Friday Things | February 8, 2013

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Time for some Friday Things:

1. Thanks to the Huffington Post for featuring my Homemade Thin Mints in their Girl Scout Cookies feature

Homemade Thin Mints Girl Scouts

The next day they featured 3 recipes in their Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes: Fruit Cakes, Cookies, and More story – slide 3, slide 4, slide 5

I even have to pinch myself sometimes that the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies don’t have gluten. Nor do they have any butter or white sugar.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2. The Good Bean – All Natural Roasted Chickpea Snacks. Gluten-free, nut-free, cholesterol-free, low fat, low in carbohydrates, nothing over-engineered, nothing artificial.

The Good Bean snacks

I am in love with the Sweet-Cinnamon flavor. Think cinnamon toast in the form of super crunchy little nuggets.

Sweet Cinnamon

They’re exceedingly crunchy. If you’ve ever had dried peas or dried green beans, they’re like that; except crunchier. And I love that about them.

dried peas

3. They give the crunchiest crackers I ever made a run for their money

Fruit Seed and Nut Crackers

Fruit Seed and Nut Crackers

And for something a bit less crunchy, try Caramelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”

They’re beans masquerading as candy and I’m all about real candy. But I dare you not to stand at the oven door and eat half the tray immediately.

Caramelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”

4. Travel Mug Reviews – Cook’s Country and Cooks Illustrated shares their reviews of 7 mugs from highly to not recommended.

Travel Mug Reviews from Cook's Country and Cooks Illustrated

In general, I find mugs to be so expensive for what they are, and each promises to be the best, yet most of them either leak or the coffee doesn’t stay hot. I use a mug from Starbucks made from recycled plastic that I bought in 2009. I use it daily, run it through the dishwasher, put it in the microwave, beat it up, and I think it will last another five years.

I cannot use travel mugs that have any metal on them because I always, always heat my coffee in the mug in the microwave as I’m walking out the door. I don’t have time or desire to heat the coffee in a separate microwave-safe cup. Plus, I like to get the mug extra toasty, too. I have a thing for piping, and I do mean searing hot, coffee; which limits my selection of mugs.

5. Flower Power: Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower – Such pretty little stalks

Flower Power: Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

Roasting veggies is so easy and there’s always a new seasoning, spice, oil, or vegetable to roast.

A recent fave was Lemon Rosemary Coconut Oil Roasted Vegetables (vegan, GF)

Lemon Rosemary Coconut Oil Roasted Vegetables

6. My friend Marla’s post, 10 More Skinny Secrets is a gem. The post has nothing to do with being skinny, and everything to do with being mindful, healthful, and making compassionate and thoughtful choices each and every day. I adore Marla and miss our coffee dates but reading her post was almost as good as a coffee date. Almost.

7. Creamy and Crispy Hash Brown Casserole was featured in the Featured in the eCookbook, 14 Easy Recipes for Potato Casseroles

Creamy and Crispy Hash Brown Casserole

If you’re looking for easy, potato-based comfort food recipes, Click Here to Download the ebook.

Tis the season for warm comfort food.

14 easy recipes for potato casseroles ebook

8. A reader, Stacy, emailed to tell me that there is a heart-shaped crumb in at the bottom of this photo of Brown Sugar Maple Cookies

I never noticed it until she pointed it out, and couldn’t replicate or duplicate that in a million years, even if I tried. She thought it was perfect for these cookies and I think it’s perfect in advance of Valentine’s Day.

Brown Sugar Maple Cookies stacked with one split in half

9. Faceted Friendship Bracelet – On sale for $9.95 at Anthro. Quite the step up from the raggedy friendship bracelets I used to make, circa 1988, with yarn that was 50 cents per pack at the local drugstore.

Faceted Friendship Bracelet

I used to love making friendship bracelets and could go for hours just making rows and rows of knots. Mindlessly therapeutic. It was my yoga back then.

Close up of Faceted Friendship Bracelet

10. New Le Creuset Color: Quince. I’m in enamelware lust. Don’t bother with roses or chocolates for Valentine’s Day, but one or four of these would do.

That color is so me. I love it.

Yellow Le Creuset pots

  What are your Friday Things?

Favorite travel mug? Friendship bracelet memories? Thoughts on super crunchy foods or favorite finds?

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

Have a great weekend and check back for giveaways!

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. ahhhh..the heart shape crumb…love that…and that it was just by coincidence…the friendship bracelet i am laughing thinking of all the string my sisters and i would go through making them throughout the summer.

  2. Those chickpea snacks sound so good. I’ve always wanted to try chickpeas like that so this is an easy way to do so. I’ll have to seek them out.