Weekend Things | May 25, 2013

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Time for an installment of Weekend Things:

1. I held my cookbook in my hands for the very first time this week! Opening the box of author copies that my publisher sent was an extremely proud and happy moment.

Thumbing through the book, seeing my recipes and photography, all glossy, shiny, and new is surreal, wonderful, exciting, and a little bit terrifying. I poured my heart and soul into the book and I hope you love it as much as I do.

The official release date is June 4, although if you’ve pre-ordered on Amazon, I believe they’re shipping out slightly before June 4. Thank you to those who’ve bought my book. Your support and vote of confidence means the world.

2. I want to get in this bed and live in this room from CB2. I love fluffy white bedding and love the bright, white, happy light.

I wish my kitchen had this much light because it would be my photography dream come true.

White bedroom from CB2

3. If you have an urge to bake cookies this weekend, I suggest Soft and Chewy Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies. They combine my favorite dough base for chocolate chips cookies, with hunks of Snickers baked in. They’re my favorite version of chocolate chip cookies on my site, to date.

Soft and Chewy Snickers Chocolate Chip Cookies

4. Apricot and Almond Sauce from Saveur – “This fruity purée is great swirled into ice cream or spooned atop pancakes or toast.”

I love apricots and almond extract is something I wish I could wear as a perfume.

Apricot and Almond Sauce from Saveur

5. The sauce reminds me of the Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze that I stirred together in 6 seconds and spread on top of the French Almond Cookie Cake

It’s a fast and easy cake-cookie to make. It’s dense and chewy like a deep-dish cookie-bar, with the flavor of a rich almond cake. Perfect for an impromptu, easy weekend treat.

French Almond Cookie Cake

6. From Instagram. This is how I party on Friday night.

Like eating sprinkles disguised as chocolate sunflower seeds. Heaven.

7. Ceramic Bowls – For dips, sauces, fruit, sides, or just about anything. On sale for $4.80 – $6.40 at Pier 1. What a steal.

Ceramic Bowls

8. My recipe for Hawaiian Banana Bread and Maple Banana Baked French Toast appeared in the AllFreeCasserole’s Breakfast eCookbook.

Here’s a free download of the book with 19 recipes in case you need some breakfast inspiration.

Hawaiian Banana Bread and Maple Banana Baked French Toast

9. Overdyed Terai Folding Chair, $198 from Anthro – Sure beats the wobbly card table and vinyl-covered chairs my parents had and kept in our basement, and would dig out for summer gatherings, parties, and holiday company.

Overdyed Terai Folding Chair

Does anyone else have fond memories of swatting mosquitoes, while sitting on folding chairs in someone’s garage or backyard, and literally getting stuck to the vinyl as the back of your legs pour out sweat in the sweltering humidity? Tell me I’m not alone.

Overdyed Terai Folding Chair

10. Need a quickie recipe for a party this weekend? Try one of these 25 Fast & Easy Dip Recipes . Many are vegan, gluten-free, and all are fast, easy, and fuss-free. Exactly the way they should be on a holiday weekend.

25 Fast & Easy Dip Recipes pic collage

Check back for a giveaway starting tomorrow.

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.

Holiday Weekend Plans?

We have none, just the way I want it. My husband has been traveling and comes home this weekend, and I’m happy and content to just be together.  We don’t have to have plans.

We are definitely not going to the beach with the 1 million tourists in San Diego this weekend who will be. Parking would take 2 hours. No thanks. I’ll be at home baking instead.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. Congratulations on the publication of your book, Averie. Such a fun concept, and the photos look great. I wish you all the best with it!

    1. Thank you, Gena! Saw a pic on Angela’s site of you at Vida Con and thought of you earlier this week! Thanks for the kind words and many times as I was writing the book, I thought of you, given your former job as an editor!

  2. That bedroom is gorgeous, I love white on white :)
    Congratulations on your book, that’s wonderful!

  3. HUGE congrats on the book! I know that has to be one heck of a feeling. I’m sure it’s awesome and I hope tons of success!

    And I have yet to check out Trader Joe’s. There’s one about 2 hours away that a friend raves about and I’m dying to check it out.

    Oh, snickers chocolate chip cookies? Yes, please.

    1. You will love the prices and selection and you have to go! Thanks for your support on my book!

  4. Good gosh, girl! It must have been a thrill of a lifetime to open that box of “author’s copies”! Congratulations! You are now a published author, yay! And, of course, I clicked PBC into my Amazon cart promptly (checking out tonight with other good finds). Thanks for sharing your faves…love it all! Adore apricots (and almond extract) and I must try those Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops by TJs! So up my alley…I eat SunButter by the spoon, like peanut butter! Stayed home this Memorial Day weekend, too. Aaah. Love. It. Cheers! xo

    1. The sunflower seed drops are ridic good (and taste more like sprinkles to me than seeds – definitely a nice bonus for me!)

      Thanks for picking up a copy of my book. I appreciate it, as well as all your glowing comments, pins, support, and overall upbeat attitude, always. Thank you!!!!!

  5. Hey girl! I just received my email confirmation from Amazon and my book is expected to be here on Thursday the 6th. I’m seriously so excited to see your book and just to look at what you wrote inside and all see of the photos. How cool is that to hold a snapshot of your blog and recipes in your hand like a book? I’m sure you have looked at it over 1,000 times. How can you not? I really prefer “real” cookbooks or books to e-books or kindle books. I just like being able to open something up and ear mark the pages etc.

    Hope you’re having a great Memorial day! xoxo, Jackie