Weekly Wanderings

Food:
Creamy Caprese Pasta - I love everything in this dish so much.  This will be appearing on my menu plan ASAP.

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins - I love discovering the archives of long-running blogs.  Hence, this recipe.

Salmon Burgers - There's a restaurant near my parents' house that makes salmon burgers and sweet potato fries.  I will be recreating that experience (but not the price!) at home.

Strawberry Summer Cake - Yum.  Simple and delicious.  Perfect for strawberry season.

Everything Else:
Normal with a Slight Chance of Rapture - Need a laugh?  Tamara will provide.

The Ultimate Blog Swap - Curious about the blog swap I participated in on Tuesday?  Check out the Life...Your Way post that explains it and lists all the blogs that participated.

The Little Loft - I thought this was THE MOST ADORABLE playhouse and reading loft.  I would play here...even if I am 25. :)

You Need Some Links - Smart Bitch Sarah shares her (strong) opinion on Seth Godin's controversial blog post from last week.  If you are feeling feisty about the whole issue, you should also read this post.

This post is linked to Friday Favorite Finds.

Weekly Wanderings

Food:
Crispy portobello fries with smokey cheddar dip - I never thought of turning mushrooms into fries before.  I think these would be a great accompaniment to a big burger (veggie or not).  Leave it to How Sweet Eats to make vegetables unhealthy. :) 


Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake - I have a chocolate cake recipe that I love, but I think I need to try this.  Our Best Bites (and Cook's Illustrated) have never steered me wrong.  Here's the frosting recipe. 


Blueberry Muffins- I don't think you can ever have too many blueberry muffin recipes.  I find this linked on Smitten Kitchen, so it must be good.


Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins - Speaking of Smitten Kitchen...here's an old recipe of hers that looks delicious!


Everything else:

Addictive Summer Reading Lists for Kids of All Ages – for moms and children’s librarians alike.  I used to manage a children’s bookstore so I was pretty good about keeping up with the latest in children’s literature, but since it’s not necessary any more, I have no clue what’s out there.  I was glad to see this list so I could check out the new and nifty in the children’s book world.

Closet Turned Book Nook - I've recently become a fan of home decorating/design blogs and I'm loving what Thrifty Decor Chick did to this former closet.  How awesome is this??

32 Undeniable Truths for Mature Humans - I just love these; they are all so true!

National Women's Health Week - This week is National Women's Health Week!  Women are often neglectful of their own health because we are so busy taking care of everyone else.  The department of health and human services wants to inform you on ways to stay healthy.

Did you find anything interesting this week?

This post is linked to Friday Favorites.

Weekly Wanderings

Food:
Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus, and Mushroom Pasta - I think I'm making this for my mom for her mother's day dinner.  Possibly with crusty bread and pound cake because my mom is the best mom ever and deserves a great meal.

Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cookies - You're welcome.  :)

Gnocchi Mac and Cheese - Mmm...cheese.

Mushroom Bourguignon  - Okay, so maybe this is a fall/winter dish, but it's vegetarian and looks mostly healthy and after I eat the other three dishes I just shared, I'm going to need something moderately healthy.

Everything Else:

Top 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Plan a Weekly Menu – While I will swear up, down, and sideways that menu planning is one of the greatest organizing factors in my life, it isn’t for everyone.  If you are questioning your need to menu plan, finding yourself breaking your menu plan over and over again, or struggling with the concept, this post is a must read.

Wordless – Megg reminds us not to forget about the devastation in Alabama.  Yes, bin Laden is dead, but so are 240 Alabamians.  Please don’t forget them.  You can also read my post about ways to help.

Tuscaloosa Tornado Experience – A terrifying story of one student who survived the storm.  Warning: slightly graphic; have tissues at the ready.

Today’s Best Tweets by Comedians: Osama Edition – Prepare to laugh…hard.  These are terrific. 

Don't forget to check out more of what I'm sharing on my Pinterest boards! 

This post is linked to Friday Favorite Finds.

Weekly Wanderings

Food:
Fresh Gnocchi with Mushroom Cream Sauce - Must make homemade gnocchi.  Must make a mushroom cream sauce.  Must make this recipe as soon as possible. 

Mini Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon Glaze - Somehow I think that might life would be more complete if I owned mini bundt pans and made individually-sized desserts to serve at the dinner parties I never actually throw.

Pasta with Marscapone, Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes, and Spinach - I totally blame The Pioneer Woman for any weight I gain related to all the pasta recipes she shared this week.

Polka Dot Cake - How adorable is this?? And super simple too.  I need an occasion to make this.

Everything Else:

How to avoid the “My homemade food must be fat-free, sugar-free, salt-free, and 100% whole grain!” mindset – Kristen at The Frugal Girl has a way of putting exactly the right words in her post.  If you’ve ever been terrified of how much butter/sugar/salt/etc is going into your homemade foods, read this post.

The Librarians Antidefamation League versus Nabisco – I usually don’t like the Annoyed Librarian, but this post was laugh-out-loud funny.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you haven’t read it, you will too.

