Friday Things
1. Duke will be 10 weeks old tomorrow, and my what a difference a week makes! His face has matured, his legs have grown like weeds and his ears have even gotten longer… all in one week! He’s become much more playful and energetic, which means that our house has turned into a full-time circus when you throw Einstein into the mix.
2. I mentioned last week that I was going to see a hand specialist about my finger issues since I sliced it back in June. Well, the doctor believes there is some scar tissue issues and/or tendon damage and recommended surgery, which would consist of a recovery time of anywhere from one week with stitches to eight weeks in a full forearm splint. Can you say, “ugghhhh”?! I’m going to get a second opinion before I get sliced open, but, ughhh not good news.
3. As you know, I’ve been referring to my now-husband as my Chief Culinary Consultant since we began dating nearly five years ago. Since we’re married now, I thought I would take a little informal reader poll… Would you like me to continue referring to him as my Chief Culinary Consultant, or “my husband”? Feel free to cast a vote in the comments below :)
4. I have become completely enamored with Bobbi Brown makeup. I started buying it here and there a few years ago, and now 99% of my makeup bag consists of Bobbi Brown. Are any of you long-time users? Do you have any favorite product recommendations or suggestions for “looks” to put together?
5. A BEB reader, Lola, created a gluten-free version of the Snickers Cake that I created in April for my dad’s birthday. If you are on the hunt for gluten-free recipes, be sure to check out her modification!
6. The Essie Fall 2013 nail colors are out!
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I picked up three of them last weekend – Twin Sweater Set (#1), The Lace Is On (#2) and After School Boy Blazer (#4). The “boy blazer” color is a rich blue-black color, which is pretty different from what I usually wear, but I decided to step outside my box. Any tips for wearing this color? Is it best with certain clothes of a certain shade?
7. I’ve just recently started reading about cooking bacon in the oven instead of in a skillet. I love skillet bacon, but it makes a huge mess and it takes quite awhile. When I’m lazy, I use the microwave, but that can get equally as greasy. Have any of you made bacon in the oven? Thumbs up? I think I’m going to give it a try this weekend. I’ll be sure to report back :)
8. I am more than ready to do some fall shoe shopping. I’m in desperate need of some nice brown boots, and I have my eye on this pair of Frye boots. I have a hard time getting over the price hurdle, though. If you have Frye boots, are they really long-lasting? If I’m going to spend that much, I want to be able to wear them for more than a couple of seasons!
9. Also on my fall shopping list is a new purse. I’m a big Coach fan, but I’m thinking of checking out some other brands this fall. Who are your favorite purse makers?
10. TGIF! All you need is love… ♥
Chief Culinary Consultant, definitely!!! :)
Love CCC, ppl will catch on :)
My purses that are not Coach are Fossil too
1 – you make me want a golden even more. We had Great Pyrenees/golden mix a few years ago & he was the very best dog. Thank you for always sharing pics of your furry guys.
2 – always cook bacon the oven – less messy & so delicious!
3 – I vote for “my husband”…you’re newlyweds and should be all lovey dovey. You could even alternate between husband & CCC, but enjoy the mushiness :)
Your dogs are the cutest ever! I love to see any animal sleeping, they look so peaceful, content and beautiful!!
Bacon in the oven is the only way I’ll do it, as I hate the grease splatter and mess it makes on the stove top. I have a large non-stick griddle that I use, and I don’t even line it or use a rack. 350 degrees until the desired doneness is achieved. I drain it really well on paper towels and that takes care of the excess grease. (I pour the leftover grease from the griddle into a jar for many uses later. Sinful I know, but it imparts great flavor into many other dishes.)
As far as purses go, I love a Dooney and Bourke. They are beautiful, good quality and offer a huge selection. If you register it, they have a great repair / replace policy if need be.
As far as CCC? No thoughts, your choice:-)
Your puppy is adorable! Culinary Consultant. Love the boots and now know what I will ask for as a birthday gift this year. And I love my Fossil bag.
Once you try bacon in the oven, you’ll never go back! Stick with CCC.
Try bacon on the BBQ…I take a super old cookie sheet (that’s now only used for this purpose) and I put the bacon on the cookie sheet and essentially “fry” it over the BBQ. I’m going to try to line the cookie sheet w/ aluminum foil to see if that makes clean-up easier, but I love that I get the same results as frying on a skillet and I don’t care how much it splatters!
Late to the party but we definitely bake bacon in our house. No splattering oil, no standing over a skillet constantly and you can definitely cook more bacon at a time and it still comes out crispy and delicious. It’s still oily though so you definitely have to put the cooked slices on a sheet of paper towel to remove excess oil.
I only have 1 coach purse, and honestly it isn’t my favorite, especially for the price. I honestly love Jessica Simpson purses (and shoes), and they aren’t too pricey so you could get more than one for the price of 1 Coach or Michael Kors! The more the merrier when it comes to shoes & purses!
Looooove the puppy pics – omgoodness!
