Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 351

Tuesday Things.

1. It’s official due date day and I just have to say that I am thrilled this baby has decided to stay put so I don’t miss Max trick-or-treating! I mean, that may change in a few hours, but let’s hope not. At least not until after 8PM. Happy Halloween!

2. Speaking of trick-or-treat, what is this sorcery that is the Snickers crisper?! OMG. It’s ruining my life. Eddie bought big bags of Halloween candy and I broke into them earlier and can’t stop eating these pieces and it’s truly terrible (wonderful).

3. I have absolutely no idea why this makes me laugh so hard.

4. It’s that time of year when Eddie and I are in the midst of the heat wars. Meaning, I don’t want to turn on the heat (ever, I love to be cold and it’s so much easier to warm up!) and the minute it’s like, 65 degrees out, he wants to turn on the heat. So we battle over the thermostat. I turn it off every night and he turns it on every morning. FUN. 

5. Very much been craving this herb and garlic mushroom pasta.

6. Am I the only one hoping for some super juicy JFK info in the release of the files? I’ve always found it to be so interesting (as you probably know my weirdo love for presidential history) and mysterious. Also, did you guys watch the movie Jackie? I could barely make it through it. Wow.

7. Obsessed with this advice from some of the best writers.

8. Can I just say that I LOATHED the ending of Grey’s Anatomy last week?! Ugh. Cannot believe a certain person left. WTF. Also! We started Stranger Things but haven’t been through many episodes yet. Your verdict on this season so far? Annnnd, I thought The Walking Dead was the worst. So boring and barely any speaking. Blah.

9. Okay! Have you heard of December Daily? I feel like I should preface this by saying that I am so NOT a scrapbook person (cannot/have no interest in keeping up with the craftiness) but you guys know what a freak I am over the holidays. I’m considering attempting it because I find the holidays to be so magical, but am also afraid that I’ll get too stuck in my head about it being crafty and fancy. Have you done it? I know a bunch of you have suggested Project Life to me before which I don’t know if I could keep up with, but this could be a start!

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Smoky Pumpkin Bisque with Grilled Cheese Croutons.

I have our Halloween tradition!

Ever since I made these creamy tomato soup shooters with grilled cheese sticks, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of tomato soup and grilled cheese on Halloween. Like before trick-or-treating.

Enter pumpkin soup! The creamiest pumpkin soup every with some fontina grilled cheese croutons because golden, toasty bread and melty cheese are liiiife.

For being someone that grew up NEVER eating grilled cheese with tomato soup (like never, we never ate it even once, because my mom was scarred for life as a kid by canned Campbells tomato soup), it’s crazy to me that this has become one of my favorite meals. I’ve already decided that I’m making a version of this TONIGHT (and not tomorrow, because with being on #babywatch I might not be home tomorrow!) since I find myself intensely craving it once the weather cools down.

It was chilly and super rainy all weekend and the other comfort food dish that went down was my creamy chicken and dumplings (ah the best!) to deal with the gray weather.

But today! Grilled cheese croutons or sticks. I think I’m going to try a combo of tomato and pumpkin soup and might even add cheese into the soup with the grilled cheese croutons.

There is never enough cheese in the universe.

Of course the main reason that this soup is even better than I imagined is because it also starts and ends with bacon. Fry it for the flavor and top it off with the crispy bits. My favorite thing ever is texture on top of soup so I am all.over.that. Woohoo.

Also can we just talk about how adorable these pumpkin cocottes are?! I’ve had the white and orange up in my kitchen since September and love how they can be a piece of decor and last through Thanksgiving. I mentioned them in my favorites a few months ago and have used the orange for years, but just love the white one for cooking too.

I’m so in love with this soup combo that I’ve been inspired to turn it into some sort of dip too. Like a pumpkin fondue with crusty bread (okay, and veggies, whomp whomp) or even a pumpkin gruyere cheese sauce for something like a croque monsieur.  How amazing would THAT be?!

Doing it.

Promise my pumpkin obsession will end soon.

And now I HAVE to know… do you have a pre-trick-or-trick meal tradition? Obviously ours may change over time and I think it would really change if it was the weekend and we were having more of a party on Halloween, but for now, I’m swimming in a bowl of soup with a grilled cheese raft.

