Friday Favorites – Episode 84

Friday has rolled around yet again! So, naturally, it’s time for me to share my Friday Favorites…

Before we jump right into the blog posts, though, I want to introduce a few new features that I’ll be including in each week’s favorites post.  Instead of just my favorite blog posts, I thought I’d start talking about all of my favorite things from the past week in my kitchen…

• The Posts… As always, I’ll be sharing my favorite blog posts from all of the blogs that I read.
• The Playlist… Find out what song I’ve added to my kitchen playlist this week, and why!
• The Pantry… You already know what I’ve blogged about this week, but what else have I been cooking with in my kitchen? I’ll share my favorite ingredient of the week along with a few recipe ideas.

Now that we’re all on the same page… Let’s get right to it, shall we?

The Posts…

• You’ve probably heard of baking mini cakes in jars before… I see a lot of those recipes for spice cakes around the holidays. It’s never really been my thing… That is, not until I saw these Mint Fudge Brownie Parfaits from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.  These jars are layered with brownies, fudge, mint filling, and crushed cookies. Amazing!
• Sometimes I think the simplest foods are the best. I’m not one to shy away from complicated recipes, but I also think there’s no need to over-complicate things either. I’m loving the flavors and simplicity of these Tomates Provencales from Chocolate Shavings.
• This next post isn’t a recipe, but I definitely think it is worth sharing. Boston is one of my favorite places to visit, and the last time I was there I had a chance to visit Flour Bakery + Cafe. Looking through the stunning photos in this Silent Sunday post from A Thought for Food totally took me back. Now I’m craving a trip to Boston… And, some sticky buns.
• Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks… Especially the sweet and salty variety. I make a lot of homemade kettle corn, but I am pretty sure this Sweet and Salty Popcorn from Dana Treat will totally put mine to shame. And, I’m OK with that. Orange blossom honey and roasted nuts with popcorn? Yes, please!
• Sweet potato fries are one of my favorites… I order them instead of regular fries at a restaurant whenever I can, and I love to make them at home.  If you’re a sweet potato fan like I am, you’ll love these Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries from Gimme Some Oven.

The Playlist…

This week, we’ve had some really dreary weather. Dark, rainy days usually put me in the mood for mellower music. For me, mellow music usually translates into someone playing the acoustic guitar. I’m especially fond of the acoustic guitar since that’s my instrument of choice these days (did you know that I play the guitar and the piano?).

So, this week, I’ve been listening to my share of John Mayer (and apparently I rhyme, too).  One of my favorites is his rendition of Free Fallin’… It’s the perfect soundtrack for a rainy day of baking.

The Pantry…

This week I’ve been all about peanut butter… From my peanut butter filled doughnuts to some peanut vinaigrette for salads (to make up for eating all of those doughnuts), I’ve gone through my share of peanut butter. Here are a few more great recipes using peanut butter…

• Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies – Two Peas and Their Pod
• Chicken with Coconut-Lime Peanut Sauce – Family Fresh Cooking
• Peanut Butter Cup Bars – Brown Eyed Baker
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Merry Gourmet

So, tell me… Do you have a favorite song from the past week? Or, perhaps an ingredient that you just can’t get enough of right now?