friday links

Happy Friday!


There is a new, all natural cookie butter company on the scene and they are making the best
cookie butter creations ever!
GooeyOnTheInside.com

What flavors?  They have 12!!  Red Velvet and Birthday Cake are my favorites.
Hand-crafted, small batches, and no chemicals or crap in there.These flavors are dangerous!

A nice assortment of cookie butters for the foodie in your family would make an awesome gift for the holiday.


Gooey On The Inside also makes cookies!  Imagine getting this as a Christmas present?


My friend Zoe Francois of the terribly talented blog zoebakes.com has a new & improved version
of her wildly famous cookbook: Artisan Bread In 5 Minutes a Day.
Her latest creations: The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
What's new inside?
Gluten Free bread recipes in 5 minutes!
"....With more than half a million copies of their books in print, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François have proven that people want to bake their own bread, so long as they can do it easily and quickly. Based on fan feedback, Jeff and Zoë have completely revamped their first, most popular, and now-classic book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Responding to their thousands of ardent fans, Jeff and Zoë returned to their test kitchens to whip up more delicious recipes.  They’ve also included a gluten-free chapter, forty all-new gorgeous color photos, and one hundred informative black-and-white how-to photos. They’ve made the “Tips and Techniques” and “Ingredients” chapters bigger and better than ever before, and included readers’ Frequently Asked Questions....."

Around the web:

stunning images of nuclear ice breaker in the north pole (love this!)
does slamming the oven door cause cakes to collapse? 
a GMO wheat can silence human genes may cause early death
slow cooker hoisin chicken with bok choy & sesame brown rice
20 cookie cutters every cookie decorator should own
what's new about apples?
why you need phytonutrients & how to get them
how to make the versatile asian peanut sauce
I LOVE this video! "One Day at Fenway"
a simple dietary switch could work wonders on your mood (when I have eaten turkey for breakfast I have noticed a difference in my mood)
what is B3--niacin?
10 million steps on Rt 6 (a cape cod story)
always go to the funeral 
LuLulemon quite possibly the most arrogant company ever.
claiming woman's thigh's are to blame for company's faulty pants.
Then why can other designers like Danksin do it? Stupid owner at Lululemon--I will never buy their product again.
3 over-rated supplements
27 unearthly objects made of stars!
I was so sad to hear of Chef Charlie Trotter's passing
31 (they say weird) but I think creative recipes for canned pumpkin
laurie anderson's farewell to Lou Reed 
pumpkin Tres Les Cake!
a year recovery after hurricane sandy
health benefits of pumpkin seeds
shorter days getting you down?
DIY homemade deli meat (all natural, no chemicals)
hilarious misspelled names on Starbucks cups (Love this!)
Lay's potato chips coming out with chocolate covered chips! (oh dear)
paleo & GF snickerdoodles
sea cucumber found to kill off 95% of cancer cells?  wow
when depression & anxiety loom
strong abs without those stupid crunches! (great tips)
sweet potato cobbler
DIY freezable breakfast bowls (crazy easy)
toasted coconut & chocolate granola
a map of where Americans are moving!
The annual "I Like Big Bundts" over at food librarian has started!

Congrats to Jan #7, winner of the Simply Raw Kitchen Cookbook.
Jan please email me your shipping address.



Have a wonderful weekend!

friday links + giveaway!

Happy Friday!

I have some wonderful shots of seals.
These seals know that the fishermen clean out their boats after loading the days catch, and they wait, patiently for the chum scraps to come out the end of the boat.
If you look closely, there is a smart seal, that sits right next to the water shoot and catches all the chum.
Greedy (but smart) little guy.


The seagull sitting on the back kills me!

Looking at me for treats.

See the one right under the water shoot?  He knows what he's doing.

Photos taken in chatham, ma.


Being a huge tea lover, Harmless Harvest 100% Raw Tea recently sent me a nice care package of their new raw tea
to try. Have you tried these? Wow are they good. Just 100% raw, clean, healthy tea.
No crap, no fillers, no aftertaste--just honest to goodness tasty tea.
True all natural flavors of: raw honey-lemon, raw peppermint, and unsweetened.
What is raw tea?  Picked fresh tea leaves, never dehydrated, and then blended into chilled water.  Kept cold, kept fresh.  Where are they?  They can be found in almost all Whole Foods Markets located next to their raw coconut water.
Follow Harmless Harvest on Facebook to see where they are holding tasting samples at your local Whole Foods Markets.

Cookbook Giveaway!

The Simply Raw Kitchen by Natasha Kyssa is donating a book to giveaway!

You might remember me talking about the abundance of creativity that I found looking through this cookbook.  I was so amazed at how one can get so creative with raw foods!
From The Simply Raw Cookbook:
"....The road to good health through proper diet and nutrition can lead down many paths; you may ask yourself, should I go vegan? Follow a gluten-free regimen? Should I eat raw or cooked foods? Natasha Kyssa offers all that and more in this inspiring collection of mostly raw, whole-foods recipes that will improve your health, no matter what your age. Natasha is a former international fashion model who transformed her unhealthy lifestyle by turning to raw foods almost twenty-five years ago; she is now a raw foods consultant and restaurateur who also runs marathons in her spare time. Natasha promotes a balanced, flexible diet designed for individual constitutions and based on fresh plant foods—gluten-free, toxin-free, and simply delicious. Her regimen also takes into consideration older folks and others who cannot tolerate an all-raw diet by including cooked foods. It's a cookbook and lifestyle guide to be shared between generations, much like Natasha and her mother, who contributes vegan versions of central European classics like borscht, mushroom goulash, cabbage rolls, and lovage dumplings. Other recipes include raw soups, cakes, and puddings, as well as a raw Pad Thai and spaghetti bolognese."

To enter the giveaway:
*leave ONE comment telling us what your favorite raw food dish
*please have a valid email in your comment and/or signature line
*anonymous comments will be deleted
*drawing held 11/8/2013

Around the web:

If you have a dog I hope you've heard about the tainted jerky treats?
Does salt consumption cause high blood pressure?
On a single breath of air, Stig Severinsen sets a new official Guinness World Record by swimming 250 feet (76.2m) below the ice in a frozen lake in East Greenland
Melanin Pigmentation in salmon fillets: causes, risk factors
Hilarious! I do miss LA at times. Here is: "Shalloween"
The ultimate vegan burger
How to promote your baking business on twitter
I do love cinnamon--check out these cinnamon shortbread bars
Oh how I love this idea: finger spoons!
Some of the best international slow cooker recipes I've come across in a while
DIY pickled eggplant
12 chemicals that are screwing up your hormones
DIY homemade caramel apples (easy too!)
My favorite pudding: banana. Nick shows us how easy it is to make at home
THIS mexican caesar salad has me drooling
The incredible shrinking plane seat (unreal!)
A simple test may catch early pancreatic cancer
Are you into knitting? Here are some cute animal hat patterns
Banana cream pie rice krispie treats
Chai infused butternut squash soup
Edible chocolate shot glasses! LOVE this.
Compound in broccoli may offer protection against radiation sickness
How to remove a tree stump painlessly (let me know if this works! I have a lot of tree stumps after
hurricane sandy)
Chili-garlic tater tots
5 foods for vibrant hair
DIY kale chips...in the microwave!
Pumpkin-pecan scones with browned butter glaze
Red Sox Koji Uehara's son comments on Dad's winning
Oh the many wonders of ginger root. Love to read about this!
Salted caramel pretzels
Scentee makes your smart phone smell like cinnamon roll when you get a text (would you buy it?)
Starbucks to open first "Zen like" tea house
David Lebovitz makes mac & cheese 
All natural chocolate nut bark
Did the Earth's water come from very early asteroid strike?
Do you have kids?  Have you had one of these days? Holy Moly!
Dark & Stormy caramel corn
Little food history on the "snack cake"
Red Flannel Hash
DIY Snicker Bar! (bookmarked & printed!)
7-layer candy bar dip (LOL!)

