Friday Things
1. Last Sunday was my birthday and I enjoyed a fantastic day with all of my boys and our family. I had my very favorite bakery cake for dessert and didn’t have to change a single diaper… it was a wonderful day :)
2. Are you dying Easter eggs this weekend? We did it last year with the boys (well, Dominic sat in the high chair and watched) and I think they’d enjoy it. Thinking of trying to Cool Whip egg dying trick I’ve seen all over the Internet, and I just got a box of Americolor gel colors I might try it with! (I’ve also seen it done with shaving cream, but that seems… unsafe with little kids who will put anything in their mouth?)
3. I totally pre-ordered the Magnolia Table cookbook by Joanna Gaines and can’t wait to get it! I actually just heard about it a week ago, but I’m kind of sort of obsessed with her and Chip since we started watching Fixer Upper and I can’t wait to get my hands on her cookbook!
4. Did you hear that Urban Outfitters has brought back CABOODLES?! As in, you can actually buy them! If this little girl swimming around in my belly was a decade older, I would snatch one up for her in a second. I kept everything in my Caboodle when I was a kid! So fun to see them back, and I actually had no idea they were designed because Vanna White used a tackle box for her makeup… who knew?!
5. I saw this image last week when we still had seven inches of snow on the ground and had to laugh because it’s 100% absolutely true… and we are now currently in mud season (thanks four days straight of rain), which is especially hell on earth-ish when you have two dogs that love to go outside and run, ugh.
6. A morning sports talk show my husband watches was talking about “the final four of breakfast cereals” and so I have two important questions for you: (1) What are your top 4 cereals? and (2) Do you prefer your cereal crunchy or soggy?
Me: (1) Golden Grahams, Raisin Bran, Honey Bunches of Oats, and then maybe Basic 4 or Cornflakes; and (2) CRUNCHY, forever and ever amen. Once cereal is soggy, that’s the end for me.
7. Last week I linked to this copycat Olive Garden salad dressing recipe; my aunt saw my post and made it for the salad she brought to dinner on Sunday. We all concurred that it TOTALLY tasted like Olive Garden dressing, and now I want to eat salad for DAYS.
8. It’s Easter weekend! What are you doing? What are you eating? Traditional Easter dinner, brunch… ? Tell me all the details! We’re heading to my mom’s, she always has Easter dinner and makes lamb and ham and lots of delicious sides (like broccoli salad). I’ve been tasked with the hashbrown casserole that we all devoured a few weeks ago (yummmm).
Easter/spring recipes that are trending on BEB right now (in case you need some last-minute menu inspiration!):
Italian Easter Bread / The Best Carrot Cake Recipe / No Bake Banana Split Dessert / Blueberry Crumb Bars / Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs / Italian Easter Pie / Best Ever Potato Salad / Traditional Southern Banana Pudding / Grandma’s Ambrosia Salad / No Bake Oreo Layer Dessert / Dirt Dessert Recipe / Scalloped Potatoes
9. I am 100% loving Homeland again, although Carrie just makes me want to face palm with all of her very bad decision making, ugh. But still, I like where the story line is going this season. AND! The Americans is back! So bummed that this is the last season, but so totally curious to see how it all unfolds and ties up at the end.
10. TGIF! Ahhh friends :)
Happpy Birthday Michell…
Your Homemade birthday cake recipe. I tried that come at home, At its quite yum..
Thanks for sharing the recipe with us… and keep sharing..
Firstly i would say, belated happy birthday to you. I have heard about magnolia table cookbook, so i have question from where you brought that online?
Thank you!! And I pre-ordered the book from Amazon (I haven’t received it yet): https://rstyle.me/n/c3aa8icaugx)
Did you ever try mixing two different cereals together? One combo I just love is Post’s Great Grains Cranberry Almond & Kellogg’s Coconut Cranberry Almond Nourish cereal with added fresh blueberries — so delicious! Adding a little bit of a sweeter one to a healthier not-so-sweet one makes it more palatable. General Mills Raisin Nut Bran is also really yummy for a raisin bran cereal.
Also, I am ever hopeful and confident that you will come up with a total, from scratch recipe for Olive Garden’s salad dressing that doesn’t use packaged dressing. Can’t wait!
I used to mix cereals when I was younger, but now I don’t like doing it. But thank you for reminding me of Raisin Nut Bran – I used to love it and haven’t had it in quite some time! I will add the salad dressing to my list!
Crunchiest cereal ever-never gets soggy try
Nature’s Path Organic Heritage Flakes almost too crunchy :)
Concerned about the breakfast cereal choices due to sugar content but totally agree about crunchy vs soggy. Got to eat it when crunchy just like gotta drink coffee when it’s hot. Looking forward to seeing Homeland again when it appears here.
