Bun Pie. Almost no work and ready from start to finish in a half hour. I put these up against Cinnabons, which are my own gold standard for carby, comforting, white dough with zero nutritional value.

7. The aubergine wine goblets in this photo are on sale. A set of 4 for $23.96 I really want the chandelier but the purple glasses would do.

8. Want to drop a grand on one knife? This Henckels Santoku can help. It’s now on sale from $1695 to $999.95 “Made of true Damascus steel, this knife is not only the first German made Damascus knife but also the first forged Damascus knife with a bolster from a single piece of Damascus. Made of 160 layers of hand-folded steel it results in a blade that is exceptionally hard and durable. This hollow-ground santoku knife chops, slices and minces meat, fish and veggies.”

I use my 7-inch Henckels Santoku every day, about 10 times a day. It’s the number one knife I reach for. It’s a Henckles but it’s the $85 version, not the $1000 version. I always wonder what exactly makes a knife from the same company, that’s the same length (7-inches) and the same style of knife (Santoku) so radically different in price? $85 versus $1000.

10. Thanks for the Capresso Froth Plus Automatic Milk Frother Giveaway entries What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments. Do you have a favorite knife? What do you love about it?

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-11” author: “Frances Daschofsky”

1. I signed up for Ziplist “Ziplist the free, easy-to-use online grocery list service that enables you to build and share grocery lists and recipe boxes, has teamed up with Averie Cooks to provide you many of ZipList’s capabilities. Save your favorite recipes from Averie Cooks in one place, along with any other recipes you may have, then automatically create a shopping list with different recipes each week. No matter where you create your grocery list or save your recipes, they will always be available online at Averie Cooks or ZipList. If you have an iPhone or Android, you can also access your list(s) and recipe box from ZipList’s free mobile apps too.” ZipList Features:

Save your favorite recipes to one universal recipe box. Use our free appsto take your list with you to the store – in aisle order. Add recipe ingredients to your grocery list with just one click. Easily create a weekly meal plan calendar with your saved recipes. Connect & share content with friends & family so you can collaborate. Search for new recipes your family will love. Quickly scroll to discover new trending recipes. Easily browse and search weekly grocery deals by zip code, favorite store, or grocery item and add deals to your shopping list with just one click. Save money and time by getting deals on items that are already on your shopping list. We bring the savings right to your fingertips.

2. How does it work and what’s the benefit to you? Let’s break this down in plain English because I was really confused by it for ages and didn’t see the benefit but now I do. In the upper right corner of all my new recipes, there’s two little buttons. One allows you to Print and the other allows you Save the Recipe to your online recipe box. When you’re on my blog, or any other blog that uses Ziplist and you come across a recipe that you want to remember, you just hit Save and it goes into your virtual recipe box.

It covers many bases all in one – you don’t have to Pin It to remember the recipe. I do this all the time and my Pin boards are overflowing with saved ‘ideas’. You don’t have to email it to yourself. My inbox is overwhelming already. You don’t have to Bookmark It, and you don’t have to print it out. You can just save it to your online virtual recipe box and it’s as good as gold. The other bonus is that the site helps you to create a shopping list based on the various recipes you’ve saved and the various ingredients used in all of them. Trying to remember whether it was pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling, whether it was 8 ounces of semi sweet or milk chocolate, or whether it was cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup you need to purchase for a savory recipe you want to try from another blog, there are so many recipes, so many ingredients, and so many times I stand in the market trying to think-think-think what was it that I needed again. 3. It’s taking everything in me not to just go buy this Emmerson Buffet from West Elm, $999 and figure out how I’m going to pay for it later but the responsible adult in me is refraining. So far.

Much of my living room is from West Elm and it would not only fit in aesthetically, but I love the rustic wood. And I love that it’s functional and that I could store lots of dishes in it.

See, I’m kinda outgrowing this hutch. Did I mention I love dishes? And old wood. 5. Celebrities who name their babies after places Reese Witherspoon named her baby Tennessee James and “It’s a trend that had its roots starting in the late 1980s with several celebs picking names from the American West, like Austin, Dallas and Dakota, including Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, whose now grown daughter Dakota is the star of a new sitcom. But lately the trend seems to be heating up and much more widespread,” Rosenkrantz said. “Sometimes the place has real significance to the parents… Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale have meaningful associations with Kingston, Jamaica. Others seem to have no personal connection to the place, as in Bronx Wentz and the two recent celebrity kid Camdens.” I grew up in rural Minnesota and growing up there, Dakota meant either North or South. And Madison was a place in central Wisconsin. I wonder if the names Minneapolis or Des Moines will catch on any time soon?   6. I recently received this new cookbook, Cooking Light The New Way to Cook Light: Fresh Food & Bold Flavors for Today’s Home Cook If you’re looking for healthier meal ideas and recipes, this book is a good one. There’s an abundance of glossy, beautiful images, which is key for me. Without a photo, it’s hard for me to fully embrace a recipe. The recipes seem straightforward and not overly complicated, long, or cumbersome. The book has given me a jumping off place for some dinnertime ideas and there’s a chapter devoted to vegetarian entrees, which is nice.

7. I tried some Clearly Kombucha. It comes in Original, Ginger Berry, Asian Pear, Black Currant and Tangerine. I liked them all but I especially enjoyed Ginger Berry and Black Currant.

Really though, I love kombucha and making your own Homemade Kombucha with more info here and here is really easy once you get into the groove of brewing. It’s so good for you, full of probiotics and it just does a body good. 8. This woman paints KitchenAid Stand Mixers and her work is so gorgeous. Although I doubt I’ll ever want to paint on top of my shiny red machine, she’s the only person who could tempt me.