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Smoky Pumpkin Bisque with Grilled Cheese Croutons










Ingredients:

pumpkin bisque

4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons snipped chives for topping

grilled cheese croutons

4 slices bread
softened brown butter for spreading
6 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated



Directions:

Heat a pot over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until it is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease.

With the pot still over medium heat, add in the onions and the garlic. Stir in the salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and nutmeg. Stir well to toss. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions become a bit caramely and golden, around 8 to 10 minutes.

Add in the pumpkin puree and stock. Stir and combine the mixture as much as you can. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender or carefully transfer the soup to a blender to puree it until smooth. If you transfer it, put it back into the pot. Heat it over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or so.

After 10 minutes, stir in the cream. Taste and season the soup additionally with salt and pepper. Heat the soup until warmed through, then serve it topped with the bacon, chives and grilled cheese croutons.

grilled cheese croutons

Spread the outsides of the bread with the softened butter. Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Fill the sandwiches with the cheese, topping the bread with a slice buttered-side up. Cook the sandwiches until golden on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side, and the cheese is melted. Let them cool slightly, then slice into “croutons” with a serrated knife.

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Juuuust look at that silky dream!

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Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Chai Ice Cream.

[This post is sponsored by KitchenAid! I’m super excited to show you some of my kitchen since our remodel.  ]

I have a great excuse for you to eat cake for breakfast today!

Coffee cake is the best because it’s like breakfast dessert.

I’ve been in a major coffee cake mood lately. Every time I share a coffee cake recipe, I get questions about where the coffee is in the cake. It’s just cake that we EAT with coffee! Not cake made with coffee.

However, some coffee might make it taste fabulous, to be real.

In addition to my coffee cake infatuation, I’ve also been weirdly obsessed with pumpkin this year. I mean, I know it’s not WEIRD-weird because many people are obsessed with pumpkin (hello, like isn’t the entire fall and autumn shopping season geared towards us basic pumpkin lovers?) but it’s weird for me because I don’t always love it this strongly. I have even MORE pumpkin coming later in the season.

Sooo! Today I’m partnering with KitchenAid to tell you about some of the amazing appliances in my new kitchen that helped me make this cake!

I knew that I wanted double ovens in my kitchen (after all, the amount of cooking I do is ridiculous!) but didn’t really have the space for stacked double ovens. So we went with two wall ovens instead and we are OBSESSED. Having these two ovens has totally changed my life – and we haven’t even hit the holidays yet!

The ovens use Even-Heat ™ True Convection, meaning that the cooking is super consistent and helps ensure even baking. This is so huge for me because my last oven? Was the complete opposite. I never knew how something was going to come out of there unless I was monitoring it the entire time. Using the EasyConvect ™ Conversion system is super simple too, especially for someone who never had a convection oven before.

My one concern with having the wall ovens was size – and well, that is certainly not an issue at all because they are HUGE. Not only can I fit multiple dishes in there at once, but I already roasted a darn big turkey for some Thanksgiving prep and it worked like a charm.

Can’t even tell you guys how NICE and wonderful it is to have ovens that I don’t have to babysit. It’s made my work life so much more productive!

Like, it’s given me a lot more time to focus on delicious things like coffee cake.

This coffee cake is made with dark brown sugar and my favorite thing about it is that it’s not overly sweet. The crunchy topping is another one of my favorite things and both of these things combined, when served warm, mean that it’s fantastic when topped with melty ice cream!

The ice cream. Oh my gosh. This freaking ice cream is unreeeeeal. I adapted it from the pumpkin gelato I made a few years ago so the mixture may be more gelato-like. It’s creamy and dreamy and so, so smooth and spiced.

I was actually so excited about this ice cream flavor and wanted it ready to go first thing in the morning with the coffee cake that I made it at 12:30 at night. Yes, 12:30, like a complete psychopath.

In my family, this isn’t really psychopath behavior, because my mom and my aunt (and even Mother Lovett!) have always been huge night owls. They accomplish so much in the evenings and have ever since we were kids. And when I say “evening” – I don’t mean like 6PM in the evening. I mean, 6PM is certainly the evening for ME.

We are talking, like, maybe 1AM or 2AM. With multiple kids, this is how my aunt and mom would get everything done and it has always blown my mind. My cousin and I always talk about their nightly stamina to get work done.

