Basically, Taco Bell’s social media team sent “Taco Bell” rings and handwritten notes to various models, YouTubers and actresses, who in turn tweeted, Instagrammed and Facebooked about the genuis gesture.

Oh, and I tweeted about this on Wednesday and they tweeted back to me, making me feel like a minor celebrity:

You can read more here.

Lauren Alaina- “I’m Not One of Them”

I hope she eventually makes a music video for this song!

P.S. The lyric “I’m not some notch on your Facebook wall” always makes me laugh.

Zac Brown Band- “Jump Right In”

The catchiest country song I’ve heard in awhile! It just makes you want to get up and dance!

At Aladdin’s Natural Eatery (with locations in Rochester, Pittsford and Ithaca, NY) the hummus is, in my humble opinion, out of this world. (Clearly I really enjoy hummus if I’m professing that the taste is beyond this universe).

And while I very much look forward to visiting the restaurant, in an ideal world, I could just eat their hummus all the time.

So imagine my surprise when I was making a batch of white bean hummus this weekend and accidentally created what I would deem as a copycat recipe for Aladdin’s hummus. (Note: Aladdin’s hummus does contain tahini, and mine does not. But I still found the tastes to be comparable).

I did search beforehand for hummus recipes but ultimately just added whatever I pleased to mine.

My recipe (I use the term “recipe” very loosely. Customize this however you’d like):

1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
1 can Great Northern Beans
Plenty of lemon juice (to me, Aladdin’s is very lemony)
A dash of olive oil
A tablespoon of chopped garlic
Optional: Roasted red peppers

Now, blend like your life depended on it. Seriously, press “On” on your food processor and walk away. You’ll thank me later.

The white beans make a world of difference from previous homemade hummuses I’ve made; they add a distinct creaminess that rounds off the overall taste. And the continuous blending time is crucial.

Variation: Throw in a few roasted red peppers. If canned, pat dry first or else you’ll end up with hummus soup (not necessarily a bad thing).

The finished products:

I topped the original with feta and olive oil, and the roasted red pepper with a pepper and olive oil.

This hummus is flat out delicious! Perfect with crackers, celery, rice cakes, or whatever else you’d like.

The smells and the sounds, typically accompanied by good food and great stories are the reasons why campfires are one of my favorite things, ever. In college, I even chose campfires as the subject for a 10-minute long speech.

Another great aspect of campfires…they’re relatively cheap yet provide hours of warmth, cooking and entertainment!

My family and I had our first campfire this weekend:

Also, we roast Peeps. Yes, these Peeps:

Source: http://www.thequists.com/tag/peeps/

In case you were wondering, Peeps are superior to regular marshmallows because of the exterior sugar coating, which becomes perfectly caramelized. Perfection.

Source: http://rockthewesternworld.com/les-miserables/

My Mom, sisters and I saw Les Miserables at a local theater last weekend.

The only word close enough to be sufficient to describe it? Captivating.

There is nothing like seeing a musical in person. The movie is great and the music is incredible, but to witness this play in person is a privilege. If you have the chance, I highly recommend seeing Les Mis at any local theater or even a school. It’s that good.

Footloose Zumba

Gosh darn it, who doesn’t love “Footloose” and Zumba? The perfect combination of a cheesy song and ridiculous dance moves.

What are your Friday Favorites?