Massachusetts Residents: 
help sign the repeal the automatic gas tax TankTheGasTax.org
Do you know that there is going to be an automatic annual increase in the gas tax? How can that be?
This summer the legislature passed into law a linking of the gas tax to the Consumer Price Index!  That means as inflation rises so does the Massachusetts gas tax.  It is the gas tax to infinity and beyond.
Worse yet, it is taxation without representation.  Legislators never have to vote again to raise our taxes, but our taxes will go up! What if the CPI goes down?  You will still be paying 24 cents per gallon! The legislature capped the minimum you will pay, but they did not cap the maximum we will all pay at the pump.
This tax increase is directly aimed at the working poor and middle class.  It will not only increase the cost of commuting to work, but it will also hike up the costs of food and clothing.
Remember, 24 cents is just the state’s gas tax.  It doesn’t include the federal gas tax.
How do we end this taxation without representation?
We pass a ballot question in November 2014.  The first step in the process is collecting 100,000 signatures.  Will you help us? We need people to collect signatures and to sign our petitions.
tankthegastax.org 

Have a wonderful weekend!

friday links

Happy Friday!


I get so excited when I see Whole Foods Markets across the USA are becoming more and more proactive about displaying what foods have GMO's. Like this sign (above) as seen in my local
Whole Foods at the produce station.
Keep your eyes out for them; they are super informative.
I know they have a labeling system in place and it should be appearing soon on hopefully all their foods in store.
We have a right to know what foods are made/grown with GMO's.


Have you tried Siggi's yogurt yet?
Honestly I cannot stand all those sugar-laden, dye infested yogurts in the supermarkets.
Was so thrilled when I got introduced to Siggi's a few years back.
Just honest, pure yogurt.  The ingredients are what you recognize:
Pasteurized Skim Milk, Strawberries, Cane Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Live Active Cultures:
B. lactis, L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus,
L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, S. thermophilus
It's a very thick yogurt, a great hefty snack filled with probiotics.
Find out where to buy some, you love them. Plus they have a new coconut flavor AND
now have drinkables & squeezable tubes for kids!  What a great way to get more probiotics
into your kids.  Especially with cold & flu season coming up.


Did you see this?
Freeze dried pumpkin!  The pumpkin craze has gone bonkers.
Has anyone tried this? (saw it at Whole Foods)


More pumpkin craze! (saw this at Whole Foods)
Anyone tried this?  Is it sweet or salty?


This is new Snap Super Candy.
I didn't try it, but heard is was candy in the form of  b vitamins to boost your energy, antioxidants to keep your immune system strong, and electrolytes to help you stay hydrated. With flavors of gummy texture (berry), bean shaped (berry), caramel, citrus, and tart.


Last week I got to see (up close and personal) an RV-7.
An RV-7 is a two-seat, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplanes.
They are tiny, but powerful.  I didn't get to up in it....yet.  (working on it).
If you're an airplane nerd (like myself) here is some more info on them.

Pretty neat right?  I mean even if you're not into airplanes you gotta admit this is cool.


Bought some cupcakes from Cupcake Charlies for a party.
My favorite? Hostess with the Mostess (aka Hostess cupcake clone).

They also have cake shots!

And frosting shots.

This ocean shot was too pretty not to share with you all.
Just like glass. (east dennis, ma)

Around the Web:

8 foods high in magnesium
Dad frustrated with daughters tantrum turns it into a very funny video
DIY Halloween mellowcreme pumpkins (oh so clever!)
Wonderful story (true) written by Karrie's Mom (and good for you Karrie!)
Stopping nosebleeds (does this work?)
Snack recipe: yogurt covered cranberries (has anyone tried this yogurt coating--did it work?)
"different" health tips from Dr. Mercola (some good, some ok)
How to be a better cook from Scientific American
4 health benefits of beets (I share this as I'm big into "drinking" beets now, my skin has been fabulous!)
DIY homemade buttermilk & cultured butter
Can we please stop with the fat shaming now?
Why is Denmark considered the happiest country?
Pomegranates reverse junk food damage? Hmmm (I know they are very good for your blood flow)
The cost of eating well: how to eat better for less money
I would LOVE to try this yoga inversion swing for my lower back. Anyone tried this?
Want to find haunted houses in your state? Go to hauntworld
Iconic airports--where are they now?  (love reminiscing over these)
8 things I learned from the Bhagavad Gita (interesting read)
Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski is holding all-womens football camp at Harvard?
Remember that woman that spilled coffee and sued McDonalds?
3 Chinese teachings that can change your life
Want to go to space? In a balloon?
250 ft below 3 feet of ice, Stig Severinsen sets new world record
This Dad made a better Halloween costume for his kid that you can.
Artisan Cookie Butters from Gooey on the Inside!  (please send samples!)
Protein safeguards against cataracts (promising news)
New links between sleep deprivation, immune system discovered
Another great health benefit from snacking on almonds
Slow cooker boeuf bourguignon (printed this one!)
BEST Halloween decoration ever! Turning your quadcopter into a flying ghost
A step towards early Alzheimer diagnosis 
I'm so sad!  The "Moonstruck" Cammareri Bakery files for bankruptcy!
Knowing when your book is finished


Have a wonderful weekend!
Don't forget to enter the G.H. Cretors Gourmet Popcorn Giveaway!

friday links

Happy Friday!

Krusteaz sent a few samples of their yummy products!
Have you tried them?
I know their pancakes mix is one of my favorites.
And their Molten Deep Dish Cookie mixes which I loved (see post here) as they are so easy to mix up and kick up with your favorite add ins.

Which Krusteax mix one should I make first?
And how should I kick it up?
Tell me!

pumpkin baking humor--love this!

Next time you go to Chipotle and you get the bagged chips, saturate the chips with chipotle tabasco
sauce, and shake bag.  It is so good!  I also heard adding a touch of honey tastes good too.

Sweet Cravings by Kyra Bussanich-- the first gluten free winner of Cupcake Wars has her first
cookbook out.  And boy did this one not disappoint at all.
This is the cookbook I would buy if I had time to go to a bookstore and shop! Amazing recipes!
I hard a really hard time believing this whole cookbook was gluten free.
Some Recipes inside Sweet Cravings:
classic cream puffs
mexican chocolate baked alaska
champagne cupcakes
persian love cakes w/ cardamom buttercream
eggnog cupcakes
peanut butter truffle crispy rice bars
espresso scones
beer bread
and so much more....all gluten free!

Sneak peak of what's inside: lemon poundcake

I skipped work one day last week to go surfing, and it was amazing.
Water temp about 62 degrees, a bit chilly, but the sun is still fairly strong.
I refuse to let go of summer!
Can you see the seal? Right in the middle?  They are harmless and LOVE to have the company of
people swimming with them.  It's the sharks we have to look out for. But most of them have left.


Mmmm dinner!

Isn't that pretty?  This is Chatham, to the left of chatham fish pier, a great place to go clamming.
In the distance is part of the nauset seashore.

Dairy Queen in south yarmouth. One never knows what he'll post next....

Around the Web:

want souvenirs from a place you've never been?
8 foods even the experts won't eat!
world's most dramatic (and dangerous!!) runways (this was awesome)
your brain on potato chips
best lunch containers for soup (be careful of plastics BPA)
understand nightmares through psychology
the daily routine of the worlds most creative minds
crazy-rich serbian bachelor looking for a bride (I'm sorry this is hilarious)
most expensive halloween costumes
watch an art restoration of a jackson pollock
a fighter in the wind--norman paraisy (love the dedication they do to keep their bodies in top shape)
how flaming hot Cheetos came to be
volunteer for space travel study?
new test for down syndrome
VERY creative! 8 things to carve instead of pumpkins!
my favorite 10-minute morning wake up routine
pumpkin spice crumbcake (paleo)
granny kat's pumpkin roll
can you juice in a blender?
vietnamese coffee tart
wonderful film from Give Back Films about giving $100 to random homeless people
slow cooker recipes & tips from whole foods
31 soup recipes that crock!
how to look more awake! let me know if this works!
make 3D floor plans with your smartphone
researchers find neural activity in brain region that plays a role in recognizing faces

Have a wonderful weekend!

friday links

Happy Friday!