This is usually NOT how I live my life, because I’m so much more of an early bird. But the night I made this ice cream, I had some weird late-term pregnancy energy kick in. I watched that night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy with my computer on my counter and whisk this custard on my stovetop and chilled it. This meant that in the morning, after chilling all night, I could churn it and have it ready in about 4ish hours. YES YES YES.

You guys know that I always use the ice cream attachment on my KitchenAid® Stand Mixer – well, for two reasons. One, I love how it works and it makes the best ice cream! I’ve had mine for about seven years and it still works great. And two, I love that I don’t have to store another full-sized appliance to make ice cream because… honestly… I have no clue where it would go. I cannot store one more kitchen appliance anywhere in my life!

Unless I get rid of some shoes. And who wants to do that?

The ice cream maker makes ice cream, sorbet AND gelato, hence my obsession with it. Plus, it’s super easy to clean and store, and when I know I’m going to make ice cream? I just throw it in the freezer the night before.

And yes, I know that so many of you still ask about my copper mixer! It’s the custom metallic series 5 Quart Tilt Head Mixer and while I’ve always been obsessed with my stand mixers, let’s just say that this one is quite the show stopper in my kitchen this time of year. LOVE.

SO this is what I’m going to be serving up through December! For breakfast. And dessert. And dessert after breakfast! You know.

I meeeean… can you blame me?

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Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Chai Ice Cream

Yield: serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

pumpkin coffee cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

streusel

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

chai ice cream

3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
6 large egg yolks



Directions:

pumpkin coffee cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour,baking powder, pie spice, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and combined. Beat in each egg 1 at a time Beat in the vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the pumpkin puree and yogurt until combined. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the springform pan. Sprinkle on half of the streusel. Gently spread the remaining batter on top and cover with the streusel. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with the chai ice cream!

streusel

To make the streusel, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add in the softened butter with a fork and mix, then use your hands to bring the mixture together. You want it to resembled damp sand and all the pieces to be moistened.

chai ice cream

Add 2 cups of the milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice nutmeg, salt and vanilla bean paste to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until warmed through – but don’t let the sides bubble up.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Add in a few spoonfuls of the warm milk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the egg yolks. Once the egg yolks are slightly warmed from the milk, slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk saucepan while whisking constantly. Fit the saucepan with a candy thermometer and cook the custard over medium-low heat until it reaches 170 degrees F while continuing to stir.

Once the mixture has reached 170 degrees F, pour it through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk, stirring until combined and smooth. Place the bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water, and continue to stir until the custard cools down. Once it has cooled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours or even overnight.

Remove the custard base from the fridge and churn according to your ice cream maker directions. I use the attachment on my kitchenaid mixer and churn for about 25 minutes. Spoon the custard into a freezer-safe container and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

cake slightly adapted from williams sonoma

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That melty ice cream river though!

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Currently Crushing On.

OH MY GOSH. How are we at the END of October?! I can’t even believe it! I hope you guys have a fabulous weekend and enjoy any Halloween festivities you might have going on. Towards the end of this week, I’ll be sharing the start of the most AMAZING 2017 Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving spread here on the blog. I can’t wait to share all the recipes with you!

And p.s. don’t forget, earlier this week I shared my October beauty favorites and Sephora sale picks!

All my favorites this week:

totally making this halloween candy platter. wow!

cheesy roasted garlic knots. omg.

these are the prettiest chocolate mint matcha cups!

very much want to try this crackin’ chicken.

this instant pot mac and cheese makes me want an instant pot.

a meat lovers pizza bake. pretty sure we’re in.

goat cheese cheesecake! i’m dying.

i’m very very interested in these crispy baked pumpkin wings.

would love a whole wheat caramel apple muffin right about now.

one pot chicken parm pasta skillet. yes!

this pumpkin, olive oil and dark chocolate cake is gorgeous.

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Dark Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Tart.

Your dessert for the weekend is all wrapped up in this fudgy little package.

REALLY. Just look at it!

This chocolate pomegranate tart stood no chances in my kitchen. Can you blame me? The moment it was photographed we were DEVOURING it. If you’re looking for a super decadent treat that you only need a few bites of? I’ve got you covered.

Promise. Chocolate face plant and all.

My love for pomegranate season knows no bounds, clearly.

The key to this tart for me is the oreo crust. Oooooh you know how crazy I am about crusts! I mean, really I couldn’t care less about pie crust. I’m rarely successful at pastry crusts but if you’ve been following the blog, then you know how much I adore graham cracker crusts and oreo crusts and cookie crusts in general.

