Time for an installment of Friday Things:
1. We went on a Sunset Sail a few days ago. With sunsets, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right. I liked the birds flying in this one, the ship in the background, and that the sun still appears to be a big ball of fire even after sinking below the horizon.
It was the best I could do with an iPhone camera in one hand and a drink in the other.
We went on a sunset sail when we were in Aruba in August and it was so much fun that Skylar had been talking about another sail, nearly daily, since then.
She drank virgin Pina Coladas and line-danced to The Macarena. I drank Rum Rummers with cheap liquor that gave me a headache and we all had a blast.
2. Eating locally has taken on new meaning here in Aruba with local eggs, and I do mean ultra-local. When we’re here, I’ve been running the same path for years and about a block from my house, there’s chickens that just wander around someone’s front yard. Every morning I hear those chickens and when I run, I see them.
My regular grocery store was out of eggs, in addition to being out of butter, cream, fresh herbs except cilantro, Kleenex, peanuts, and many other things, but that’s nothing new. I went into a mini-mart if you could call it that, which is across the street from the house with the chickens in the front yard, and discovered where all those eggs from the front-yard-chickens go. Score.
I’ve been putting them to use in many things like Browned Butter Caramel and Butterscotch Bars
And Funfetti Cake Batter Blondies
3. Thanks to Fave Healthy Recipes for including many of my recipes in the Top 100 Recipes for 2012
I wouldn’t necessarily call all them healthy per se, but they taste good. Recipes for Baked Macaroni and Cheese Balls, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Skillet, Chocolate Saltine Toffee, and others made the cut.
4. Mulled Wine – Cloves, tangerines, merlot, cinnamon, cardamom, lady apples, apple cider. I’ll need refills.
Reminds me of a darker and more sultry version of Coconut Water Champagne Fruit Punch (Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, No Sugar Added)
5. This piece from Williams-Sonoma lends new meaning to a Kitchen Island. I wish I had the budget or space for that kind of island because it’s stunning.
A natural stone top with distressed reclaimed-pine base, built-in drawers, and removable baskets on each side, add it wheels. Oh the bread I could knead on that surface and bowls, gadgets, and supplies I could store in the drawers.
6. Skylar lost her second baby tooth that was hanging on by a thread. As she was biting into a Biscoff Marshmallow Chocolate Bar, out it came.
It’s amazing how small it looked in my hand compared to being in her mouth, and it feels like just yesterday I was trying to console a teething baby, who’s now planning our next sailing adventure. Time flies. Luckily Santa had stashed some Christmas gifts in the suitcase on our way here, and the Tooth Fairy was able to raid that stash. Whew.
7. I’m in love with everything from ThreadScene. The whole vibe just speaks to me.
It’s like Free People met a Grunge Band and went 80s punk for a minute before detouring to Anthropologie
I could spend a fortune.
8. Please put these Nutella Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze on your Christmas morning breakfast or brunch menu. They’re some of the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had, and ready from start to finish in 15 minutes. Spending more time with your family and less time in the kitchen, with the scents of bread baking and Nutella wafting throughout the house, are all good.
And if pumpkin knows no seasons for you like it does for me, this Pumpkin Cinnamon Overnight Pull-Apart French Toast with Vanilla Maple Butter is a make-ahead, easy, scrumptious, breakfast bake.
9. Rustic Wall Organizer from Pottery Barn. I could use all the help I could get and this may help.
“The Burlap-covered sliding pinboard/chalkboard design lets you pin up cards and calendars and write notes on chalkboard surface. The Activity Center has six cubbies to organize accessories and display special momentoes with space for to-do lists and notes. Burlap-covered pinboard design was re-created from vintage postmarks.”
10. I know that fruitcake gets a bad rap and maybe it’s because I haven’t had any in nearly a decade, but I’m craving this Christmas-Upside-Down-Cake, chock full of fruit. Not a fruitcake, but a fruity cake.
The recipe is from King Arthur, my gold standard for flour, baking wisdom, and how I would have loved to be here. Since I wasn’t there, The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
is a cookbook I use nearly every week.
What are your Friday Things? Doing anything holiday-related this weekend from baking to shopping to celebrating?
What’s on your holiday menu?
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Have a great weekend and stay tuned for two delicious giveaways over the weekend!
It looks like you’re having so much fun in Aruba! I love the local front yard chicken eggs :P And how Santa is so kind as to lend some things to the toothfairy.
I was so happy that the Tooth Fairy and Santa were able to share. Whew!
I had my family over for dinner last night, and served turkey, stuffing, potatoes, parsnips with carrots, corn, gravy, cabbage rolls and cranberry sauce. Tonight we are headed to the other side for drinks and munchies, and then turkey dinner at Chris’ parent’s the on Christmas day.
Wow you deserve to put your feet up! That sounds like a ridic amount of cooking for you! I hope Santa brings you some special goodies :)
I would love to see free-roaming chickens while I’m running! Aruba sounds like the perfect dream, realized. (So does that Williams-Sonoma island!) :D
There are pitfalls like any place, i.e. the food supply and grocery store provisions are always iffy but hey, we manage. There’s always cookies to eat that I’ve made. Lol :)