baci' baking - Zucchini Bread

My mother and father-in-law grow tons of zucchini in their garden, so I thought I'd take a stab at making some zucchini bread and it turned out so delicious that I thought I'd share the recipe I used. My trusty Better Homes and Gardens Limited Edition "Pink Plaid" New Cook Book was just the help I need to make my first ever batch of zucchini bread :)

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1 beaten egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside.

2) In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

3) In another medium bowl, combine egg, sugar, zucchini and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture (pour into well). Stir with wooden spoon just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

4) Bake in oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes One Loaf (16 servings)

Handpicked - Banana Republic New Fall Arrivals

Banana Republic is my favorite go-to store (and the hubby's, too!) - so I thought I'd choose my favorite pieces from their New Fall Arrivals. I love the warm textures and saturated tones they have for this windy-weather season!!

1) Wool Trenchcoat in Dark Loden - $230 (This deep green would be a great addition to my wardrobe!) 2) Martin Textured Flannel Trouser in Black Combo - $98 3) Helena Peep-toe Wedge in Saddle - $120 (I really might have to buy these - they are SO cute!) 4) Cap-sleeved Pintucked Silk Top in Irish Green - $60 5) Amalfi Cross-body Tote in Fog - $250 (Even the inside of this bag is gorgeous - it's a deep red cotton.) 6) Flannel Grey Military Jacket in Medium Charcoal - $152 7) Tiered Mini Dress in Sugar Plum - $152 (This dress would be the perfect outfit for our annual New Year's Eve Party - hmm. . .)

Sephora, My Current Wish List

I'm just going to come right out and say it - I love Sephora - there isn't a better place to shop and compare beauty products! Since I needed to shop on Sephora.com today anyway I thought it would be the perfect place to create a Friday Wish List from :) I already purchase my Purity Made Simple by Philosphy (I buy the BIG one because I love it so much) and the infamous Rosebud Salve (amazing lip gloss and great for the cuticles!), so why not talk about the things I've had my eye on. . .

1) Each time I go into a Sephora, I pick up the Bare Escentuals Tutorials: Smoky Eye Kit {$32) - I have no idea why I haven't bought it yet! 2) I got a sample of Missoni Acqua {$60 for 1.7 oz.} a while back and loved it so much that I hoarded my sister-in-law's samples, too! This is what I'll be replacing my every day Clinique Happy Heart with (it makes my mom sneeze and gives her a headache so I've decided to give it up for good because I've heard, "Amanda, you stink," enough times). 2) I've always wanted to try the Carol's Daughter product line and just the scent alone of the Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey {$15.50 for 8 oz.} has me intrigued. 3) To continue with love for the nose, I must try Philosophy's Pumpkin Spice Muffin Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath {$16 for 16 oz.}!! 4) Skyn Iceland's Pure Cloud Cream with Biospheric Complex makes your face actually feel like a smooth, soft cloud all day long! I received a sample and was in complete heaven, but at $75 for on 1.7 ounces it's a little too rich for my blood. Hence, the wish list :) 5) Yet another sample that I fell head over heels for, Bliss Naked Body Butter Lite {$29 for 8.5 oz.} is the perfect lightweight lotion. It moisturizes without leaving you sticky (which the husband seriously hates). 6) My friend, Lexy, is the Sephora Queen so when she whipped out crazylibellule and the poppies' Shanghaijava Ananas Imperial (yeah, try to say that twice), I just had to give it a whiff. This solid perfume is a fabulous light scent that is perfect to stow in your purse. It's totally affordable too at $18!

Kristen's Baby Shower | 09.13.09 {Akron, Ohio}

If you hadn't already figured it out with this week's "Handpicked" or all of my Twitter talk about babies, babies and more babies - Ilario's brother, Paolo, and his wife, Kristen, are having a baby and BOY (ha ha ha, it's a boy - I'm such a nerd, sorry) are we excited!! He's due October 10th, but can truly show up any time now.