Most of the time, I’m in it just for the crusts!

Since I wanted this tart to be seriously chocolatey, I knew an oreo crust was in order. Oreo crust, super fudgey and decadent dark chocolate filling with a tart yet sweet pomegranate drizzle on top. And pomegranate arils, because they are the PRETTIEST!

Right right?

Autumn’s jewels, no lie. I love them so, so much.

I’ve been in love with the dark chocolate and pomegranate combo ever since I made these devil’s food cupcakes with pomegranate shards last year. This recipe isn’t THAT different – it’s still the same flavor combo and it’s AMAZING because it’s super rich but also tart. The best! But it’s cupcakes, so there is that. Different strokes, you know.

While a tart seems semi-intimidating, it is totally something you can make ahead of time. It doesn’t have to be this super messy either (I can’t even imagine some of you right now that want to take 50 clorox wipes to the counter in my photos) and it stays GREAT in the fridge. You can add the drizzle and the arils right before serving but you can easily make the tart ahead of time!

So if you’re in it for the Halloween parties this weekend? Dooooo it.

Speaking of, ARE you in it for the Halloween parties this weekend? I’ve rambled on multiple times how I hate dressing up for Halloween (which makes no sense, really, since I’m so obsessed with makeup!) but I think that I could get on board for a super huge, fun and very NOT scary party if I had to do it.

I say NOT SCARY because I am a child and totally afraid of scary things even though I used to love them. Like one of those haunted houses where you have to sign a release form and they can touch you? NO THANKS. Worst nightmare right there. How do we get more scared as we get older?!

Anyhoo. I’m very into Halloween for the food, of course. Next week, I’ll share a twist on one of our favorite Halloween traditions and if you’re looking for something to do with all of that candy? You should probably make this brownie peanut butter nutella tart. Just sayin’!

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Dark Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Tart

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

crust

20 oreo cookies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

filling

4.5ounces high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pomegranate glaze

2/3 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pomegranate arils, for topping



Directions:

Note: I would double this for a 9 or 10-inch round tart pan. There may be a little leftover as I didn’t test it exactly in the 9-inch, but you can put the overflow in a few ramekins! 

To make the crust, add the oreos to a food processor and blend until small crumbs remain. Stir the crumbs and melted butter together until all the pieces are moistened.

Press the mixture in to a 4 x 14 inch tart pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat until it’s warmed and just until bubbles appear along the edges of the pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute. After a minute, stir it until a thick and smooth chocolate ganache forms. Whisk in the beaten egg and the vanilla extract. Remove the crust from the fridge. Pour the mixture into the crust.

Bake the tart for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chocolate is just set. Remove it and let it cool completely.

While the tart is baking, heat the pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture come to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Pour it into a jar and stick it into the fridge.

Before serving, drizzle the glaze over the crust – as much or as little as you’d like! You will have extra glaze, so you can keep it out for serving if someone wants extra. Cover the top of the tart with pomegranate arils. I like to slice it into wedges to serve!

filling slightly adapted from epicurious

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And if you want to get a leeeettle spookier and all Dexter-like here, you could throw pomegranate shards on top of this. Yep yep.

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Pomegranate Cider Mimosas with a Salted Caramel Rim.

This is about as spooky as I’m going to get for Halloween.

Drippy salted caramel rims!

Cider mimosas with pomegranate juice, apple cider AND champagne?! Hello I am in super duper major love, like a tween that has Zack Morris posters all over her wall. You know the drill. 

So I know I’ve posted a TON of drink recipes over the last two or three years. I mean, around 52 recipes per year, since I do one per week! But this… this is surely one of my favorites. I swear. I promise. It’s unreal. As I’m creeping down the line towards giving birth, I had to take a taste and test it. I couldn’t just give it to my testers to taste because LOOK AT THIS!!

Isn’t is serious heaven? I love it so much.

The combo is simple. I couldn’t decide on apple cider mimosas or pomegranate mimosas so I combined the two. With champagne! And a salted caramel rim for a fun autumn twist. I think if you’re having some sort of pumpkin carving party or Halloween brunch this weekend, these MUST MUST MUST make the menu.

And of course, then again for Thanksgiving.

And even throughout the month of December.

