Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 389

Currently Crushing On.

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Happy almost Thanksgiving! I think this might be my favorite time of year because the holiday anticipation is STRONG. I love it.

This past week was gift guide week! Did you catch up on all of my favorites? SO MANY gift guides:

Her

Him

Toddler

Under $25

Books

Beauty!

Also, I created a SHOP tab up in my menu bar of the blog where I’ve added allll of my favorite things. It’s the most fun thing ever. So many updates!

This week I made a video of my favorite lightened up sweet potato casserole. And my garlic knots! And my chicken and dumplings! Speaking of videos, my goal is to go back and update EVERY SINGLE post with a video. I’ve done a bunch already, and you can find them inside the posts as well as on Youtube. I would love if you guys could subscribe to the Youtube channel (hit the red “subscribe” button on the right once on Youtube!). It will notify you every time I make a new video!

What are you guys up to this weekend? I hope you have a great one!

Fave links of the week:

the most perfect pecan topped sweet potatoes.

this kale salad with pumpkin seed dukkah sounds fantastic.

love the idea from smoked salmon deviled eggs.

what a beauty: dulce de leche crepe cake.

cinnamon rosemary old fashioned. how delicious.

i’m always up for some  twice baked sweet potatoes.

chocolate hazelnut crunch truffles. oh my word.

thanksgiving heaven is found in green bean casserole from scratch.

life changing gluten free biscuits!

perfection is caramel apple cheesecake.

polenta bites with crispy brussels. YES.

ooooh yes i do want this garlic lovers salmon. every day!

 

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Holiday Gift Guide: Favorite Cookbooks!

Here’s a peek at all the books I’ve been loving in 2016! Some are old, some are new, some are written by my friends and others are created by people I don’t know – but I love them all! I looked at the pile of books I have visited the most this year in my kitchen and all of these made the list. Let me know what cookbooks you are loving down below.

Seriously Delish. Is it embarrassingly tacky to talk about my own book first?! Seriously Delish houses a ton of my favorite recipes (hello fontina and spinach baked eggs) and if you guys don’t have it, I’d love for you to grab it and gift it! Between you and me, I think the next book is going to be just as amazing.

Cooking for Jeffrey. Who doesn’t love Ina? I read the book front to back the day I received it and they are just too perfect for words. I even consider this to be a coffee table book. I love them that much.

Small Victories. To say I have completely fallen in love with this cookbook would be an understatement. I love the special ingredients in each recipe. I love the photos! The writing is even better. It’s perfection.

The Nourished Planner. I am ridiculously excited about the Nourished Planner right now! It was designed by my friend Heidi and I just love the idea of developing a nourished life that you love. It’s a goal setting guide, daily calendar and meal planner all in one! Eeeeeep! It might not be a cookbook, but it definitely can be used WITH your cookbooks.

Food 52 a New Way to Dinner. The food52 cookbooks make me so happy. This one is all about delicious recipes, meal planning, and food that busy people actually MAKE!

Dorie’s Cookies. My love for Dorie is strong. In fact, I’m going to make her world peace cookies today. If you’re a baker or want to be a baker… this is the book you need.

Against All Grain Celebrations. While we don’t eat a gluten free or paleo diet, I have plenty of people in my life who do. And this book has the most delicious recipes. The pictures! The food looks incredible.

The Flavor Bible. By now, if you’re a regular reader, you must be sick of me talking about this book. I mention it every year (well, multiple times per year!) because it’s one thing I use in the kitchen constantly. It helps me develop recipes and determine what flavors work and which ones don’t. It’s fantastic.

The Vanilla Bean Baking Book. I haven’t had a chance to tell you guys about this one yet, but a post is coming with on heck of a delicious recipe. I adore Sarah’s blog – her photos, writing and stunning recipes fill this book to the brim.

Molly on the Range. I shared my love for earlier this year, but if you want a book filled with witty writing and delicious recipes, this is the one.

Food52 Baking. Another food 52 love of mine. This has replaced a lot of my general baking books!

Eating in the Middle. Andie’s book is freaking fantastic. I love it almost as much as her memoir. It’s filled with REAL food recipes in the exact way I enjoy eating: healthy with a side of indulgence.

Cravings. I did not expect to love Chrissy Teigen’s book as much as I do. The recipes are ridiculously delicious. I make something from her book at least twice a month!

Simply Scratch. Laurie makes some of the most delicious food on the internet. Her book is no different – and it’s so comforting and feels like home.

Grandbaby Cakes. My love for Jocelyn knows no bounds and it’s heightened because her recipes are insane. Like she makes every single thing I want to eat in the universe. And her book is full of VINTAGE CHARM. Hello, that is exactly what I want always.

Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking. Dana makes the easiest, most delicious looking recipes EVER. I’m almost convinced that I could eat a vegan diet if she cooked every meal for me.

Near and Far. I added this book to my collection earlier this year because I die over everything Heidi Swanson does. If you don’t have Supernatural Everyday, you need that one too!

Skinnytaste Fast and Slow. I enjoyed so many recipes in Gina’s first book the I didn’t think it would be possible to find more. But! This one sold me because I’m having a little love affair with my slow cooker (err, I have been since Max came along) and NEED more recipes. These ones are SO good.

Jerusalem. I debated putting nearly every single one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s books on this list because I really love them all. I settled with the oldie but goodie because this is a book I use CONSTANTLY. It has the recipe for the best hummus I’ve ever had in my life. And food is so vibrant and fresh. And it forces me out of my comfort zone.

The Food Lab. Science + food usually isn’t my jam, but I love the author’s recipes on Serious Eats.  If you’re a by-the-book recipe person, you’ll adore this book. And it also might help you become a little more adventurous and… less by-the-book.

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Buttered Rosemary Smashed Potatoes with Burrata.

It’s been quite a buttery week.

You won’t hear me complaining though. Buttered rosemary smashed potatoes? My recipe heart is exploding.

Okay. I just have to say it. But I MEAN it. I really do!

This is my new favorite side dish.

Don’t roll your eyes.

Seriously, stop rolling your eyes.

It IS. And I’m in love with it because while, sure, it can make an appearance on your Thanksgiving table, the truth is that this is perfect all year round. Even in the summer!

One of the first recipes I ever made after I started blogging (like, just for dinner) was the pioneer woman’s smashed potatoes. I was completely amazed by them because growing up, you know that potatoes were my favorite food – and I had never tried potatoes that way!

Majorly deprived, I know.

I’ve made a few versions of them over the years but this is by far my favorite. Smaller, red, purple and golden potatoes drenched in rosemary butter and topped with the meltiest, creamiest of all the cheeses in the universe: burrata.

I DIE.

For real. I am 103% convinced that this dish is one of the most delicious dishes on the planet. And it is so freaking simple. It is embarrassingly easy.

Let’s break it down:

Par boil your potatoes.

Do one mash with a potato masher, just to smash them.

Cover them with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast them until crispy!

Smother them in fresh rosemary melted butter.

Top them with burrata cheese.

Die and go to heaven.

Rise again because you can’t let this be your last potato.

See? Piece of cake.

Buttered Rosemary Smashed Potatoes with Burrata.

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds medium-sized potatoes (red/purple/golden variety)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 tablespoons salted butter
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 large (or 2 small) balls of burrata cheese



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Simmer the potatoes until they are just barely fork tender. Strain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.

Brush a baking sheet with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the potatoes on the sheet. Use a fork or potato mashed to smash them once, keeping them in one piece. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic. Place the sheet in the oven and roast the potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

While the potatoes are roasting, melt the butter. Stir the rosemary into the butter.

When the potatoes are finished, drizzle each of them with the rosemary butter. Top each with a piece of the burrata cheese.

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

What about bacon? Probably bacon. Always bacon.

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Holiday Gift Guide: For Beauty Lovers.

Gift Guide week returns with my favorite beauty products – for gifts! For years, you guys have been asking what kind of beauty things to give (or ask for) as gifts. These are different that my usual favorites, because when giving beauty products I think it’s very tricky when it comes to certain colors or skincare, since everyone is so different.

These aren’t new – you’ve probably heard me talk about all of them in my favorites over the last few years. But these are the exact things I’d give as gifts!

Lush Bath Bombs. I have never been a bath person, but that’s changed in the last year and I’ve found it a wonderful way to decompress for the day. I love Lush’s bath bombs – all the scents and especially the glitter, even if they make a huge mess.

Sara Happ Lip Scrub in Red Velvet Cake. This is my favorite lip scrub ever (I have it in Confetti Cake) and this scent looks good enough to eat.

Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette. While I tried to stay away from colorful products and skincare in this gift guide, this eye palette is SO high quality and there are some colors for everyone. I bought it during the VIB sale and haven’t used anything else since.

Derek Crosby 10 Crosby Fragrance Set. I actually bought this last year at this time and it has remained one of my favorite things to use through the year. The scents are completely different and I love every single one! They do tend to smell on the warmer side – not many florals. The bottles are the perfect size, they spritz and are not rollerballs, they are colorful and can sit in the packaging to store or display. I love this.

Lush’s Snow Fairy Shower Gel. This is an oldie but goodie for me – and it only comes out during the holiday season. It’s so nostalgic and smells like wonderful candy. Plus, it’s hot pink!

Beauty Blender Sponge. I could not live without this. For real.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. This has powder, blush, bronzer and some can be used as a highlighter. I really like the Hourglass powders and think this is awesome for traveling or if you want to try the product out. A little dose of everything.

Guerlain Meteorites Powder Pearls. This is one of those products that I initially bought for the packaging (yearssss ago) and ended up absolutely loving the product too. It’s technically a setting powder, and while it’s not glittery, it just gives you face a wonderful glow. SO pretty. And this is coming from someone who never uses powder!

Farmacy Honey Potion Face Mask. The Farmacy face masks are awesome. This one is mainly for hydration, so perfect for the winter months.

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil. I first fell in love with this while I was pregnant. The scent is so warm and comforting, but not perfume like whatsoever. It’s so moisturizing on the skin. And I love that it comes in different sizes. Can totally be a stocking stuffer too.

Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist. If you follow my beauty favorites, then you know that I’ve been obsessed with this spray for well over a year. It’s so perfectly… well… DEWY! It’s awesome if you have dry skin. It gives the most wonderful glow.

Shisheido Eyelash Curler. So this might be another weirdo nostalgic thing for me, but my grandma would put eyelash curlers in mine and my cousin’s stocking when we were tweens. Ever since, I’ve always loved giving this as a gift because it’s something that pretty much everyone uses, but waits until it is completely falling apart before buying a new one. Am I right? (I desperately need a new one, ha.)

Laura Mercier Body Souffle Gift Set. These scents are insanely delicious. Like you will want to eat the pistachio one.

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm Set. I have one of these in my purse at all times. I shied away from these for years because they are on the pricey side (for a balm), but they are incredibly moisturizing. I love the light tint they give the lips and think they are perfect for winter.

T3 Curling Wand Set. This was something I bought last year during the VIB sale and I have never looked back. I live for big hair (and hot rollers… ) but also love using a wand for softer curls. I’ve had so many freaking curling irons break in my lifetime that it’s unreal – and they always break right when I need them. So I bit the bullet and bought a nicer one. And it’s amazing.

Microfiber Hair Towel. Love this towel especially for hair – so you don’t break or damage yours by using a regular towel. This has saved my hair since having Max. Between this and rarely blow drying it, my hair has survived that whole postpartum mess. I love giving this as a gift, because it seems like a weird thing to buy yourself.

Marc Jacobs Bronzer Brush. You guys ask me about brushes a lot, and the truth is that I don’t use many. I use my fingers to apply almost everything, and then I use (and love) Real Techniques brushes that I buy at Ulta. But! I do have this fabulous Marc Jacobs brush for bronzer and it feels like silk. It’s so perfect. And huge!