In Defense of Chick Lit – Some of you may have read the slightly obnoxious comments (brand new) Pulitzer Prize winner novelist Jennifer Egan made in the New York Times about chick lit.  I’ll let you read both the original article and the subsequent response post on The Frisky and let you make your own judgment on whether or not Egan should have said what she said.  But I agree wholeheartedly with Jamie Beckman’s last line “Now’s the time to advocate for your fellow writers, not step on other women as you make your way to the podium”.

Brian Cooley: Libraries Are for the Very Old or the Very Unemployed – Be ready to be offended and then read The Krafty Librarian’s excellent response to these ridiculous claims.  

Don't forget you can check out everything else I'm liking by following me on Pinterest!  

This post is linked to Friday Favorites.

Weekly Wanderings

Food:

Apple Yogurt Cake – This is probably more suited as a fall recipe, but since I just came across it, it will have to do for now.  I’m also a fan of how simple this recipe appears to be.  It doesn’t even require beaters!  That’s exactly the kind of thing I need right now; simple and sweet.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake – I love raspberries, cream cheese, and coffee cake so this sounds perfect for me!  It’s going in a long line of to-try breakfast recipes. 

Eating Organic on a Budget – Some great advice from Cate of Liberal Simplicity.

Lemon Shrimp with Mustard-Herb Roasted Onions – Roasted shrimp is suddenly popular (I feel so fancy that it was on my menu last week!) and while I’ve found several different recipes, I think I like this one the best.    

Everything Else:

2011 RITA Nominations – The RITAs (so named for the first RWA president) were announced on two weeks ago and, as usual, there is much debate and commentary on what did and didn’t get nominated.  Personally, I feel that Meljean Brook was cruelly overlooked for her two Steampunk books, Here There Be Monsters and The Iron Duke.  They’ve gotten rave reviews both in and out of the romance world and deserved a nomination.  I guess RWA isn’t ready for Steampunk.  But it was good to see some of my favorite authors including Tessa Dare (a fellow librarian!), Zoe Archer, Nora Roberts, Loretta Chase, and Eloisa James get well deserved nods.

10 Things to Do Everyday to Stay Organized – Some great advice from Laura of I’m an Organizing Junkie.  I’ve started doing a 10 minute tidy up before bed and it has much such a difference!

Vegetarian Mezze Party – I officially want to throw this party; the recipes look fantastic!  Who wants to come?

What Do You Want to See – This is super timely for me as I just spent half the week agonizing over how I look in a dress that I may or may not be wearing in a couple of weeks.  Many thanks go to Reese for helping me see all the good stuff instead of the bad.

This post is linked to Friday Favorites.

Weekly Wanderings: The Recipe Edition

For some reason this week, I was only able to find recipes to share.  I figured that wouldn’t be a problem for anyone, so that’s all I’m sharing this week!

Mini Meatball Sliders with Basil Pesto – Many of you have noticed my adoration for ham and cheese sliders (they are my go-to game day or appetizer snack) and now I think I have a new one.  I love meatballs and pesto so this sounds like a perfect combination to me.  I’m waiting impatiently for Lent to be over so I can make these!

Spinach White Pizza – I usually don’t like ricotta cheese on my pizzas, but I think I will love this one.  Yum!

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta – Clearly, Italian is the name of the game this week.  On a side note, I really need to stop collecting pasta recipes.  I recently had to create a separate folder just for pasta recipes to try.  Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I’m a pasta addict.

Strawberry Spinach Salad – I guess we need something healthy after all that heavy Italian food.  I’ve had salads like this before and I always enjoy them.  I can’t wait until I start finding strawberries on sale and can make this.  Seems like a fast and light spring and summer meal.

Apparently the blogosphere is telling me I need to try quinoa because this week I found two recipes that sound delicious and need to appear on my menu sometime in the near future.  This Quinoa “Mac and Cheese” with Spinach is probably a great way for me to use up the ridiculous amounts of cheese in my fridge and this Creamy Quinoa Primavera sounds like a great and filling vegetarian main dish.  Have you tried quinoa?  How do you like to cook it?

Have you found any recipes worth sharing this week?

This post is linked to Friday Favorites. 

Weekly Wanderings: Vacation Edition

I know I’m off catching some rays at the beach, but I did want to share a few links with you today. 

You know, so you wouldn’t forget me while I’m gone. :)

Weekly Wanderings

Social Networking Best Practices – Some useful tips on how to beef up your library’s Facebook page.

How to Respond to Negative Comments – I am loving this series on blogging etiquette from The Happy Housewife!  She has such great advice here, both for blogging and for real life.

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Radiation Event - March 2011 – The National Library of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Disaster Information Management Research Center has put together a web page detailing health information relating to the earthquake, tsunami, and the nuclear disaster in Japan.  This is a great resource for both general and medical/health information.  Something to bookmark for the upcoming weeks as I’m sure many information professionals will be dealing with questions. 

I’ve been attempting to avoid food blogs this week so I’ll stop printing off so many recipes, but if you are in the market for some good ones, I encourage you to check out this post I wrote on my favorite food blogs.  I never fail to find great recipes on these excellent sites.  My recipe index, along with all of these wonderful ones, is also a great place to look for new ideas.  Might I suggest Pasta and Vegetables in a Lemon-Parmesan Sauce for a quick meal that tastes like spring?