We all know what a huge apple cider freak I am, so this made perfect sense. At first, I really wanted to do caramel apple mimosas. I’ve had those on my list since July after seeing them on Facebook. But most of the recipes I found used caramel-flavored vodka and I just couldn’t get behind mixing champagne and vodka in such a small glass. And using just caramel on the rim wouldn’t be enough caramel for me!

I was semi-devastated to tell you the truth. Totally was planning on caramel apple mimosas being my Friendsgiving cocktail and had to CHANGE ALL THE PLANS.

But it’s okay. It’s even better. This mimosa is a dream and tastes like major fall in a glass. And since it’s a mimosa, it means we can have it for breakfast! But also for cocktails. And then for a nightcap.

Heck! We’re getting into the holiday season. Perhaps this should just be our daily beverage of choice?

Yep sounds about right.

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Pomegranate Cider Mimosas with a Salted Caramel Rim

Yield: serves 6

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

salted caramel sauce, for the rim
1 (750mL) bottle chilled champagne
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1/3 cup apple cider



Directions:

Rim each champagne flute with a small teaspoon of salted caramel.

Add about an ounce or so of pomegranate juice to the bottom of a champagne flute. Add another ounce of apple cider. Fill it up with champagne and serve!

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I’d say they are haunting in the best way possible.

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October Favorites: My Top 15 Sephora VIB Sale Picks and Wishlist.

Hello hello!

I have a huuuuuuge, loaded post for you today with all of my favorites!

Oooooh how I love this time of year with the VIB sale at Sephora. I haven’t seen exact dates for it yet, but it tends to be in the first week of November (which coincides so nicely with my birthday, hello) and runs for a few days. I think the friends and family sale is going on right now but you actually have to have friends and family who work there? With the VIB Sale, Sephora knows your status based on your account, so it’s unfortunately not a shareable coupon, but your account status will determine if you get to shop the VIBrouge or VIB sale days. Otherwise known as… do you spend a horribly outrageous amount on makeup or just a sort of terrible amount? Bahahaha.

Anyhoo! Since you guys ask me for my favorite recommendations every year, I made a huuuuge list! It’s not much different from that of last year because… I love what I love.

This was fairly difficult but I narrowed it down to 15 things that I talk about all the time and REALLY love and recommend. Then there are a few honorable mentions of things I also use and still love. And then my wishlist!

P.S. there is a sliiiiight chance that I might share some separate October beauty faves, but depending on the babe’s arrival, this might be October’s only beauty post.

As usual, I’d love to hear what you are loving below and what you want to grab at the sale. What things do you have your eye on? What holiday gift sets are you loving? Tell me, tell me!

My Top 15 Picks:

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Fresh Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. This is my most favorite lip balm ever. Eddie loves it too! I tend to keep this in my house since it’s pricier (and I lose everything in all of my purses) but always have a few on hand. Game changer for dry lips!

SK-II Facial Essence. This is a new one for me this year and holy cow, it’s the priciest skincare I’ve ever bought. But I have been in loooove with this since picking up a gift set at the Nordstrom anniversary sale. I swear it has made my skin tone more even, kept the dryness to a minimum and just makes my skin more glowly? I really love it.

Sunday Riley Good Genes. This is one of those products that I’ve RAVED about since getting it. I can absolutely tell a difference in my skin when I use it. Since my skin is dry, I only use this maybe twice or occasionally three times a week and I make sure to moisturize after. It’s one skin product that I find to be totally worth it.

Sunday Riley Luna Oil or Flora Oil. I love both of these oils and have used both consistently in the past. The Luna oil is a retinol so it’s something I cut out when I was trying to get pregnant/got pregnant and have been using the Flora oil ever since. Absolutely love both! As a dry skin girl, these are a must for me. I like both of these better than the Josie Maran Argan Oil. I haven’t tried the Drunk Elephant Marula Oil yet!

Drunk Elephant LaLa Retro Cream. If you follow my beauty favorites regularly then you know that this is the cream I’ve been using daily. It works for me both night and day and it’s perfect. For the last year or two I also loved and used the Sunday Riley Tidal Cream, it’s just a bit lighter and my skin is a desert. I really like how both work under makeup for me.

Dermadoctor KP Duty Body Scrub. Every sale, I buy a new one of these scrubs. They are the best body scrub. It’s not like a spa experience or anything because it’s not really scented (I’m usually all over the vanilla stuff and what not) but it’s great for the body. I also buy the lotion and both Eddie and I use it. This is great if you ever get those little bumps on the back of your arms or legs!