Nest Grapefruit hand soap. This goes along with my favorite candles – and I think it’s awesome to give one in a stocking or even the same scent in a candle, diffuser and soap as a gift. They are definitely a more luxury soap, so I keep ours in the powder room and it’s used mostly by guests. Everyone always asks about the soap though!

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Honey Vanilla Pear Margaritas.

Let’s get a serving of fruit in today.

In the best way that we know how.

Just LOOK at that frosted glass and cinnamon sugary rim! Why is this the best season ever?

GUYS. I am struggling right now with all the Christmas feels. For some reason it has hit me early this year (the magic! I love it! maybe because of Max?) and I can’t do anything about it because I’m hosting Thanksgiving! I mean, I guess I could, but I want the house to still feel harvest-y over twinkling lights and snowy.

So! I’m pushing through with one more delicious fall cocktail before the big meal next week. Pear obsession continues…

I wanted a drink with a little warmth and spice. But also some traditional margarita tastes. You know? I did a little lime and a little orange, some gold tequila and my favorite grand marnier because I just can’t make a margarita without it.

A honey syrup came first, swirled with some vanilla bean paste and poured over crushed ice. Mixed up with the rest of the ingredients, it’s a cinnamon dream! I used a pear nectar but you could use a pear cider or even pureed ripe pear that you blend yourself. The coarse, raw sugar on the rim is perfection, so I highly suggest purchasing some of that. So crunchy!

Oooh oooh oooh let’s talk Thanksgiving cocktails while we’re at it! What are you making? I’m heavily leaning towards my very old school but delicious apple cider sangria. I also really love apple cider margaritas though, so how do I choose?

Last week we shot a video for this cranberry chai sangria and it is so.freaking.good too. As is the pomegranate orange champagne punch! And cider beer sangria! UGH.

Perhaps everyone (yes you!) should just come here so we can make four pitchers of sangria and punch and go to town. YESSSS.

Honey Vanilla Pear Margaritas

Yield: makes 1 drink, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

coarse sugar + cinnamon for the rim
crushed ice for serving
2 ounces gold tequila
2 ounces pear nectar or juice
1 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier
1 ounce honey vanilla syrup
1/2  ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
sliced pears

honey vanilla syrup

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste



Directions:

Place the sugar and cinnamon on a plate. Rim a glass with a lime or orange wedge and dip in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Fill the glass with crushed ice.

In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the tequila, grand marnier, pear nector/juice, orange juice, lime juice and syrup. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour mixture into the glass. Add a few sliced pears and stir. Drink up!

honey vanilla syrup

Heat the water and honey in a saucepan over medium heat while whisking. Bring it to a simmer, then cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla bean paste and let the syrup come to room temperature.

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

If a margarita could look cozy, this is totally it.

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Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers. (under $25!)

Happy Day 4 of Gift Guide week! These items, all under $25 are my favorites for stocking stuffers, grab bag ideas for work or even hostess gifts (when you don’t feel like taking booze!). I’d love to hear your ideas below in the comments!

Avocado Toast Ornament. Ummm can you even take this?! I die over Sur La Table’s food ornaments every year, but this one takes the cake! Or the toast.

Marble Coaster Set. I love love love getting coasters for Christmas because they are something that I never pick up for myself – or something I can never decide on. Love these marble ones from Target.

Mackenzie Childs Luggage Tag. Super cute and adds character to your bag!

Copper Plated Measuring Cups. I can never have too many sets of measuring cups and since I adore everything rose gold, I’m crazy over these.

Artifact Uprising square prints set. Perhaps my favorite and most used gift (for all events!) ever, I adore the print set from Artifact. This is how I made Max’s prints from month 1 to month 12 for his first birthday and we also have an “instagram” wall in our powder room of prints.

Parfum Snow Globe. I have a crazy fascination with snow globes and it’s heightened this year because Max thinks they are the coolest thing ever. While I usually lean towards more traditional ones, I love this fun, gold one. It’s completely up my alley. Glitter!

Bodum Travel Press Coffee Mug. I have no words and need about three of these!

American Spoon Honeycrisp Apple Conserve. Or any of the preserves or toppings. You know they are my all-time favorite.

Starbucks iridescent cold drink tumbler. I drink water out of one of these tumblers every single day. I have two that I alternate between. I just love how large and sturdy they are – and that they have a straw!

You Are A Badass Desk Calendar. I read this book on a flight last month and while I haven’t mentioned it on the blog yet, it was SO GOOD. It was exactly what I needed. Self help in a hilarious and inspiring way. Erin so graciously sent me the desk calendar and I’m pumped for 2017 to use it!

Beautycounter for Target Rose Face Mist. I picked this up a few weeks ago and I’m loving it. So refreshing.

Sweetapolita Sprinkles. Like these need any more explaining – they are only my most favorite sprinkles EVER! The amount that I own is embarrassingly wonderful.

A Cozy Coloring Book. My friend Adrianna created this gorgeous coloring book WITH RECIPES! It’s so fun, affordable and the best gift ever.

Bodum 2.5 ounce Espresso Cups. Hello lover. I want mine refilled three times. Love these sets!

Sincerely Colleen Zip Pouch. Colleen actually works with me and is ridiculously creative. We have the same brain half the time except she can sew and draw and craft ALL THE THINGS. Super talented. I adore her zip pouches and her cards!

80s Glam Sharpies. Because, neon! And 80s Glam.

Mini Emergency Kits. I thought these were ridiculous a few years ago, but I have been converted. I can’t even tell you how many times one of these has saved me. And I love that there are so many different versions.

Green Inspired Soft Covered Notebook. I’m a notebook junkie, it’s no secret. I love the smaller sized ones and can’t even tell you how many I own.

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Garlic Butter Pull Apart Rolls.

Huge very important question. What doesn’t garlic butter belong on?!

I mean, sure, there might be brownies. And coconut cake. And peanut butter truffles. But when you have soft and fluffy bread that’s brushed with melty garlic butter and herbs, do those things really matter?

Pretty sure I just asked if peanut butter truffles matter. This is serious.

Guess what! Somebody loves kneading dough as much as I do.

His little hands in the dough kill me. He loves loves loves playing with dough and even this past weekend, when I was making pie crust, he couldn’t stand that I wasn’t allowing him to roll it out.

It’s so super fun!

So! Buttery pull apart dinner rolls. They are a thing!

Let me tell you the truth though. I actually wanted to make these buttery, flaky, almost pastry-like (but not quite croissant-like) dinner rolls that my grandma always used to get for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think they were called butter flake rolls? I have no idea but they would practically melt in your mouth and I’m not even a bread person.

They made me a bread person.

Like a dip-my-bread-in-gravy-on-Thanksgiving person.

I’ve wanted to recreate those for years and have tried multiple times without success. I’ve googled. I’ve found all the recipes. They are never the same!

What I HAVE had success with are my buttery garlic knots and those… well, I knew those could be turned into single portioned pull apart rolls. Pull apart perfection!

These adorable puffs of love would be thrilled to find themselves on your Thanksgiving table next week, I swear. You can make the dough the night before and even place it in the muffin tins and then bake them right before dinner while your turkey rests. This sounds fantastic right?

If it doesn’t sound fantastic, then you should probably make them for dinner in two weeks or so, since we are right smack dab in the middle of CARB SEASON.

Carbs on carbs on carbs. Is butter a carb ?

Garlic Butter Pull Apart Rolls

Yield: makes 12 to 15 rolls

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups warm water (about 100-105 degrees)
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced

melted herb butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano



Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but it still sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work the additional 1/2 cup flour (you don’t need to use all if it is not needed) in to the dough, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes. Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Immediately begin whisking. Stir as it bubbles, and after 2 to 3 minutes or so you should see brown bits appear on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat immediately and stir in the garlic cloves. Set aside.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a large thin rectangle or oval. Pour the browned butter over top and brush it all over the dough. Make 4 long cuts lengthwise and then about 8 cuts horizontally so you have 2-inch squares of dough.

Brush a muffin tin with extra melted butter or spray it with nonstick spray. Gather a few of the squares together (about 4), sort of pinching the ends together and stuff them into each muffin tin. Place a towel over the tin and let them sit in the warm place for 20 minutes.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and the rolls are puffed. Remove from the oven and brush them with the melted herb butter.

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

These would also benefit from a cheese shower.

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Tuesday Things.

1. Living for iced eggnog lattes. Don’t worry, mine is coming soon.

2. One way I might eat broccoli: three cheese broccoli soup!

3. Must have been feeling ridiculously ambitious this weekend because I made a PIE. With pie crust toppings. Then I didn’t let anyone touch it for over 24 hours so I could look at it’s beauty.

4. Flocked artificial Christmas trees! Do you have one? I want one. Where to get it? I want one that looks super snowy.

5. What did you think of the Masters of Sex finale?! I thought it was rushed, predictable, left lots to be desired but at the same time I sort of liked it. Definitely felt like the end of the show though. How insanely psychotic and wonderful is Jeffrey Dean Morgan on The Walking Dead? Nutcase city. And Divorce! Eddie and I laugh our way through the entire episode each week.

6. I’ve found myself developing a horrible habit of staying up waaaay too late. It’s mainly to get work done and there isn’t quite a way around that, but after the work, it’s like I need to decompress and I just end up looking at stupid internet things for an embarrassing amount of time. TELL ME HOW TO STOP.

7. The ultimate would-you-rather for 90s girls. Gosh. Every summer I wanted a neon hair wrap.

8. I went into college as a history major, solely because I had a fascination with all things american presidential history. I quickly switched majors (… for the first time…) because I didn’t want to do anything with that fascination other than watch the West Wing, but I think it will be so interesting to be a student 25 years from now and learn about the events of this past week. I’m envisioning sitting in my high school history class.

9. It’s gift guide week! Have you started Christmas shopping yet? I haven’t, but I don’t mind the hustle and bustle whatsoever – in fact, I LOVE IT. When I worked retail, my favorite time to work was between Thanksgiving and Christmas. May be one of the only people who actually find it fun.

10. I did a podcast for food blogger pro allll about my blogging life and you can find it right here.

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2016 Holiday Gift Guide: For Him.

Gift guide week continues with my favorite picks for guy gifts. Most of these are things I’ve bought for Eddie in the past and some of his favorites as well.

Maison Margiela Jazz Club Cologne. I LOVE this scent. You guys might recognize this from my beauty favorites – I bought this for Eddie a few years ago and actually steal it for myself sometimes. It’s such a warm, wonderful scent. My favorite scent that Eddie wears is Burberry Touch and I also love Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb.

Harry’s Shaving Set. Eddie recently picked this up at Target and he absolutely loves it! It’s awesome that this is so affordable and you can find it right in Target.

Nike Lunar Epic Fly Knit Shoe. We love bright, neon shoes in this house and these are the exact ones we bought Eddie’s for father’s day this year. They are SO bright.

Artifact Uprising Wood Calendar. Obsessed with the size of this and how it can be personalized without looking cheesy. I almost always buy Eddie something from Artifact for one holiday out of the year.

the DJI Phantom4 Drone. Eddie’s splurge of the year was this drone and to say he is obsessed would be an understatement. We had so much fun using this on vacation and have got such great pics of Max with it too. It’s super fun and definitely a conversation starter.

Wood Dart Board. I can’t even imagine how much Eddie wishes this was in our basement. He would never leave!

Shinola The Runwell ChronoWatch. If you’re looking for a NICE (read: fancy!) watch to get someone, I love this. Eddie got this watch last year at Christmas (hello tons of gift cards) and it’s my favorite one that he owns. He’s a watch freak and loves to switch them up, but this light blue face is different and still a little timeless.

Men’s Clarisonic Fit. Love that this version is so much more compact than the original.

Patagonia Better Sweater Vest. I think every male in my family owns this vest. It’s nice enough that it can be worn in dressier situations without feeling stuffy, and it’s much more fancy than a puffer vest. Sleeker too.

