Nine Favorite Things.

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Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post.

colorado mountains

Welcome to the very last day of May. I am so looking forward to June and all the bright summer days ahead. It’s the start of a new month, a new season, and hopefully some much needed time with family.

I love summertime…it brings fun in the sun, lazy nights, plenty of homemade ice cream and watermelon lemonade too. Oh, and plenty of summer baking with all those berries. Yes, please. I am excited! Anyone else?

Question: what’s one thing you’re looking forward to most this month? For me, I am most excited for more time outside. Our weather has finally warmed up and I’m just looking forward to seeing our little town turn lush and green. For me, it’s all about those simple things. Gimme all the green, all the flowers, and fresh produce too. What about you all?

In other news, this week was BUSY. We filmed a total of twelve brand new recipe videos for you guys in a matter of three days. That’s four recipes a day and oh was I tried by the end of it all. It’s Friday night as I type this post up, and while I was exhausted yesterday, I have a weird amount of energy tonight. Sometimes I really wonder where it all comes from, but whatever the source, I’m thankful for it!

It was nice to spend a few days with my brother, Kai, who happens to be the official videographer for HBH. It can be hard working with family…trust me…but I’m not sure I could manage HBH any other way. As we slowly grow, it’s so nice to still have family involved!

And lastly, in addition to new videos, we’ve been spending a good chunk of time working behind the scenes on some fun new stuff. Lots of announcements in the coming months. It’s feeling exhilarating, but to be honest…at the same time…kind of overwhelming too. I love everything we are working on, but it’s scary at the same time. I have times of feeling positive, but then negative thoughts seep into my brain too. But that’s just me. Always a mix of emotions!

Coming up this week on HBH, we have lots of summer-inspired recipes with plenty of color. Monday we have a fun new vegetarian recipe. Tuesday is yet another childhood favorite (loving recreating my favorite “kid” foods). And we’re keeping things light and sweet come Friday. Saturday’s drink is bourbon-based and a personal favorite.

If you’re catching up on blog posts from the week, be sure to sign up for our daily newsletters. They’ll help you to stay up to date with everything that’s happening here, as well as fun content you’ll only get via email. And of course, if you’re meal planning today, don’t forget to check out my menu below (it’s # 9 on the favorite’s list). You can grab the full grocery list for this week’s menu in our special Sunday newsletter.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful Sunday and is able to do something you love. My suggestions? Light your favorite candle while baking a new cake. Or maybe indulge in an afternoon at-home spa day (love this at-home kit). Just take some time and enjoy the day!

spring trees

1. Educate Yourself On Issues That Matter.

This has been a challenging week and my goal with HBH is to always be a bright place for you guys to come to. I want this space to feel uplifting and fun. I want to brighten your days, share my life with you, and most importantly share delicious recipes daily.

That said, there are issues in the world that I feel we all need to be educated on, that we can support, and do our best to make the world a better place. I just wanted to share a really inspiring Instagram post that I came across on Friday. It’s a quote by Cleo Wade and I think it’s important to read. I found this uplifting and inspiring.

View this post on Instagram

This ? @cleowade

A post shared by Sacha Strebe (@sacha.strebe) on May 29, 2020 at 8:57pm PDT

Has there been anything you’ve read this week that you’ve found informative and helpful? If so, please share it with everyone in the comments.

Below are some quotes I find inspiring in any situation because it’s import to remember kindness is always key.

Sources unknown, but all found via Pinterest.

2. The most popular recipes of May.

Most Popular: Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Only just shared this recipe last week and it’s already the top most popular. YES. I love so much that everyone has been so excited about this recipe. It’s my personal favorite of the month too…this might be the first time that we’ve all agreed on the favorite recipe of the month! This recipe really needs no explanation. It’s homemade cinnamon toast crunch cereal. You just can’t not love this. The added bonus? It’s actually so easy to make. There’s a new video for this recipe coming soon. But in the meantime, you can watch me make it on my Instagram stories here.

Runner Up: Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce

Again, YES. You guys, we’re on this same page this month. I LOVE this recipe too. It’s fun, it’s easy, and oh my gosh, it’s delicious. Think fancy-ish chicken nuggets with some really darn good sauce. They’re oven-fried, served with not only that sweet chili garlic sauce, but honey mustard sauce too…for an extra dip. And the coconut breading? It’s KEY. You can watch the video here.

Also have to Mention: Healthier Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars

These classic cookie bars turned healthy are a tried and true favorite. So glad you guys are loving these!

OK. Last One: Greek Chicken Chopped Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

This could have made it, it was SO close, but I only shared this last week. I am so happy you love it…me too. It’s that salad you actually really want to eat. Perfect for summertime.

Oh, but…PS. This is My Favorite Drink: The Hermione Granger Cocktail

No explanation needed love-love-love!

And with that, what recipes do you want to see in June? Taking all requests!

3. Clean Beauty Favorites…

Related Reading

I had the pleasure of speaking with the founder of Vintner’s Daughter this week, April Gargiulo. Her story and beliefs are so inspiring. It made me love the brand even more. April believes that less is more and her simple two-step beauty routine is easy to follow and apply. I’m already in love with their active botanical serum, but I’m excited to try it with their active treatment essence. If you’re looking to switch over to clean beauty, read April’s story. Learn more about the quality of ingredients and the making of their products.

4. favorite questions of the week…

q: Have you ever dreamt a new recipe while sleeping?
a: I never have! I’m always thinking about new recipes…like always. But when I’m sleeping, I’m sleeping. I’m a very sound, great sleeper and my guess is that my brain just needs to rest. I don’t have too many weird dreams…that I remember at least. And the dreams I do have are usually about people and places…or scary dreams ??‍♀️

q: How long in advance do you plan your recipes before shooting and filming them?
a: It depends! I’m always changing my mind about what recipes I want to create. I can be so excited about a recipe concept and then be totally bored by it the next day. Soo, my planning is very loose. I like to leave room for creativity and cooking what’s inspiring me on that given day. It keeps recipes exciting and different 🙂 That said I do try and work ahead and have recipes tested and photographed a week ahead of time…doesn’t always happen but I try!

q: Tips for coming up with new recipes?
a:

– search out new recipe sources that aren’t your usual go-to’s and find inspiration through those recipes.

– challenge yourself to create a recipe using only what’s in your fridge at the time.

– step outside of your personal tastes and try something someone else loves. You never know what you might like until you try it!

– buy one new you ingredient and challenge yourself to incorporate it into a recipe.

– don’t be afraid to try new flavors

q: Favorite flowers for garnishing?
a: I really love chamomile, elderflowers, thyme blossoms, lavender, and delicate herbs like lemon-basil or lemon-mint. Other edible flowers I use often are hibiscus, pansies, dahlias, roses (I love dried roses too). There are probably more that I’m forgetting, but these are at the top of my mind right now! I’ve been ordering all of my herbs and flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals.