Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! It's been such a busy week. I'm so exhausted. But I know, we only have a month left...of all this craziness! I can make it. Until then, I'm going to enjoy my mid afternoon...little naps.

I just can't get over the fact, that this is the last Friday of the month. Where did September go? I feel like, Summer just started. And you know what...Fall is halfway over! So let's get started with this week's Friday Favorites.

 1. Flu Shots. They are not my favorite. And how much do you want to bet...I'll still get the flu. But with my Momma's health issues...it's a necessary. Much like when my Dad was sick.

So Friday I took my Mom to the dentist. And while I wanted to have my teeth cleaned too, I needed to be with my Momma. So she had her teeth looked at. We spent a couple of hours there. And on the way out...they got me!

The guy was a student from UNM. And was very gentle. But my arm is still sore. And I think it will be for a few days. On a side note...I've been feeling a little under the weather all week. But a gal has to do, what a gal has to do! Side note, Adam you put my bandaid on...upside down!

 2. Beautiful Sunsets. I had to go run a couple of errands Friday evening. My Momma was a little tired from the early morning. She's not really used to getting up, before 9 or 10AM. 

So when I left the house, it was drizzling a bit. And there was this beautiful sunset. This picture, doesn't even begin to show the beauty in the sky. Gosh, I LOVE southwestern skies!

I've traveled so much in my life. For work and training. I've seen so many sunrises and sunsets. But nothing at all, compares to out our New Mexico skies!

 3. Mason Jar Flowers. On Saturday, we got the bad news. Our Growers' Market neighbors were calling it quits. For the season. Saturday was their last day. I know...we only have about 6 weeks left. But still, I'm going to miss Tita and her momma!

Their flowers are ALWAYS a bright spot, in our Saturday mornings! And from time to time, I've bought arrangements. Gosh, I just adore them! I told her, if I ever get married or have a Baby Shower...she's doing the flowers!

I'm going to miss her. Just like we miss the ladies of What the Fudge. You get to be a family. I mean, we are around each other from April to November. But there is a 95% chance, I'm going to use Mason Jar Flowers and What the Fudge in our next fundraiser. I'm just so happy, that we met these new friends.

 4. Coffee Runs. So on Sunday we decided to meet some other Growers' Market friends. Framily is what I call them. But honestly, they've become our family. My Mom and I were going to go have a breakfast burrito. And we stopped by Starbucks on the way. To use up some of those $75 worth of gift cards. Neither of us were impressed with our selections that day. Back to iced tea and cake pops for both of us. Those fancy drinks...just don't do it!

But our friends had done a catering job the night before. And were EXHAUSTED!!! So I offered to go grab some coffee. I went to McDonald's. Dang, the line was forever! But when I got back everyone seemed happy! My Mom and I stayed for the entire market. Just to help out. Really, if we could have, we would have sent them home for a nap.

Even if I don't like to drink coffee, darn I like to smell it! I LOVED how the car held on to the aroma for about 2 days. And because it was McDonald's coffee, I thought of my Dad. Most of all, I enjoyed hanging out with our friends. :)

 5. Fall Clothes. I have been watching the weather...like my life depends on it. For the last 2 weeks. In anticipation, of Fall like weather. Finally, Sunday showed some promise.

And I dug it all out! Sweaters, scarves, and boots. I Just adore a big 'ol sweater. One that is soft and snuggly. My Mom originally bought this for my sister. And then realized it was a little too small. When we went to exchange it last year...I somehow ended up with it. I'm not complaining!

From now on, I can tell you one thing. Every single day, I'll be searching out the perfect scarf. You know, for my outfit. I LOVE Scarf Season! It's just the best time of year!

 6. Homemade Waffles. So on Monday, I decided to make waffles. I've been thinking about waffles for weeks now! The thing is, I don't like to eat them, when we go out. They're never crisp enough. And lack flavor.

So I dug out the waffle iron, and got busy. By the time my Mom and the dogs woke up, I had a stack of waffles. And some bacon. I also cut up some fruit. It was so delicious.

And our dogs got the first 2 waffles. A lot like pancakes, those first 2 aren't the best. So it's their treat for the week. My Mom was really excited too. I'm thinking blueberry waffles will be next. I just bought a HUGE container of blueberries.

 7. Cooking Bug. It must be the cooler temps. Or even Fall. But I've got that cooking bug. I've wanted to cook and bake all week! On Monday I made chicken fajitas. They were so yummy! Even if I ate by myself.

Is anyone else like that? I feel like maybe I care a bit more in the cooler months. I want to be cooking, Caring more about my clothes, hair, and makeup. It's like in the Summer, it's just too hot. And uncomfortable. You just don't care.

But when the cooler temps roll in, I'm ready to go again. And I'm ready to feed everyone and anyone. Seriously! I've got a HUGE list of things I want to try out. And not just for us. But for our dogs...

 8. Hibiscus. My LOVE of jamaica or hibiscus started when I was a freshmen in college. We will blame that on my violin teacher. Also on my friend Sancho. Both would bring me Jamaica tea. At my violin lessons, Mariachi rehearsals, anytime we'd see each other.

I don't know where it had been all my life. Or how, it took until college for me to find this tea. Before I knew it, I was looking for anything Jamaica. Ice cream, Aguas Frescas, candy...anything!

Then my friend Tino started making these Aguas Frescas. Watermelon Hibiscus. You need help selling? And I get one of those. No problem! I turned into a real addict. It was even better than the tea, that I had grown to love. This week, while we were helping him at an event...he made an Agua Fresca that was just Jamaica. It was love at first taste! I wonder if I can get him to make me, an entire jug, just for myself. :)

 9. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. So I promised our friends cinnamon rolls. A few weeks ago. Maybe a couple of months ago. And all sorts of stuff has happened. The yeast I bought...wasn't active. I tried proofing it at least 5 times. Then I just didn't have time. But the worst part, is when I lost my Grandma's recipe.

Ugh! So I asked my cousin. And my Auntie. And I searched for it. No luck. So I started researching recipes. I thought about my Grandma's recipe. And eventually came up with my own recipe. It made 4 dozen? With the crispy end pieces. Half the rolls had pecans...the other half were the traditional kind.

So yummy! There are a few changes I'm going to make to this recipe. Then I'll try it again. But I really liked the recipe. The dough was AMAZING to work with! It would make amazing LARGE cinnamon rolls. I'm going to try that next time. Bonus, the dough wasn't yeast-y tasting. Do you know what I mean? I HATE when you can really taste the yeast.

The one thing that I was not completely happy with, was the icing. I tripled it, and still found that it wasn't quite enough. I want to try a cream cheese icing next time. Something not so sweet.

And then, I've been dreaming of Fall like flavors. Pumpkin, pecans, sweet potatoes. Who knows, what I'm going to come up with. But I love to bake for other people. And everyone loves a good cinnamon roll. I tell you, if I ever get married...my husband is going to weigh so much. Because I LOVE to cook!

10. Green Chili Stew. Our friend offered to make us green chili stew. On Tuesday we saw Landis. And he wasn't feeling very well. But he wanted to cook for us. So he told us, we'd have breakfast on Wednesday. Didn't I tell you, we all become family.

On Wednesday, the weather was horrible! Raining, windy, cold as heck! So I didn't expect Landis to really show up. I had warm cinnamon rolls to hand out. And not many vendors to hand them out to.

We stood around, debating if we were going to be staying. My Mom sat in the car. About 5 of us, stood outside. Looking at the sky. Eating. And debating. Finally we decided to set up the farmers. 

I figured we'd just head home. My Mom and I. After we set up our friends. Then my Mom came to tell us, Landis was on his way. With stew. I LOVE green chili stew! So we stayed. And I'm glad we did. 

We got a yummy breakfast. It wasn't chili hot. But had a nice flavor. We ended up taking the leftovers home. And snacking on it, for the last few days. We also managed to help our friends, sell a bit of their produce. Being a farmer, has to be tough!

11. Finding Fabric. Buying fabric should be an art...all by itself! We've been hunting down that skull fabric, for well over a month! Our friend ordered an apron, with this fabric. He saw the ladies' apron that we had. But darn, it is hard to find this fabric! I cannot even begin to tell you, just how many stores we've been to. 

When I was talking to his daughter, she mentioned liking owls and peacocks. So when we stumbled on the skulls, I started digging. My Mom and I were half frozen from being outside at the Growers' Market. But this was a good find! Now to make the aprons. 

On another note...still skull related...I found some skull leggings. I've been hunting for them. For at least 2 weeks. We found my Mom a pair. But not me. Until Wednesday morning. I'm so excited!

12. Rain Puddles. It rained All. Day. Long. WEDNESDAY! When we got home, I took a nap. My sleep has been so off lately. I'm up all night. And crash hard, about noon. Sometimes I make it to 2PM. Then I sleep for 6 or 8 hours.

It's a horrible cycle. Rainy and overcast days don't help either. I was so exhausted on Wednesday. The weather just helped my napping. So did puppy cuddles. :)

But it rained and rained and rained. This was the street Thursday morning. We were still getting sprinkles. But the county came out to pump the water. Do you see the size of that truck? They took 6 truck loads of water...and it looked like they hadn't taken a gallon! Ugh!

But that is our situation. We desperately need the water. But sometimes, it's a little much. Like this week. And it doesn't seem to be letting up. It looks like we're about to get rained on...at the Downtown Growers' Market. I just hope it's not too much.

I also hope, they come and pump some more water. Our yard is mostly grass and sand. So we don't have the HUGE puddles. But the street is another story. And the way some people drive...

We have a crazy busy weekend. I'm not sure how we're going to fit it all in. But we'll try. Girls' Night, Growers' Markets, birthday parties, get togethers, and fundraisers. That's part of being from a Big 'Ol Family. But it is always a lot of fun.

Most of all, I'm anxious to see my sister. We've been so busy lately, that we haven't been able to meet up. And soon, she is headed to the East Coast. So you know, we need to find some time. Hope you had a good week. Happy Friday!

XOXO,

Desiree

Friday Favorites

And just like that, another week is in the books! How in the world, does Friday come so fast? This has been a week filled with friends, food, and lots of puppy cuddles!

Oh, and Happy September! I'm so excited to start decorating for Fall. Now I'm just waiting for the temps to start dropping. You know, so I can pull out my sweaters and boots. And start my Fall baking too. Yum!

Time to link up, with some of my favorite blogs. And highlight my week. It's been a full one. And one, that I didn't take many pictures. So this will be interesting...

 1. Cute Pups. Yup, it's been a fun week with these two. I've not been feeling well. Since Monday! Ugh! Hate when that happens. So I've spent lots of time, cuddling up, with my 2 favorite furry pals. It's been amazing!

 2. Handmade Gifts. And the special little girls, that go with them. One of my good friends, has the cutest granddaughter ever! So cute, she makes my uterus ache. OMG! If I could have one, just like her...I'd already be a Momma.

Anyway, it was her birthday a few weeks ago. And they invited us to her party. But that also happened to be, when I hurt my back. So we didn't go. And her present sat around our living room. Until I saw it Friday. And thought, her baby doll could use a little blanket.

I might have also heard, from a little birdie, that Sierra loves her baby dolls. And her purses. So I made her a matching purse. But failed to take a pic. All is good. Sweet girl, is having fun with her presents!

 3. Birthday Parties. Sweet Gabi, had her birthday party on Saturday. We rushed to pack up our shenanigans, at the Growers' Market. And headed to Peter Piper's. Time to celebrate!

A total bonus, getting to meet her cutie patootie baby brother! If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw his adorable picture. Oh my goodness! Sweet baby overload. I was dying! He is so cute!

We definitely enjoyed ourselves. And it was nice to have a cool place, to relax. After the Market. The best part, they sent us all home, with full bellies. And HUGE goodie bags. Yum, those treats were delish!

 4. Sunday Morning Shenanigans. We decided on Wednesday, to meet some friends. For breakfast burritos. Made by our other friend, Tino. And before heading to the park, my Mom and I stopped by Starbucks.

We have at least $60 in giftcards. And never go. Because I don't like coffee. But my friends have been raving about Starbucks tea. Ever since my favorite sugary drinks, were retired...I've avoided the place. But I'm in love with this tea! Like, can I go get another right this second?

And those burritos? They were so good! And HUGE! If you're local, and looking for a yummy breakfast on Sunday mornings...head to the Mile Hi Growers' Market. You will not be disappointed. Bonus, they have fresh agua frescas. And so much yummy produce!

 5. Green Chili. You can't be a true New Mexican, and not love the smell of green chili. Better yet, green chili roasting! I'm determined to take a video, of my friends roasting chili. Every single time, that roaster goes on, my brain goes nuts. And I forget all about the video.

For real, it's the first real sign, that Fall is on the way! I wish I could somehow bottle up the smell. You know, the way you want to bottle up the newborn baby smell. Or the new car smell.

Yeah, it's that good. Even better, a piece of hot chili, on a fresh tortilla. I swear to you, my mouth is watering right this second. Just thinking of it all! If you're looking for local green chili, let me know. I know a farmer!

 6. Good Views and Great Friends. So our Farmer friend has needed a little help lately. And since we don't have much else going on, we've been traveling around the city. Helping out wherever we can. My favorite spot this week? Right here. At the Presbyterian Admin Building. The view is AMAZING!

I mean, there are other Markets that I like much more. But this view. You can't beat it! In the middle of town, and you look up, to see these beautiful mountains. Such a blessing!

The crazy jokes all morning, were a total bonus! And hanging out with a bunch of friends, made for the best day! Even with everything going on in our lives, it is such a blessing, to be in this circle of friends. Helping out, when and where we can!

 7. Dark Chocolate. I think I forgot how much I LOVE these Midnight Milky Way bars. Seriously! Dark chocolate has my heart. But it can be bitter. These bars, are everything that I LOVE about dark chocolate.

And while we were all barely surviving the Wednesday Growers' Market...my Mom went on a little adventure. Returning with some sugary fuel. To get us to the magical hour of 1PM. When we pack up.

This was the best snack! And I'm adding these bad boys, to my grocery list. The little ones. Because a gal can never have too much chocolate. Especially dark chocolate!

 8. Food On The Go. Remember how I said, we've been on the go? Helping a friend. Well, on Thursdays, we head to the park. To help at another Growers' Market. It's super busy. And is right at dinner time.

So my Mom decided to cook for us. I literally had 5 people follow me. As I pushed this down the sidewalk. The makings of Indian Tacos. After the big rush of people,  we took turns having dinner. Nothing like sharing food, with good friends. Total bonus, was watching Miss Sierra tear into the beans. I should have gotten a picture!

People just don't understand, how you become a family. I mean, we are with each other at least 5 or 6 months out of the year. You see your friends, a few times a week. They give you food. You cook for them. You spend hours talking, laughing, and just hanging out together. Playing with the kiddos. Getting invested, in their family. So blessed, to have this Framily! Up next...homemade cinnamon rolls!

 9. Celebrate 31. That's right, I finally got to sit down...and enjoy some ice cream. Baseball nut to be exact. My favorite! Darn it was so good! And a nice way, to end our Thursday evening.

My parents just adored ice cream. I swear to you, they'd go eat ice cream every single night. During the Summer. And it didn't matter where. Sonic, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, Baskin Robbins, in Old Town. They love the stuff!

So it's nice to take my Mom out now. And we got to reminisce about my Dad. While my Mom enjoyed her Butter Pecan. It's ALWAYS butter pecan. No matter what! If I buy ice cream at the store, there better be butter pecan and strawberry.

10. Hurricane Harvey. My heart has been a mess, all week long! I posted about it, yesterday. I've watched the coverage all week. Seriously, while I was curled up with my pups, I was watching the coverage. It didn't matter what channel...I was watching.

My heart, was so full yesterday. Watching everyone donate during ABC's Day of Giving. And reading all the awesome emails, from so many people. It just inspired me so much!

Stay tuned, to Two Crafty Hearts next week. I've been working on items. And hope to post them, on Friday. If you are local, I will pick a place...the following week to meet. If you purchase anything. And if you are not in the Albuquerque area, I'll be charging for shipping. Via USPS.

That's it, for last week. Mostly selling at various Growers' Markets. Lots of eating. And even more resting. Hoping this week, that I start to feel better. I have so much to do! And this weekend, we have a packed schedule. 5 parties on Sunday. Let's see what we can accomplish! Happy Friday!

XOXO,
Desiree