friday faves

Buongiorno and happy Friday!

As you’re reading this, I am hopefully whizzing my way along the Amalfi Coast, riding in a convertible Fiat with the wind in my Italian-sun kissed hair. Or maybe I’m in a random European sedan or passenger van. Either way, I’m totally okay with my mode of transportation because I am in Italy.

I’m here on a brand trip with DeLallo Foods, touring their pasta-making factory. If you’re a long-tine reader of FoodieCrush, you know I’ve worked with DeLallo for many years. If you’re new here, welcome, and check out some of my recipes with DeLallo here. DeLallo is a true-blue Italian import company and man, they make some amazing ingredients for delicious dishes.

I’ll be sharing more of my adventure over on Instagram stories, where this week, after 7 years of showing off my daughter and dearly departed dog Chewy, I finally changed my original profile picture. Wow. I’m really making progress over here :). And if you’re looking toward making a trip to the Amalfi coast, my friend Ali has a great Amalfi coast travel itinerary.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy Mother’s Day Friday!

It seems silly to think there would be just one day of the year to celebrate our mothers. It should be an honor to celebrate moms every day. Moms are the ties that bind, the motivating force to push us past our limits, the guide that keep us in line, and the cheerleaders that keep us going toward the heights we never thought we could reach.

Or is that just my mom?continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday!

It’s spring, and the blooms on the trees and sprouting from the ground are proving it. Is it weird to fall in love with flowers? Because I have, and I’ve fallen hard. I’ve always loved flowers. Outdoors. Indoors. Flowers, flowers, give me flowers everywhere.

Lately I’ve been finding so much joy in buying one or two grocery store bouquets and re-making them into something that looks like some of my favorite flower-arranging artists. Having a few hostessing duties like bridal showers brunches and Easter dinners  (my au gratin potatoes above are always the BEST!) have given me the perfect excuse to keep my new flower-making happiness habit going strong.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy almost Easter Friday!

Here it is another Friday and all I can think about instead of getting things done is what would taste so good for Easter brunch (because last weekend’s bridal shower brunch was pretty amazing) and why is work taking me so long and the lessons I need to remember from my golf lesson and I need to get my flowers planted but what if it freezes after I do and why is this post taking me so long to finish?

Could it be it’s because I’m an adult female who deals with balancing family-life and work-like and hormones and pleasing others and what the heck is going on with Kim Kardashian’s sinks and probably adult onset ADHD all within the span of 30 minutes?

That’s it. I’m done. I’m making this my new mantra: When you’re working, be at work. When you’re not working, stop working.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hi there friends, and happy Friday!

Since I’ve moved my home office into a new room of the house, I’m finding myself working more consistently (the laundry can wait!) and being more productive with my head down and fewer distractions. Kudos for that! And while I enjoy the silence of a quiet house where the only sounds are the hum of the furnace and the click clack of my puppers paws on the upstairs floor, I’m also listening to more music as I work at my desk.

At first I was skeptical of the hype, but the more I listen to this album, the more I totally get lost in it. I can’t stop listening because it’s so easy to listen to. It’s her lilting voice but also the lyrics that drift into my consciousness without drilling them into my brain.

“Even if you got somebody on your mind, It’s alright to be alone sometimes, sometimes.”

That line begs the question I think of a lot: Why is it that so many of us can’t be alone?continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday!

If you ever doubted, jet lag is real. And depending on how you look at it, my jet lagged REM state is either benefitting from the time change or become a victim to it because this girls dreams have become vivid with a capitol V.

And now Kanye West is following my daughter on Instagram.

My jet lagged dreams have been both good and bad. And because they’re still dreams, they don’t always make sense.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy luck o’ the Irish Friday!

Somewhere under that pile of veggies and pickling spices is a rump of corned beef waiting to be slow cooked with cabbage. Since we’ll be on a plane this St. Patrick’s Day (bonjour Paris!) I HAD to make my corned beef and cabbage before we left. Per usual, it was all a ruse for leftovers for my favorite rueben sandwiches. So. Dang. Good.

I updated my corned beef and cabbage recipe post this year to include instructions for both the crock pot and the Instant Pot, plus a link to a free download of my 10 Commandments of Slow Cooking. Sharing all the secrets and all the goodness all year long.

If you’re in need of a reminder, Sunday is St. Paddy’s day so don’t forget the green. And if you need some luck of the Irish recipe ideas, check out this post here.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello you beautiful people and happy Friday.

