Time for this week’s Weekend Things:
1. I love being in Aruba. I don’t ever want to leave.
2. Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites has his second book coming out on September 15, Focus on Food Photography For Bloggers
Bon Appetit featured it with a sneak peak.
The day I spent with Matt and Adam a couple years ago is one of the top five best days of my life, ever; right behind my wedding and birth of my daughter, not even kidding. Life-changing day.
3. Broccoli with Cheetos from Saveur illustrating that even high-brow restaurants and cooks can go low-brow with some Cheetos.
“Chef Craig Koketsu of New York City’s Park Avenue Winter, who is a big fan of Cheetos, uses the crunchy snack food as a garnish for broccoli served on a sauce made with Gouda and Parmesan cheeses.”
4. I love a good chips-infused low-brow recipe.
Chips and Chili Cheese Casserole
or Corn Chip-Crusted Southwestern Salmon Cakes (gluten-free) are a couple savory faves using chips.
Five awesome little rules, including responding in 5 sentences or less. I try to do that as well as the other items on the list, but some are easier said than done.
6. The Top 100 Food Bloggers as named by Indivly
Many friends are on the list, but many friends and bloggers who I believe have truly amazing recipes, blogs, including some astounding photography to boot, didn’t make the cut. Lists are so subjective.
7. Need Funfetti Recipes?
The Huffington Post featured 20 Funfetti recipes, including my Cookie Butter Funfetti Triple Chip Bars (slide 5)
8. Remember this Le Creuset cast iron skillet I found for $6 bucks?
I think this Peach Dutch Baby Pancake with Cherry Compote would be a great way to break it in when I return to San Diego.
9. Hair and nails grow faster in warm climates and Scott was in desperate need of a haircut. He walked into a local Aruban barber shop and the barber didn’t speak a lick of English. Scott walked out with both the shortest haircut I’ve ever seen on him in twelve-plus years and the barber was kind enough to trim his nose hairs. With a straight razor. Eeek. Scott said he let the barber do it because he said he could tell the guy knew what he was doing. Alrighty then.
10. Thanks for the Flavor It 3-In-1 Beverage System Giveaway entries.
What are your weekend things? Have you made anything great with chips? Or any fun desserts lately? Any great books or cookbooks you’ve come across lately?
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous this week, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Next post is a fun one with a recipe involving some of this. Stay tuned and have a great weekend!
Ooh, Aruba.. I’m so jealous! That’s so funny about the haircut/nose-hair trimming :) I know I’d be pretty apprehensive myself to get a haircut or any other kind of cosmetic thing done if I didn’t speak the language!
Gosh, I think it’d be so hard for you to leave Aruba and come back to the hustle and bustle of SD in a few weeks, but I’m sure in a little way, you miss home (and uh, I wouldn’t mind going back to live in SD–I’m sure the weather’s a lot nicer there than here in Sacramento!) And I haven’t made anything terribly exciting with chips, BUT, my favorite line of chips, PopChips, just released their new line of popped tortilla chips. I was SO stoked but couldn’t find them anywhere, yet yesterday on a random shopping trip to World Market, they were there! I was so excited, and I have to say, the ranch ones taste just like those Doritos I loved as a kid, but much healthier. So I’m a happy snacker now! What are your plans for this weekend? And can’t wait to see that cookie butter post!
This is crazy but I’ve never had PopChips (well other than a sample bag I once tried ages ago) but I love love love Doritos of any kind. Cool Ranch is what you’re probably referring to and havent had them since I was a kid. I dont even buy Doritos anymore b/c I love them so much :)
Plans? = beach!
I don’t understand how you could ever leave Aruba with a view like the one you posted. So incredibly beautiful!
This isn’t something I made, but I tried Justin’s Maple Almond Butter for the first time and WOW. I had no idea what I was missing, and it turns out it was probably better that way. $10 a jar is way too much to pay, but my friend knows Justin and gave me tons of samples! Just enough to get me addicted, I’m sure.
I may have to invest in a food processor soon enough so that I can make my own…. ;)
Shopping all day tomorrow in Vancouver!! Can’t wait!
I remember seeing that BA article on Matt and thinking about you. Glad you saw it!
