Nine Favorite Things. – Half Baked Harvest

By Sauce On Aug 6, 2023

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Nine Favorite Things – LA for a couple days

The first week of August has already passed, but I’m going to do my best to really embrace the last full month of summer before all the craziness of the fall season kicks in. With everything we have on the calendar this fall, it’s going to be busy. You know I’m excited, but at the moment, one day at a time is how I’m living.

I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but I’m so happy to finally feel like we’re making some big moves behind the scenes to share even more with you. I’m sure it’s so annoying to hear me go on and on about this without going into any detail. But very soon I’ll be able to share a couple of the new projects we’re working on. September will have some fun new things, with even more to follow. September is so close!

In the meantime, I’m loving traveling. It’s so weird since travel has always stressed me out. And while travel days do still give me a good amount of anxiety (especially with things out of my control, like flight delays), I’m finding ways to manage. I’ve really come up with a good system for making traveling the least stressful I can. I just love getting out and being away from home and the kitchen. Working on new projects and consistently becoming even more inspired by new, fresh ideas is invigorating.

Today I’m on a flight out of LA to meet my family. I’m heading somewhere exciting, but more to share on that next week. It’s going to be a very, VERY quick trip. This week I’ll share my LA trip with photos below!

Okok. But what else? Asher’s visiting the fam here in California (brothers, wives, cousins, GFs, and a nephew). I’m very much looking forward to seeing her this week when I’m back home. I’ve missed her, but I’m so happy to see her spending time with everyone. And also getting in some hot summer weather before school starts back up.

The plan for most of August is to be hunkered down at home. I’m trying so hard to say no to things so I can have a few solid weeks of cooking and creating new dishes ahead of September!

I think that’s really all I have for today’s update, some fun links below. Fall decor, and the very last bit of the Nordstrom sale too, yes, it ends on August 7th! Such an amazing way to start August. Oh, and I’m curious, are you traveling this month? I know so many people going to Europe before summer ends. That’s a dream!

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

loving…the Garde shop. Just discovered this home decor site and my cart is already full. It’s more expensive, but they have some very special pieces. I love these walnut bowls, I adore this cute glass vinegar bottle, and oh my gosh, this spice jar. And last, their dinnerware. Love this high plate, bowl, and dinner plate.

wanting to try…the KBGV Select Coffee Brewer. I keep seeing this fancy coffee machine everywhere. Do you recommend it? I have to say I love my Breville, but I’m curious about this. It’s kind of pretty!

everything in my cart (low)…A few Reformation pieces, the dusk top is a great basic top to layer with. This Cario knit top has the prettiest open back. And then I’ve had eyes on this linen tube top all summer. I also love the Leset Margo Cotton Cropped T-Shirt.

This crewneck sweater is on sale at Gap and would be a good transition piece from summer to fall. If you need an end-of-summer dress that you could layer with a sweater or jacket come September, I love this tube midi dress at Free People. It would be so cute paired with either this starfish corn necklace or sardine chain.

listening to…Leveraging LTK: Tips for Monetizing Your Content, Using Analytics and Best Practices with Co-Founder Amber Venz Box. A great intro into LTK if you’re someone working in the social media/online space.

dreaming of going…Crillon Le Brave. What a sweet looking hotel in the heart of Provence. It would be an amazing stay.

loving…Eterne basics. As far as really great basic tees, loungewear, and swimsuits go, I love Eterne. I’ve said this before, but the fabric is the softest and I always feel my most comfortable self in their basics. I adore the boyfriend tee, the lounge pant, and the sweatpant in black are my travel uniform. Pieces I have my eye on include these boyfriend shorts.

shopping…Target’s fall home collection. Sharing some new finds below.

everything in my cart (beauty)…excited about the amethyst face mask. I read about this on Who What Wear recently and am now dying to try it. It sounds like a miracle worker. It’s designed to hydrate, nourish, and restore skin. Also, I really want to try out the Violette_Fr x Dieux skin forever eye mask. It’s getting rave reviews and I love both brands.

Ordering the YSL volume mascara. Apparently, there are many people who feel it’s the best on the market.

Lately, I’ve seen and read so many good things about all of Chanel’s beauty products. Their revitalizing essence lotion is en route to me. But I want to test out their revitalizing cream and lip + cheek balm too.

I’ve loved the Mutha body butter for years. It’s so good for the skin and really feels amazing. And for a tan, I want to try the Lux Unfiltered Gradual Hydrating Self Tanner (also comes in DEEP). And also the Lux Unfiltered Moisturizing Cream. And lastly, for the body, I need to order some of this CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. It’s a staple for so many! And for bar soap, I’m excited to test, the Oribe Desertland Bar Soap sounds wonderful, and I love the Nécessaire The Body Bar.

watching…24 Hours of Skincare and Salmon for Dinner With Sofia Richie Grainge. This is cute. I love getting a sneak peek into others’ skincare – and their homes.

listening to…Mckenzie’s throwback playlist she created for us all. Some favorite songs from the 20o0’s. Such a fun playlist!

everything in my cart (high)…I love this cute and practical Jacquemus Le Chiquito Moyen Cordao leather tote. And you know I love the red trend. So this cute and reasonable Tory Burch mini top handle bag is now on my fall “want” list.

