Friday Faves

Hello and Happy 3-Day Weekend Friday!

I know I say it all the time, but this time I AM TOTALLY SERIOUS! What in the heck happened to the last six months?? HOW CAN IT POSSIBLY BE MEMORIAL DAY ALREADY???? I mean, I’m never one to turn down a holiday weekend, and I always think time goes by so fast, but literally, it has!

Last weekend we had some of my man’s family over for a pre-Memorial Day celebration on my dearly departed father-in-laws birthday. It turned into a Memorial Day BBQ dry-run with some of our favorite stand-by BBQ recipes making their summer debut:

• My mom’s Shrimp and Macaroni Salad, pictured above and my husband’s favorite pasta salad ever
• BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs with my man’s secret for succulent ribs every single time
• My favorite BBQ Baked Beans, the side dish that perfumes the whole house with the scent of my childhood summers
• A tomato and corn salad that will be hitting the blog next week (so good!)

I’m not sure what this weekend’s cooking adventures will entail but I do know one thing, next week we’ll be starting our summer because my Ali Smudge is D.O.N.E. with school for the year and I just got a summer FoodieCrush helper. For the first week or so anyway :)

I swear it feels like she just barely started 8th grade last week. Talk about time flying by! How did my chubby little bald baby until she was two years old turn into a nearly 6-foot tall, drink of kind, smart, compassionate, natural-red-headed-beach-wavey-locks-that-makes-every-woman-stop-her-in-the-grocery-store-to-comment-on-her-hair gorgeousness who I am so ridiculously proud of??!

No more middle school for my little Smudge, she’s on to high school and then it’s only four years and she’ll be off to college and then what in the heck am I going to do with myself?

Looks like I gotta ramp up my golf game because the LPGA just might need me to compete on tour.

So all this talk of me and my daughter brings me to why I’ve shared the photo above.

My mom is going to kill me for sharing it because she doesn’t ever want to seem like she’s bragging, but would you take a look at what my mom, and then me, have in common with the new Princess??

I was watching the royal wedding and like the millions of other people around the world watching, I was shocked when I saw it. Not only because she looked s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g. in it, but because as soon as I saw that dress I immediately called me mom. “MOM! She’s wearing OUR dress!”

Okay it isn’t exactly the same, but man…when my mom chose that dress 53 years ago she probably never would have thought it would be the dress I would choose to wear 25 years ago and that would carry the same clean, classic lines as Her Royal Highness.

Mom, you have always been the original Princess Bride and you’ll always be The Queen to me. XO

What Went Up This Week…

This week’s culinary creations included:

• Truffles and mushrooms go together like Ina Garten and the Hamptons, which is why I’ve made this Truffled Mushroom Pizza at least 4 times in the past two weeks. Yes, a little bit obsessed.
• My husband’s store bought chocolate “topping” for his nightly bowl of ice cream just got the boot thanks to my new super easy 3-Ingredient Chocolate Sauce. It’s going to get a workout this summer!

But enough about all that, let’s get into this week’s Friday Faves!

Okay, so if you’re like me and have a Royal Wedding hangover that just can’t be cured, here are a few more royal bites to chew on:

5 times Queen Elizabeth was a total boss at the royal wedding. She rules.

These are some of the best memes from the royal wedding. The Queen as a green screen cracks me up.

and…

I’m totally losing it over these hilarious Internet reactions to the royal wedding.

I caught this special on the Nat Geo channel Wednesday night and it was totally interesting: Operation Royal Wedding: behind the scenes of what it takes to pull off the wedding of the year.

And if you’re a Diana loyalist like me, you HAVE to see Diana: In Her Own Words (on Netflix here and National Geographic here).

I can’t get over the devastation from Hawaii’s volcanic eruption. These photos are just crazy. And how long will it go on???

Scientists are planning a DNA hunt for the Loch Ness monster next month. Do you believe???

Just ordered this book and am so totally ready to get more sh*t done. :D

Speaking of getting it all done, Giada takes 20 vitamins a day. #thatsalotofvitamins

Here are 27 last minute but thoughtful graduation gift ideas.

Scratch-n-sniff stamps are an actual thing. Have you seen (or smelled) these yet?? Crazy.

Who’s ready for Memorial Day feasting (raising hand)!!! Start it off with this tip for how to slice a watermelon without losing a finger.

30 days of easy grilling recipes to make in June. Done!

‘Tis the weekend to dust off the grill and make these healthier burgers.

Another great idea for grilling: this cilantro lime flank steak.

But I’m def gonna snack on some chips and avocado strawberry mango salsa while it’s grilling.

Speaking of grilling, here are 4 recipes to try this Memorial Day weekend:

• Lemonade Frosé
• Potato Salad with Bacon & Dill Pickles
• 6-Ingredient Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad
• Roasted Vegetable Tortellini Salad

But I’m gonna need to eat a little lighter after Monday, so…

This salad looks so freaking good and is definitely a great way to up your lunch game.

And these healthy green bowls look like an awesome way to reset after a weekend of food indiscretions.

These roasted carrots look amazing (and you can use their tops in the pesto you make)!

This pink strawberry cake looks so lovely.

They’re claiming these are the best olive oils you can buy at the grocery store. What do you say?

What your sad desk lunch says about you. This is too funny!

7 simple ways to spruce up any patio.

Aaaannnnd…the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale is ON! Here’s what I have bookmarked:

• These towels. I nuzzled with them in the store and they are l.u.s.h.
• A super cute swim cover up.
• I live in dresses like this one all summer long. FAVES!
• I’m thinking I need a new bag for summer, something with color. I love my cross body bag so this might be the one. 
• Okay, these aren’t on sale but they are totally in my shopping cart. I just had to. #throwbackto1983
• And, this isn’t on sale either, but it’s totally affordable and I had to share my rainbow love with my Ali Smudge. She’s going to look so cute in it.

I’m on a stripe kick, so I’m totally loving this maxi dress.

And this one’s really fun too.

Speaking of sales (up to $500 off!), how cool are these couches that are literally delivered to your door and come together in less time than it takes to brew a cup of coffee? (you’ve gotta watch the video.)

This pool float is everything. Literally.

I could do some serious lounging in this pretty robe. (I know, again with the stripes — oy.)

All right folks, that’s all for now. Enjoy your three day weekend — make it beautiful and delicious !

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