{friday 5}

Happy Friday, friends….hope you had a great week! Cant even begin to believe that Christmas is two weeks away. NUTS! My weekend to-do’s are growing by the minute. What’s on your list for the weekend? I get to see one of my favorite group of ladies tonight for margs + cheers. Baklava making with the Corbett babes. Sleeping in. Myabe even brunch? And of course, wrapping gifts.

Have a good on, k!!

Don’t even think I’m going to let you go that quickly….I’ve got 5 things on my mind first…..

ONE – Goat Cheese Balls // When I say it out loud all I can think of is Stassi on Vanderpump Rules. Her love for SUR goat cheese balls is real. She even tweeted about it: here! Ha. Anyway, I was assigned an appetizer for our yearly Omega Nu Holiday party. I knew it had to be cheese, for obvious reasons. I LOVE CHEESE! And I’ve yet to play with goat cheese. Soooo, I googled that shit. Came up with about 8,732 recipes. ALL fried. I don’t fry. Therefore I had to play with it a healthy it up a bit.

Goat cheese + honey + herbs + BAKED! Bam! Healthy-er!

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 oz. goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon honey (extra for drizzling)
1 egg, whisked
1 cup walnut, crushed in food processor

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Stir together goat cheese + all spices + honey.

In two separate bowls you’ll need whisked egg + chopped walnuts.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop goat cheese mixture and form into a ball.

Roll goat cheese ball in whisked egg then walnuts.

Place on lined cookie sheet.

Repeat will remaining goat cheese.

Freeze for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Bake on cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Serve warm with additional honey drizzled over the top. Crackers or bread are a must too!

TWO – Ojai // I’m devastated to hear about the fires in Southern California. Hasn’t CA had it’s fair share of fires for the year? Or forever, yet? Then to top it off, as I’ve been working on my {ojia // travelogue part #2}, the best part of the trip. I was saddened to see that Ojai Valley Inn, the most beautiful resort I have visited to date, is under evacuation. See this photo below? I took this as I was sitting at the Ojai Valley Inn pool. Less than 30 day ago. It’s unreal that this could be gone.

Pray for California ♥

THREE – Christmas Tree Frap // Starbucks debuted the seasonal Frap yesterday. It all stared with the Unicorn Frap the Dragon and Cherry Blossom Frap. The Zommbie + Vampire made a quick go around during October. Which leads us to the final for the year….the Christmas Tree Frap.

Delicious mocha and peppermint are blended with milk and ice, topped with a festive tree made of matcha infused whipped cream, a caramel drizzle and candied cranberries finished off with a strawberry tree “topper.”

I picked one up for the queen of seasonal fraps….aka Bay.

I personally thought it looked like a seven layer dip in a Starbucks cup. With a strawberry on top. It even smelled funny too.

The Frap Queens review:

It tastes like melty mint chocolate chip ice cream + coffee.

She LOVEEEDDD it. And is currently wanting to hit every Starbucks insight to scoop up one of these $5 drinks before they vanish.

My review:

Dis-gus-ting!!!!

Coming from a black coffee non frap drinking girl.

FOUR – Weekend Notes // I never got around to sharing our weekends notes this week. I was sick as a dog Monday and just couldn’t make it happen.

So here are some of the highlights……

Woodland Christmas Tree Lighting.

Me + my girl on the carriage ride.

Bay baked THE best sugar cookies with the Willow Oak 4-H baking group.

We hit up Nordy’s…my happy place. Bay scored a pair of Hunter Boots. I scored a cute pair of Hush Puppies, that my Mom is saving for my birthday, which seems like a fucking eternity away.

My Mom + I went on the Dickens in The Valley home tour in Woodland. The Rancho Way home is pure #goals. The home on First Street had a 22 foot 400 lb tree INSIDE THEIR HOUSE! No joke. #goals

We went to a Friendsgiving. Where for the 1st time in my life, I didn’t take a single picture. Who am I? It was fun!!!

Dinner with the fam bam Sunday night. Felt like Soul Food Sunday that we used to do back in the day. Minus all the screaming ass kids 🙂 Haha, I joke. I wouldn’t want it any other way. My Mom made her stroganoff which is basically the best thing ever!

Sara + Kelly’s ornament exchange party. Sara’s cheese trays #goals. And my eyes were closed in the group shot. #notgoals