Weekend Things

Time for an installment of Weekend Things:

1. I’m spending the weekend in the Duncan Hines Test Kitchens in New Jersey with a dozen or so other blogging friends.

I am so excited to meet some ladies whom I’ve never met but feel like I have, after reading their blogs for years. And of course, eating my way through epic amounts of cake and frosting won’t be too shabby.

I’ve been instagramming pictures and sent them to my Twitter and Facebook.  Hashtags for the event are #DuncanHinesTK and #WinnerWeekeend

2. I was named as one of the 35 Awesome Sugar-Slinging Blogs You Should Be Following on Twitter – I really admire everyone on this list and many are good friends.

I am honored to be named in such fabulous company, including David Lebovitz and Deb of Smitten Kitchen as well as Angie of Bakerella and food photographers that I will look up to forever, Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites and Aran Goyoga of Cannelle et Vanille. Thanks A Candy Store!

3. Nordstrom pinned my Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins – You’ll never miss the eggs or butter in these super soft, no-mixer, fast, easy little muffins. Definitely would never guess they’re vegan.

I’m grateful they pinned them and with their 4.5 Million followers, it’s nice to know vegan goodies are becoming more accepted by the mainstream.

4. I gave an interview to Best Friends for Frosting months ago and the post went up last weekend.

It was fun to go re-read my answers because after a vacation to Aruba, a move, and tons of recipes and emails spanning months later, the details were a little fuzzy. Sort of a surprise to myself, and I agree with everything I said.

5. I want this cardigan, $198 from Anthro. The nubbiness on the front and back, the embroidered floral sleeves, the colors. Love it.

6. Imagine my surprise when Ree started following me on Twitter. My iphone flashed and 99% of the time, I don’t even look at it one-by-one and go into my accounts at the end of the day and see who’s said hi or liked something. But I randomly saw her name and thought it was a typo.

I checked her twitter page and sure enough, she is.

I get excited about things like this because I really admire her. She’s a shrewd business woman, she raises her 5 kids, she homeschools 5 kids, while running all her companies, her blog, has a TV show, and is sweet, kind, and warm. I really don’t know how she does it all, and seems to be so happy and laidback.

I actually met her but I put her in the same category of Oprah. Everyone meets her, and she’s super nice to everyone, but there’s no way the woman could possibly remember everyone. But it’s nice to be followed by someone I really admire and she also pinned my dinner rolls.

I get more starstruck about food stars than when I’ve done yoga mat-to-mat next to Hollywood stars like Gwyneth Paltrow or Katie Holmes.

7. Bon Appetit did a story on Building a Snackadium. Even junk food and salty snacks can get classed up from a Bon Appetit mention.

8. I built one last year with with crispy Pepperoni Pizza and the mini pepperoni were my yard lines.

And Chipotle Avocado Cucumber Flatbreads for the turf of my field.

I’m not a footfall fan and don’t eat pepperoni, but I’ll take that turf any day.

9. These Sweet with Heat Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts are the perfect snacky food for football parties or to put the most amazing fragrance in your house while they bake. Easy and ready in 30 minutes.

10. I have a Pumpkin Board on Pinterest with over 200 Pumpkin Recipes for anyone who needs to feed their beta-carotene addiction.

Thanks for the entries in the Kindle Fire HD (16 GB) and $20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

What are your Weekend Things? 

If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.

Have you been enjoying pumpkin this season? Any awesome recipes? Cute fall clothes? Snacky football food you’re loving?