Friday Things
1. Happy belated Valentine’s Day! I had a wonderfully delicious and gorgeous day! Not pictured: a fantastic breakfast sandwich to kick off the day, and a phenomenal dinner with appetizers that I absolutely need to recreate at home!
2. There are currently three doggy-bag containers of leftovers in the fridge. If I ever finish a meal at a restaurant, it will be a small miracle.
3. Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned that I spent the day at the DeLallo test kitchen with Jessica? You can read more about our day there over on the DeLallo blog:Â Local Food Bloggers Unite in the DeLallo Kitchen.
4. I had a temporary moment of insanity this week and decided to give up peanut butter for Lent. Two days down, 38 to go. I will devour an entire peanut butter egg on Easter morning. Write it down.
5. I feel totally inept when it comes to doing my own hair. I’m capable of styling it curly just fine, but am awful at blowing it out straight. Or doing anything else remotely interesting with it. Does anyone know of any sites with easy-to-follow hair tutorials? I could definitely use some help since I’m like a five-year-old when it comes to doing my own hair.
6. It might be early to start thinking about it, but is anyone planning a garden for this year? Have you decided what to grow? I’m not sure if I’ll get one planted yet, but I’m hoping to do containers at the very least!
7. I didn’t watch the Grammys on Sunday night; are there any performances worth queuing up on YouTube?
8. Last weekend I made a birthday cake for my Chief Culinary Consultant. I may or may not have spelled birthday “birtday” on the cake. Good thing I had already fed him some delicious lamb ;-)
9. Don’t forget to enter the BEB Anniversary Giveaway! You could win your choice of a dSLR, iPad or KitchenAid Professional Mixer! You have until Sunday to enter… Good Luck!
10. TGIF! Hugs all around!
I can’t believe you gave up Peanut butter for lent. I couldn’t do it! Love love love peanut butter. Also, I cut my hair super short recently (this Michelle Williams in chesnut brown) and it’s so easy to blow out. Two minutes and you’re out the door!
Those roses are stunning! Good luck with giving up pb; I don’t think I could resist the Reese’s eggs that long, I’m powerless around them!
Hi! Since you gave up peanut butter you must try cookie butter (if you haven’t already) They have it at Trader Joes. It is something that I have a bad addiction to, I am telling everyone about it!
Sounds like you had a fun week! Of the Grammy’s, I thought the Bob Marley tribute was good, as well as the Lumineers performance of “Ho Hey!” :)
amazing vibrant colors!!
Those flowers! Ohmigod. So super lovely. Glad you had a great Valentine’s Day!
First those flowers are beautiful and Happy belated Valentine’s Day to you as well. I would suggest finding the Bob Marley tribute, that was by far my fave performance from the Grammys. I also liked Fun, The Lumineers, JT and Kelly Clarkson.
I have curly VERY curly hair, and I find that if I use Moroccan Oil (don’t be afraid to use too much) before I blow it out, it helps keep it smooth. Then, I just take my time. I put the dryer right onto my hair and round brush but I don’t leave it one spot for fear of burning my hair. Then I just use the flat iron a bit to smooth it out then a bit more Moroccan Oil. Just takes a lot of practice!
Those flowers are stunning! I am pretty terrible at styling my hair too, but find that hot rollers and a high quality flat iron are so essential. We always grow morning glories. We start them from seed inside the house right about this time of year (I need to get on that) and then transplant them outside when the weather warms. They are so amazing and beautiful – the one flower I can’t imagine summer without.
Good luck with your peanut butter!!! I gave up looking at my phone in the car (even when I’m not the one driving), and dessert after dinner (I figured I couldn’t give up dessert altogether because of the blog. Right? Right?).
I’ll eat a PB egg for you if that will help. Before dinner, of course. ;)
As far as hair tutorials… http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/ has great ones, all video but she also shows the hair style from the front and back which is helpful!
I’m going to do containers at the least. I keep saying that, but never do. This year is my year though. I’m tired of buying my herbs. Stay strong on peanut butter. I wouldn’t try it myself. I would watch the Grammy’s for Justin Timberlake alone. Whether I liked the music or not. He’s awesome.
I’m terrible at doing my hair too. I know how to straighten it and that’s about it! Can’t even do curls. I give you a lot of credit for giving up peanut butter – I could never do it!
I’m doing a garden this year I’m doing Brussels sprouts romaine lettuce carrots red onions bell peppers leeks celery squash. And an assortment of herbs. Very exited. Ready already. Can’t wait to be outside all the time.
Love your blog! I would also recommend Kate at The Small Things Blog for hair tutorials. She’s easy to follow and has so many different options to choose from in addition to giving instructions on how the style can work on different textures of hair. The Grammy’s for sure JT, I also love The Black Keys and Jack White, Rhianna was stunning and it was a great vocal performance, the Bob Marley tribute was fun…you’ll feel like dancing! Happy Friday and have a great weekend everyone!
YOU GAVE UP PEANUTBUTTER FOR LENT! I couldn’t do it. After giving up alcohol and caffeine for two pregnancies, I’m done with removing wonderful things from my diet. I’m with you on the hair. I usually brush it and call it done, but it would probably be worth the effort if I could make it look better.
I recommend Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening book. I planted herbs last year: rosemary, basil, mint, parsley, oregano, and cilantro. They did very well! I used them a lot in cooking. Also my Arugula did GREAT and I made many salads with it.
I am the same way at restaurants, but I LOVE leftovers! If I order a salad, the dressing will definitely be on the side so I can munch on crispy lettuce the next day and not gross wilty lettuce.