Bacon in the oven is supposed to be divine – especially with maple syrup and brown sugar! I’ve always microwaved mine with the vent fan on to pull the smell out of the house – love bacon, hate the smell & greasy feeling on my skin after cooking on the stove!
I vote for husband too! That makes him sound less like an employee and for those who haven’t been following you for while like us will know for sure how important he is in your life! Definitely get a second opinion on that finger!
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to hear about your finger! My husband had a bad work accident 2 years ago that resulted in many, many stitches and tendon damage. I hope that everything works out for the best.
Also, your puppy is killing me with cuteness.
Chief Culinary Consultant gets my vote also. Even though he is now your husband, he will still be your CCC. Any chance we’ll get to see your wedding photos soon? I love your blog and the stories & pictures of Einstein and Duke are so adorable. Good luck on your second opinion – hope he has better news for you.
bacon in the oven = the way to go. I use this method but also place foil under the parchment and cook for a bit longer (I like my bacon super-crispy). http://www.marthastewart.com/264476/less-mess-bacon
I think you can call him both! Call him CCC when you are talking food – call him your hubby when you are talking about all other things. And I love your sweet sleeping dogs picture! Precious!!!
I agree with this – if you still want to call him CCC (see, even we don’t want to bother typing it out) when he is in that role, then that makes sense. But, when you are talking about going on a trip with him or to a game, or whatever, I think you should refer to him as your husband. But, is his name an option too? Gee, we know you are Michelle, and we know Einstein and Duke, can’t we know your husband’s name? Even Carrie Bradshaw revealed Big’s name when she got married. (Ok, actually before, but when they committed to each other :-)
I think he deserved being elevated to Hubs or some variation.
I vote for his name!! Would be so much more personal :) Dog is adorable!
I vote husband. Not to be rude, but CCC has always been quite odd to me- especially once I figured out he was the person you were dating! Once you got married, I thought, good she’ll refer to him as husband now!
Awww, Duke is still so fuzzy! They are both so cute.
I’m really sorry about your hand.
I vote for “my husband”.
I vote for whatever makes you happy! But I do like chief culinary consultant. And I’ve been baking bacon for years. It’s extra crispy and no mess.
Hi and Happy Friday!!
I vote you call your SO your husband on the blog. CCC is too long to read and grating after a while. The term was confusing to me at first.
I liked Coach purses but have been disappointed in the quality lately. Check out Kate Spade – I absolutely love my new bag.
Oven bacon is the best! I just pop it in a jelly roll pan and let it do its thing. You can even throw it in frozen and after 10 minutes or so, the pieces should be thawed
enough to use tongs to separate and lay flat.
Very sorry to hear your hand is still giving you trouble :(
Duke is such a cutie!!!
I love Frye boots! I just think some boots look weird on me because of my freakishly short legs LOL
My vote goes to Chief Culinary Consultant, it is fun and much more unique than the generic “husband”. I cannot really help with purses as I am my self a big Coach fan… Boots however I always go for Born, they are SUPER comfy, gorgeous, great quality leather and last forever, I have some that are on their 4th season.
Oh my gosh. I am so in love with Duke. I think I’m going to come steal him from you. Also, I think its hilarious and awesome that you call your husband your chief culinary consultant. Also, I have made bacon in the oven, it still gets crispy and is delicious.
Oh, yes to oven bacon. It’s my go-to method now if I need more than 1-2 pieces. The trick is to put it in a cold oven, turn the oven on to 400, and then check it after about 15 minutes. Mine usually needs 22 minutes, which almost coincides with how long my oven takes to reach 400. It’s usually done 2-3 minutes after it reaches full temp, but ymmv. It’s magic!
That puppy is too cute! I think Chief Culinary Consultant is also very cute! I would love to know if you can get bacon crispy in the oven! Thanks for your posts they are always very enjoyable!
you can’t go wrong with a Michael Kors purse — so many styles & colors to choose from! i’ve been wanting to try bacon in the oven too. love the idea of cooking large batches & freezing it. never thought about doing that.
Michelle, First of all, Einstein and Duke are so adorable. Not sure how my 4 year old German Shepherd would adjust to a new puppy. We sometimes make bacon in the oven. Doesn’t turn out as crispy as I like. I prefer frying. Take care Michelle , I always enjoy starting out my day with your blog.
Oh goodness those Duke and Einstein are so precious snuggling together when they are sleeping. I just love that photo.
As for your husband….call him whatever makes you feel comfortable….just don’t call him late for dinner!
Hi, I vote for calling him your husband. That is a title to be proud of and nobody else can call him that except you, he is all yours. Like many others I found it strange to hear about CCC as if it were a classmate or book. Maybe you can use both names but please refer to him as what he is in your life, hopefully “the love of your life”. :-) ♥
Please keep CCC. It’s endlessly amusing and obnoxious at the same time.
1. Love CCC rather than husband
2. Only tried BB gloss and found it too sticky….maybe should give another try?
3. Have cooked bacon in the oven and my only complaint is trying to clean the rack that you cook it on…..a big pain. And if you cook it on foil, you defeat the whole purpose I think.
Have a great weekend!