Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post!
{my favorite berries from this ice cream cake}
Hey, hi!! Happy last Sunday of June. Iโm honestly just in shock that we are already coming up on July 4th, but the time is here! Iโm spending the day getting ready for a fun shoot tomorrow. Then Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be spent working to get ahead on content before the family trip to Mexico! We leave super early Thursday morning, so I have lots to do before then. We will be spending the 4th of July in Mexico, so Iโm excited for the warm nights and to make plenty of fun tequila cocktails for the fam!
Speaking of the 4th of July, Iโm sharing a few recipes below that would be perfect for celebrating our lively American holiday, but Iโll also be sharing my big yearly round-up next Sunday. If any of you are planning ahead, here is last yearโs post!
So what are you guys up to for the 4th? Iโm excited to actually have some plans this year, as last year I spent the 4th home alone, working on the cookbook manuscript. It was totally worth it though because I am SO excited about the book, but Iโm happy to be doing something a little more fun and exciting this year! Also, thanks so much for everyone who left suggestions on what to see and do inย Puerto Vallarta. Itโs going to be a great trip!
Coming up this week I have some fun summer recipes and am totally ending the week with a fruity dessertโฆand more ice cream. What? Hey, every summer day needs ice cream. DUH.
Have a great Sunday everyoneโฆhere are my nine favorite things this week!
1. Instagram? Can we talk about it for a quick minute? I have a very love hate relationship with it. For years instagram has been my go-to social media platform and my very favorite to use both personally and for my business. Itโs still my favorite, but recently Iโve been feeling so much pressure to post only the BEST photos. I was scrolling through my feed the other day and came across this honest and beyond inspiring post from Design Love Fest, that I thought I would share. The algorithm that instagram recently put out totally got into my head and Iโm now so conscious about what I share, whereas before I would just share what I was loving at that exact moment. Lately itโs been a bit more calculated and Iโm over it. Iโve made a pact with myself to stop over thinking my Instagram posts and just go back to the way I used to be, posting fun, spontaneous, silly posts, and to stop stressing over them! Anyone with me? If you follow along on the Half Baked Harvestย Instagram account youโve definitely already seen a bit of thisโฆespecially in my stories! Hello to Friday night happy dances and smashing ice cream. #sorrynotsorry. What are your thoughts on Instagram? Do you love it (hate it) as much a me?
2. Some of the cutest one piece swimsuits for under $100? Count me in! We all need at least one good one piece in our rotation of bikinis if you ask me!
3. The 6 most popular recipes on the blog this week.
โ>ย Spicy Maple Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Smoky Bacon Corn
โ>ย Frozen Peanut Butter Cup Pie
โ>ย Greek Roasted Cauliflower Burgers with Pan Fried Feta and Tomato Olive Salsa
โ>ย Frozen Watermelon Rosรฉ Sangria Slushies
โ>ย Strawberry Cornmeal Cake with Buttermilk Glaze
โ>ย Garden Fresh Herb, Olive, and Parmesan Pasta with Pistachio Breadcrumbsโ
4. A few links I am lovinโ.
โ>ย eating these 5 foods will take years off of your faceโฆYESSSS. I eat them all regularly. whoop. whoop.
โ> the most stunning vaulted ceilings on Pinterestโฆhigh ceilings are my favorite, and these are so pretty.
โ>ย 5 ways to get more collagen into your diet and why you shouldโฆloved this. Bone broth here I come!
โ> the skills standing between you and your dream jobโฆlove a good career post!
โ>ย Kelly LeVequeโs new book, Body Loveโฆcannot wait to read this. I follow Kelly on Insta and she has the best outlook on healthy eating.
โ> 4 sweet recipes healthy enough to be called breakfastโฆcount me in.
5. New videos:
โ> Garden Greens Goddess Pizzaโฆone of the best summer pizzas!
โ>ย Salmon Souvlaki Bowlsโฆso much goodness happening in these bowls + a lot of FETA. Yes, please!
6. How cute are these breakfast nooks? The first photo is my favorite. What is yours?! ps. Iโve always wanted a cute breakfast nookโฆsome day!
7. Iโve done a ton of new projects for my friends at Crate and Barrel lately. Theyโre all summer inspired entertaining posts. OH how I LOVE working on these more lifestyle type posts. Theyโre so fun for me because not only do I get to develop recipes, but I also get to plan parties, arrange tablescapes, and just have fun creatively. Here are a few of my favorite most recent posts.
โ> an effortless summer lobster boilโฆpossibly one of my favorite parties yet. So summery and perfect.
โ>blackberry lavender ice creamโฆYUMM. One of the creamiest ice creams ever, and the flavor combo is on point.
โ> a garden inspired brunchโฆwords really cannot describe how much I love this. Brunch + Gardens = my cup of tea.
โ> a bathroom refreshโฆI did this in the spring, but it works great for a summer bathroom update too!
8. 4th of July Style Finds:
โ> this fun blue star dress.
โ> this laid back red, white, and blue tee.
โ> these denim cut offs.
