While I could write a detailed description of my weekend in San Francisco for the Foodbuzz Festival, beginning with the giant food basket (from Electrolux!) waiting for me at check-in and ending with flight delays and lost luggage, time is of the essence this week and I'm instead going to give you a list of 10 things I learned.

1. You will never regret a new food experience. Friday, before the Festival officially began, I joined a group of food bloggers for lunch at Cafe Gratitude, a restaurant known for their raw and vegan dishes. I'd never been to such a restaurant, but everything on the menu sounded drool-worthy. Though I didn't know everything I was eating on my salad or the sampler platter we tried, not to mention in the raw coconut cream pie, I dove in and loved it all!









2. My photography skills need practice, and my camera needs a new lens! (hint, hint, Ryan ;)) I had the opportunity to attend a pre-festival photo tutorial session led by Ashley and then another during the Foodbuzz sessions on Saturday morning. I've had my camera since Christmas, and while my pictures have improved, I have a long way to go. Taking pictures of the food set-ups in the photography seminar reminded me of this, and I'm now newly motivated to keep learning!
3. Mission Mini Cupcakes is onto something, both as a business model and its product. Selling $1 mini cupcakes amongst a sea of giant expensive cupcakes is brilliant. So is using the freshest ingredients possible (pumpkin! carrot! coconut!). I greatly enjoyed my fair share of cupcakes, at Friday's Street Food Fair and Saturday's Tasting Pavilion.
4. You will like the bloggers you think you'll like. I got to meet a ton of people whose blogs I regularly read and while not everyone was exactly as I pictured, there were some who I immediately bonded with. I was a little intimidated coming, knowing no one and feeling a little bit like an outsider. Thanks to Tina for making me feel like less of a nobody blogger, Melissa for being as awesome as I pictured, and Bobbi & Emily for feeling like long-lost friends!
5. The Ferry Building is enough for me to return to San Francisco. What an incredible foodie marketplace and the most amazing farmer's market I've ever seen! Some day I want to return with Ryan and really explore!
7. If a food booth has a long line, jump in! It's worth the wait! Trust the foodies, they know the good stuff! I spent a good half hour waiting in line for salmon tacos at the Tasting Pavilion, a little impatiently because I wanted to be trying other foods. When I finally made it to the front of the line, I understood. Worth every minute of waiting!
8. Keep moving--run, walk, dance--do whatever you can to get that food digesting because you'll be eating again soon! We ate and ate and ate some more. It's a food festival, what do you expect? Not wanting to miss a morsel of the food, I fought the urge to sit or nap and instead forced myself to keep moving to make room in my stomach for the next event!
In other news, remember my butternut squash ice cream? Contest voting is open...check out the entries here and if you think mine deserves a win, please vote for me!


Also, one of the bloggers I met this weekend (Steph) has started a new site called Foodiacs and they're having a 12 days of Christmas giveaway. All you have to do is enter your name and email here, and you're automatically entered to win a gift on one of the 12 days after Christmas! There's some great stuff up for grabs, I'm crossing my fingers for a win!

One Year Ago: Cilantro Lime Hummus

I have to say, I didn't ever think I'd be posting a recipe for peanut butter bacon cookies on here. When it comes to breakfast meats, I'm usually more of a sausage girl than a bacon girl. I'm probably in the minority there, as bacon lovers seem to be rising up everywhere, adding bacon where you'd least expect it. Bacon gumballs. Bacon-wrapped hotdogs. Bacon flavored vodka. And yes, bacon cookies!


Before I left for the Foodbuzz Festival last weekend (recap of my amazing time in San Francisco up tomorrow!), Ryan requested that I make some cookies with bacon for his "man night". Bacon cookies seemed perfectly appropriate for man night, and I was happy to oblige.

I've seen recipes for both bacon chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter bacon cookies. I went with the peanut butter this time, but given their success, I think I'll be trying the chocolate chip version sometime! After making these, I wrapped them up and set them aside for the boys...but not without stealing a bite from one. I was pleasantly surprised; the bacon flavor isn't overwhelming, but it adds a nice saltiness that went well with the peanut butter cookie. If you're the type who's buying bacon flavored vodka to wash down your bacon-wrapped hot dog, I recommend making these for dessert!

One Year Ago: Lemon Rosemary Tilapia




Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies
from Joy the Baker
*makes approximately 20 cookies

Ingredients:
-1 cup smooth peanut butter
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 egg
-1 tsp baking soda
-6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled, and diced

Directions:
1. In a skillet over medium high heat, fry bacon until cooked through. Allow to cool on paper towels to drain grease and then dice into small pieces. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two baking sheets and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and sugars until well mixed. Add egg and baking soda, mixing for another two minutes. Fold in bacon, reserving a small handful of pieces for topping.
3. Roll dough into small balls and roll in granulated sugar. Using a fork, create a criss-cross pattern on each cookie. Top each cookie with a few reserved bacon pieces. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets with 2-3 inches between (they spread a bit).
4. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool on a baking sheet.