Nine Favorite Things.

Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post.

Hi, hi! And happy Sunday!

Only one more Sunday left before November, then it’s officially Thanksgiving time. Crazy right? It’s been chilly and so windy here all week, but very sunny. The wind has taken all the pretty fall leaves and left behind trees that are bare to the bark. The photo above is from last weekend, crazy all that can change in a week’s time.

So all that said, it’s feeling more and more like winter is on its way…and I’m just not ready. It’s obviously out of my control, so instead, I’m embracing all the coziest things these days, which I really can’t complain about. You all know how much I love anything “cozy”. I’ve been creating and brainstorming the coziest recipes for the next couple of months and ordering a lot of new sweaters (just ordered this for my mom too…she is going to love it).

In other news, I recorded the Just A Taste podcast last week and it recently went live. I talked about growing Half Baked Harvest, what’s coming up, and more. If you need a Sunday podcast to listen to, you can listen here.

And guys? That pretty much sums things up for right now. Not much to report! It was a cold week, filled with a whole lot of cooking and photographing, and as usual, packed to the brim. We’ve all been working around the clock this week attempting to get one too many projects done. But with no travel the last few months, the days can begin to blend together. Looking at it in another way, we’re very fortunate to be busy!

Oh. Well, wait! ! I did just finalize a quick trip to LA this November. I’ll be taping a couple segments of Home & Family on Hallmark, right before Thanksgiving. I’m excited to travel for work again and spend a day in LA. A quick trip out and back…any hotel recommendations? Pretty much every time I’m in LA, I stay at the La Peer Hotel, which I love. But maybe I should switch it up. For all of you LA readers or frequent visitors, any recommendations?

So how about you guys? Are you enjoying fall? What things are you looking forward to? Any Halloween plans? What are you thinking about the upcoming holiday season? What’s new? I always love to hear what’s going on with you guys!

Coming up this week on HBH, I am starting Monday off with a hearty, but healthy soup! Tuesday is all about sweet, but this time, it’s something for breakfast. For Wednesday I’m excited to share a new comfort food classic that I hope you’ll make all season long. For Thursday it’s a toss-up between a game day snack or an easy dinner, not sure yet. And for Friday, it’s also a bit of a wild card. Actually, I’ve not a clue what it’s going to be, but I know it’s going to be something sweet. Taking your requests!

In addition, 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. 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.

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try…

watching…Dream Home Makeover, on Netflix. If you follow the McGee family and their business, you have to watch this. So happy for them and the release of their first Netflix series!

loving…our Etsy collection Linen Towels and Oven Mitts. We have two color options forest green and a pretty grey oatmeal. I love the forest green oven mitts and then the pretty oatmeal towels!

listening to…the Second Life Podcast with Karlie Kloss. I loved learning more about Karlie, she is a supermodel, and Kode with Klossy Founder. She has done so much at such a young age and she honestly seems like the kindest person.

baking up…these Milk Chocolate stuffed Jack-o-Lantern Cookies. An oldie recipe that I make every October. I love these cookies! 

wanting…this Cashmere Knit Blanket. I might need to order this. So cozy.

loving…all my cozy Sèzane sweaters. This one is my current favorite, I have it in sage, but it’s sold out. The Ecru is also so pretty! And then, I love this jumper (such a pretty autumn shade), and this cozy knit, and this lightweight option too. Honestly, they have the best sweaters.

ordering…this soft hoodie for my mom. She’s going to LOVE it.

shopping…at Zara. Affordable, but cute. Love this faux leather skirt, these leather boots, and this velvet mini dress (will be so cute for the holidays).

ordered…this Clock for my bedroom. Been having trouble hearing my phone’s alarm, so trying something new. I’ll let you know how it is.

thinking about ordering…the Full Focus Planner. Have any of you guys used this? I’ve read really good things, but I am hesitating…will I use it?

loving…this Halloween candy quiz that will tell you what Halloween movie to watch. My results were spot on, see below.

Question: what’s your favorite Halloween candy?

2. Spooky Halloween Recipes.

Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies

The Half Blood Prince Cocktail

BOO! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Voldemort’s Dark Serum

Monster Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

The Deathly Hallows Cocktail

Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies

Mini Apple Cider Cakes

Glazed Brown Sugar Maple Cookies

The Black Widow Smash

3. It’s 25% off Everything on Anthropologie…

Here are my kitchen and home picks. Shop the sale through tonight!

4. Favorite question of the week…

q: Do you take photos of the food when it is cold? Or does the steam not affect the pictures?
a: It’s always my goal to try and capture the food while it’s still warm. My biggest pet peeve is when food that is meant to be served warm looks as though it’s cold. If you angle the camera right, the steam doesn’t affect the photo. It only makes it better!

q: What are your plans for Halloween? Family plans?
a: Asher just informed me she is having a themed Halloween party and we’ve all got to dress like someone who’s dead ?‍♀️

q: What’s your go-to recipe to impress guests?
a: During the fall/winter you can never go wrong with classic Coq au Vin. I LOVE making either my Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs (with browned butter mashed potatoes or my healthier Instant Pot Coq au Vin.

5. The cookbook you need this fall.

Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan.

You guys, the truth is I don’t actually own a lot of cookbooks nor do I read a lot of cookbooks. When it comes to finding recipe inspiration and seeking out new ideas I tend to look at sources outside the cookbook world. I’m always trying to create my own unique recipes, so I shy away from viewing others.

That said, I of course have books from friends in the cooking space that I’d love to share with you guys. One of those books is Eating Out Loud. This book is honestly my favorite right now. It’s full of Middle Eastern recipes from Eden and her family. Each recipe looks so good and there’s even an entire chapter on sauces and dips. Eden always has the BEST recipes, so I can’t wait to really dive into her first cookbook. So far everything has been amazing.

If you guys don’t have a copy, you can order yours here! PS. this would make a really great holiday gift.

6. Thanksgiving Tips and Homemade Holidays?

We’ve entered into the latter half of October, which means I’ve started thinking ahead to the upcoming holiday season. So, two things…

Thing One:

Some of you may recall my series on Instagram called, “Thanksgiving Tips”, where I simply share one new Thanksgiving tip every day leading up to Thanksgiving. Everyone seemed to really enjoy this series the last couple of years, so I’m bringing it back again this November. Starting on November 1st I’ll be sharing new tips and tricks, I cannot wait. I LOVE talking all things holiday, so this has me excited.

So with that…what Thanksgiving questions do you have? It’s going to be a different holiday season for many of us this year with plans shifting to smaller gatherings. So let me know what you need help with, and hopefully, I can answer all your questions!

Also, how do you plan to celebrate the holidays this year?

In addition to my tips, I also like to share an HBH reader tip every day as well. So, I’d love to know…

What are your BEST Thanksgiving tips and tricks? I’ll feature all my favorites throughout the month!

Thing Two:

Several November/Decembers ago I had a series called Homemade Holidays. It was a fun series of posts with holiday crafts, DIY projects, tablescapes, my annual cookie box, and homemade gifts. I always have so much fun with these types of posts, but they are time-consuming. With the release of the Half Baked Harvest Super Simple cookbook last fall, I really wasn’t able to share any new Homemade Holiday posts. It’s still going to be crazy this year, but I’m not traveling at all, so I would love to bring it back again this season. My question to you all is…what do you want to see?

Let me know what is needed, what would be exciting, and what all would be helpful for you guys!

PS. this potpourri is my favorite Homemade Holidays post. It’s also the ninth most popular post on all of HBH…beating out well over 2500 other recipes!

And with that, leaving you with a few fall photos…

7. favorite links i’m loving…

Chip & Joanna’s Gains Holiday Collection for Target Launched This Weekend…ordering this mug, this mug too, then this cozy sweater knit throw, and this vintage Dutch pot.

28 Trader Joe’s Products That Happen To Be Vegan…if you love shopping Trader Joe’s.

The Best Sales to Shop This Weekend…loving 50% off at Nordstrom.

How To Control Your Stress From the Inside Out…good to know.

8 Idyllic Hotels Featured on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette…so many pretty hotels! Would love to visit some of these.

A Guide to Feeling the Halloween Spirit this Year…if you need fun Halloween ideas, read this.

20 Genius Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Dinner…so many good tips from parents!

From Mean Girls to Emily in Paris, Ashley Park Is Living Our Fashion Fantasy…a fun Sunday read if you’ve watched Emily in Paris.

5 Ingredients a Dermatologist Is Begging You To Keep Off Your Skin From October to January…taking notes.

Matching Knit Loungewear Sets…eyeing this cozy set and this one from Zara too.

Explore the Layered Wonderland of John Derian’s Home…such a pretty home with a fairytale meets vintage vibe.

Signs of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety You Shouldn’t Ignore…and what to do when you notice them.

Inside Ashley Stark’s Upper East Side Abode…certainly hard to believe this home is in the middle of NYC. So much space.

10 Ways to Get Back Into a Healthy Routine for the Colder Seasons…really love these simple tips and ideas.

A Victorian London Apartment…that dining room table is so unique and gorgeous.

8. Affordable Fall pieces from Mango.

9. this week’s dinners…

Monday: Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta

Tuesday: Gingery Sweet Potato and Rice Stew

Wednesday: Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles

Thursday: Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala

Friday: Oven Toasted Garlic Herb Cheese Ravioli

Saturday: Nightmare on Bourbon Street

Sunday: Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting

Finally, check out all the past Nine Favorite Things posts here.