I was asked recently to try G.H. Cretors gluten free AND GMO free popcorn.
How could I ever say no?

My stars, this popcorn is AMAZING.
I'll have you know they sent me 5 full size bags and within one day 3 bags were gone.
It's that good.
They have caramel corn and cheesy corn.
But wait!
They have the Chicago Mix which is both flavors in one bag.
Insanely good.  You will never go back to any other bagged popcorn again.
Best parts?
GMO free
Gluten free
and all natural ingredients, no chemicals, no crap, no fillers.  Thank you!
Where can you find them?  Click here.
And you can also order online at ghcretors.com 



Seriously, the best cheese popcorn I've ever had (and no crap or chemicals in there).
Stay tuned!
They've agreed to a giveaway!
And right now they are having a giveaway on their Facebook page.
Go enter!

My last ice cream of the season. Everyone is closing up shop. I'm sad. I want summer back.

From Twin Acres in Sandwich, MA.

My tater tot.
I know, I try and stay away from cheesy pet photos, but come on, look at that face!

Have you seen this at Trader Joe's?
GAH!
Don't buy it--it's so good!

Let's be honest, most of the Trader Joe salads and sushi are horrid, but this salad was pretty good,
and is my latest crush.  What makes it is that peanut dressing.

My latest crush.
My current handbag is falling apart; I am almost to the point of using tape. Sad.
This bag from Burberry. Way out of my price range, but isn't she pretty?

Cookbook find of the week: The Sardinian Cookbook
A great little cookbook of some the best Sardinian recipes, perfect for upcoming winter.

A little sneak peak. Really good recipes inside.  Nothing too crazy or complicated to make.


My friend Heather from Sprinkle Bakes made this corpse bride blue velvet cake with tutorial.
Her talent is astounding. Look at the details!

Love lofthouse style cookies? Ever have them done in a peanut butter version?
Me either.
Head over to Averie Cooks and see how!

Around the Web:

Vegan Nutella?  Why yes please.
Buttermilk chocolate chip crumb cupcakes -- Hello!
Sometimes people are really cruel (be nice to people)
Great smoothie recipe, I tried this but used kale instead of spinach.
Apple cider pancakes--I mean it's Fall right?
What I wish everyone knew about Parkinson's Disease (very informative)
Health benefits of berries. I can attest to this as I do eat 2 cups of berries (raw) 5 days a week
BUT they left out overall body inflammation
The authors that wrote at "standing desks"? (I just loved reading this)
Bicoastal cookie!
Lobmyer experimental sweet factory (art made out of sweets), kind of cool.
Get your toasted pita ready: thai red curry pumpkin hummus
Increase your serotonin with these foods
Waffle baked grilled cheese sandwich
The 2013 Carnegie International Art Museum is open!
You can now make your own Gorditas!
I just love her food blog: creme fraiche, cornmeal & pumpkin coffee cake
Trim your own hair. I am so guilty of doing this the wrong way. Here's the right way.
True Love. (get your Kleenex out)
Power breakfast for your heart. (Love Dr. Weil).
Telekinetic Coffee Shop!
9 items a foodie should always pack while traveling
You should learn more about the MANY health benefits of sea vegetables
Pumpkin donut holes stuffed w/ cream cheese
How to tell if an egg is bad before/after cracking it?
Pumpkin Cake in the shape of a pumpkin (a lot easier than I thought)
11 year old Sean Lew with incredible dance moves and plays it smart by keeping himself in the front of the dance line.
Acorn squash & pecan waffles
How to make cut flowers last
I do this! It has helped my compressed back! The 10-minute morning wake-up sequence
Blocking sugar intake can reduce cancer risk & progression
Lofthouse style pumpkin cookies
Hiker finds over $300,000 worth of treasure in The Alps
Gah!  PizzaCroissants!
Pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies
Pumpkin-browned butter & malt donuts!
8 yoga poses to help with cervical spine & neck issues (already printed these out)
Drive for a cure. God Bless you Steve & Hope Dezember; may you never lose your DRIVE.
I love one-pan easy pasta dishes. This one from Martha.
Tomato-mustard tart (from clotide dusoulier)
Lack of sleep negatively affects weight loss
Pumpkin s'mores bars
What are flavonoids?
How to organize those annoying plastic food containers!
How to deal with people who make your workplace difficult
Malaria vaccine on the way? (let's hope so)
Fall Foliage travel guide (I think this is the peak weekend, right?)
And check out the newest (and funniest) daddy blogger: Daddy Scratches.com (HILARIOUS!)