KitchenAid Nespresso Medallion. This is so sleek and smooth! I love my Vertuoline coffee and espresso maker and would only change it out for this. While Eddie isn’t a coffee fan (so it’s his worst nightmare), I think it’s the best gift ever.

Beats Pill. This has made my gift guide lists for multiple years and with good reason: we use it every single day. Eddie has an older version that he takes to work and uses outside as well. I use mine in the kitchen daily and even use it to listen to podcasts.

Bose Soundsport Headphones. So much better than the Apple ear buds. And are great to run with too.

Jack Black the Balm Squadv. For stocking stuffers, I usually do a bunch of Burt’s Bees original lip balms, but love adding another version of skincare or lip balm in the gift. Jack Black is so perfect and moisturizing.

New York Times Book of Cocktails. The perfect coffee table book. Or happy hour book!

Classic Wood Scrabble Set. These types of games are also something I LOVE to give as gifts every year. I think they are nice enough to leave out almost as part of the decor but also fun to play. Recently Eddie and I even bought a newer Jenga set and have so much fun playing.

Vince Camuto Mestr Leather Duffle. Last year I bought Eddie a leather duffle from Pottery Barn to use as an overnight/carry on bag. I wanted one that was nice enough to last forever, because my dad still travels with the same leather bag he did when I was a kid. This Vince one is my pick for this year and I think it’s so gorgeous.

Go Pro Hero 4. And oldie but goodie (it’s probably been making gift guides for 5 years?), this kind of goes along with the drone. Eddie has never cared about photography or video until getting this and he has taken some of the coolest videos of things we did this summer and of Max. Love that it’s waterproof.

The post 2016 Holiday Gift Guide: For Him. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.

Eggplant Parm Grilled Cheese.

Oh yes I did just eggplant parm your grilled cheese.

How do we feel about this? Horrified? Elated? Unsure?

I will tell you how I feel about it: HUNGRY.

Unrelated but sort of related: this is how toasted I like my bread. TOASTED. For nearly eight years now I’ve been rambling on about how I want my bread toasted within an inch of it’s life. Eddie would like his toasted bread to look like those slices right up there. Very untoasted.

How do we even survive in this house? I have no idea.

More unrelated and not even closely related: it’s the start of gift guide week! Sharing all of my favorites and things on my own wish list. All week long.

This is so hearty and obviously delicious. If you love eggplant parmesan AND you love grilled cheese, well I think that your day might be made.

Also, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. While I don’t think it’s very difficult to make eggplant parm, Trader Joe’s does sell some frozen eggplant parm rounds that you can trash up to your own liking. If you’re ever so inclined to buy them or if you have them on hand, you can use them for this too!

No one will mind. They are eating crunchy, saucy eggplant rounds enveloped in melty cheese and toasted bread.

Where do I even get off doing such a thing?

In more adventures of “I could never live without cheese,” you could also probably do this with chicken parmesan. Eddie wishes I did this with chicken parmesan. But I wanted to, you know, keep it veggie centric so it could be good for us.

Because this is soooo good for us.

Eggplant Parm Grilled Cheese

Yield: makes 2, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant, sliced into rounds
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup seasoned fine breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of salt and pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices bread
1/3 cup marinara sauce, plus more for dipping
4 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
2 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated
softened butter for spreading
parmesan cheese for sprinkling
fresh basil for garnish



Directions:

Place the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, flour, dried basil, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir. Lightly beat the eggs in another bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Take the eggplant rounds and dip them in the egg, then into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Place the breaded eggplant in the skillet and cook on both sides until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

To make the grilled cheese, heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Spread the outsides of the bread slices with softened butter. Spread the insides of the bread slices with the marinara. Top one marinade side with a handful of cheese, then press a few eggplant rounds (or only one, depends on how big they are!) into the center. Top with more cheese, then the other marinara coated bread slice.

Cook the sandwich until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden and dark and toasty. Serve with extra parmesan for sprinkling and marinara sauce.

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I like how we do meatless Monday here.

The post Eggplant Parm Grilled Cheese. appeared first on How Sweet It Is.