Since it's their first baby my mother-in-law, Carmela, sister-in-law, Cathy, and I threw Kristen a baby shower with a surprise location on Sunday, September 13th. Since Kristen is vegan, we held the shower at Chrissie Hynde's vegan restaurant, Vegiterranean, here in downtown Akron. Can I just tell you they have quite possibly the MOST DELICIOUS food on the planet!!! I mean, seriously, I'm a meat-eating girl, but if I could eat like that every single day I wouldn't think twice about the juicy medium-rare filet mignon from Ruth's Chris (well maybe that's going a little far, but you see where I'm going here). The theme of the shower was "Jungle Chic" and coincidentally enough, Kristen and Paolo decided to decorate the nursery with a jungle theme as well when they had no idea what we were doing! You must check out the crib bedding they chose from Babies'R'Us - it will make you go "Aawwww", I promise!

Baci designed and printed all of the stationery for the big day - the peach zebra print and sage spotted giraffe were continued throughout all details. The giraffe even made a guest appearance on the back of the invitation envelope beside the return address.

Surprisingly enough, we were actually able to keep the location a secret! Kristen thought she knew, but since Vegiterranean is usually closed on Sundays, she was pretty confused :)

Matching Thank You Cards designed by baci.

The front of the invitation envelope mimicked the shape and design of the actual invitation. There's the little giraffe again beside the return address on the thank you envelope.

The gorgeous Daddy and Mommy-to-be, Paolo and Kristen. Isn't she just to-die-for with her little belly in that BCBG Snake-print Dress?!?! Hands down the cutest pregnant lady ever! Another coincidence: the building to the left of Paolo's head is the hospital where he was born. Crazy, huh? The photo on the right is the front of Vegiterranean - utterly modern and classy.

A shot of the guest table all set up before people start arriving.

A close-up of the place settings at each seat. Each guest was asked to fill out their address on the provided envelope to ease Kristen's thank you writing process. Also at each seat, an advice card for Paolo and Kristen, Baby Bingo and a candle favor.

The simple blue carnation centerpieces added a touch of "boy" to the shower.

Our favors were quite the collaboration effort, Cathy and our aunt, Teresa, decided that we should use baby food jars as candles then I ran with it creating the paper wrap and "baby boy" tag to match the theme. Cathy, my mother-in-law and I assembled each favor one afternoon - we had a blast until it came to putting on those darn beads! Let's just say they didn't want to cooperate :) It was truly worth the effort though - they turned out fabulous!

On the left, a close-up of the advice cards. I was inspired to create these "Mad-Lib" advice cards by a bridal shower note I found on 100 Layer Cake. It was so much fun to read what people wrote to fill in the blanks! On the right, the Baby Bingo winners went home with these gifts I put together from Bath & Body Works.

The absolutely adorable centerpiece for the head table - such a fun way to bring more "boy" into the shower! The mums Cathy bought were the perfect color, too.

A shot of the lovely ladies - everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Usually people dart out of showers as soon as they can, but everyone stuck around well past the end - it was fabulous!

And now for my labor of love - the vegan cupcakes!! I searched for the perfect recipe and, amazingly enough, found it on the first try. I wrote on each cupcake so they resembled little hostess cupcakes - they not only looked great, but were absolutely delicious to boot! A big thanks to the staff at Vegiterranean for the lovely presentation and to the lovely Lexy for taking the pics :)

A great final shot of all of us - Cathy, Kristen's Mom, Ann, Kristen, my mother-in-law, Carmela, and me!

Wedding Wednesday | A Twist on Fall Style

When people think of Fall weddings, they generally see dark colors or {gasp} pumpkins. While I have absolutely nothing against the traditional Fall style, today I'm exploring other options for the chilly weather wedding and it has everything to do with texture in papers, fabrics and flowers!

I have a deep love for Brown Kraft Paper (I even hand-stamped it to use as wrapping paper for my sister-in-law's baby shower), so why not wrap up your invitations for your big day in it and finish it off with some Sisal Twine? {Image from 100 Layer Cake}

This gorgeous Chantilly Lace dress is perfect for any season's wedding, but with the addition of the white wine-colored bow you have the most gorgeous Fall-worthy gown! {Image from Inspired by This}

This is quite possibly the most beautiful bouquet I have seen in my entire life. By JL Designs for the e-zine Utterly Engaged, this bouquet of ranunculus, blushing bride protea and scabiosa pods has just the perfect texture.

