Happy Saturday
What are you up to this weekend?
Photo Credit: Instagram – @100_LayerCake – “Hello Gourd-geous”
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We'll be eating drip beef sandwiches, sipping hot chocolate, and trying to show some restraint when it comes to Breaking Bad. (I know we're late to the game on this one, but we're officially hooked). We're also looking forward to
A trip to visit my grandson who turned two(!) this past week
My husband has spent a crazy amount of time at Target wandering the toy aisles. I'm in charge of the cake. While I've been eyeing these three beauties, I learned my lesson about making something that tastes too expensive. Vanilla with chocolate ganache will be just as lovely
I'll also continue my quest for the perfect side dish. (ps: Do you have any suggestions?) Admittedly, I've been fretting about the Thanksgiving invitation we've received and don't want to mess it up. So we've been eating a new holiday side pretty much every day for the past month
On the short list? Our family recipe for beans in the slow-cooker, bejeweled rice, blood orange and roasted beets with yogurt, tarragon, and hazelnuts from Athena Calderone's latest cookbook, or a root veggie gratin
Whatever you're up to, I hope you have a good one!
Photo Credit: funhappyquotes.com
A few fun links from around the web
A really great baking trick [via Cup of Jo]
You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be making a version of this Giant Peanut Butter Cup for The Veggies very soon [via Food52]
Twenty-four healthy breakfast ideas because you never know how the rest of the day is going to go [via Healthy-ish]
The 40 recipes readers keep coming back to. I'm debuting this very beautiful thing in the near future [via Bon Appetit]
The latest podcast I've been listening to on my afternoon walks: Oprah's Super Soul Conversations. Guaranteed to brighten your day because every episode is so encouraging
Speaking of podcasts: Terri Gross interviewed a sleep expert on Fresh Air last month. I've been telling everyone about it because his findings are pretty incredible (especially the relationship between how much sleep we get and Alzheimer's) [via Fresh Air]
Photo Credit: Pixcooler.com
Because everything is better with a friend: How to host a Friendsgiving [via The Kitchn]
Speaking of Thanksgiving: 40+ ideas for a Thanksgiving shake-up [via Dinner a Love Story]
For all of us over-achievers who are thinking ahead to Christmas cookies. How far in advance can we make our holiday cookies? [via Food52]
Speaking of cookies: Have you tried Sarah Kieffer's mammoth chocolate chip cookies? Recently featured in the New York Times for her brilliant technique of banging the cookie sheet during baking? The method deflates the dough and leaves complex, wrinkly cookies with edges that shatter like buttery, caramelized, chocolate-kissed shards of brittle once cool (still with chewy centers). Swoon. [via The New York Times]
A few fall cookbooks I've been enjoying lately: Tieghan Gerard's Half Baked Harvest, Sweet by Ottolenghi, and Cherry Bombe
A life, a home. This is such a beautiful read: The Joy of Reading About Cooking at Home [via The New York Times]
(Featured Image Photo Credit: Instagram – @100_layercake)
50 Comments
I’m looking forward to a peaceful weekend of head shots and camping spawn points in Overwatch with the kids. We love to game together.
We just to move to Loveland Colorado about 20 days ago and we are in the process of making our home truly a home. While we’ve unboxed things, this weekend has been spent hanging pictures on walls and really trying to make this space ours. I cannot believe Thanksgiving is this Thursday! We will be doing all this holiday eating very soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Those cookies look amazing. I mainly have worked all weekend, weekends give me the chance to try to catch up on what I didn’t get done during the week. Happy Weekend!
I seriously want those cookies right now. I kept scrolling up and looking at them over and over as I read your article. So very distracting. 🙂
The mammoth chocolate chip cookies look amazing and definitely say “Happy Weekend.” With Thanksgiving next week, I’m getting in the mood for baking. I never bake, but this time of year, I get the urge! 🙂
I love that baking tip. And that giant peanut butter cup is totally calling my name. My weekend was nice and peaceful. We had a lot of rain so we stayed in a lot.
Happiness is the weekend! Up until you have to start thinking about all the stuff that needs to get done at work that week!
Trying to get some Christmas decor out, finish shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, starting prep for this, doing 2 TV segments this week, and speaking at a ladies dinner. Gosh – tired just thinking of it.
I really enjoyed this post. We had a good weekend and I managed to get out and walk around a toy store too he he ! I loved it. I am going to try the beans in the slow cooker recipe.
Have a great thanksgiving! We don’t celebrate it here but my SIL in law is America so I love seeing her get excited for it x
If I had the money I would happily pay a personal shopper to deal with the crowds this time of the year in the toy stores and the department stores while I stayed home baking casseroles and cookies! Listening to some favorite tunes and singing out loud to no one. Sounds like a weekend to me.
Yessssss to everything in this post. A long and endless Friday at work and am sneaking a minute to eat a sandwich at my desk between meetings. Not healthy or soothing in any way. But this post – so have bookmarked almost everything here. Thank you for showing up in my mailbox today. xo
Happy Birthday to your grandson. I rested all weekend because the grand kids are out of school this week and I knew they’d wear me out lol.
What a wonderful reading list to get me through this gloomy work day. I’ve been treating myself to reading one article after accomplishing each task, and what do you know, I’ve almost made it to the end of the day. Always look forward to your posts, Ali. xx
Love the cute links that you have posted! Baking is also my specialty, I love the cookies that are so huge, and I have been baking up a storm myself this past week, to my possible demise (hope not). I am going to look into making these cute cooking for Santa, our Santa is a fairly large guy, I think this is what he needs exactly!
I always look forward to the weekends, it’s always a time to gather the family for me, even when it’s just me and my husband! Hot chocolate and watching Netflix is always a good plan!
If it is November it means we’ll be watching football over the weekend. My favorite way to relax on a fall weekend. College games on Saturday and NFL on Sunday.
I’ve been baking cookies for about 2 weeks now haha. I think it’s never too early! 🙂 Especially up here in Canada we had our Thanksgiving in October. We do take advantage of Black Friday deals though…hope you have a lovey Thanksgiving! PS: I’m sure the side dish will be phenomenal.
Those cookies look amazing. I have a good deal of baking ahead due to the holiday. I’m certainly looking forward to this long weekend.
Vanilla with chocolate ganache does sound amazing! My guys both love chocolate icing! I just started my Christmas shopping. I will be wandering the aisles at Target in a week or two.
Hi Ali. Great list of things to check out. I have to think about what I want to do for side dishes for Thanksgiving as well. I have no clue yet. I have never been happy with any green bean one that I have done for thanksgiving. And whoever thought green been casserole was delicious . . . I just don’t know what to say. It’s ironic though. I like all three ingredients but don’t like the combination. Ah well. Good luck in your search.
What a lovely round-up post! I hope you enjoy Breaking Bad, it was my all-time favourite TV show for a while and I was gutted when it ended! x
Oh my goodness, I am so glad that you finally joined the Breaking Bad fan club! What season/episode are you on? Also I love the sound of having hot chocolate with the family, its what I call a prerequisite for winter. I can imagine it would be soothing with Ophrah’s Soulful conversation podcasts and I am all for encouraging positive conversation!
Sounds like you had a perfect weekend! I look forward to exploring some of the links you’ve shared, especially the Friendsgiving and mammoth chocolate chip cookies ones 🙂
I saw those cookies the other day and they made me take pause!
That bejeweled rice sounds really good. Looking that one up on your link. I hear you on happiness and the weekend. This past weekend was the first in a long time my husband and I got to do absolutely nothing. It was glorious!
Haha I can just see your husband wandering around at Target! Happy Birthday to your grandson! Such a fun and interesting age he has entered! I will check out some of your links – you have been busy! Loving the healthy breakfast ideas article! I love breakfast and always want more ideas!
