Ten Fall Favorites!

Hello, lovelies!

It's officially fall, my favorite time of year! What's not to love? Crisper weather, beautiful leaves, pumpkin and apple flavored everything, and I can finally wear layers!

Mr. J and I kicked off fall right by picking 14 pounds of local apples and visiting nearby-ish farms. I get so excited about things I get to eat, like the apples, cheese curds, and donuts I noshed on that day. It's probably a crime how amped I get about apple cider donuts.

I thought it'd be fun to share with you some things I am in love with so far this fall, and you can share with me what's tickling your fancy during these cooler days. As I always tell the teens I teach, "Sharing is caring, unless it's a STD." It's a pretty sweet catch phrase. Spread it around. The saying, not an STD. 

Anyway...Let's get festive!

1. Mainstays Pumpkin Spice candle

Walmart, $5

This is one of the best pumpkin scented candles I've ever encountered. The scent permeates our entire apartment, and the wick burns evenly and slowly. When these babies went on sale in September, I bought two. I already wish I bought more because I already burned through one!

2. Wegmans Pumpkin Pie Coffee

Wegmans, $6.99

This is my favorite pumpkin coffee. I think Dunkins Donuts' flavor is horrid and overpowering. Wegmans' is flavorful without being too much. I've had it every day for the last month. So yummy!

3. local apple cider

&

4. fall scarf from Target

 Yes, this photo happened. I should know by now that it's impossible to take a selfie that doesn't look completely stupid. So, there it is, in all its awkward glory. Anyhow, the points of this ridiculous pic are: (a) I love apple cider, probably on an unhealthy level, and (b) look at my cute scarf! It was a Target snag 2 years ago. It has perfect fall colors and mixed floral prints, and is lightweight so it's easy to wear when the weather is still warm.

5. Lower East Side Chelsea Flat

 Payless ShoeSource, $19.99

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I love these flats. They're super comfortable, a great faux-leather color, and affordable. You can count on Payless to have a BOGO sale, too, which is exactly how I scored these for just $10.

6. Graphic Crew Neck Sweater
Old Navy, $29.00

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I love how preppy and happy this sweater is! The elbow patches really set it aside from your average striped shirt. It's also really comfy and warm, perfect for a fall day!

7. Heart Wrap & Nautical Charm Bracelets
 Alex & Ani, $48, $28

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Admittedly, these were an indulgence. My mom insisted I buy myself something nice for my birthday and my best friend suggested Alex & Ani. They have really beautiful jewelry, and I love the vintage finish of these two pieces. I've worn them everyday for over a month.

8. Nail Polish

Pixel Don't Leaf It Behind: Wegmans, $1.99

Ulta Candy Coated: Ulta, $2 on sale

OPI You Don't Know Jacques: Ulta, $9

It was hard to capture a picture that does justice for these colors. I was on the hunt for a matte hunter green, a shimmery bronze, and a matte gray/taupe. I found all three in the same day! You Don't Know Jacques is the only OPI nail polish I own because, seriously, who wants to pay more the $5 for a bottle? I've been alternating between these three colors since the day fate brought them into my life :)

 9. Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Walgreens, $7.99

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Luminoso is a very popular color in this line of baked blushes because it is very similar to a NARS blush that's over 3 times more costly. A little bit of this peach-gold shade goes a long way, so I thought it was a worthwhile investment. I feel like I'm glowing whenever I wear this.

10. Punctuate weekly planner in purple paisley

Barnes & Noble, journal

Making lists and filling out calendars are tasks I adore; they're so therapeutic! This planner and I are a match made in heaven. The cover's paisley print has great colors and stitching details, and I like the flexible texture of it. It also filled my requirement of a large, clean layout of the month so I can easily plan weeks ahead. The nerd in me is very happy.

What are you loving this fall?

Much love,
Danni

Sexy Vegetarian Thursday: Tomato Pesto Sauce

Hello, lovelies!

Happy Sexy Vegetarian Thursday! SVT is a series dedicated to sharing vegetarian and/or vegan dinner recipes with you. Yes, you! Check out other posts in the series for why I started it in the first place, what sexy has to do with meatless meals, and, ya know, actual recipes.

Week 1: summer tomato pasta
Week 2: onion potato frittata
Week 3: grown up grilled cheese
Week 4: feta potatoes patties
Week 5: creamy tomato feta penne
Week 6: chilaquiles
Week 7: vodka sauce ravioli
Week 8: lime stir fry
Week 9: lemon tofu sauce with rice
Week 10: leek, spinach, & blue cheese frittata
Week 11: stuffed twice-baked potatoes
Week 12: garbanzo bean spaghetti

Week 13: sweet and spicy black bean quesadillas
Week 14: baked Italian eggs
Week 15: chickpea curry

Today's recipe helped me use up the last of seasonal tomatoes and basil from my friend Meghan's garden. I intended to make pesto and marinara sauce separately; however, I didn't have any pine nuts. I swear, I am always one ingredient short! Never fails. In lieu of pesto, I decided to wing a tomato basil pasta sauce and see what happened. It turned out so well that it survived the scrutiny of both Mr. J and my cousin, Kara, who's a rather picky eater.

Let's say--conservatively--that I was thrilled.

So thrilled that I did the Carleton dance all over the house. My Carleton is pretty fierce and only busted out on the rarest of occasions.

This may indicate how excited I get about cooking and about feeding people. (I almost wrote "cooking and feeding people," but I am neither a cannibal nor Hannibal Lector. Grammar lovers will know what I'm talking about...er, about what I'm talking? Ah, screw it.)


It's easy to double, triple, etc. this recipe, so you can make it in bulk and freeze it to use throughout the winter. Say goodbye to chemicals, preservatives, and other stuff you can't pronounce and hello to flavor (flav).

Ingredients:
2 quarts of tomatoes, cut into 1" pieces (I had a mix of Roma and grape)
1/2 cup water
a pinch each of: salt, onion powder, pepper, and sugar   (How very French of me!)
splash of lemon juice
40 fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
*makes 3 cups*

Place tomatoes, water, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to low. Simmer the tomatoes for 10 minutes without a lid, 10 minutes with a lid, and 5 minutes with the lid back off. I found that having the lid on helped soften the skins while removing the lid helped the mixture thicken.

Use an immersion blender (or a standing blender) to combine the tomatoes and water until smooth. I do not recommend straining the sauce as that will thin it significantly and you'll be left with a very watery, bland liquid. The blended tomato skins and seeds hold the sauce together, and they're not noticeable once the basil is mixed in.

Put the sauce back over low heat. Add a pinch of salt, onion powder, pepper, and sugar, as well as a splash of lemon juice. Adjust the flavors to your taste! Make it your own.

Who doesn't have a random banana on their stove?

Now on to the basil sauce. Use a food processor to blend the basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, and 1/2 cup of the just-made tomato sauce until smooth. The sauce will be very thick and smell amazingly. Equip yourself to deal with the drooling that is bound to happen.

Now add the basil sauce to the tomato sauce. Use immediately, or let it cool to room temperature before freezing.

This sauce freezes and defrosts really nicely. I needed both jars to sufficiently cover one pound of pasta.

If you give this recipe a go, tell me all about it!

Much love,
Danni

Linked up to:

Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen’s CountryCottage