Kate Somerville Exfolikate. This is another one of my favorite body and facial scrubs. I don’t use the one above on my face, but I do use this one on my face. This has AHA’s so it’s a little more like “skincare,” where as the above one I use more on my body, like backs of arms, legs, etc. If that makes sense!

Dr Jart Hydro Fuse Water Sleeping Mask. As if I need to continue to rant on about my dry skin, this is truly a savior for me. It goes on your face after everything else – so yes, even after super heavy moisturizer. I don’t use it every single night but I use it when I REALLY need moisture. And it works in one night. Sometimes two. Always, always have it on hand!

Benefit Gimme Brow. This is my go-to brow product and I always stock up at the VIB sale. One lasts me a few months, so I tend to buy a few. Love it!

NARS SmudgeProof Eye Primer. This is another product I’ve used for years and can’t live without. It’s the best eyeshadow base (I like it so much more than the Urban Decay Primer Potion) and will buy a few of these too!

The Beauty Blender. I haaaate to wear foundation so this is a must for me anytime I’m using it. But I use it nearly everyday for concealer too! And anytime thinks look too cakey. No other sponge works the same and I’ve tried a TON.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. This is what I use on my face every single day. Very very rarely do I use foundation – I always use this! It’s absolutely perfect and I adore the consistency.

Perfume!! This is the one thing I always try to grab at the sale because when does perfume ever go on sale?! IT NEVER DOES. It’s always excluded. So the fact that you can get it 15% or 20% here is huge. My favorites are Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme, Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon (and Black!), Philosophy Fresh Cream, Jo Malone Mimosa and Cardamom, Giorgio Armani Si and Commodity Gold.

Tarte Blush Bazaar Blush Palette. This might seem like a random one, but first, I adore Tarte blushes and second, I bought this last year (or maybe the year before) and it’s still something I use multiple times per week. I also love it for travel because there are so many shades! The version I have seems more pinkish, but I really like this one too.

Nest Candles and Reed Diffusers. These are my favorite candles, especially in the fall and holiday season! My go-to’s are pumpkin chai and birchwood pine. This is something else that you can rarely find on sale this time of year!

Honorable mentions:

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. This is such a huge, huge staple in our routines, and I say “our” because both Eddie and I use it! I adore it. I only bumped it from the list because I talk about it CONSTANTLY and really wanted to mention the Lala Retro Cream I’ve been using on my face!

Caudalie Moisturizing Toner. This is still the ONLY toner I use on my face. It’s not drying at all and just overall excellent. I have been alternating this with the SKII above to stretch the SKII longer. I love using this with exfoliating cotton rounds that I get at Target or Ulta. Perhaps the biggest bonus is that it has a pump.

Elizabeth and James Dry Shampoo. I don’t think it matters what scent you get – this stuff is great. On a regular basis I still use Batiste dry shampoo and love it, but this is like fancy perfume for your hair that actually WORKS! I just don’t use it daily because it’s pricier.

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. I love these and still use them almost daily. I add them to tinted moisturizer or foundation or even just use on my skin alone! My daily shade is moonlight, though I love all the colors that I have.

Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum. When I’m not too lazy to use eye serum, this is still what I reach for. I love that they updated the packaging too. Some nights I just throw extra moisturizer on under my eyes, but I really love how this works under makeup too.

Tarte Maracuja Oil. I love buying the big bottles of these at the sale because I use this oil most on my body. It soaks in and works wonderfully when mixed with any other sort of lotion or cream.

Sol de Janiero Bum Bum Cream. I mean, could I talk about this stuff enough? It’s what I use all throughout the summer and it smells AMAZING. The cream is so moisturizing and thick. Something I buy over and over again.

So what new things are on my wish list? Here’s a peek! 

Natasha Denona Lila Eyeshadow Palette. I have nooo idea why I want this crazy colored palette so badly! I mean, I adore the colors. I’ve wanted to try one of her palettes forever. I am just so drawn to this!

Marc Jacobs Wild One Eyeshadow Palette. Another palette that I reeeeeally don’t need but I love the colors and tend to love Marc Jacobs shadows.

Peter Thomas Roth Meet Your Mask Set. Believe it or not, I’ve never tried ANY of these masks! I’m super excited to grab this and be able to try them all.

