Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 69

A Week In The Life, Vol 15.

This week!!

We had a lovely little low key post Easter week.

We could live at Barnes and Noble and the library.

The kids adore it.

Don’t mind my tween taking a giant stanley to school.

Tennis is Emilia’s favorite sport so far!

My dad showed up with this ginormous coconut cream pie from a local diner.

And our whole weekend was spent watching Emilia’s spring play!! She was in the The Little Mermaid and has been working so hard since January!

We had all the snacks to keep this guy occupied.

She was SO good and just loves this. She loves to sing so much and it is super fun for her because they usually do Disney junior performances.

Max’s turn to sit through her shows after she sits through his hockey games!!

She is the sweetest girl ever.

She had two performances and got all these flowers from friends and family. We all adore her.

And now onto a new week!

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What To Eat This Week: 4/7/24.

New menu coming in hot!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Spring couscous bowls

Cilantro lime salmon and rice

Cheeseburger stuffed sweet potatoes

Honey mustard chicken bowls

Grilled shrimp with pesto couscous

Lemon chicken caesar wraps

Tortellini chickpea salad

Brown butter pistachio granola

The post What To Eat This Week: 4/7/24. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

Happy Saturday!

This week on the blog I shared a few ideas to make with your hard boiled eggs! I also shared these honey mustard chicken bowls, my favorite grilling recipes and these cheeseburger stuffed sweet potatoes.

And I shared my spring sephora sale favorites too.

There’s a new weekly menu up and a peek at a week in our life!

You can join The Everyday Dinners cookbook club right here! If you have a copy of the book, request to join the group. If not, get one here!  Ready to start on fall! It is such a wonderful community and an amazing place for recipe ideas.

xoxoxo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

Craving this spicy chili honey salmon.

Black bean burger bowls! YUM.

These cast iron chicken thighs look so good.

Curried chicken salad is an excellent lunch.

Always love a birria taco.

Strawberry floats! How fun.

These charcuterie cups are the cutest.

Olive oil chocolate chip cookies! OMG yes.

And these lemon poppy seed kolache. Wow.

Sour cream coffee cake is perfect.

I’ll take a key lime parfait please.

20 minute lemon curd! The best.

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Cheeseburger Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.

Cheeseburger stuffed sweet potatoes are a dinnertime dream! Tender roasted sweet potatoes, melty cheese, flavorful beef and all the toppings. Great for meal prepping and leftover lunches!

Oh hello, everything I want to eat!

These roasted sweet potatoes are stuffed with all the cheeseburger flavor: browned beef, melty cheese, tons of toppings and my signature house sauce. 

If you’ve been around here for the last decade (um, what?!), then you might remember that when I was pregnant with Max, I developed a major distaste for sweet potatoes. 

Thankfully, the distaste has dwindled over the years and let’s just say it may very well be due to THIS recipe.

Yes. This recipe is in it to win it.

Slow roasted sweet potatoes.

Cheeseburger filling with my house sauce, all the melted sharp cheddar and all the toppings. 

I almost called them smashburger sweet potatoes, but there isn’t anything smashed about them. Except that they are SMASHING. 

Why don’t we use that word more often? I adore it. 

But anyhoo – all my favorite burger toppings right here, pilled high on the cheesebugher sweet potato.

I LOVE THIS. 

We all love this! Eddie just about lost his mind when first tried these. 

These are so delicious for many reasons.

First, I make my “cheeseburger beef.” I do this with anything cheeseburger-y that I make (tacos, pizza, salad) and it simply means that I stir ketchup and mustard into the ground beef (or turkey) once it is browned. 

This is KEY. Even if someone is a mustard loather, they should not be able to detect the mustard. This is more about making that classic cheeseburger flavor, almost the big mac-ish flavor that really tells you it is a BURGER. 

So, now that we’ve got that out of the way… 

Another reason that these are fab is because of the slow roasted sweet potatoes. Super caramelly, soft sweet potato tastes delicious on its own – not to mention when it’s stuffed with other fantastic flavors. 

Once the potatoes roast, I slice them open and top them with the cheeseburger beef. 

Next, I drizzle some house sauce all over the potatoes because this adds another layer of flavor. Don’t add a lot – just a drizzle!

Then, it’s time for some cheese. Sprinkle it all over, then send these babies back into the oven for a quick melt. 

Finally, it’s toppings time. We like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions, pickles and more house sauce. 

And dig in! 

These are PHENOMENAL. They have so much flavor. They are incredibly satisfying. Also, they are easy to make!!

Another great thing is that they are perfect for meal prep. You can roast the potatoes, make the beef and even grate the cheese and chop the toppings ahead of time. On a busy weeknight, grab everything out of the fridge and assemble. Heat in the oven until hot and melty and BOOM. Dinner is done.

