Way More than Five Friday Favorites

Hello, friends. I had this all set to go up yesterday, but Wednesday night was the kind of rough that would obviously carry into yesterday, so I figured we could start fresh on a Friday. And, yeah, that was vague, so allow me to explain.

Right as I was about to start getting ready for bed on Wednesday night, I got a message from Rediate to our high school friend group chat with a link to the Columbus Dispatch’s website: “Is this {insert old friend name here}?” 

I clicked on the link and read the article, but it had no identifying information, so I had exactly zero idea how she had gathered that it was our friend. She clarified that she’d found the link on another one of our friends’ Facebook posts, with the original post a “keep my friend in your prayers” variety indicating that it was indeed our friend.

After conferring with a bunch of other mutual friends, we realized that, yes, a good friend we’d fallen out of touch with and her older brother were stabbed in their home, apparently by someone they didn’t know, and in critical condition. As of now, from the limited and filtered information we have, it looks like her brother will probably be okay, but she’s in worse shape. So. Let’s just say it’s been a rough 36 hours, and I’ve felt sick to my stomach for pretty much all of them.

And all that being said, I didn’t really feel like sharing a post of all of my recent favorite things with you yesterday. Not very much felt like my favorite yesterday. I can’t say I feel tons more like it today, but after a large amount of chocolate and carbs – the only things I could stomach the thought of yesterday – I at least feel like these are some of my favorite things again.

Since I haven’t done one of these for a while, I’m going to break it into categories and I’ll try not to be too lengthy in my explanations. I love a lot of things.

Foods

Okey dokey. First, I would like to say that the green grapes I got on an $0.88/pound sale at Fresh Thyme last week are remarkable. Grapes are something that I always enjoy immensely when I eat them, but I never actually think to eat them. I bought them for my dad, and then I plowed through the bag because they were excellent. So, if you never eat green grapes, maybe get some. Or maybe I was just lucky. Up to you!

Next up are Perfect Bars. To be fair, I’ve loved them forever (hi, it’s like eating a block of salty-sweet nut butter… count me in always), but I only buy like two a month because they are a stupid price. I don’t want to pay $3 (okay, $2 at Trader Joe’s if your TJ’s has them) for 1 minute of yum. But I had to cave to try the new flavors! Because duh. 

And I would like you to know that they are wonderful. The Chocolate Walnut Brownie is suuuuper chocolatey and the Mocha Chip (because, yes, now I kind of like coffee) has a little hit of bitter coffee plus is suuuuper chocolatey. Dead. 

If you read my last post, you’ll also know I’ve been cutting out back the Diet Coke. It was going well until it wasn’t. You know. But a thing that has been really helpful for me in that respect is kombucha. I definitely don’t have it every day – maybe 3 bottles a week – but it’s tangy and delicious and distracts me from the fact that, however much I try to deny it, I do like Diet Coke a whole lot.

GT’s is my favorite brand because they’re not too sweet at all, and I love any flavor that’s super ginger-y the most (also Lemonade!), but I’ve also never tried one I didn’t like.

The lighting is awful, but the cake is anything but. I first experienced the carrot cake at Columbus Fish Market last fall before I left for Europe, and it totally had to be my birthday dessert. My dad and I split three layers at dinner, and I finished off the last four later that night. Sorry not sorry.

And this was my birthday lunch! Sweet Carrot is a new-to-Columbus restaurant, and I love it a whole lot. I get the baby kale salad with different meats! The salad comes with a tasty slaw (I usually hate creamy slaw, but this is fab) and creamy, spicy corn salsa (not usually huge on corn either, but this tastes so fresh), plus barbeque sauce and your choice of meat. I’ve had the smoked turkey and the pulled pork, and I don’t think you can go wrong with either. Also, since I was with my mom, we split fried mac & cheese balls with a bunch of sauces. I’m not a huge pasta person (…are you wondering why I even order anything here if I don’t usually like it?), but fried mac & cheese does not require you to love pasta. It just requires you to love yourself. Basically, these are insane and I love them.

Fried mac & cheese doesn't require you to love pasta. It just requires you to love yourself. (Plus more life updates and recent loves!) #favorites #fitfluential Share on X

A few weeks ago, we were near Jeni’s, and we’d had a brunch too late to get real lunch if we wanted to be hungry for dinner, so we had to get ice cream. That’s how that works. I got frosé (!!!) and a coconut milk-based dark chocolate truffle. Both were incredible.

I am very, very into caramel-y baked sweet potatoes, too. But that’s kind of an always thing for me.

Recipes

I am not usually a cake person (ignore my carrot cake love above) because it’s usually too fluffy and tastelessly-sweet. BUT I do make exceptions for flavorful, dense, yummy cake.