YSL Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip. I actually have one of these and LOVE it. I want more in darker fall shades!

Fenty Beauty Cosmic Gloss. These remind me of MAC dazzleglass and I just want to try them so bad. The colors are gorgeous! I can’t stop with the glitter.

So let me know! What is on your list?!

{as usual, none of this is sponsored and all of these products were purchased by me. i am not affiliated with any of the companies above, nor do i accept free products. just love to talk about what i like, makeup junkie to makeup junkie. there are some amazon and general reward style affiliate links above. thank you for being here!}

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Slow Cooker Pork Chili Verde.

Oh my gosh, you guyssssss. THIS PORK!

This chili verde pork. In the slow cooker. Is absolute heaven. All broken sentences necessary. Trust me!

In some attempts to find some new favorite slow cooker meals before the baby comes and to answer your requests for MORE slow cooker meals, I’ve tried a bunch of new dishes and had quite a few fails. This pork is ranking super high on our list right now. Slow cooker macaroni and cheese? Um, totally is not. I swear that I’ve tried out five or six different recipes for it and it turns into sticky gross glue in the slow cooker and is a mess.

Enough about that though. Let’s talk about the pork!

Oh and side note: I think you could totally make this with chicken or beef too. It’s TOPS.

We ate this pork for so many different meals for about four days straight. It was that good. We had it in tacos, on salads, on sandwiches, even with breakfast. The taste was just so unreal. A little bit spicy (but not much since I’m a baby and remove most of the pepper seeds) and so ridiculously full of flavor. The depth of flavor is incredible.

And, um, isn’t that green color just so pretty?!

I based this recipe off of one that I found on the kitchn and it was pure perfection. It was super easy too because the first time I made it, I just threw it in the slow cooker over night! Blend everything and pour it over the pork shoulder. It’s embarrassingly easy.

In true Jessica-fashion, I had to make it just a bit more high-maintenance than usual and charred the poblanos, jalapeños and even the tomatoes a bit before blending. Living for that smoky, charred flavor!

It’s amazing served over rice alone.

Of course I love it most when throw in a charred tortilla and topped with crumbly queso fresco.

Or when eaten straight out of the slow cooker!

It’s divine. Add, like, three margaritas and you’re set.

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Slow Cooker Pork Chili Verde

Yield: serves 6 to 8

Total Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds tomatillos, skin removed and halved
1 sweet onion, halved
2 anaheim chiles
2 poblano peppers
1 jalapeño peppers
4 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

for serving:

jasmine rice, if desired
charred corn tortillas
fresh cilantro
avocado
sliced jalapeños
lime wedges



Directions:

I find the flavor is best when the pork is seared first. My slow cooker sears the meat, but if yours does not, heat a large pot over medium to high heat and add the oil. Sprinkle the pork roast with the salt and pepper, then add it to the pot or slow cooker and sear on all sides until deeply golden brown. If necessary, transfer it to the slow cooker.

At this point, you want to roast or broil the tomatoes, onions and peppers. I have a gas stovetop so I roast them over an open flame! I roast the tomatoes, the onions, the chilis and peppers until they are a charred. I throw them all in a bowl and let them cool slightly. Peel the peppers and chilies and remove the seeds (I do!). Add the tomatoes, onions, chilies and peppers to the blender. Add in the garlic and the cilantro. Blend until the mixture is pureed.

Pour the mixture over the pork in the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours over low heat.

After 8 hours, the pork will easily shred with kitchen tongs or forks. My favorite way to serve this is either over rice or in charred tortillas as tacos. Add on some fresh cilantro, avocado, sliced jalapeños and lime spritzes.

pork lightly adapted from the kitchn

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I appreciate you so much!

I think this is a totally acceptable way to eat more greens.

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Tuesday Things.

1. How stunning is this pumpkin cider cheesecake?! AH.

2. I’m just living my iced coffee life until eggnog lattes are back. They are the BEST lattes all year long! Hot or iced.

3. Thoughts on the bodysuit trend? So I think I asked this, like, over a year ago because I couldn’t believe something so horribly uncomfortable was coming back. I actually am liking some of the ones that I see but obviously being pregnant they are not an option… and most likely won’t be for awhile after as I’m nursing. But! I’m not hating it like I was before. And sort of hope they will still be a trend in 6ish months.