I am really looking forward to a long and peaceful weekend. It’s been a hard week, and I feel like I really need some down time.
What a calm weekend! I listened to Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations one recording before I went for a 10 days vacations, and I need to so much agree with you, that this is encouraging and really helps makes day peaceful. My weekend was a bit tough after vacation, as specially the winters are setting in and had much to work in the house. Also wanted to tell you that I had made Granola bars picking up your recipe and they turned out delicious. Thanks
Sounds like you had a lovely weekend planned – and I hope it all went to plan? Happy 2nd birthday to your grandson! I’m sure he’ll appreciate the toys from Target and whatever cake you make him – though vanilla sponge always gets my vote 😉 x
Oh how I love love love the weekend! Reading, cooking, playing games, family time. <3
Thank you, Ali, for your continued presence in the bloggiverse. You have such a lovely writing voice an I hope we’ll keep hearing from for years, whether you’re talking about food, reading, writing or life in general 🙂
I agree with you on the cake. Sometimes the more intricate it gets the less it tastes good. Vanilla cake is tried and true, why stray from that?
I always get excited about a new post from The Veggies. I check the site every morning, hoping for a new one. When one shows up, it is always an unexpected delight. I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend. xx
When you shared that cookie picture on instagram guess what I did? I made cookies! HA!! There is something so relaxing and perfect about freshly baked cookies in the fall. My house smelled amazing and my family enjoyed my baking!
You’re a gem. A list of recommended readings from you is the perfect start to this rainy November day. I think my Kids would bite your arm off for one of those cookies! I love the smell of baked goods over the w/e. It makes one feel all fuzzy inside! xo
On the weekend i had a look around the winter wonderland in hyde park. I love going as its amazing
It sounds like you had a perfect weekend. I had a really chilled one too, we were binge watching Stranger Things. Where are you up to in Breaking Bad, I LOVE that show. Have rewatched it so many times now!
I had a pretty calm weekend myself. Stayed in bed most of the time and caught up on some shows. BTW, lots of great reads on this list. Thanks for sharing!
our peaceful weekend is all about creating a nice space for our son with a new bed and re-organising! My idea of heaven :p
Nothing much happening for me this week other than catching up with deadlines, but that’s so great you managed to finally start on Breaking Bad! Nothing is ever too late 😉 But yeah, I LOVE that show! Made me stressed at times but the thrill is great haha.
those cookies look delicious! This weekend I’m thinking I might have a lazy one, tidy up the blog a bit and do somw writing. Maybe alittle housework! I might have to bake something nice too though, and I need to finish Breaking Bad too! (Also late to the party!)
This weekend will be pretty chilled I think…sleep, chores and maybe a cheeky games night with friends! I loved those cookies – YUM! Happy birthday to your grandson, I hope the cake turned out nice! 🙂
While writing this comment, am now in the airport waiting to board o I could spend the weekend with my mom. Ah I miss her cooking, and the peaceful breeze of sea air.
I definitely agree that everything is better with a friend. I live far away from family so having friends to hang out with this holiday means a lot to me. I’m definitely looking forward to catching up on a few episodes this weekend.
Those chocolate chip cookies look so delicious! And happy birthday to your grandson! Woohoo! My happiness comes from eating and cooking with the family.
Happy birthday to the little bubba and those beef dripping sandwiches sound like a real treat, plus happy that I can cook it in a large pot as I do not have a slow cooker.
Christmas craziness starts this weekend in our house so the peace doesn’t start until the kids go to bed!
Such a lovely post. Sounds like exactly what weekends are for. Those cookies look delicious.
I can’t believe you have a grandson!!!! I hope the two of you had an amazing time together. Thanksgiving is my favorite. Can’t wait to hear how it all went.
Wow how quickly has the time passed to your Grandson’s birthday that is crazy!
We are hopefully going to a food festival this weekend.