Hi! It’s been a while (a long while!) since I visited your blog. I see you have 2 boys now — they’re adorable!! And, a “new” dog, Judith. I’m almost afraid to ask about Einstein …
Hi Betsy, Thank you! Two boys and a little girl about to join the brood any day now! Einstein actually passed away in September 2016 from brain cancer :( (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/rest-easy-sweet-boy/)
I just finished sobbing my way through your link … I am so sorry to hear that about Einstein. He was such an adorable puppy and grew into such a magnificent dog!! A little girl on the way!! Congratulations! A hubby, 2 boys, a soon to be newborn, and 2 dogs … your house must really be hopping!!
Haha at that meme!! Being in northeast Ohio, I can totally relate!! Spring is still my favorite holiday though, mud and all! I love the longer days, the warming weather, and the flowers starting to peek through the ground. And Easter of course, is my favorite holiday, even when it’s still cold and snowy! Lol.
Beautiful family, happy belated birthday!
Thank you so much Laura!
I live in Iowa. Your 11 seasons of the Midwest is so true. Gotta love it!
Haha!! I love your Midwestern states seasons chart! I’m in Michigan and always tell people we have four seasons, almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction!
Haha I’ve definitely heard the same here! Stupid road construction!
Happy Birthday Michelle!
I’m with you on this season of Homeland! Also, thinking The Americans finale coincides with the end of the Cold War…seems where the timeline is heading :)
Hoppy Easter!
Thank you Jyll! And Happy Easter to you!
Happy belated birthday! Lucky to have Oakmont Bakery, right!?!
Thank you Lisa! And yes, my all-time favorite from Oakmont Bakery!
Cool Whip is definitely the better choice. Shaving cream is toxic if they put it into their mouths AND for the eggs! I have used cool whip for several years, turns out beautifully.
This year I am using dry rice & shaking the eggs.
I am not a cereal person, but I do like Cheerios every so often. Definitely crunchy.
Ooooh I haven’t tried the rice method, I’ll have to look that up for next year!
Top 4–Granola, Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes, Chex–like them crunchy and soggy–enjoy all of the textures through the bowl experience of cereal–down to the final gulp of the remaining milk–yummy. Such a weekend treat to have a little bowl of cereal with my kittie watching me so she can take a lick of the last milk left. Happy Easter–such a beautiful family, so kind to animals–
p.s. What kind of cake is your favorite cake–
Happy Easter to you Sophie! Ahhh so hard to choose a favorite cake, but chocolate and carrot are probably my top 2!
I gave up sweets for Lent and am making your sugar cookie bars with buttercream frosting for our Easter lunch! I’ve been craving them since I made them for the Fourth of July!
Ooooh such a great recipe! Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to you and your sweet family. Just think…next Easter you will have three little bunnies to hug!
I am going to miss Fixer Upper when the series ends in a few weeks. There is a rumor floating around the Internet that Chip and Joanna will be back…they are negotiating with the company that now controls the HGTV channel for a better deal and a new show. Joanna is expecting her fifth child soon so perhaps the show will wait a while but I have no doubt that will eventually be back on TV.
Put me on the crunchy cereal list…even the thought of eating soggy cereal make me cringe.
Happy Easter to you as well Nancy! My husband said he heard the same rumor about a contract negotiation after the company got bought out.
My absolute favorite cereal is at Trader Joe’s. It is called super nutty toffee clusters.
Well that sounds delicious!
I love cereal…but sadly I don’t usually eat it anymore because I’m trying to increase my protein and decrease my beloved carbs. And cereal just doesn’t stick with me for very long. However, my favorites are: 1. Cap’n Crunch with Crunchberries, 2. Frosted Flakes, 3. Lucky Charms, and 4. Multi-grain Cheerios. And now you see why I try to avoid cereal – my top 3 are not exactly healthy! haha
Mud Season it is! We just had some tree stumps ground down yesterday, so you can just imagine the muddy paws that my Golden girl came in with this morning. Those Golden paws are little mops that pick up and hold water – and mud – like crazy. And it ends up being that she is a mess up to her elbows – those feathers of hers are a big mess of wet and mud too.
If you were like me, you’d order a Caboodle now while you can get them and just keep it tucked away for 10 years until needed . . . . . haha! Sometimes I feel so pathetic . . . .
I think I must be the only one who likes soggy cereal (pathetic yet once again). And my top 5 would be Raisin Bran, Special K, Life, Cheerios with added bananas, and Steel Cut Oatmeal (which isn’t soggy, but creamy and chewy). It’s hard for me to narrow it to a Final Four.
On another note, can you believe that goal that Sid had last night?! I could watch replays of that goal over and over and over.
Happy Easter to you!