4. For some reason I find this article about Disneyland’s opening day so interesting.

5. My life is pretty much made now that Justin Timberlake is doing the Superbowl half-time show. Only reason I’ll probably watch.

6. So…  the Walking Dead is back! I actually liked the episode and love the Talking Dead after. And whyyyy must This Is Us kill me every week? Something funny: my mom has no interest in This Is Us. She can’t get into it and doesn’t like it at all. Ha! We usually like the same type of shows but she’s just like… no. I don’t understand why everyone loses it over the show. I DO.

7. Also! Did you see that Supermarket Sweep is coming back? My brother and I used to looooove that show.

8. This killed me. Cake in the break room with no instructions.

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Caramelized Vegetable and Fontina Stuffed Shells with Fire Roasted Marinara.

I maaaade you dinner!

And it’s meatless! And filled with cheese. Plus a smoky sauce. And even VEGETABLES.

These stuffed shells may be a new go-to for me. And they are something that you can totally freeze if you’re into making a bunch of freezer meals!

If I’m being totally honest, I haven’t made any freezer meals yet for the baby’s arrival. I don’t think I’m going to, as I mentioned in my last update. But don’t worry! I went and grabbed about 20 frozen things from Trader Joe’s which totally makes up for that, right? I’m hoping so.

Ugh. We’re already in major second child mode. Bahahaha.

Stuffed shells are not a dish we have often in this house… in fact, we probably don’t even have them once a year. And even though I’m not the biggest pasta/tomato sauce lover, they are a dish that I always enjoy when I eat them. So, like, why not?

Around this time of year, I always break out some tomato-sauce based recipes for the comfort food level and even find myself occasionally craving them. I think that started when I was pregnant with Max. ESPECIALLY around the holiday season – it’s when I take the most interest in those dishes because they just taste… different. You know? Like everything is all beef and turkey and gravy and squash and I’m like hold up!

I need a break from all that and have to eat something that I normally don’t want just for a change of pace, because I’m a millennial and gets bored at the drop of a hat. Instantly bored. Always. With everything.

But.

THESE ONES!

Oh my gosh.

Yes, they are filled with tons of veggies that start with caramelized onions which add such a depth of flavor and serious sweetness (in a good way!) to the filling. They are totally meat free which of course means that Eddie won’t consider them a legit meal, but he can make some chicken or whatever on the side OR eat these as a side dish throughout the week, which is exactly what he did.

The sauce, which is sort of like a quick, faux marinara (made by the person who has zero Italian blood in her body), starts with fire-roasted tomatoes which are my absolute FAVE. They are the base for this creamy tomato soup (that totally tastes like (or better than!) the Nordstrom cafe version) that I make constantly and love. If you tell me that a chili or tomato sauce is made with fire-roasted tomatoes? I’m so much more inclined to eat it. I love the smokiness they impart in a dish.

And of COURSE I used fontina cheese because if you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you know that it’s my cheese of choice for the melty factor. We loooooove fontina here. I use it in everything!

So. Yes. Very very very into these shells. How could I not be?

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Roasted Vegetable and Fontina Stuffed Shells with Fire Roasted Marinara

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

quick fire roasted marinara

2 (14-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

stuffed shells

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup butternut squash cubes, 1/2-1 inch cubes
12 ounce mushrooms, chopped
8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped (I just run my knife through it once or twice)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups whole milk-ricotta cheese
8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to directions
fresh basil and oregano to garnish



Directions:

quick fire roasted marinara

Add the tomatoes, paste, garlic and butter together in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the diced tomatoes have broken down. Stir in the basil.

stuffed shells

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish (I used a 9×9 but you can also do a 9×13, this should make enough shells and filling) with nonstick spray.

Heat a large skillet over low heat and melt the butter. Once melted, stir in the onions, squash and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramely and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and juice, about 6 minutes. Stir in the spinach and garlic, cooking until the spinach wilts.

In a bowl, stir together the ricotta and almost all of the fontina, reserving some for the top. Stir in the beaten egg. Add in the salt and pepper. Fold in the cooked vegetables until combined.

Spoon 1/2 cup of marinara in the bottom of the baking dish. Take the cooked pasta shells and fill them with the cheesy vegetable mixture and place them in the baking dish. Cover them with all of the marinara and the remaining fontina cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Top with fresh oregano and basil to serve.

 

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I appreciate you so much!

Isn’t that the most perfect hug in a bowl?

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