Today I’m starting a new habit. It’s not one I’d really planned on or plotted about. In fact it really just came to me as I sat down to write this post.

Each Thursday I wonder what in the world I have to share in this Friday Faves introduction that would be even remotely interesting to anyone. 10% of the time I have stuff. 90% of the time I stare at my blinking curser on the screen, cursing it’s impatience with me because my mind is a blank. Your time is valuable, and so is mine, and I don’t want to bore you because once again I’ve fallen into the trap of spewing about the mundane like talking about how spring has sprung or my how time flies or gee whiz it was a busy week. Bleh.

We’ve been talking about creating habits in this year’s Nourished Planner so maybe that’s why creating habits is top of mind. Or maybe it’s because three of my BFF siblings lost their dad to a heart attack this week. These moments have launched spells of self-reflection, and likely contributed to starting a habit I’ve always intended to ccreate but just never seem to get around to doing.

And it’s an easy habit to start and keep.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello my friendlies, and Happy Friday!

And it’s a really good Friday indeed. Because I’m back! Not that I went anywhere, except somewhere in my head that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. But since the beginning of this grand new year, I’ve had a mild case of the blahs. I just haven’t felt quite right, in the groove, or on point. It may be the weather, cabin fever, or maybe just the monotony of mid-life. But I just haven’t felt in my jive.

I highly doubt I’m the only one to feel this way. And I’m extremely lucky to say this emotional slump doesn’t come round very often, hit very hard, or stick around too long.

But I think I’m over the hump. Just like the little engine that could, I’m trying to be patient with myself, and those around me, and work on what I can to improve my mood. And I’m feeling like I’m back into my chugging groove.

To get out of the slump, I’m making sure I’m doing a few small things for me instead of just for others, to make me feel whole, focused, and happy.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday friends, lovers, and life mates!

Who is reeling from their Valentine love hangover? Did cupid find you with his pointy arrow to deliver his love bite? If not, don’t fret. He probably had germs anyway.

As we just about always do, my lover and I laid low with our romancing as the king and queen of hearts. I made him a healthy breakfast (above) knowing our Valentine’s meal of king crab legs and artichokes would be buttery delicious. Just like on New Years Eve, we leave the going out to the amateurs and novices. We always find the food, atmosphere, and the company so much better when we celebrate with dinner at home minus all the hype.

I’m really looking forward to a cloudy, cocooning weekend of cooking for fun, organizing, and a general haze of laze. Because while I love the sun and fun, sometimes this girl just craves some gloom to make the brightness of spring days all that more special when the calendar pages flip again. Am I the only one who feels this way?

But enough about me. Let’s get into the goods of why you’re here and dig into this week’s Friday Faves. continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, and happy Friday!

It’s been a great week. A really great week. And I don’t know how to tell you how wonderful it’s been because I know so many of you are in the cold and snow while I’m soaking up the sun in the sand. And to those of you who’ve been affected by the government shutdown, I’m rooting for you!

This week we’ve been on a Viking Cruise through the Caribbean and it has been such a good break for me. As a solopreneur, this blogging thing is a hard job to leave at the office, because the job is always with me, and always at my fingertips. There’s always something I feel I should be doing, even when the day is done.

But I must admit, I’m surprised at how easily I’ve been able to disconnect from work. I’ll be going home on Monday and when I do, I’ll be refreshed and ready to dig back into work.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello and happy Friday!

It’s an especially happy Friday for me because it’s my birthday on Monday! One more year down and I’m still kickin’. Sure, it’s a little more achey when I do, and sometimes I can’t remember where I put my boots to kick it up in, but hey, I’m lucky in so many other ways that another wrinkle isn’t going to ruin my day. Or my year!

And this girl is celebrating her birthday in style.

It was just last Friday we were skiing the slopes of Park City’s Deer Valley Resort and eating the BEST lobster rolls right on the mountain (thanks Rime Raw Bar!) and here we are today, in a tropical paradise. I mean, I am literally counting my lucky stars every.single.day.

Last night my husband and I left the snow and cold behind and took the red eye to arrive today in Puerto Rico, readying ourselves to set sail through the Caribbean with Viking Cruises. When Viking asked us to join them on this trip it was a happy coincidence it fell upon my birthday week. And yes, I learned years ago from my best friend Kim that each of these momentous yearly occasions should always be looked at as a birth-week instead of a measly birth-day. Raise your hand with an an enthusiastic HECK TO THE YES!continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello there 2019, and Happy Friday!