Massachusetts Residents!
Please help us spread the word about repealing the Mass Gas Tax.
If they get enough signatures we can repeal this.
Did you know that the Mass Gas Tax is set to automatically go up for the next 3 years?
Yes, sad but true. Please visit this website, find out how to add your signature and let's get rid
of this stupid law.
tankthegastax.org

Have a wonderful weekend!

friday links

Happy Friday kids!

Been spending as much time as I can at the beach swimming, surfing, etc...
Our weather here on cape cod has been amazing; non-stop sun for weeks on end.
We got very lucky this summer with abundant sunshine.
You need to see the beauty....

Love to see surfboards...I feel at home.

Surfer girls waiting on swells (waves).

Not a great day for surf BUT a perfect day for stand up paddleboard.
I'm saving my money for a new stand up board!
Hopefully next summer I'll have a new board!

Can you see the seal on the left side (middle)?

Ben & Jerry's has a new flavor: pumpkin cheesecake. I don't need to tell you how good it is right?

The pumpkin bread mix from Trader Joe's is REALLY good.

These are ok. What I love is the price, far cheaper than others.

These pumpkin-like blondies weren't that good.
Didn't taste like pumpkin, tasted like a spiced candle.
Strange.

Was asked to create a couple recipes for Kretschmer.
Any suggestions?
Kretschmer is an original superfood

"163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes". A cookbook for Paleo AND a slowcooker?
Yes please!  Being able to keep the paleo eating going strong through the winter with this wonderful
cookbook. 

"163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes" is loaded with creative Paleo recipes just for your slow
cooker.

Around the web:

s'mores swirl brownies
croque monsieur sliders!  Must make these!
oatmeal-cherry jam bars
pumpkin beers to try this Fall
15 tips to naturally balance your hormones (good advice, especially #6 and #12)
Do you suffer from IT Band Syndrome? It might be your posture!
gluten free buckeye brownies!
5-minute DIY herb facial.  Who knew it could be this easy?
when bacteria fights back: Q&A on the rising threat of drug-resistant microbes
mini pumpkin pie slice cookies (the best cookie decorating site)
cheeseburgers with mac & cheese buns!
why is my quinoa bitter?
the best anti-aging strategies are free
taste-test: nut milks from Three Trees
forks, knives & beakers: harold mcgee starts off his series at Harvard on cooking & science
tips for using apple cider in your baking
coconut chicken fingers (kicked up but still easy to make)
just in time for winter: turmeric tea
I LOVE butterscotch in pies.
chicken pot pie in whole wheat crust
simple homemade chicken soup: these are the kind of recipes I love
is there a website that reviews candy? YES. The candyblog.net
some of the most creative pumpkin recipes I've seen (thanks Kevin!)
DIY fresh ginger syrup. Perfection!
white chicken chili
now this is my kind of granola: homemade gingerbread granola
apple-cream cheese pie--what's not to love about this?
almond butter rice krispie treats! (bookmarked)

Books I'm swooning over:


I could easily become a master in french eating.
Mastering the art of french eating.


David's new book My Paris Kitchen is coming out soon!

Have a wonderful weekend!