Nine Favorite Things.

Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post.

Crazy that it’s already the last day of March. This month flew by in the blink of an eye. Every day was packed so full that I must admit, I’m excited for a slightly slower April. My biggest goal this month is getting back to a bit more of a normal schedule. I’m so happy to say, that by the end of this week, I should be finished-up with multiple big projects. Then it’s finally back to some normalcy, and maybe even a slightly earlier bedtime. I’m so excited about everything we’ve been working on. I can’t wait to share some fun news with you all very soon!

In other news…It’s been snowing on and off since Friday. The only thing that’s saving me is the mass amounts of fresh ranunculus, quince branches, chamomile, and cherry blossoms that are currently here in the studio. Let me explain. I spent two full days photographing cake this week (and made more recipes than I can ever really remember). To help accentuate these beautiful cakes, I ordered a ton of fresh flowers from Terrain. Thank goodness, because the leftover flowers are what’s giving me life!

This week’s agenda includes finishing up some loose ends, shooting lots of new blog recipes (for Easter, I’m excited), and filming some new recipe videos with Kai.

Coming up on HBH this week… I’ll be sharing a new brunch recipe that’s so perfect for Easter. We’ll also have a savory swirl bun, and a new fresh salad that’s great for spring! Oh and of course, there’ll be something sweet too. So all good things!

Lastly, if you missed anything from the past week, be sure to sign up for our newsletter here. Hope you’re all having the best weekend, and enjoy this Sunday’s Favorites!

1. My April Bucket List. 

With the first full month of spring on deck, and Easter on the 21st, I’m sharing all the things I am dying to do with the extra daylight, warming temperatures, and holiday weekend approaching. What are you guys up to this month?

…this month (in no particular order).

1. wear something floral.
2. make a killer brunch spread with my favorite brioche bread, lemon waffles, potatoes, bagel and salmon board, and strawberry cake.
3. make the prettiest Easter baskets for Asher and my mom (I’ve never created an Easter basket!).
4. buy some Malley’s chocolate bunnies for said Easter baskets…or maybe make my own?!?
5. DIY some Easter eggs. I mean, how cute are these? And these eggs, all naturally died using beets. I must make them. What do you think of a new DIY blog post?
6. spend some time outside in the sunshine, preferably in Florida, and preferably surrounded by flowers (this is a long shot, but it’s still on my list).

2. The Most Popular Recipe of March. 

most popular: Filipino coconut adobo chicken

Completely shocked by this one, but only because the photos of this DELICIOUS chicken are just not my favorite. I love a pretty photo, and well, this one’s just not the prettiest. But more importantly…the recipe is SO GOOD. If you need a non boring skillet chicken, make this, it’s a game changer. The slowly braised chicken is extra tender, and the adobo sauce? It is EVERYTHING! Sweet, tangy, and a touch coconutty. Oh, and another major bonus? It’s the easiest to make, with just 8 ingredients, and less than an hour to cook. Does not get better.

runner-up: broccoli pesto pasta with whipped ricotta

I for sure thought this would be the most popular recipe of the month, but at least it’s the runner-up. Personally, this one is my favorite. It’s fresh, bright, hinted with citrus, and involves plenty of pasta and creamy cheese. So you see? The perfect mix of winter to spring. And I mean? Hot pesto pasta + creamy ricotta?? The best.

also have to mention: falafel naan wraps with golden rice and special sauce

it’s street food at home, and it’s so very good (a lot better for you too). Homemade falafel + turmeric infused golden rice + naan + the most addicting “special” sauce…very into it.

3. Spring Storage…

4. Questions of The Week: 

q: what’s your favorite spring vegetable, and how do you prepare it?
a: wow, so hard to choose just one, but I do LOVE asparagus. My favorite way to prepare asparagus is roasted or grilled, with olive oil, garlic, lemon, salt + pepper. I love these asparagus brie tarts, this asparagus salad, or this spring roasted chicken with asparagus.

Other spring vegetable recipes I loves…

this artichoke pesto and burrata pizza.

this herby vegan potato salad.

these flower carrot cake cupcakes and this strawberry coconut carrot cake.

PS. new asparagus recipe coming Monday!

q: when are you getting your own TV show?
a: um, haha. when I get offered one?! Someday!!

q: what app do you use to edit your photos?
a: I use lightroom to edit photos for HBH online. For Instagram stories, I use the lightroom app on my phone. To create collages and fun photos, I use the Unfold app, and occasionally the Story Luxe app. I’m really pretty simple when it comes to editing. I would love some new fun apps for Instagram Stories though, what are your favorites?

5. Recent Videos:

Asada Mushroom Tacos with Lime Smashed Avocado…and topped with fruit salsa. my kind of tacos.

Mediterranean Chickpea and Egg Salad Jars…no sad looking desk salad this week. make this salad jar to go.

6. Missing a Loved One. 

It’s been a little over a year and half since my grandma, Nonnie, passed. For those of you who are regular readers you probably remember this time back in August of 2017. I wrote about it a lot, especially in this post. With Easter coming up in a few weeks, I can’t help but think about my Nonnie. She always made Easter so special. Something about this time of year has had me thinking about her almost every day this past week.

Before Nonnie got sick, my family would spend Easter break in Florida with her and my grandpa. It was a trip that everyone in my family looked forward to so much. I think it’s mostly because of my Nonnie and all that she did. She’d make every trip so special, planning fun day trips, dinners out, boat rides, basically every day had an activity. She was the best at keeping us busy and having so much fun.

She’d also always make a point to spend some extra time with just me. We’d shop, lunch, die Easter eggs (even when I was older!), make homemade chocolate Easter bunnies, shop for fresh flowers, hit up the flea markets, cook, set the dinner table, and pretty much do all things that we both really loved doing.

She was such a special woman in my life. I miss our weekly phone calls, our chats about holiday menus, tablescapes, clothes, and whatever else was happening in our lives. It was just fun, no stress, chit-chat between a granddaughter and her grandmother.

I miss it all so much. I think more than anything though, I’m sad that my little sister, Asher, will never have any of these wonderful memories that I have. Asher is definitely Nonnie’s granddaughter. And by that I mean, they share a lot of characteristics. Just like my Nonnie, Asher loves to shop (mostly online), she loves looking “styley”, she likes doing girly things…and then, she’d love to shop some more. I know the two of them would have had so much fun together. I’m sure they would have had a similar bond to the one Nonnie and I shared.

Since Asher will never have those memories, I’m hoping to do at least a few things with her that Nonnie and I once did. Some of them we already do, but hoping to add some fun Easter activities, since that was Nonnie’s thing. She loved a good “cutesy” holiday themed project.

Anyway, what do you when you’re missing someone you love? How best to keep their memory alive?

7. A Few Links I Am Loving…

$100 given to a few foodies to spend at IKEA…here is what I bought.

a salmon roll sushi bowl to power up your lunch…yum. this looks so good.

11 cool bedroom paint colors…I’d go with the dramatic green smoke, you?

best tips for traveling with an infant…from a pro herself.

turmeric rice all the way from Bali…sounds pretty perfect.

10 travel tips from Molly Sims…two words, be cozy.

inside Jenni Kayne’s entertaining closest…need it all. please.

eating walnuts changes our genes to help fight breast cancer…thankful I eat these EVERYDAY.

your kids favorite snacks…quesadillas all the way.

5 things to help with anxiety…working on #5.

10 beauty products you need to try…have heard such good things about this Hollywood flawless filter.

8. Lets Do Spring Break…

9. This Week’s Dinners:

Monday: spring skillet roasted lemon chicken and veggies

Tuesday: crockpot Tuscan white bean and lemon soup

Wednesday: greek lamb meatballs with avocado goddess sauce

Thursday: roasted chicken gyros with tzatziki and feta fries

Friday: caprese pesto pasta bake

Check out all the past Favorites posts here.