Here are this week’s Thursday Things:
1. I was asked to be a contributor in Kelly Lester’s new cookbook, Cooking With Trader Joe’s Cookbook, available in stores September 2012.
It’s the seventh book in a series of Trader Joe’s cookbooks and considering I love Trader Joe’s, this was a perfect fit for me.
My amazingly talented friend, Marla Meridith, did the photography for the book and it’s just stunning.
Kelly, Marla, and everyone who worked on the book did a stellar job with an extremely fast, aggressive, and tight timeframe to get this baby from concept to store shelves in months, which is unheard of in the publishing industry.
I’ll keep you updated with more details as the release date approaches. I’m so excited about it!
3. Fill it up with Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria
4. Blueberry Slump – I’d hardly call this a “slump” – blueberries, dough, and vanilla ice cream doesn’t sound like a slump.
I’ve never heard of a slump, which is defined as: A sticky biscuit dough is dropped onto blueberries in this classic New England dessert, which is called a “slump,” “grunt,” or “cobbler,” depending on who you’re asking.
5. I love NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia
It’s a must have in coffee.
6. My order from iHerb.com just arrived and I’m restocked now on life’s little essentials.
iHerb has the cheapest prices on supplements, probiotics, vitamins, nutritional yeast, spices in bulk like cinnamon, white stevia powder, and protein powder
Enter code AVE630 to save $5 on your order
I love that site. A little too much.
7. Oh the fun I could have with 5 pounds of Scharffen Berger 99% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
I’m thinking Oreo Cookie-Stuffed Brownies for starters.
I use melted baking chocolate as opposed to dry cocoa powder for brownie baking because I think the resulting brownies are richer, moister, and just better.
All my brownie recipes are start out by melting chocolate in the microwave
Stirring ingredients by hand in one bowl
Pouring into the pan
As easy as a boxed mix, really.
8. Pots & Pans Cupcake Toppers
I could have a field day on the entire Bake It Pretty site
9. Paisley Cupcake liners – so fun and vibrant
If they don’t bleed, run, or fade, that would be amazing.
In order to appear fade-free, I double up the liners for photography because the liners I actually bake muffins or cupcakes in tend to fade quite dramatically.
Case in point Cheddar Cheese and Olive Oil Savory Muffins – had to double them up
10. Thanks for the giveaway entries (there’s 2 going on)
PB Crave Peanut Butter Giveaway
Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food Processor & Juice Extractor Giveaway
What are your Thursday Things?
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous, feel free to link it up in the comments.
If you’ve read any new cookbooks, bought fade-free muffin liners, have a favorite chocolate, or any fun or handy baking products, I’m all ears.
Congrats on the TJ’s book opportunity–that’s SO exciting, Averie! I’m stoked for you. Now you can treat yourself and your accomplishments to that gorgeous UO tapestry and that amazing mason jar dispenser up above (seriously awesome). Happy Thursday!
It doesn’t take much for me to convince myself to go shopping, believe me :)
congrats! thats so exciting! and oh my gosh those cupcake liners and toppers are the cutest!! great post!
CONGRATS on the feature in the cooking w/ TJs cookbook Averie! You must keep us updated on that. I’m so happy for you! You deserve all of the features in the world, honestly. Plus you always feature TJs product sin your recipes and posts. :)
I love those little paisley cupcake liners! They are adorable. And I have the same polka dot cupcake liners you used for those yummy little savory muffins. Got them at Target!
I’d love to fill that Mason jar drink dispenser with strawberry margaritas and call it a day. ;)
I got the yellow polka dot ones at Target, too I think – they have a better Wilton supply than most places, actually. And yes, I thought it was pretty ironic that of all things, it was a TJs book considering it’s my second home!
Congrats! That is so amazing. I can not wait to pick up my own copy!
Thanks, Kelli!
I’ve never heard of the Trader Joe’s cookbooks, but living within a mile of one has made me a TJ’s addict! :)
Really? I see them in stores all the time…probably b/c I live walking distance from an Urban Outfitters and they sell them there. U.O. has SUCH an eclectic little mix of books!
OMG, I first saw this post and thought it was your cookbook entirely. I was a bit confused because that was not a photo of you though. Congratulations girl ☺ I had a feeling that you were and are headed for bigger things. I know I’ll be seeing your own cookbook up there pretty soon. I can’t wait to see this one when it comes out.
Thanks, Jackie, as always for the kind words. You’ve been saying this forever and every time I read it, I totally blush but am grateful for your vote of confidence :)
Averie!!! Double thrill to have glorious you (and your mouth-watering recipes!) in my book AND be at the top of your list today :) Thanks for letting your readers know about our book – I can hardly wait to sign it and send you your first copy!! ♥
So exciting, Kelly! You should be so proud – CONGRATS! Cannot wait to hold it in my hands and turn the pages!
iHerb delivery day is always like Christmas for me!! Hahaha
That’s the perfect analogy!
Averie that is soooo badass!! CONGRATS!
thanks, Bev :)
So exciting on the book, congrats! Can’t wait to see it! Agreed on Vanilla NuNaturals, great in smoothies too. Great list on things. Mine is sprouting kamut berries, saving money still, and trying not to go crazy at work. :-P
read that kamut post from my reader…and you made me wanna sprout!
Sur La Table has the best cupcake liners. They do not fade, come in a bunch of different designs and are not made in China. They’re all I use.
great tip! will definitely check them out!
TJ’s cookbooks??? That’s awesome. Maybe one of these days they’ll put one in here. Just ordered more vanilla stevia and some protein powder yesterday. Hope it arrives quickly, my last order took forever for some reason.
I hope you get one soon..you would LOVE it!
Making brownies with baking chocolate is 100x times better, it really does make them so much gooey-er and more delicious. The Baker’s Chocolate One Bowl Brownie recipe makes the best brownies I’ve ever eaten. It starts with microwaving chocolate and butter together, you can’t go wrong with that =)
that is the recipe I base mine on!! over the years I have adapted the sugar and add in a few more things, but the 1-bowl, microwave & stir technique – yes perfect brownies every time and NO trouble!! Glad you are on board and seriously I tell people this all the time and everyone thinks it’s so complicated to make great brownies at home but it’s not!
I’m running a giveaway for a couple healthy cookbooks right now actually in honor of my switching over to WordPress finally. https://wp.me/s26wpj-1322
It has wonderful ideas for healthy eating as well as the dietary restrictions.
I saw a great post on Elana’s Pantry yesterday about how food isn’t ‘healthy’ just because its Gluten Free. Kind of like the whole ‘fat free’ craze and the food is full of all kinds of junk – just not fat.
I’ll definitely be getting your Trader Joe’s book in September. Love TJ and those Mason Jar Pitchers.
Thanks, Angela about the book. And yes, just b/c something is vegan, fat free, GF, etc doesn’t make it healthy automatically. When I used to blog about raw/vegan/GF food people used to write in and say how they loved it and ate an entire pan/batch of dessert but it was okay b/c it was “healthy” — gah!! No, not exactly :)
Funny-I just received my iherb order (powdered stevia and vanilla drops). Iherb has such great prices (lower than ordering off the nunaturals website). Congrats on the cookbook contribution! I take my lunch to work every day so I think this would be right up my alley. Ohhh….a 5lb bag of good dark chocolate baking squares. So tempting until I jumped over there and saw the price!!
I know, I always wanna plug the NN site directly but based on price, gotta go with iherb. Ironic about your order, too! You will LOVE the book if you are a lunch taker. It’s all about on the go eats…you will LOVE it!
Heehee, thanks to YOUR giveaway, I’m addicted to the Nunaturals vanilla stevia too! I guess the giveaways really do prove profitable to the companies…
As for my Thursday things, how about a cookie that is distinctly cookie dough-y? Check it:
https://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/brunettes-for-bittman/
And then I found on the SPoon Fork Bacon blog a cocktail that sounds suspect and is in fact an excellant summer refreshing cocktail:
https://spoonforkbacon.com/2012/06/kalimotxo/
So good. Happy Thursday!
That’s funny that you’re hooked on the vanilla stevia now too :)
Spoonforkbacon always has fun ideas and great pics!