Wow the food photography post is amazing! I can’t believe all the nifty things they do to get a good picture! Boy am I off, I just bake, snap a picture and eat!! :) I have a lot of learning to do. I can’t wait for the book to come out. Thanks for your post today! It’s inspirational and now I want to go to Aruba!
Broccoli with cheetos? Not sure how I feel about that one…
Aruba looks amazing, I need to visit sometime.
Yay for your feature! Lots of good ones on there!
I love your “alrighty then” comment! I say that all the time – giving all credit to Jim Carrey! :-)
Congrats on the Huffington Post choosing your funfetti bars! Awesome! Those look outstanding…gotta make those and soon! Today is my Simeon’s 14th bday and we made your white and dark chocolate cream cheese chocolate cake bars. There were a bunch of kiddos around and let me just say…they were a total hit! Your bars can. do. NO. wrong!!
Weekend things? Dad is still in town, going out to dinner tomorrow night and doing some major cleaning of the house! Happy Aruba time! I wanna come visit you!! :-)
You made them for his bday!?? I’m honored! And that they were a hit, even better! I have a few bars recipes coming up that I think you’ll love but thanks for the praise and happy bday to Simeon!!!
Sounds like you are having a blast in Aruba! I wish I was still there….sigh….
Funfetti recipes galore…that looks like a dangerous list. I can’t wait to make them all! I see why you don’t want to leave Aruba…I would stay forever too!
I am curious to check out the email rules!
My weekend thing is an evening picnic/free music watching get together with friends in the park. I’m making my favorite pie:
https://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/love-pie/
Happy Saturday!
Oh, I definitely should buy this book about photography. It may be really useful.
Hes amazing and I can guarantee the book will be, too!
Hi Averie! I’ve been reading your blog for years, but didn’t do much commenting because I didn’t have a blog. I always felt a little weird about being anonymous. Anyways, I finally started a blog this summer! I’ve been introduced to the world of gravatar, and feel much better about commenting on my favorite blogs. :)
The Peach Dutch Baby Pancake picture makes me drool. Wow–looks delicious. I experimented with something new this week–zucchini flowers. It was fun! https://eatmovebalance.com/stuffed-and-baked-zucchini-flowers/
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
thanks for reading for years and for de-lurking and for starting your own blog!
A nose hair trim with a straight edged razor?!? That barber has some steady and talented hands! I have an easy ice cream recipe to share (though some pre planning is necessary to freeze everything) I took a very generous 2 cups of cantaloupe, mashed it up, spread it in a pan and froze it. I also froze some full fat coconut milk in an ice cube tray. I took about 8 coconut cubes, a frozen banana, and the frozen cantaloupe mash (plus a splash of vanilla) and threw it in the vita mix. Yummy soft serve (which I then topped with toasted coconut).
that sounds fab – that’s sort of a glorified cantaloupe-coconut milk smoothie, but bigger and in a pan and you have me thirsty (or hungry) now!
Great post, I especially like the food photography link, how did I miss that? I’m going to pre-order the book now!
Matt is just amazing and if you have the chance to ever meet him (I know you’re in SoCal now) – do it. Just awesome!
Just curious…what do any of you do about nose hairs? I know it’s a big no-no, but I pluck 3 or 4 every day with a pair of tweezers! (That’s all I can handle at a time.) I think, though, that the dangers are exaggerated; I’ve never had an infection or inflammation from doing it.
Averie, today is Day 6 of my 30-day Bikram Yoga Challenge! 30 straight days of yoga in a 105-degree, 40% humidity room for 90 minutes! Blegh, I feel like a limp noodle.
Your bikram room sounds like Aruba the last few days – 80% humidity and like 95F. It’s been so hot and humid here. Just cooking in my non-A/C kitchen is like a bikram workout. Lol Congrats on it!
OMG, nose hairs with a straight-edge blade? OMG. OMG… lol. Dustin would allow it too. I’m positive. He doesn’t say peep to his hairdressers, hence many, many bad dos.
Like after this guy gives him the SHORTEST haircut of his life, but I will say it’s highly precise and even and it will grow out perfectly, like it’s a textbook perfect haircut, but the no English thing…anyway, then he apparently grabs a straight razor and just starts going to town. Ummm…yeah!!!