There's no question that these wool vests are great for a Fall (or even winter) wedding and I just can't get enough of these fabric boutonnieres! {Image by Ben Blood Photography, from 100 Layer Cake}

I first saw these breath-taking bridesmaid dresses over on the bobbi+mike blog in the post about nicole+andy's wedding. So, of course, I had to know who they were by. Image my surprise when the gorgeous Nicole told me they were from David's Bridal!! This jersey/charmeuse combo in latte is perfect for an Autumn wedding.

Oh, this just made me even more excited for the change in seasons!!!

baci's baking - Chimichurri Steaks with Rosemary Potatoes

Prepare a simple salad along with these steaks and potatoes for a full-fledged (delicious) meal!!

Chimichurri Steaks with Rosemary Potatoes

(Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Weeknight Cookbook)

Steak

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

3 T. fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

7 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 - 3/4 t. red pepper flakes

4 T-bone steaks (about 1 inch thick)

salt

Potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into wedges

1 T. minced rosemary

olive oil

salt

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Toss potato wedges with a little olive oil, rosemary and salt. Place in 9" x 13" pan. Roast in oven until tender - about 30 minutes.

3) In a food processor, combine oil, vinegar, oregano, parsley and garlic - process until finely chopped. Pour into a shallow glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold the steaks in a single layer and stir in the red pepper flakes to taste. Season the steaks with salt, then add them to the marinade and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, prepare a gas/charcoal grill for direct-heat grilling over high heat and oil the grill rack or preheat a broiler. When ready to cook, remove the steaks from the marinade. Place the steaks on the grill rack or put them on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Brush the steaks with the remaining marinade. Cook, carefully turning once, for about 8 minutes total for medium-rare or until done to your liking.

Serves 4.

Handpicked - Baby Wit

I just can't resist doing a post all about our nephew that's on his way! So I thought I would share some of the cutest things ever from my favorite place to shop for babies - Baby Wit. They have the hippest and most unique clothes for fashion-forward babies (which, of course, our nephew will be)!! Check out some of these must haves for new baby Cursaro. . .

1) This Lochness Monster Organic Onesie is my nod to How I Met Your Mother (which starts tonight - I'M SO EXCITED!!!) because you know, Nessie really does exist :) 2) My sister-in-law is vegan so I just know she'd love this Herbivore Onesie. 3) Aren't these Tattoo Slip-on Shoes the cutest, punkiest thing ever? 4) Ilario and I love Johnny Cash so we'd do anything to see the little guy in this Folsom Prison Onesie! 5) I couldn't resist these tiny Red Guitar Cotton Pants - can you imagine a tiny little diaper butt in them?!?!? Adorable! 6) This hand screened Garden Gnome Organic Onesie is just too cute. 7) This chocolate brown Puppy Love Onesie by Leia Bell makes me go "Ahhhhh!!".

Horchow, My Current Wish List

Remember the Barenaked Ladies song, "If I Had a Million Dollars"? Well, if I had a million dollars I would shop at Horchow!! Luxury is hardly even a grand enough word to describe all the goodness they have. So, if I had a million dollars I'd buy myself a sofa, an antique mirror (but not a real mirror, that's cruel), a pouffy quilt and a hot-to-trot chair!!

1) I would never leave the living room if this were mine - "Snow" Nailhead Sofa! 2) The "Antique White" Mirror would look stunning in my chocolate-walled office. 3) I'd be happy with any color of the Ankasa "Chelsea" Quilts. I think there would be a lot of jumping on the bed because they're so puffy and marshmallow-like! 4) Heavenly is the only word to describe the "Donovan" Wing Chair in turquoise leather. Talk about making a statement - OW! OW!

Even though these lovelies are well out of my price range - I could probably scrape together a few dollars for these gorgeous silver-plated Dessert Servers! LOVE THEM!!

Wedding Wednesday | Jenny & Mike 07.24.09 {Baton Rouge, Louisiana}

We first met Jenny and Mike at Erin and Marshall's September 2008 wedding. Mike and Marshall knew each other growing up, so Marshall chose Mike as a groomsmen.

When Ilario and I arrived in Michigan the day of the wedding all of the groomsmen were hanging out in the room we were sharing with our friends. So instead of me prepping around a bunch of men, Mike offered his room to me since his girlfriend (Jenny!) was getting ready in there, too. Jenny and I were friends at first sight - she's the sweetest southern Louisiana girl in the world, it's impossible not to love her!

Since Mike was part of the wedding and none of us knew very many guests, she, Ilario and I partied it up during the post-ceremony activities while Mike did his bridal party thing. Even then Jenny just knew she wanted me to do her wedding stationery - just as soon as Mike asked that is!

Well a few months passed and Jenny contacted me to design her personal stationery - which turned out beautifully - so we were able to stay in close touch. Then in December of last year Jenny sent me an e-mail entitled "Good News" and I knew exactly what that meant!! They were engaged on Thanksgiving and had officially set a wedding date! The girl was ready to plan and plan we did ;)

I couldn't have asked for more spectacular clients or friends - Jenny and Mike are such kind-hearted and driven people. Anyone would be blessed to know them! They've even dove into the wedding business themselves. Right before their July wedding they fell in love with the idea of photobooths, so they decided to start their own photobooth company!! Their wedding was their first go-round. In August, Loco Photo Booths was officially born and I was lucky enough to work on their logo and business cards, too.

I wish Jenny and Mike nothing but the best in life and their new business venture!!

Jenny and Mike's lime, black and white color theme, as well as their custom-designed "jenny & mike" monogram, was continued throughout all of their wedding stationery - even Jenny's Bridal Shower invitations.

The rehearsal dinner invitations were taken to the next level with a return address embossmente. To differentiate the invitations from that of the wedding, we choose a Stardream Onyx envelope - hot, hot, hot!

We kept the rehearsal dinner invitation suite simple - your eye is drawn perfectly to the couple's names and their wedding date.

The wedding invitation suite was just to die for! The lime green metallic envelopes were complimented with the uniquely designed wrap-around labels (my absolute favorite thing to make!!).

Jenny had so many fabulous ideas, like incorporating a gorgeous photo of their two smiling faces on their invite. When folded to a 5" x 7" their monogram was the only writing that showed above their picture on the invitation - it was perfect!

Baci also designed Jenny and Mike's ceremony program. I just love the simplicity of the front page - just the name of the church, their monogram and the wedding date!

These were by far the most fun things I've ever had a bride request! We put Jenny and Mike's custom monogram on 12 oz. plastic cups and stemmed wine glasses - they turned out fabulous, I just love it!!!

baci's baking - No Bake Cookies

No-bake cookies are by far one of my favorite cookies in the whole wide world! It took me a few different recipes before I found just the perfect one - the right amount of chocolate and peanut butter, not too gooey. Absolutely delicious and amazingly simple to make :)

No-bake Cookies

(Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com)

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 t. vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Melt together then bring to a boil and cook for 90 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfulls (I use a cookie scooper so they come out the perfect size each time) onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Handpicked - Fall Boots from Piperlime

If you know me even just a little bit you can tell that I absolutely love shoes and handbags so when Piperlime first "opened" it's online doors I was hooked. Well the Piperlime high still hasn't worn off and it just got even better - they've added apparel from some of my favorite designers like Nanette Lepore and Citizens of Humanity. But that's note even why I'm writing, I'm getting off track here. . . obviously easily distracted by clothes :)

I started seeing ladies bringing out the boots this weekend so I just couldn't resist picking out some of the finest fall finds from Piperlime for all of you.

1) Charles by Charles David 'Fluster' in Plum - $125 (These booties are TO DIE FOR - I just can't get enough of this gorgeous plum this season!) 2) Frye 'Paige Tall Riding' in Grey - $348 3) L.A.M.B 'Jadia' in Grey - $390 4) Apepazza 'Leche' in Chocolate Leather - $275 5) Frye 'Matilda Button' in Cranberry - $448 (These are so gorgeous I think I'd wear them to bed. After all, shelling out $500 would make it worth never taking them off - lol!) 6) L.A.M.B 'Rasta' in Black - $345 7) Kenneth Cole Reaction 'Go Guide' in Bark - $159 8) Corso Como 'Milan' in Sepia - $285 9) Pour La Victoire 'Cassandra' in Beige - $285 (Oh, how I love ruffles!) 10) Blowfish 'Factory 2' in Chestnut Suede - $100 11) Ciao Bella 'Glorious' in Black - $100 12) Kenneth Cole Reaction 'Bon Bard' in Bark - $189

I will note that I very rarely buy leather shoes and sadly none of these are made from synthetic materials, but a girl can dream, right?

A 9/11 Inspired Wish List

Tuesday, September 11, 2001: I was a freshman in college trying to stay awake in one of my morning fashion classes when they started canceling classes because the second tower had just been hit. I went with my friend Harmony to her dorm because I didn't want to be alone. She lived in Tri-Towers and I quickly left because I didn't want to be near anything tower-related. Everyone kept saying Kent State was at risk of being attacked because of the Liquid Crystal Institute on campus - at the time no one had any idea why this was happening. I kept trying to call my mom, trying to call my aunt who lives in DC, but nothing worked - the lines were all busy. I remember standing at the bus stop waiting to head back to my own room and a girl who I never met before was smoking. I asked her for one - I didn't smoke. I remember it was a Marlboro Red and it made me shake because it was so strong. I started to go numb and I thought it was because of the cigarette. . . but I was shaking because the world was falling apart.

Eight years later, we can all look back at that day and remember exactly where we were, who we were with and what we were doing. We sit in silence and remember those whose lives were lost that day and thank God for the friends and family who were spared. Our dear friend, James, worked in one of the towers at the time. Luckily he was sucked into a Maury Povich episode and he just couldn't leave without finding who the transvestite was - he ended up running late to work that morning and we thank God every day for that!

In honor of 9/11, I put together a special wish list post with an Americana theme. You automatically think country when you think about Americana decor in the home, but I have found a few really cool accessories that I would LOVE to have in my home that don't make you think about a barnyard and cows :)

1) This Giant Laced Flag from Home Sweet Home Decor is absolutely beautiful - it would add the perfect USA touch sitting propped up on our mantle! 2) I would love to frame these Vintage Patriotic Sheet Music Covers - vintage Americana is my favorite! This set is being sold by Etsy vendor attitudes. 3) It's impossible not to love this Americana Victory Half Apron by Etsy's peasantcottage. 4) I love the tea-stained look of this American Flag Garland by Country Style Home - it would be a perfect touch to a holiday weekend shin dig!

God Bless! Have a fabulous weekend!

I'm Amanda Cursaro and I've Just Found {pause} the Perfect Wedding Song

You know those Bill Curtis "I've Just Found {pause} the Internet" AT&T commercials (this links to my favorite one!)? Well, the hubby and I always say that (we're quite the quoters of all things TV, movie, song, etc. in this household) whenever we've found pretty much anything. And I mean, anything. Like, "I'm Amanda Cursaro and I've Just Found {pause} the butter." Yes, we are losers, but at least we entertain one another, right?

Well, it's the perfect phrase for what I've just found - the perfect wedding song! Everyone knows and loves Eric Clapton, but "Pretty Girl" off of 1983's Money and Cigarettes is FABULOUS beyond FABULOUS!! Go ahead and give it a listen - it's the most perfect First Dance song. Absolutely beautiful. . .

Pretty Girl (LP Version) - Eric Clapton

Wedding Wednesday | An "Etsy-full" Wedding

I've been waiting to share this with all of you for a while and I just can't wait anymore!

Etsy's The Storque blog editor, Vanessa Bertozzi, and her now-husband, Mickey Duzyj, were married in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. This wedding was bound to be fabulous from the beginning with Vanessa's love for all things handmade and Mickey's background as a cartoonist and designer! I just can't get enough of all of the unique, meaningful and handmade details!!

Mickey designed the cartoon-strip invitation that detailed how he and Vanessa met and fell in love. I even featured this invite on WeddingAces (which has an awesome new format by the way - you should totally go check it out if you haven't already!) because I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!

The Ukrainian folk art inspired paper fans doubled as ceremony programs and table-assignment cards - they were emblazoned with the wedding's theme "Romance in Rehoboth".

Vanessa used Esty's sleepingdogstudio's 1950's enamel beads to create a gorgeous hairpiece for herself and boutonnieres for the gentlemen to wear.

Etsy's MitMitt (family friend Jillian Luz) created the bridesmaids' jewelry out of semi-precious beads. I just can't enough of these beautiful colors!

Etsy vendor furkidfever designed a custom outfit for Vanessa's sister's cockapoo, Hugo. It actually matched Mickey's suit!

This is hands-down my favorite bridesmaid's dress ever - it's reversible!! Vanessa couldn't decide on a color for the bridesmaid dresses so the girls wore the bright yellow cotton side for the ceremony then headed up to the hayloft to switch to the satin navy blue side for the rest of the evening. These were custom made by Etsy's missbranche. The dresses were made extra fun and pouffy with detachable petticoats, also made by missbranche.

Vanessa's niece and flower girl, Sabina, wore a gorgeous little pinafore by Etsy's rubypearl, complete with a lace apron for flower petal holding!

Handmade buttons were scattered throughout the reception tables for guests to wear and take home as mementos. What a great personal touch!!

Don't like wedding cake (personally, it's my favorite part, but I grew up with a mom and a grandma who bake as a profession)? Vanessa and Mickey had a family friend make heart-shaped strawberry shortcake in lieu of a traditional wedding cake.

Check out more details from Vanessa and Mickey's big day here on The Storque, The Bride's Guide and Martha Stewart Weddings!

* Images by Dave Robbins Photography

baci's baking - Cheese Crescent Triangles

Baci took the weekend off ("Handpicked" will resume next Monday), but we're back and ready to bake!

I absolutely love to entertain so I'm always on the lookout for simple and delicious appetizers so I was SO excited when I stumbled across this recipe for Cheese Crescent Triangles on Pillsbury's web site. My recipe is slightly tweaked from their version and they truly are delicious - each time I bake them for a party they're gone almost instantly!

Cheese Crescent Triangles

1 3.5 oz. package Athenos Reduced Fat Tomato & Basil Feta Cheese

1 egg, well beaten

1 package Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls

1 T. Kraft Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 375. In a small bowl, mix cheese and 3 tablespoons of the beaten egg. Separate long dough roll into 2 shorter rolls at center perforation. Unroll 1 short roll until 1 rectangle can be separated. Press diagonal perforations to seal. Cut rectangle into 6 squares. Top each dough square with cheese mixture (about a teaspoon). Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Press edges to seal and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining three dough rectangles and cheese mixture. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese. Bake 9 - 11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 24 appetizers.

What's so great about this recipe is that you can substitute the cheese mixture with nearly anything you like. I love switching it out for pesto!

*Image from Pillsbury.com

Weekend Food - My Current Wish List

Not exactly your traditional Friday Wish List, but you have no idea how excited I am for the ridiculous amount of food I intend to consume this holiday weekend. Not only am I heading to a hometown football game (seriously, my high school has the best concession stand ever), but since it's Labor Day we're heading to a family camp out that will have more food than I can even imagine. So check out what I intend to devour this weekend, drool and make it your weekend goal to find something just as delicious!

1) If you've never had a "Walking Taco" you are doing your stomach a disservice. Fritos topped with ground beef and taco fixings IN THE FRITOS BAG - amazing and easy to transport :) 2) Ilario has been talking all week long about the deep friend onion rings he helps my dad's cousins make at the family camp out. Usually, I'm not a huge onion ring girl (I'm pretty confident that no one can like them as much as Ilario), but since he's been talking about them all week I MUST HAVE THEM!! 3) All I can say is CREAMY CHICKEN SANDWICHES (oh yes, I will be having more than one)!! If you're not from Northwest Ohio you probably have no idea what I'm talking about and I truly feel sad for you. The creamy chicken sandwich can not be explained, it must be eaten to fully understand the happy goodness. 4) My mom makes what is hands-down THE BEST nacho cheese dip in all of the world. I promise, just ask any one of my sister or I's friends. They would actually get angry if we had a bonfire at the house without it. Sometimes I wonder if we only had friends growing up because of this stuff. . .

I apologize for the pile of drool that's accumulated on your keyboard.

{Images from Tiffanie Eats Through the Good, Bad & Trash-worthy, Gizmos Pizza, baci and Saint Petersburg Times}