I’m a new reader of your blog and I really enjoy it!
PS-Those flowers are gorgeous :)
I also recommend “The Small Things” for hair tutorials. I’m all thumbs when it comes to styling my hair but Kate’s tutorials are easy to follow and recreate. As others have also said, I love your blog and Friday Things makes my day!!
First I love reading your blog and your “Friday things” is my favorite. I did watch the Grammy’s and thought all of the tributes were great! Especially the Bob Marley tribute with Sting and Bruno Mars. Kelly Clarkson was also awesome! Haven’t thought about a garden yet, but I am looking forward to spring! And I am right with you on the hair issue – I have very curly hair that I blow out and straighten every day – it’s the only thing I know how to do!
P.S. Love the penguin pic :-)
Try thesmallthingsblog for hair tutorials. She has shoulder length hair but some of the stuff she says helps anyone. Happy Friday!
Love “Friday things”. For Lent, I try to do something extra. This year is to pray for a co-worker who is a challenge to work with. This can be as much of a challenge as giving up something. Thank you also for sharing the big and little things with your followers! Have a wonderful weekend!
Gorgeous flowers!!
Lunineers, Fun. and Mumford & Son are my new music favs. Give them a try!
I make more mistakes than I can handle, glad the professionals (you) do, too! Makes me feel better knowing I am not alone!!
The roses are beautiful!! Happy <3 Day … that breakfast sandwich is to die for! It looks so delicious!!
I haven't decided what to give up for Lent but PB is a good one. Good luck! I know I am kind of addicted to it especially if it's homemade. I love making nut-butters!
I have planned on gardening this year but now moving plans may change that. I want to plant herbs and veggies since I use them mostly when juicing or making smoothies.
The Grammys … I hadn't watched them fully in years but this year for some reason I did. I personally loved the Maroon 5/Alicia Keys performance … Mumford and Sons was amazing but I love them … and the Bruno Mars and friends tribute to Bob Marley was great. I will say though … LL Cool J in the "old school" performance great!!
You should think about getting a Brazilian blow out for your hair. A little pricey but beautiful straight hair for months!
I’m definitely planting a garden! I just got the last of the seeds that I ordered online. I can’t wait til spring.
Gorgeous flowers! I love roses, but I have a bit of a brown thumb and haven’t been very successful in growing them. I am all about perennials…get ’em in the ground and forget about them!
For hair tutorials, you might want to check out The Small Things Blog (http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/). I’ve used a number of Kate’s tutorials with pretty good success.
Peanut butter for lent! Are you insane?!?!?! ;)
Hugs to you too! Love that cute little penguin! (And best wishes with the PB fast!)
That breakfast sandwich looks too good to be true!
I love your site and check it every day. I just followed you on pinterest …that site is so cool but I fear I will now lose an additional 2 hours a day on that site. LOL. My mom never baked and as a child I had only store bought cookies. My favorite was Keebler (Magic middles). They were chocolate chip cookies with a warm gooey chocolate fudgy center. Have you had them….if so I would kill for you to try a version I haven’t been successful in recreating a soft, gooey but not raw middle. Just thought I’d ask you always seem really up for the challenge. Love your site. Congrats on your engagement. Best Wishes, Lisa
Hi Lisa, I don’t believe I’ve ever had those, but I might need to do some research! :)
That’s funny…spelling birthday without the H. I did the same thing years ago. Thankfully, I caught my mistake before anyone saw it and got it fixed. HaHa
Michelle
I have was thinking of doing herbs and lettuce and some tomatoes. This would be a first for me. I am thinking something along the lines of square foot gardening. It’s not so over whelming.
Michelle, our pastor reminded us Wednesday night that the 40 days of Lent excludes Sundays. So if you’ve given something up for Lent, you can indulge on Sundays. (And thanks to that knowledge, I will have Starbucks on the way to church Sunday morning!)
This is true!
Grammy’s are a fave of mine…DEFINITELY worth watching Timberlake! Mumford and Sons as well as Lumineers were great. Maroon 5/Alicia Keys. Rihanna .. Always gorgeous. There’s a cool tribute to Bob Marley that I recommend…hands down though, it’s Timberlake.
For garden ….tomatoes, cilantro, hot peppers, green peppers …it’s a salsa garden!!!!
Love your blog! I send tons of friends to it! You’re who I call “my go-to girl.”
Have a FANTASTIC weekend! xox
I totally agree with your Grammy suggestions. i was flipping chanels all evening but was able to catch all of the great preformances. Timberlake was AMAZING!
I made the red velvet poke cake for Valentine’s Day at work and it was a hit! The cream cheese frosting is the best I’ve had.
Your roses are gorgeous!
We always plant a garden. Typically we plant tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, radishes, herbs, pumpkins, and beans. We also have raspberry bushes and concord grapes, and tried a blueberry bush last year (we’ll see how it does this year), as well as many wild berry bushes in our woods. Now I’m really looking forward to spring!
Lilith Moon, on Youtube, is my go-to for hair tutorials! She has straight hair, but her tutorials are very texture/curl friendly, and she’s super easy to follow.
Side note on the cake: I have absolutely done that exact thing…I just chalked it up to the fact that I’m kind of terrible at cakes.
Lovely roses :-)
I love that you and Jessica got to hang out and just popped over to that site and saw the great post & pics. How fun!
Giving up PB for lent? I would die :) I have already heard of a few people who did that this year. More for me :)
Send a picture of the cake to cakewrecks!