The Christmas tree is still up, with half of the lights burned out. Frigging tree. I didn’t get any of my over-the-vacation-clean-the-clutter projects completed. Too much crap not enough time. And I’ve yet to figure out what my word is. You know, my word of 2019. The word I set to define and guide the next 12 months ahead.

I’ve set an intention word for the the past 5 years and they’ve been:

• Focus
• Enough
• Present
• Thoughtful
• Nourish

Have I delivered on all of them? I tried. I put my best effort out there. They definitely gave me a mantra to work toward. Isn’t that really what it’s about in the end?

This year my intention word(s) is: continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello and happy final Friday of 2018.

Whoa. We say it every year but this year it’s totally true. This year went by SO DANG FAST. Did the year fly by for you? Because it sure did for me, and for nearly every person I talk to, too.

Remember how loooooong it took to finally get your braces off, or become 16 to get your first driver’s license, to go on your first date, and what about turning 18 and finally graduating from high school to become an adult? Each one seemed like a mother loving eternity. But each one was a first, a rite of passage, and marked something you’d never done before.

It’s a fact that time really does go by faster as we age. We get stuck in the routine. Things become mundane. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months and we feel like the year is one big replay of the movie Groundhog Day.

But this article says there’s a simple way to make the year go by slower, and it’s done by simply doing something different. By switching things up. Getting out of the same old routine. Adding some spice to life.

The key is to add a list of “firsts” to your year. So this year, instead of making resolutions, make it the year to try new things. Go someplace you’ve never been. Try something for the first time. Do it differently—whatever it is.

Create your list of intriguing but not totally out-of-the-realm things you’d like to try. And then simply do them.

Challenge yourself to bake a cake every week. Or make that road trip you’ve always daydreamed of taking. Learn how to stand-up paddle board, take a lettering class, or become a volunteer to inspire yourself thanks to giving to others.

Instead of middling in the middle, move to the front.

This year, choose to be extra.

Whatever you do, just choose to do something different. And watch time slow down as you savor every minute.

Do 2019 Different With 25% Off

Underschedule your life to make more time to live it. Start by getting my Nourished Planner. I’m making it easy for you to get 2019 in shape, and possibly you too.

Take a quick tour of what’s inside here. 

Get 25% off my Nourished Planner when you enter FoodieCrush25 at checkout.

Learn more about the planner here.

Let’s make 2019 amazing together, and let’s dig into this week’s Friday Faves.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Ho Ho and Hello! And happy Friday Faves!

This post is brought to you by Pamela’s Products

Holiday entertaining is in full swing and this weekend our dance card is FULL. Between games for Ali Smudge’s high school basketball tournament we’re fitting in dinner at a friends house tonight and hosting friend’s for dinner tomorrow night, and then trying to fit in quick family Soup Sunday to finish out the weekend. ‘Tis the season to pack in the social obligations!

Entertaining can give me a case of the dreads if I let it. Only because I tend to overdo and make it harder on myself than it should be. Friday night will be easy since I’ll just be providing a bottle of wine and a simple hostess gift (this is always a fave).

On Saturday I’m thinking we will do either my favorite holiday lasagna (love that it can be made ahead) or a big seafood shebang with our easy king crab legs, the BEST steamed clams, plus oysters on the half shell and steamed shrimp. The only downside to this one is it requires some last-minute throwing together when I might rather be relaxing with my guests by the fire than stuck in the kitchen.

Either menu I choose, I’m making it easy on myself in the final act of dinner and picking up store-bought cookies to serve with lattes and whiskey drinks for dessert.

Smart eh? That’s my pro tip for you today.

One of my friends is gluten-free so I’m making sure she doesn’t feel left out and creating a gluten-free cookie platter for everyone to enjoy featuring Pamela’s limited edition Buttery Sugar Cookies and Pepperminty Chocolate Cookies.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello my friends, and happy Friday!

It’s been a week of comings and goings and while my Christmas tree went up the day after Thanksgiving, it still stands naked of any ornaments to adorn it. Sunday will be the day I’m taking care of getting on my ho-ho-ho and adorning some Christmas cheer.

But first, I need your help.

Tomorrow is the last day for raising money for my part of the Shred for Red leukemia fundraising drive and I’m short of my goal.

