A few weeks ago a friend of mine had a birthday. He happens to love carrot cake, but since I had already made one, I figured I had to get fancy. Alas, I had never tackled a bundt before, and after this one, I might only make bundts!

I used a Pioneer Women recipe because I trust her more than most.

I used a simple frosting of cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla, instead of the traditional cream cheese frosting. The lighter frosting helped the cake really stand out on its own.

The bundt slid out of the mold so easily, and looked so beautiful, with such a browned perfection that I think all cakes should be bundt – the pan does all the work for you! If making a bundt by yourself, remember to butter and flour your pan so the cake really does slide out in one piece!

What is your favorite kind of cake to serve? Something simple, or something fancy to impress the masses? 

You guys know Ana from when we made delicious Colombian food a while back. She has a friend who has chickens! In her backyard! And better yet, she has a plethora of eggs that she is willing to share! This is great news, because they are from free range happy chickens, and only $5 a dozen. Cheaper than the ones at the farmer’s market, and local! Ana is my “dealer” and brings me eggs every few weeks at book club (although I’ve been going through so many eggs that we have to meet up more often for me to get my fix.)

These eggs are beautiful (see the green one??) and delicious. Ana had told me that there was a difference in taste (and not just health) but I was skeptical. But the first time I made one of these, I swear I could taste how much better they were! I whipped up an omelet with them a few weeks ago for Corelyn and I, and she, too, noticed without provocation!

The first time I fried these eggs up I also had heirloom tomatoes in the house – rejoice!

If you live in LA or you know Ana, you should get some of these eggs. C’mon over, I’ll give you a free trial!

I love fresh, local eggs. What’s something you simply love to get locally?

After so many busy weeks in a row, it was nice to finally have a lazy weekend to enjoy. We went for a little hike and saw a lot of movies, but we didn’t take too many photos! I hope your weekend was as relaxing as ours, and that you didn’t forget to set your clocks back!

What did you do with your extra hour?

In honor of our favorite holiday, and our favorite month, GMS has decided to get grateful this November. So, we’re going to participate in a self-imposed 30 Days of Thanks challenge!

There are a few “official” 30 days of thanks groups and websites floating around, and more power to ’em. But we prefer to make our own rules on this one. It’s pretty simple: We’re each going to take a moment every day to be grateful for something in our lives, especially the kinds of amazing things we’re lucky enough to enjoy and share with all of you on this blog. The only rule is that we can’t plan ahead. The idea is to take a moment every day to be thankful.

If you follow our twitter or facebook feeds, you’ll see me and Jennie sharing something we’re thankful for each day of November. But if you’re not a social media stalker, have no fear. We’ll give you the highlights every Saturday for the whole month.

For now we’re only a couple days in. So far, Jennie and I have been thankful for her new job, for the Fall weather, for all of our friends who are planning to run or walk a 10K next month, and for the versatility of kale – our new favorite superfood.

What are you thankful for today?

Because this has been a whirlwind week, between Halloween and changing weather and a horrible natural disaster on the East Coast. We’re glad to hear our friends and family are safe and sound, and to bring everyone a little joy in a crazy time, here are some things we’ve liked around the web this week.

1. Smitten Kitchen has a cookbook, and did an interview with the Hairpin for the skinny on the book, QVC, and all things food.

2. This video is my favorite. I agree with all things Alton Brown and his diet tips, especially avoiding soda and fast food as often as possible.

3. November 1 is the Day of the Dead, and the Salt decodes the celebration for us.

4. White Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew looks like a cozy, weekend recipe to whip up now that the weather is cooling off out west.

5. I love this post because it mentions Travels with Charley, a book I hold dear to my heart, and talks about cheese, which I also hold dear to my heart.

6. One last slow cooked meal, because it’s that time of year, for all you people who are GF (or not!)

Are you cooking this weekend, and if so, what?