Also, ideal for lunch, I may add.

Woohoo! I love a dinner that gets me excited.  (more…)

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2024 Spring Sephora Sale Favorites!

It’s one of the best sales of the year!!

I love sephora sales because I stock up on so many of my usual favorites, as well as try a few new things.

I’m sharing a few items that I have in my cart that are new to me. EVERYTHING else below is something I use and love (or have used and loved) – these are all my personal recommendations. I ramble about them too. They probably come as no surprise considering I’ve talked about almost everything before, but here we are! I’d love to hear what you love so I can build out my wishlist!

I like to get the big items like dyson hair tools at this sale. Also, good skincare, value size shampoo and sunscreen. I also love it to buy perfume during the sale, because you can rarely find that on sale (if ever!) – especially Tom Ford, Jo Malone, Killian, etc. None of this is sponsored, I just loooove talking beauty products with you.

2024 SEPHORA SPRING SALE FAVORITES

I have a few new-to-me things in my cart that I’m excited about! There are some of the things I want to grab:

Sol de Janiero Rio Radiance Body Spray SPF 50.

Sol De Janiero Rio Radiance SPF 50 Body Oil.

Sol De Janiero Rio Radiance SPF 50 Lotion.

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Overnight Eye.

Laniege Sleep Mask.

Dr Idriss Roll on Serum.

Color Wow Money Mist Leave in Conditioner.

Now, on to my classic favorites that I recommend.

My Skincare Essentials.

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream. This will always be a repurchase for me. I use it as eye cream, as face cream – it’s incredible. Totally worth it for me.

Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Pads. I am loving this. They are gentle enough for daily use.

Supergoop Value Size Sunscreen. I buy one of these every summer. It stays in the garage and we have sunscreen every time we step out.

Luna Sleeping Oil.Been a favorite for years!

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen. This is incredible under makeup. Such a great primer.

Dermalogica SPF 50 Moisturizer. Also another great facial sunscreen. It’s lighter with no fragrance.

Tan Luxe The Butter. Favorite self tanning cream.

Herbivore Cloud Milk Body Cream. I use this daily and it smells incredible. Light vanilla-ish.

Skin Services Softening Body Lotion. This is a new-to-me lotion and it’s so light and thin, but incredibly moisturizing. I don’t have anything like it!

Sol De Janiero Bum Bum Cream. Classic fave. Will wear it forever.

Sol de Janiero Bom Dia Body Scrub. This scrub smells so delicious. I love using it and how the shower smells after.

Dr. Dennis Gross Daily Peel Pads. I use these a few times a week at night. Swear they work on the texture on my face.

Dr Dennis Gross Facial Steamer. One of my favorite beauty purchases ever!

Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip balm. This saves my lips every night.

Laneige Lip Glowy Balm. Every flavor of this is wonderful. So soft and moisturizing.

Kate McLeod The Dry Brush. I use this before every shower!

My Makeup Essentials.

Beauty Blender. I am never without a beauty blender for foundation/bb cream/concealer/etc.

Iconic London Underglow Blurring Primer. I don’t like primers but LOVE this. It just evens out the skin and smooths it – I use it on its own or mix with a tinter moisturizer or foundation.

Iconic London Blurring Skin Tint. Also love this!! I’ve been mixing it with the above. Still light coverage, but very natural and nice.

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint. I still don’t like heavy foundation on my skin, and this is my current fave if I want a little more coverage. I’ve used this for two years and love how much it evens out my skintone. I’d say it’s light to medium coverage.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue. If you like really light coverage, this is still my absolute favorite. I’ve used it forever.

Too Faced Born This Way Concealer. My favorite concealer under my eyes. It is so perfect and not too drying.

Gucci Bronzer. Best bronzer ever. I’m on my third one.

Charlotte Tilbury Setting Powder. I use this over tinted moisturizer or sunscreen. It’s awesome.

Iconic London Radiance Complexion Booster. Use this mixed in with all my tinted moisturizers!

Iconic London Liquid Highlight. Adore this highlight for mixing with foundation or moisturizer. It’s very liquidy and it’s pretty golden (almost too golden for me!) but it is wonderful for mixing. I use this almost everyday.

Westman Atelier Contour Stick. My favorite contour stick of all time. I use the shade biscuit. I’m on my second one and it is a great formula.

Gucci Luminous Matte Blush. This is such a stunning matte blush. Lasts forever.

Rare Beauty Luminous Blush. I just got three of these last week and I’m obsessed. It’s a blush and highlighter in one. I LOVE THESE.

Merit Cream Blush. If I want a cream blush, this is what I reach for.

Rare Beauty Silky Touch Highlighter. This is such a gorgeous highlighter and creamy formula. It’a almost always sold out too. If you see it, grab it!