Oh gosh yes, all those feathers up to the elbows, and sometimes under the belly too, ugh! Sid’s goal was crazy ridiculous, it happened so fast I didn’t realize he hit it in. Have you ever gone to a Penguins open practice? It’s insane how long he will work after everyone else leaves the ice, just standing near the goal, practicing deflections and hitting the puck out the air. Work ethic is off the charts.
Happy Belated Birthday Michelle! You can never go wrong with an Oakmonter for your birthday celebration.
I rarely eat cereal but it has to be crunchy and the last spoon of cereal has to contain the last drop of milk as I will not consume any leftover milk from the cereal bowl! My favs are Corn Chex (always corn) , Cheerios (always original), Crispex and Grits.
Going out for brunch on Easter but will also make a small ham and deviled eggs and bake some banana bread (to use up the stash of bananas in my freezer).
Good luck with the egg dying. Have a Happy Easter Michelle!
Thank you, Terri! And a Happy Easter to you!
Hi Michelle, This is just a little thank you to let you know how much I look forward to and enjoy your site. I really don’t know how you do it with two kiddos and one on the way because I know the blog is like a other hungry mouth to feed-always there. Your content is always satisfying whether it’s another delicious recipe I can’t wait to try or touts to other items or, of course, news about your growing brood. Happy and blessed Easter to you and your family and thank you again…you are appreciated.
Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words, Barbara! A Happy Easter to you, as well!
It’s mud season in Nebraska too! I also have 2 dogs – so. much. mopping.
Soggy cereal is disgusting. I’ve always wanted to get one of those “swimming pool” bowls with the shallow and deep ends. Have you seen those?
1 – Honey Nut Chex
2 – Frosted Mini Wheat
3 – Honey Bunches of Oats
4 – Special K Lemon Blueberry
Seriously the mopping is never-ending, ugh! And yes, I’ve seen those bowls and have wanted one myself!
We call it worm season at our house because the ground gets so saturated that the earthworms get flooded out and die in the driveway
.
Crunchy cereal all the way. Hard to
pick favorites but mine would include corn pops, honeycomb, honey nut cheerios, cinnamon life
Both pictures are adorable! Have fun time dyeing Easter eggs! Have a wonderful Easter!
Thank you Donna, and Happy Easter to you!
Crunchy with only a tablespoon of Almond Milk- Seriously!
As for favorite cereals, Plain Cheerios, Multigrain Cheerios, All Bran Flakes and Plain Oatmeal with fruit. Yes I know SO TOTALLY BORING but hey its what this body craves in the mornings. 😆 My tastebuds have changed as I’ve gotten older.
😊
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to you as well, Debbie!
First, I’ve lived all my life in Western PA, except for six very long years in Iowa, which I consider the true Midwest or as they love to call it, the heartland. I’ve never considered our area the Midwest, but the North Atlantic. To me, the Midwest starts at the Ohio line. Second, can you tell us the name of the local bakery that made your beautiful birthday cake? And last, keep up the good work! I love all you do! Happy Easter to you & your beautiful family!
Hi Alice, Yeah we’re sort of on the border of the midwest and northeast… I’ve heard “mid-atlantic” used a lot, but the chart still definitely holds true for our weather, ha! The birthday cake came from Oakmont Bakery! Happy Easter to you!
HappyBirthday! I need to know more about that cake…it’s beautiful!
RiceKrispies (with banana), Product 19, Captain Crunch with berries, Corn Flakes…I like a mix of crunchy and milk soaked.
Hi Julie, It’s a layer of cheesecake, a fudge filling, a layer of chocolate cake, then covered in a milk chocolate frosting with fudge borders. It is AMAZING and I ask for it for my birthday every year :)
Probably the worst thing about the boys putting shave cream in their mouths is that it tastes bad. I doubt that it’s unsafe unless they ingest huge amounts, which they’re not likely to do after the first taste! It could be that the biggest difference between shave cream and Cool Whip is that one tastes bad and one tastes good!
1) Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, 2) Bran Flakes (no raisins), 3) Cheerios, 4) Froot Loops (guilty pleasure). Crunchy. I stopped eating cereal routinely about 10 years ago. I think the last time I bought cereal to have for breakfast was 2-3 years ago. I’m more likely to buy Rice Krispies for Rice Krispies Treats or corn flakes for corn flake macaroons.
I forgot to say Happy Belated Birthday — and Happy Easter!
By chance, Martha Stewart made eggs dyed using the shaving cream method (and others) on The Today Show this morning. I’m not sure it’s something I’d do “with” children, especially as young as yours, unless you want them wearing food coloring on their hands. I thought the eggs were very pretty, but, at least in my case, something that would please me more than the kids.
Thank you Sally and Happy Easter to you!
Love your website. Your homemade bread recipe is my absolute go to! Thanks…
Thank you Vanessa!! I adore that bread recipe!