Stuffed Orange French Toast with Blackberry Compote and Friday Faves

Let’s just go ahead and put this week into the archives right where it belongs and look forward to a weekend where Stuffed Orange French Toast with Blackberry Compote should make a Labor Day appearance.

Labor Day weekend puts the nail in the coffin to the drawn out farewell to summer, replete with last days at the pool and chilly evening barbeques. The leaves are even starting to change around here and the instate rivalry football game was just last night and I haven’t even flipped the calendar page to September or placed a Kerr jar in a hot canning bin.

Is my head spinning yet?

This Labor Day weekend I’ll be heading to our friend’s mountain cabin to do a little R&R, have a cabin spa day with Smudge, do a few hikes and generally chill. But I do have some delish cooking ginned up in my head, and with distractions at bay (aka laundry, paying bills and cleaning the house) cooking in the mountains will be at the top of the menu.

One of my concoctions rattling around in my head involves peaches and blackberries, perhaps inspired by…

I may have been inspired by my Stuffed Orange French Toast with Blackberry Compote recipe posted over here, but I actually think it stems from my trip to Costco where blackberries the size of small beehives were on on sale for like $3.99 for an entire pound. I bought two. One to eat, one to cook. We’ll see where this adventure leads us.

Another week, another adventure. Here’s why I’m looking forward to that Labor Day appearance:

It was the first full of week of Smudge’s back to school where starting a new year has created a new girl: up and at ’em to the squacking of her alarm, cooking her own breakfast and making her bed every day before she left! Who is this 4th grader I never knew existed? And how long will she stay?

I had 3 days of location photo shoots, of which I sort of borrowed a chef’s recipe to share with you. Okay I pleaded and he said yes.

It was my new intern’s first day, Cute Courtney, who eyed me as we left for our first shoot day and commented, “Oh good, I guess I don’t have to dress up for these.” Sigh.

I snuck away for a lunch date with my man and we finally discovered a great ramen spot in SLC.

And I wished and wished someone would come and clean my office. Hmmm, hello Cute Courtney…

Last week I shared my favorite Weekend List Making Blogs, but if you missed it then hop over and find more webby things to help waste away your Friday.

So while I’m plotting my path to blackberry domination, here is a little something to move you into your Labor Day weekend.

I’m just putting it out there that there is indeed a need for Smellagram, an update that exudes only the good smelling stuff featured on Instagram. Will someone please get on that?

I had to look up what exactly Twerking is because apparently I’m old.

And I only have two weeks until the return of Sons of Anarchy—along with Jax’s longer locks. Which means I’ll be following one season behind on Netflix and you won’t be seeing me until I’ve seen the entirity of season 5 in a marathon blowout like I did with the last 4 seasons.

10 tips to glam up your camping trip. How cute is that bed!

Martha, Oprah, Rachel and now Giada. Her smile just keeps getting bigger with every new piece of the brand pie she creates, including Giada’s new online magazine, and the first issue is free.

H&M does it again. This time in the kitchen.

It’s not a question of ‘IF’ it’s only a question of ‘WHEN’. 5 digital photo organizing tips to help take control of your digital life. #2 is at the top of my list.

From cocktails to cookies, check out these recipe round-ups: Labor Day Recipe Round-up, what to cook with figs, and 15 recipes to celebrate bacon day. Bacon has a day? Richly deserved.

I once got a $100 tip on a $100 dinner, but think about how this server felt when a Utah tipper left $5,000 on a $214 tab. Get thee to Vegas, stat.

The most cliché photos on Instagram and I’m not too proud to admit I’m guilty of 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11 & 12.

Jumping on the bandwagon > Obituary: The death of Hanna Montana at the hands of the VMAs.

I wish I needed this but I don’t.

You deserve the very best medical care, even if that means firing your doctor.

10 celebrities without their trademark looks. Avril looks stunning!

8 things they don’t tell you when you start a food blog.

How to save yourself in that moment when someone asks you to do something you don’t want to (but you can’t say no)

Tweet of the week: “Just met a lady in line who named her twins Ike and Tina. I don’t know if I should run…or be her new best friend. #Awesome #Awkward” ~ Ashley @bakerbynature

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