Hourglass Unlocked Mascara. I hate buying expensive mascara but omg this is WORTH IT. It’s a tubing mascara and does not flake or smudge, plus gives excellent length.

Benefit Gimme Brow. The ONLY thing I use on my brows. It’s so natural. Nothing compares to the tiny brush.

Nars Pro Prime Smudgeproof Base. This is my favorite for eyeshadow base. Have used it forever.

Makeup by Mario Moistureglow Lip. Obsessed with this. It is SO moisturizing and love the colors. Like a balm with a lot of color!

Tarte Maracuja Lip. I adore these, I have so many different versions and colors and I love them all. Another product you don’t need a mirror to apply.

Lawless Forget the Filler Gloss. Can you tell I am obsessed with balm and gloss?! I probably have five of these.

Lawless Forget the Filler Balm. Equally as good as the above!!

Dior Lip Glow Oil. Another classic that I always have with me. my current favorite is the berry shade.

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. I have one of these stashed everywhere.

Sephora Pro Foundation Brush. This is the brush that I use for my westman atelier products. I love how it blends! It’s super soft and I find it to be a great brush for the price.

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow. I love these for a single swipe of color. My favorites are space cowboy and rebel star.

Makeup By Mario Master Matte Nuetrals Palette. My favorite matte palette.

Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Palette. My everyday eye palette!

Natasha Denona Glam Palette. I use this when I want a little more drama.

My Hair Essentials

Crown Affair The Hair Towel. I’ve used hair towels for years but this specific one is THE BEST. It has a strap to tuck the towel in and secure it.

Dyson Hair Dryer. Eddie got this for me for Christmas last year. It is life changing. I would only ever buy it if it is on sale, and if you have a lot of hair. It adds so mcu volume and body!

Dyson Air Wrap. Another thing I didn’t think I’d ever buy, but last year I did. It is AMAZING! This can definitely be a one stop shop for your hair. If I could only take one hair tool with me to a deserted island, it would be this. It’s so pricey and rarely ever on sale!

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Shampoo. Favorite shampoo ever! Get the value size if you can.

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Conditioner. Same as the above. The scent is so good too.

Moroccan Oil Root Boost. I love this for some volume when styling. I use on wet hair before drying.

Color Wow Dream Coat. This is key in the warmer months for no frizz.

Kerastase Hair Oil Serum. I use this once a week on my ends.

Living Proof  Restore Perfecting Spray. My favorite leave in condition. Doesn’t weigh down my hair at all.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. This is my favorite spray to use on dry hair. Adds texture and volume but isn’t sticky.

Sol de Janiero Leave In Conditioner. Again, the best scent.

T3 Whirl Trio. I bought this at a VIB sale a few years ago and still use it weekly. It is an amazing high-quality set that took me a long time to buy (so pricey!) but I use it SO much. And I love that it comes with three sizes of the wand.

My Fragrance Essentials

I am a warm fragrance person. I love all things vanilla, amber, mush, a very very light hint of floral – those are the scents I gravitate towards. These are a few of my all-time faves that I highly recommenced. Fragrance never goes on sale so this is the perfect time to try. I also always try travel sizes first when possible before buying a big bottle.

Glossier You. This has been one of my favorites for YEARS. It’s delicious.

Tom Ford Vanilla Sex. One of my newest perfumes and I adore it. Smells wonderful.

Carolina Herrara Good Girl. As a note, I hate this bottle. It kept me from buying it for years. But this is basically the best scent ever.

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc. My go to summer scent. A light coconutty but warm fragrance.

Tom Ford Lost Cherry Warm and delicious with a hint of red cherry. It’s so good.

In Too Deep Perfume. More warm deliciousness.

Kilian Paris Love Don’t Be Shy. This is kind of marshmallowy and sweet but also light with light floral. It’s delicious.

Jo Malone Mimosa and Cardamom. A longtime favorite of mine. Warm and floraly.

[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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It’s Grilling Season! Here are 35 of My Favorite Recipes to Throw On The Grill.

These are 35 of my very best grilling recipes! Everything from vegetables and sides to pizzas, whole chicken, sandwiches and more. I love using the grill year round, but something about summer is extra special!

It’s time!

I live for grilling season.

Actually, grilling season for us is all year – no matter the weather. But there is just SOMETHING about when spring and summer hit, the first days of warm weather, that get me super excited for grilling. I have so many incredible recipes, ranging from our favorite side dishes, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and even breads to throw on the grill. The flavor can’t be beat, the clean up is minimal, you get to enjoy the weather outside and everything just tastes better on the grill!

Share some of your favorites below! I love finding something super simple and flavorful for busy weeknights.

35 Best Grilling Recipes

(more…)

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Honey Mustard Chicken Bowls with Asparagus.

Honey mustard chicken bowls are ridiculously delicious. Served with roasted asparagus and jasmine rice, these are super easy to make, super satisfying and make for a great meal-prep dish. 

A good weeknight dinner is just what we need!

This honey mustard chicken is tender and golden, tossed in a honey mustard glaze and served with roasted asparagus and jasmine rice. It’s so satisfying and comes together in 30 minutes!

I live for a meal like that. 

You know… I could dip just about anything in honey mustard and be thrilled with life. 

I have a grilled honey mustard chicken recipe which we ADORE. It is such a great chicken recipe and I often find myself making that once a week in the summer months. The chicken is incredibly flavorful and tangy and works on many different dishes. 

While this dish has a similar flavor profile, the preparation is completely different. 

I use my go-to garlic butter salmon recipe for the inspiration here. Instead of making a simple honey garlic mixture to cook the chicken in, I throw in some dijon. This makes for the best sticky sauce! It’s ridiculously flavorful and so delicious. 

Here’s how the whole bowl comes together!

First, I chop up some chicken and season it. I throw it in a cast iron skillet and sear it until it’s golden and charred in some places. 

While that happens, the asparagus goes into the oven to roast. EASY. I usually use olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Maybe a shower of parmesan. Simple, delish flavors really work here. 

Once the chicken is browned, I whisk together honey, dijon mustard and water.

YES! That is it. Sounds like a weird combo but when it’s poured in a hot skillet, a fantastic glaze develops. 

The chicken cooks in the sauce for a few minutes. Then I serve everything together!

I like this with jasmine rice. Extra sauce spooned over the rice is just divine.  (more…)

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Tuesday Things.

1. Unpopular opinion: I dislike April fools. Oh but I love when the first of the month hits on a Monday!

2. So excited it’s April though. I’m generally so uninspired when it comes to recipes in the Jan/Feb/Mar months. If you even knew the amount of recipe disasters I go through!

3. These almond croissant cookies look incredible.

4. Sometimes I just want a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate.

5. Very obsessed with the unexpected red theory.

6. TV things!! I started Girls On The Bus which I LOVE. Also loving Palm Royale so much.

7. 51 simple pleasures in life.

8. I tried the cold foam in a can (clearly I don’t have high standards) and I’m here to tell you: it’s just whipped cream. That is all.

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What To Make With Your Hard Boiled Eggs Today!

These are five of my favorite hard boiled egg recipes, perfect to make when you have leftover boiled eggs from Easter! Egg salad, potato salad, egg vinaigrette and more. The options are endless. And delicious.

If you find yourself with an abundance of hard boiled (or soft boiled, or any boiled!) eggs this Easter Monday, I’ve got you.

In case you didn’t know, eggs are one of my favorite foods. I love eggs in all forms.

So today, I have five recipes where you can put those boiled eggs to use. And they are all delicious!

They are easy too. Wins all around.

5 Hard Boiled Egg Recipes

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A Week In The Life, Vol 14.

Happy Easter!

These little chicks are my favorite!

Just started the week out with a nature walk.

One of the outfits Emilia put together this week.

We had some gorgeous skies!

Getting out the spring break energy.

Emilia tetris!

I mean OMG.

I love watching Emilia play tennis.

She loves it too!

Also just a bit obsessed with this boy.

We went to the mall to ride the easter train with Cooper! Max said “I don’t think nine year olds ride the train…”

The lego store also had an easter egg hunt which was fun.

Just starting her young with my obsessions, you know.

Also had to document this outfit!! I did not know she had that on, haha.

‘Tis the season for fruit platters on repeat.

Also still making a big batch of sourdough waffles every week because it’s what the kids are eating before school!

The eggmazing reigns supreme.

Even Jordan loved it!

Then we went on a little family date.

The happiest girl alive.

One last friday fish sandwich!

Jordan refused to take a pic with him in his matching shirt. We tried!!

He was being hilarious and ornery.

Little better!

Max trying his best “teeth” smile.

Eddie did his annual easter egg hunt for the kids early saturday morning.

Emilia helps me feed my sourdough starter every morning and night! She has it down.

Deviled egg prep.

Easter bunny time!

Cutest little bunny.

I’ve managed to avoid blippi until the third child. He loves him.

Emilia wanted “hair curls.”

Jordan is the highlight of our lives!! We all fawn over him constantly and can’t help it.

It was so bright and sunny!! No complaints.

Bros. With matching haircuts!

This might be my favorite dress she has ever worn.

And then we had a big easter brunch! I didn’t get to take pics but we had my overnight croissant bake, creme brulee french toast, ham and turkey, all the works for sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, a huge salad, deviled eggs and more dessert than we could handle. Yay Easter!

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