I made this cake from Ambitious Kitchen at the beginning of my birthday week (except in a 9×13 pan because I am far too lazy to make a layer cake just for me and my parents), and it was ALL of the yummy. So dense and chocolatey, and while I’m also not usually a frosting person (too sweet, not flavorful enough – yes, I’m obnoxious), this two-ingredient chocolate and coconut cream frosting is my new favorite thing ever. EVER.

Also, I alternate(ish) between baking paleo treats and regular ones, and I don’t make a big deal of either. I just let people eat them and like them or not. Usually, a paleo baked good gets a, “This is good. Is it paleo?” because my dad can tell. It’s fine – there is generally a texture difference, I’ll grant that. This got no such comments. He was surprised! It’s great for regular cake. And easy! Make it! Love it!

I don’t have pictures of many other recent recipe faves, because it was so dark at dinner for so long, but I do have a list of yummy things I’ve made!

• Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw – I’m too lazy to blend the sauce ingredients in a food processor, so I just mix them all together by hand. It works.
• Spicy Cajun Fish Tacos with Blood Orange Slaw – I’m sure it works with regular oranges now that the blood ones are pretty much gone till next winter!
• Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos – Why, yes, we did have different types of tacos every night for a week. How did you guess?
• Homemade Paleo Dark Chocolate Twix Bars – This will embarrassingly be a surprise to my parents. I made these and hid them in the freezer and kept them for myself because they are too good to share. They didn’t really last long, even though I was the only eater of them. Judge. Away. 

Books & Media

The reading habit has gone bye-bye for now because of sports and Game of Thrones. But… we’re almost done with Game of Thrones. I am incredibly sad about this. I think we have six episodes left, and I really just want to watch it all over again (but slower this time). It’s so good!

That said, I’m loving Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook. I’ve had it for ages and not used it because there is a whole internet of yummy recipes and using a hard copy cookbook felt limiting. I don’t get me, either. I made the tortillas in it the other night and, well, game-changer. Do you know how expensive paleo tortillas are? Also, as much as I love Siete, these were super easy to  make and more like real tortillas. Don’t worry. Still totally buying Siete chips forever. They are crack.

Also, I just got Jessica’s The Pretty Dish this week, and it’s stunning. I want to make everything, especially Frozen Avocado Margaritas!

Plus a few good (quicker) reads!

• Wtf. (Also, Jenna is a lovely Instagram follow!) –> People Keep Telling This Woman Her Husband Is “Too Hot” for Her
• Diabetes you don’t know about. –> When You Get Type 1 Diabetes as an Adult
• Perspective. –> Eat the Damn Cookie
• Not short, but entertaining & simple. –> The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have about Eating Right

Wearable things

I’m obsessed with my BlankNYC Life Changer Moto Jacket. My grandparents gave it to me for Christmas, and someone compliments it literally every time I wear it. It’s an ego boost and a conversation-starter, which I love because I am hopelessly awkward. I feel 300% cooler in it, and it was definitely time for an update from my very-cheap fake leather jacket that I’d had since middle school (I’m embarrassed for me, too) and noticed was peeling a few months ago. I was like, “Where is all this dirt on my bag coming from?” and I realized it was flakes of my jacket. Yep.

I am also in love with this beautiful Michael Kors purse that I got for $50 thanks to sales and coupons. Mine is in soft pink, and I know you can’t tell in this picture, but trust me; the outside lighting was too harsh, too. It’s so pretty!

I am also currently loving every face mask ever. Actually, no. I’m not that into sheet masks. I like creams and powders and clay, though. Is it just me, or do face masks make you feel like you’re fixing all of your problems, whether they’re skin-related or not? Right? You get it. Some of my faves are this one, this one, and this one!

Miscellaneous

This could probably fall under the media category, but I’m making it a separate thing. The Blue Jackets are playing so well! After a (long, painful) stretch where they could score a maximum of two goals and were mostly scoring one and seemingly hoping for the best, they’re scoring like crazy and winning like crazy. Hip hip hooray! This (most likely) means playoffs!

I love getting rid of stuff. Don’t mistake this for me being a minimalist (I always want another shirt, dress, or pair of workout pants). Still, if I’m going to have a lot of things, I want them to be things I love. Anyway, I’ve been getting rid of all sorts of my old things and my parents’ old things, and it makes me strangely happy to throw stuff away. Whatever works, right?

And last but not least, all of you are my favorites! My family! My friends! My invisible internet friends! My dog! I love you always. Thanks for making me feel loved. 

Your turn:

What are you loving lately?

What’s something really good happening to you right now? I want to celebrate with you!