GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY

I'm really looking forward to the weekend--I'm spending Saturday at the symphony and then spending the night out on the town with some girlfriends. 

Life during the week has felt rather boring. I work, eat dinner, then maybe watch TV, and then go to bed. Really exciting, right? 

After being in a funk for a while, I've decided it's time for a change. I'm making a concerted effort to plan fun events. I'm starting this weekend with a night out with great friends--the friends that make me feel at home, the friends that make my soul feel good! 

Here are a few things to get you to 5pm cocktails...

Chipotle is getting rid of genetically modified foods. {link}

Classic take-out recipes you can make at home. {link}

The best pizzas in San Francisco...let the taste testing begin! {link}

How do you feel about Business Insider's Best Restaurants in America list? {link}

I really enjoyed this video from The New Potato. {link}

I've been on the hunt for coasters, and these caught my eyes! {link}

It's ramp season! This recipe looks delicious. {link}

Five new teas to try. {link}

10 items that make a house a home {link}

Oatmeal and Blueberry Muffins

I am a bonafide breakfast person. I am useless at work if I don't have a meal before coming into the office. I need food in the morning, but I also want sleep! Smoothies are my typical go-to weekday breakfast drink, but sometimes I want something that's even easier, that doesn't require the 5-10 minutes of prep time a smoothie can take.

I have browsing the New York Times Cooking app recently, and I came across a blueberry muffin recipe that grabbed my attention. I love blueberry muffins, but they are often filled with sugar and fat. Traditional blueberry muffins are a favorite on the weekend, but during the week you want something more wholesome that will give you energy for the day.

These blueberry muffins actually have cooked oatmeal in the batter, giving them a fiber boost for the day. The only additional sugar is a quarter-cup of maple syrup which has a lower glycemic index than traditional white sugar.

You are going to love these muffins--they are delicious, easy to make, and even easier to eat on the subway or on your walk to work. They are great with your morning cup of coffee.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal and Blueberry Muffins

From The New York Times

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup cooked steel-cut oats

1 cup blueberries, tossed with 1 teaspoon flor

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and position the rack to the upper third position. Oil, spray, or butter 12 muffin cups. 

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. 

Quickly stir in the dry ingredients with a whisk or spatula. Do not beat, just mix, stirring up from the bottom until you can no longer see flour. 

Fold in the cooked oats and blueberries. 

Spoon into muffin cups, filling them just below the top. Place in the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Favorite Finds: Mother's Day

Today's Favorite Finds post is dedicated to the lovely woman who helped raise you, your mother! As many of you know, I lost my mother when I was young. Mother's Day is always a reminder of the that, but I also spend the day saying thank you to other wonderful women that helped raise me and shaped me into the woman I am today.

Here are my favorite gift ideas for this Mother's Day...

1) A tea subscription service, at just $20 a month, is the Mother's Day gift that will remind her every month how wonderful she is.

2) This beautiful necklace for $65 is a tribute to all of the cookies she made you growing up. 

3) Nothing like a great card to tell Mom exactly how you feel, for $4.50. 

4) She's already a great cook, but this cookbook, at $35, will inspire even more health and tasty breakfast ideas

5) Make your mum brunch with this delicious blood orange and vanilla marmalade, at $12.

Happy Friday!

How do you recharge on the weekends? Last weekend was a lot of "me" time; Noe Valley Farmer's Market, watching the new Cinderella movie (which was quite good), and shooting lots of upcoming recipes. This weekend I am hoping to be a little more social. I am celebrating a friend's birthday on Friday, and then I will spending Sunday exploring the city with Vivian. 

Hope you have a good weekend filled with both rest and friends. Here are some links to get you to 5pm!

Blue Bottle just keeps getting better. {link}

Feeling inspired after watching Oprah's talk on a meaningful life. {link}

Loved loved loved this take on bring apart. {link}

Did your favorite state food make this map? {link}

How to work less and get more done. {link}

What the drought means for avocadoes. {link}

20 delicious salads for spring and summer! {link}

Where to eat along the PCH. {link}

New studies on what to eat to prevent Alzheimers. {link}

Image via

Minty Pea Soup

Pea soup reminds me of my father and my grandmother. My dad actually hates peas; he refuses to eat them. And my grandmother probably never made this soup.

Apparently, my grandmother would buy canned peas, boil them to death, and then serve the boiled pea mush to my dad. No wonder my dad hates peas.

If my dad ate this soup growing up, he would like peas. Because this soup is delicious, fresh, and slightly creamy. It's perfect for the spring!

Z liked this recipe so much that he actually suggested we make it for dinner one night. Any time Z recommends a particular recipe, instead of just saying, "I don't know what I want for dinner, Hilary. Make anything," means that we have found a winner.

This soup is easy enough to make for dinner on a weeknight, I promise! I'm including the recipe with frozen peas, because who really has time to shell fresh peas?

Enjoy!

Mint Pea Soup

from Ina Garten

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts only (about 2 leeks)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

4 cups chicken stock

2 10-ounce packages of frozen peas

2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, lightly packed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1/2 cup freshly chopped chives

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and the onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. 

Add the peas and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are tender. Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper. 

Puree the soup in batches, one cup at a time, and pour the pureed soup into a large bowl. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives, then taste for seasoning. Serve hot! Top with additional creme fraiche if you would like.