I’m happy to be raising money for blood cancer research in honor of two fellow food bloggers who have young children diagnosed with leukemia, @kadeemorrison of the blog Oh So Delicioso and Deborah Harroun of @tasteandtell.

For Kadee, on the eve of her son Graham’s 2 year anniversary of his leukemia diagnosis, they received the news that her toddler Ian also has leukemia. Ian is still in the hospital fighting his fight.

Deb’s young son was also diagnosed two years ago. Following chemo treatments, steroids and more, he is now thankfully in remission, but always with a watchful eye.

Families like theirs give their everything to fight cancer, will you help fight it too?

Donate to my fundraising campaign to fight Leukemia here.

Did You Enter this Week’s Giveaways?

This past week I shared two giveaways over on Instagram that if you haven’t entered you should:

Enter this cookbook giveaway here and this product giveaway here.

And now, let’s dig into this week’s Friday Faves.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves Holiday Ed.2

Hello and Happy Black Friday!

If you’re reading this now, you’ve survived all the turkey, all the stuffing, and the endless family discussion debating all the reasons why millennials are a complete and utter disgrace to the world (it’s an entertaining read.)

I hosted again this year and I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself. Not because the turkey was juicy on the inside and crisped skin on the outside (because it was), or because the three pies I baked were utterly scrumptious (because they were.) No. lI’m most proud of myself because my stress level stayed at an even 5 out of 10 with just a peak of 7 when we were about to eat and I realized I forgot to put the stuffing in the oven. Other than that, for once I was just about in even keeled, and it made for a much happier holiday I was very thankful for.

I’m so thankful you’re here! Because your eyeballs could be so many other places. Apparently the internet hasn’t yet exploded thanks to the droves of Black Friday shoppers, so welcome to another Friday Faves.

But then, Cyber Monday is still ahead for the internet-pocolypse to go BOOM.

On that note, my 2019 Nourished Planner is Black Friday-ing too, with the only discounts you’ll see this year.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello! And happy Friday.

Last night I was lucky enough to sample the new winter dining menu at Park City’s Deer Valley Resort. Every year it takes a village of chefs and staff to produce this event, and every year I wish I could take those chefs and all their kitchen knowledge, tricks, and efficiencies home with me, because for any food lover, next week is the holy grail of food holidays. And I could use some help.

This year I will be the hostess with the mostess, and making Thanksgiving dinner for about 15-20 of our family. This is the kind of thing where my stress levels rise and my patience runs short and I end up barking orders at my husband and becoming short-tempered with my daughter, all in the name of creating a meaningful dinner for everyone, except for the three of us because I end up getting all stressed out and set a negative tone before we even get close to getting dinner on the table.

Can I get a raised hand from anyone out there who’s victim of this too?continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello, and Happy Friday!

Why is it that the only years I get a flu shot are the ones I get sick within the next two weeks of getting the shot??

Last year I didn’t get a flu shot, and I didn’t get sick. The year before that, I got a flu shot and I got sick.

This year, got the flu shot last week, and I yesterday I woke up with a sore throat, coughs, aches and pains and tired and grouchy. GRRR. What’s a self-care enthusiast to do?

That’s why I’ve been triple dosing on this immune booster, and why I ordered another batch of this homeopathic remedy we preached about back in my health food magazine designing days. And yes mom, I’m washing my hands.

But instead of boring you with my cold and flu symptoms, I’m gonna get right to the Friday Faves point, and then snuggle up in my bed and hit the hay to dream of reaching for last Friday’s burger lunch at SLC’s Lucky 13 instead of reaching for another tissue to blow my snotty nose.

So let’s do this, and start clicking away.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Hello, hello, and happy Friday.

The candles have barely gone out from the innards of the old jack o’lantern, and already Christmas bells are ringing. I was shopping for recipe ingredients at Smith’s yesterday and the holiday reset was in full force. Christmas trees with lights. Paper whites and amaryllis. Wrapping paper and bows. Transformers, Barbies, and board games galore.

The holidays are here folks. Embrace it.

This weekend also heralds the unofficial start of winter: Don’t forget to set your clocks back from Daylight Savings Time. With a flick of the clock’s switch (or more likely automatic reset), we have a legit excuse to light the fire, cozy up to a good book, and hunker down with some comfort food. BTW, did you see my list of 30 recipes to make in November?continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves