Friday Favorites 9/5/14

Right now, I'm exhausted, sore, and miserably cranky, but it was all completely worth it! If you follow me on instagram or twitter, then you've probably understand why. Last Saturday, the hubs and I woke up at 3 am to catch our cross country flight to San Francisco, drove to Sonoma and from there, it was nonstop. Our typical day went like this: hike, beer/wine taste, lunch, cheese taste, sunset, more wine/beer tasting. I can't wait to share the incredibly delicious, hyperlocal foods and drinks we enjoyed!

Here's this week's roundup of my favorite links from around the web. For more, follow me on facebook or twitter! 

Brussels Sprouts Chopped Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette (The Roasted Root) --> Bacon roasted Brussels sprouts are a seasonal favorite, but when it's 90 degrees out, I'll pass. This beautiful salad has all my favorite flavors without turning on the oven! 

Baked Spaghetti with Cashew Cheese (One Ingredient Chef) --> Baked spaghetti is just slightly less of a comfort food to me than macaroni and cheese. If I try this vegan version with cashew cheese, I'm afraid I'll never eat anything else again!

Pistachio Cream Cake with Chocolate Ganache (My Name is Yeh) --> My future birthday cake. Yes, my birthday is in April and I've already made this important decision. 

Frozen Mississippi Mud Pie (Keeping it Kind) --> I'm kind of afraid to make this vegan cake, not because it has about 47 different components but because it looks so good, if I make it once I know I'll be in the kitchen 3 hours every week making it again. 

Tempeh Reuben (Edible Perspective) --> Because y'all know I love a good tempeh sandwich. 

Seven Heart Healthy Perks of Dark Chocolate (Yahoo) --> As if you need another reason to enjoy dark chocolate (but just in case). 

Wine and Exercise: A Promising Combination (The Atlantic) --> After spending the whole week hiking and drinking wine, I couldn't help but share this article. 

Reading Behind the Food Eco Labels (Nourish RDs) --> Organic or non-GMO? Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance Certified? This handy guide explains it all. 

Low Fat Vs. Low Carb: The Winner Is Neither (Civil Eats) --> If you read the recent New York Times article "A Call For a Low Carb Diet," this is a superb follow up. 

The Frightening Connection Between Lack of Sleep and Shrinking Brain (The Huntington Post)  --> I probably shouldn't have read this after catching less than 3 hours of "sleep" on cross country redeye. Terrifying.