9. Mum’s Original Vine-Ripened Banana Powder “Produced from a delicious red banana variety, sweeter and heartier in flavor, grown to their fullest potential with the only help of natural sunshine. Our careful dehydrating and milling process ensures that our Banana Powder maintains its dense nutritional composition that includes high fiber content to gently cleanse your digestive system. Pop into a daily smoothie for a great source of natural energy, help to decrease blood pressure, and relax your muscles after a work out.”

I love bananas. Banana Bread Fest much? Six weeks and counting and that banana powder has be intrigued.

10. Display your cornucopia of squash, pumpkins, fruit, or pretty little display items in this iron Rustic Bucket with Stand, Pottery Barn, $299

What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments. How do you organize your recipes? My recipes are all over the place and it’s a mess. And I do mean all over the place. I have them in emails to myself, handwritten on pieces of paper and tucked into various drawers around the house. Pages of magazines are dog-eared, cookbooks have paper bookmarks in them, and online sites are digitally bookmarked. My Pinterest boards overflow, I have dozens of browser windows open at all times on my computer of various blog posts or recipes I’ve seen online and want to try, and now I have Ziplist. I don’t lack for ideas and inspiration. I lack for a way to cohesively organize it all and not lose or misplace recipes. I feel like I lose track of or forget about so many good ones because I can’t seem to remember where I put them or find them again. I’d love to hear your recipe organizing tips and strategies. Thanks for the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies + KitchenAid Stand Mixer + $200 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card Giveaway entries

title: “Thursday Things” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-28” author: “Leland Nichols”

1. The Huffington Post named me as one of The Best Food Bloggers: HuffPost’s Top 10 Picks I’m honored to have been chosen. Some fellow bloggers whom I’ve gotten to know over the years are also on the list, making it even nicer to be named among friends. I never would have thought I’d be seeing my name on a list like this, but I’m very grateful and highly appreciative. Seriously, I am humbled. I’m on Slide 7 of 11

2. 10 Tips, no matter the recipe, to bake a better chocolate chip cookie, including don’t overmix, chill the dough, use a cookie scoop. I thought this point is particularly interesting with regard to not using fancy butter: “When you swap regular butter for European style without otherwise changing the recipe, the cookies wind up with more fat than the flour can reasonably absorb, giving them a greasy mouthfeel.” I bake all my cookies, including these Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, with Trader Joe’s unsalted sticks of butter, $2.99 for a pound which suits me just fine. Kerrygold is my splurge butter but I generally don’t bake with it; it’s for eating on things rather than baking with.

3. I wrote a Baking Supplies post nearly a year ago about some of the things I use and do to make cookie-baking results as optimal as possible.

4. Monday, October 8 was National Fluffernutter Day. I didn’t know this until Glamour Magazine featured my Fluffernutter Smoothie

5. I’ve been baking more cakes lately and I want this Fondant Marble Cake Stand, Anthro $128. Even if your cake isn’t perfect looking or perfect tasting, I’m sure that putting it under the glass dome of white marble and carved sheesham wood pedestal would make anything look more beautiful and taste more fabulous.

6. Do you consider yourself to be a positive person? 10 Essential Habits of Positive People

7. Olive Wood Paddle Boards, $19 to $39 at West Elm which is a steal and they can be monogrammed. “Gorgeous grains. Beautiful marbling, amazing durability and warm, earthy tones—three reasons to go with olive wood for your next wine and cheese party. As functional as they are decorative, these boards can be monogrammed with different letters to separate veggies from meat or gluten-free from wheat.”

8. I’ve started baking bread. Real bread with yeast instead of quick breads and I’ve been having so much fun. I have recipes coming in the weeks ahead for bread and if you’ve ever feared yeast and real bread-making with yeast, don’t. If I can pull it off, so can you because generally speaking, I have the patience of a two-year old and always thought that bread-making was an exercise in waiting around and a big production and wouldn’t it just be easier and faster to buy a loaf at the store. I’m here to say I wish I had started baking bread years ago because it’s incredibly rewarding and the process is gratifying. But in the meantime, make this bread if you need a seasonally-appropriate quickie quick bread.

9. This pink Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker is on sale for $100 at Neiman Marcus. I think that’s a stellar deal and I’d love it.

10. Chunky throws on sale for $37.90 at Nordstrom. Another thing I’d love. But I also need to buy groceries, pay Skylar’s tuition, and not run up my credit card on ice cream makers and cute blankets. Darn.

What are your Thursday Things? If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments. Do you have any tips or tricks to baking the perfect cookie? In general, I get better results when I cream the butter rather than melt it, but I love the flavor of  butter that’s been browned, cooled, and incorporated into cookie dough. However, I never get quite the thickness I want in my cookies if I melt the butter compared to creaming it. It’s a flavor versus texture trade-off. Chilling the dough is mandatory. Above all else, if you do one thing, chill it before baking. Chilled dough spreads less and your cookies will bake up thicker, chewier, puffier, denser, and just better with dough that both has had a chance to rest and chill. Most cookie dough can be chilled for up to four days or so before being baked off which gives you time to mix it up, chill it, and then bake the cookies off at your leisure over the next few days. I always use a cookie scoop because it ensures domed mounds of a uniform size. I linked my $3.99 el cheapo scoop in this post. I recently bought an Italian-made scoop at Williams-Sonoma and it’s fine but I’m not sure if it’s as amazing as it should be for the price; however it’s growing on me the more I use it. Are you a bread-maker? Would you like to learn? Fave recipe? If you have anything at all to say about bread or a fave recipe, please speak up and link up. I’m all ears because I’m learning as I go. Thanks for the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies + Book Giveaway entries