Speaking of fall, I love this Bernadette open-back bow detailed mini dress. The color is perfect. And these Bottega Veneta Intreccio Espadrillas in merlot look cute and comfy. Oh, and I really think I need the new UGG Tazzlita Slippers. Fall is coming up quickly!

shopping…the CB2 end-of-season sale.

loving…fresh figs. It’s finally fig season. I mostly just eat them as is, but I’m thinking about making a Fig Bourbon Cider Smash for a Saturday night cocktail. Or maybe I’ll just add them to my favorite harvest salad.

2. August zucchini + corn recipes to make.

Blender Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Zucchini Muffins

Spicy Pesto and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Involtini

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar and Zucchini Soup

Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Fritters with Chipotle Aioli

Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Chicken with Creamed Corn

Honey Butter Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Biscuits

Skillet Creamed Street Corn Chicken

3. Halloween preview for the home.

I know it’s early, but this stuff sells out!

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: what is your morning and nighttime skincare routine?
a: Rinse face with cold water, then Restorsea eye serum followed by MBR Cosmetics eye cream. Then IS Clinical pro heal serum and finish with Biologique_recherche cream. Then IS Clinical SPF or I love Summer Fridays.

Wipe makeup off with the Elemis cleansing balm, then double cleanse with IS Clinical cleansing complex or polish. Then Restorsea eye serum followed by Mbr Cosmetics eye cream. Then Biologique_recherche AMNIOTIQUE VG serum and finish with Skinbetter overnight cream. I usually layer on another cream too. I love Tatcha and Augustinus Bader and also Tat Harper skincare too.

Also, anytime I try new products I try them one at a time to make sure they suit my skin.

q: can you share the calories of your recipes?
a: Technically we do calories on the site BUT I don’t trust the system and we only do this for SEO (better site rankings with Google basically). Otherwise, this is not something I personally believe in doing. I understand some of you may need to do so for health concerns, but personally, counting calories is not for me.

q: do you have recipe testers?
a: For all the cookbooks, yes I have at least two outside recipe testers. Since the books are all in print, it’s super important the recipes work well for most people. Outside recipe testers are key for catching any hiccups before printing!! It’s sooo important for me to have this. I want the recipes I share to work for everyone (: However, I don’t have any testers for the website recipes. If there’s an issue with a recipe on the website, I can easily adjust it and fix it the same day if I need to – just let me know!

q: what is your favorite workout legging?
a: The Alo lounge legging has been my favorite for years. Super comfy. Sharing a few more pieces below though.

q: what is making you happiest?
a: Family, work, travel, flowers, candles, sunshine.

q: do you love Taylor Swift?
a: Yes, she is on repeat lately and I wish I was going to the Eras show this weekend in LA. I will never get over her talent, her drive, work ethic, and creativity. Anytime I’m feeling a little down I look at what she’s up to and immediately feel re-inspired.

q: when do you take breaks? You always seem like you’re doing something.
a: I honestly do not know how to take breaks. I know that’s horrible, but I love sharing with you all and the internet never stops. I too almost never stop. I’m kind of a go go GO type of person. I get anxious when I don’t have anything to do. I always want to be doing something. Yes, I’m weird.

5. A quick look into my LA trip.

Alight! Let’s recap LA. This was a quick trip but a good one! I flew into LAX on the first and went straight from the airport into a Christmas wonderland! T’was Christmas in July! I filmed something small and cute for the holidays with the Simkhai team!

Jonathan is an LA-based designer who I’ve loved for years. We connected over a love of both food and fashion and filmed a little holiday dinner together. It turned out so cute!

The following day I had an event out in Malibu to help launch the new Homecourt scent, Mandarin Basile.

Homecourt is Courtney Cox’s new brand of clean kitchen products, including candles. The new Mandarin Basile candle scent is wonderful. I’m so excited to burn the candle when I get home.

The lunch was held at her home and I really can’t express just how gorgeous it is. Do you see that stunning table, the florals, the view! I finally understand why people make an effort to live in Malibu. You can’t deny how pretty it is.

It takes about an hour to and from Malibu back into Beverly Hills. I headed back and quickly hopped on a call. It ended up being an hour-long call. Then I raced to the Pilates class I had scheduled. From there I went back to the hotel to quickly get ready for dinner.

I headed to the South Beverly Grill with a friend which was very low-key. I ordered the sushi rolls and salmon. Honestly the perfect night. Chill is good after a full day.

Thursday was back-to-back. I met with Benny (Blanco), recorded a podcast, and worked a ton on the computer. I then headed out to meet up with a friend for a before-dinner drink. Then it was off to dinner at Great White. It was my first time dining there and it definitely lived up to the hype.

We ordered the garden salad, fish tacos, and margarita pizza. It was all so good. The pizza was literally perfect. Super thin crust (with really good flavor), melty cheese, and fresh crisped basil. So yummy.

The vibe is super cute too. It’s indoor/outdoor which was perfect since it was a gorgeous summer night.

Finished up dinner, and headed back to the hotel to pack up and finish working. And now I’m standing in the airport waiting to board!

More to come from my travels next week…