โ> this red, white, and blue one piece bathing suit.
โ> this straw pom pom bag.
9. This weekโs dinners:ย
Monday:ย Quinoa Crusted Baked Three-Cheese Zucchini and Eggplant Parmesan
Tuesday:ย Easy Chicken Fajitas with Cheesy Enchilada Rice + Spicy Tex-Mex Special Sauce
Wednesday:ย Mozzarella in Carrozza (Fried Mozzarella Sandwich) w/Blueberry Balsamic Jam
Thursday:ย Thai Steak Salad w/Sweet + Spicy Tahini Dressing and Sesame Chili-Lime Cashews
Friday:ย Browned Butter Scallop and Burst Tomato Basil Pasta
Check out all the past Favorites postsย here.
This post was originally published on June 25, 2017
Really enjoy your recipes, and almost never comment on here (here being the internet), but 2 things:
A) I meal prepped your spicy maple chicken sandwiches for lunch this past week, and couldnโt stop telling people how good they were. I omitted the slaw because Iโm one of those weirdos who only likes corn ON the cob, and was trying to be somewhat healthy leaving out bacon, but the glaze combined w/ the yogurt pesto was amazing. Iโm definitely making it again for this week, but not as a sandwich-just the glazed chicken w/ the pesto/yogurt as a dipping sauce (going to the shore next week and trying a last ditch attempt at no carbs).
B) Your Instagram rant hit home. My favorite aspect of it used to be that it felt more personal and amateur, like someone was just pointing, snapping, and uploading with their phone, and now everything is super glossed over and curated. I still really love looking at it, but feel inauthentic making my feed look that way, even though I know itโs to my own detriment.
I am so glad you loved the sandwiches, that is amazing! Instagram has changed a lot as well and seems less authentic. Anyway I hope you love some other recipes on my blog Pat, thank you!
I grew up with a breakfast nook and it was the Place to Be in that house! So many memories there. Weโre going to be moving into a house with a nook next year (husband rehabbing it for usโฆ) and I look forward too making memories there! I love the selection of looks in the post you linked. And totally into the selection of recipes that were most popular last weekโฆwe ate the Spicy Maple Chicken San with corn relish last week for dinner and it was INSANE. I suggested to my 20-something son that he send you a proposal of marriage butโฆ.he just laughed. But agreed it was the BEST sandwich. Keep up the great work! Considering the strawberry cornmeal cake for brunch later this week. Yum, yum, yum.
Awh the nook sounds so sweet. I am really glad you & your son loved that sandwich Toni!! Thank you so so much!
While I completely understand your pressure to present the most beautiful photos of your food, I have come to find that not only is your food beautiful, itโs also delicious. You are my โgo-toโ when I want to try something new because EVERY TIME it tastes amazing. My mom has told me that Ina Garten is her go to for flawless recipes that always work and I feel that way about you! I canโt wait for your cookbook. This is my first time commenting on anything Half Baked, but please know you have an avid lover of what you do in Kentucky!
Awh this is so sweet! I am so glad you love my recipes and I hope you continue to! Thank you!
Iโm with you on IG! I think just being in the moment and posting whatever you are liking or craving is the best (and most authentic, too!). Loving that pretty berry shot, and I canโt wait to make your Greek cauliflower burgers! For an easy Monday night dinner (so what I need today!), Iโm all about that fried mozzarella sandwich โ cheese + carbs is a serious need right now. ๐
My brother keeps saying the same thing, thinking you two might be right!!
Ah your the best! Always loving everything (: Thanks so much Laura!
I am SOO happy to hear you feel the same way about IG. because your account is AMAZING! I feel like Iโm screaming at the top of my lungs with every post and no one hears me. Like a bad dream. Plus, I think IG is holding off promotion of my post until I pay for it. But whateverโฆ. Itโs rented space, right? Iโll have to read that article ๐
Ah right!? Its so frustrating sometimes! But it is what it is I guess! Hope you like the article! Glad to hear others feel the same way Karlee!
Judging from the amount of IG followers you have, I think youโre safe to keep doing whatever it is that got you there! I love your IG and I think that your main feed is beautifully curated, while the stories are fun and show your silly side and behind-the-scenes like it should be. ๐ I worry about the IG algorithm for sure, and I am so annoyed by the people who follow only to unfollowโฆ thatโs just obnoxious, but it is what it is I guess!
Haha I know people are always reminding me of that but I still worry (:
SO happy your liking how I do them!! The algorithm is the worst though!
Love your blog and recipes.
Thanks Laura!
Definitely have a love/hate relationship with Insta!!
Rebecca
xx
Oh yes! Its bad haha!
I enjoy reading your Sunday postโ Nine favorite thingsโ. Have fun in Mexico, and Iโm pretty sure you will get a lot of inspiration from the Mexican food to bring to your blog.
I agree with you with your Instagram comment. You should stay true to yourself because thatโs what we love about you.
Happy Sunday!
Thanks Carlos! Nice to hear people like the post! I sure hope I will! Too excited for Mexico!
Thank you (: