Friday Five: Allergy Safe Holiday Cookies

To be honest I used to be a bit uncomfortable with the idea of a cookie exchange. Swapping baked goods without a lot of detail on them (or the people made them) doesn't create the best picture in my head. Then I went to one. As a busy adult with work, shopping, holiday parties and general life errands  finding a weekend to bake dozens of cookies all of different varieties with quite difficult. Being able to combine cooking and socializing in one event is fantastic AND you can walk away with as many bake good varieties as you like!

With my own {and lots of others} food allergies I've been searching for a crowd pleaser for my upcoming Junior League cookie exchange. Here are 5 of the most delicious looking gluten and dairy free options!

Caramel Glazed Donuts from Against All Grain

Gingerbread Men from Deliciously Ella

Coconut Meringue Nests by Simply Gluten Free 

Gluten-Free Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies from Gluten Free on a Shoe String

The frosting has butter in it, but I found this Dairy-Free Recipe

Peppermint Chocolate Macaroons from Against All Grain

Friday Five {July 4th Edition}

The 4th of July is my second favorite holiday! The weather is usually nice, there is lots of delicious summer produce for healthy treats, you can dress up festively and not look completely rediculous annd, on top of it, there are lots of beautiful, glittery, explosions!! I cannot wait to spend the weekend poolside and catching up with friends. Here are some things I'm incorporating into my celebration this year....okay maybe not the DIY sparklers, but I plan on at least purchasing some.

1. This Paleo Friendly, Berry Tart!

2. These Classic Jack's in Red and White {And also on sale!}

3. Make your own Sparklers!!

4. Beaded Fringe Earrings! I wish my neck was long enough to pull them off!

5. With the beautiful weather I can't wait to spend today by this pool!

26 down and ....? to go

Work has been IN. SANE. since the holiday. I worked 63 hours last week and I've already hit 50 for this week! Makes for little time for blogging, but luckily I made some time for my Birthday party!!

I had a bar in the Haight, that I had never been too but walked by a few times and it looked fun, hold a table for us and asked everyone to join me there for some delicious drinks, followed by dancing.  One of my worst fears. Seriously, worst fears is throwing a party that no one comes to. I know it's crazy irrational, but it's what I have to deal with. Needless to say lots of people came out and we had a great time! I have to say this bar was AMAZING. Their drink menu had to be one of my favorites in the city. San Francisco has a lot of "snobby" drinkers (and eaters, and 'fashionistas' and generally snobby people) and most of the nicer bars don't have 'bartenders' they have 'mixologists'. They make great drinks, but mostly all of them have something to do with bourbon and an orange slice. They're delicious, but they get old.  This place and drinks with Bourbon, Tequila, Rum AND Vodka!! I don't mean to sound like a lush, but the variety was appreciated.  Afterwards a few of us headed over to a different bar to shake our booties until it was time to go home! Had so, so much fun. One of my best birthdays by far!

Although, I ended up having to suck it up and make a facebook event, I still sent out these, more personal,  invites from Paperless Post. So. Cute.

Since I don't live anywhere near where the bar was, I invited people who lived near by over before for cupcakes and champagne! Then we all got cabs over to the party spot! When I make cupcake's I usually make Paula Deen's Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting, but since I had to work Saturday Funfetti from the box had to work. It was still DELICIOUS! {funfetti may or may not be one of my guilty pleasures}

Myself and my former roomies at the bar. We've known eachother almost 4 years, 1 of which we lived together and NEVER had a picture together so I had to post this!

Finally, my birthday gift to myself! Monogrammed 2013 datebook in orange. The day it came in the mail I looked down at my desk and almost everything I had on there was orange. Never knew I liked it that much!