Things I’m Loving – A fun list of my favorite kitchen, fashion/beauty, and food favorites!! Some are current finds, some I’ve loved for decades and are still going strong!! (My cats make the list!)
I’ll be back tomorrow with a recipe but I thought it would be fun share some things I’m loving.
Some are new finds and others I’ve had for decades and are still going strong. I’m more of a quality over quantity person and would rather buy something that may cost more upfront but that I will have for years and years.
My cats, Peaches and Muffin, on my daughter’s bed. Doing what they do best: absolutely nothing.
Kitchen/House
One of only 3 knives I use. Ever. I have the Shun 7″ Santoku and it’s the best knife I’ve ever owned and have basically thrown away all others.
I can’t bake cookies, roast vegetables, or do anything else (messy or sticky) without Silpats.
This is the garlic press to beat all. Pressed garlic is so much better than just dicing by hand. And faster and easier.
If you own just 2 pots and pans in your kitchen, make it this Essential 6-quart. ‘Tall’ enough to boil a pound of pasta but ‘short’ enough to brown a pound of ground beef.
And this Saute 6-quart. I put them them in the dishwasher, I abuse them, I have cooked thousands of meals in them. They are still perfect.
This beast has appeared in hundreds of photos over the years. With this Le Creuset and the two All-Clads, that’s all I need to make 99% of everything I blog about.
The Volcano candle is the best. It comes in different color jars but the scent is awesome. Covers up everything from pet odors to onions.
Fashion/Beauty
This purple and navy plaid shirt is my jam.
I wear it with these jeans. I love the frayed hem at the ankle.
Plaid obsessed with this pastel number.
Soft, thin demin that makes me happy.
I got this replacement watch band for my rose gold 42mm Series 2 iWatch.
I’ve been using this facial cleanser since I was 18 and don’t cheat on it.
Prrr. Like a kitty. I have it in every purse.
The splurge hair brush that I’ve had for 20 years. It has paid for itself considering all the random brushes I didn’t buy over the years.
Food
Currently trending as the most 5 popular recipes on my site
#5 Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice
#4 Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
#3 The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)
#2 Easy 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Drumroll….
#1 Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread
Have you made any of those recipes? Tell me some of your favorite things lately in the comments section. If you leave links, comments may be held for moderation until I approve them.
This post contains affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission. Only things I truly love, use, and own have been featured.
Fun to see a personal post about you again! I’ve been following since you were Love, Veggies, and Yoga and while I love your recipes, I have missed these types of posts!
Thanks for following me for so many years! This post has been great because it’s brought some people out of the woodwork and I’ve been told many times after this one that they’ve been following me since the LV&Y days. Thanks for your support over the many years!
I’m not certain you will see this BUT if you do and have a minute could you tell me WHERE I can find the beautiful comforter that is on your daughters bed ( under those sweet kitties) I LOVE color and have been searching for months for something white background with happy colors !
This is exactly what I need !
I see all the comments people leave me on my blog :) I got it from Pottery Barn Teen. I just checked and that exact one is no longer available even though it’s only about 6 months old but these two are really close!
https://rstyle.me/n/ctt8cscc7cp
https://rstyle.me/n/ctt8bpcc7cp
THOSE FUR BABIES ARE PRECIOUS !!!
I love your website, and have followed you since LV&Y :) I have made many of your recipes too…especially if they have peanut butter or chocolate in them and have that gooey & underdone look! Therein lies the problem….I love sweets a little too much. I’m going to try some of your dinner recipes soon, starting with the Broccoli Cheese Soup! Loved this different post from you, but please don’t ever stop making cookies & brownies :)))
Thanks for the compliments on my fur babies :)
And thanks for following me since way back in the LV&Y days! Lots of people have commented on this post that they’ve been following me that long and I truly appreciate your support over the years.
Yes try out some dinners, and I promise I’ll never stop making cookies and brownies!
Awww, I had an Angora kitty named Peaches many years ago! Your kitties are gorgeous, so I am posting their photo to my pinterest board Beautiful Felines!
Thanks for pinning my kitties ? and that’s sweet you’ve had a Peaches in your life.
That was so fun! I loved seeing some of your favorite things, in the kitchen & out. Your kitty cats are so sweet. We had a cat named Peaches when I was kid! Thanks for sharing ?
That’s so sweet that you had a kitty named Peaches as a kid! Wonderful memories I’m sure!
Your cream cheese chocolate chip cookies are the best!! I enjoy reading posts about what someone else uses in their kitchen. I love my Le Creuset bakeware, my All Clad skillet and 2 qt. pot. My Vitamix blenders are nice to have, too.
Glad you love those cookies and yes Le Creuset and AllClad, cannot go wrong there! I have had 2 VitaMixes over the years and I love them as well.
I’m so glad you now own a garlic press! We’ve discussed this before… don’t forget to use it if you ever need to make a key lime pie!!!!! ? Thanks for all the great recipes over the years!
Such a great reminder for a double-duty use with the garlic press!
I just made your Easy 30-minute pumpkin soup and it was easy and super delicious. It also was filling and healthy (two things I find rare in yummy recipes).
Thanks for trying the soup and glad you loved it! I agree – hard to find filling + healthy + yummy all in one!
Your cats are gorgeous. I am curious about the breed.
I have never previously commented on your site but I do check it out regularly and have tried…and loved…many of your recipes. In fact, I am debating … at this moment… if I should give into a serious chocolate craving and make myself the one minute microwave brownie.
Thank you and they are long-haired small Persians. The gray and white is called a ‘silver’ and the the orange/tan on is called a ‘chinchilla’.
Yes cave and make the one minute micro brownie, it’s amazing!
Thanks for following regularly and for commenting today.
Averie, I refer to your recipes time and time again, having subscribed to your blog for several years (is it that long?) Love many of your cookie recipes and the addition of vanilla pudding to make them just not your average cookie. Loving your recommendations, and just started to follow you on Facebook (don’t know what took so long to figure that one out ;). My daughters are both single young women always looking for great recipes that make sense , and I have turned them on to following you as well. Keep it up, girl! You inspire me constantly.
What a great comment and thanks for all the compliments! I have been blogging 8.5 years now and I always appreciate hearing from people who have been following for many years.
I love that you have turned your daughters onto my site. I am glad to hear that single young women looking for great recipes are enjoying my site too! It’s one of my goals to provide recipes that can be made by everyone, in a fairly short amount of time, that are easy enough, and that don’t cost an arm and a leg with the ingredients.
I remer you did some posts kind of like this back in the day when your site was Love veggies and yoga. Today was a fun switch up! I love my silpat and learned about them from you! Thanks for all the fantastic recipes over the years. Fall is definitely here now and that broccoli cheese soup looks so good I want to make it again. Your cats are gorgeous!! I love pictures of pampered pets!
Thank you for sticking with me throughout all the years and for all the thousands of comments you’ve left me! I haven’t done one of these type of posts in probably 5-7 years so I figured it was a little over due and I have a post tomorrow that the brand wanted specifically posted on a Thursday, so I figured Wednesday was going to be non-food and fun!
I remer you did some posts kind of like this back in the day when your site was Love veggies and yoga. Today was a fun switch up! I love my silpat and learned about them from you! Thanks for all the fantastic recipes over the years. Fall is definitely here now and that broccoli cheese soup looks so good I want to make it again. Your cats are gorgeous!! I love pictures of pampered pets!
I loved reading this post! I found you when you were lovesveggiesandyoga…I can’t even remember what recipe it was that brought me over. Now I come over every MWF to read your new recipes. I’m making your pumpkin soup tonight! :) Thanks for posting this article…I use such posts to build up my Christmas/Amazon wishlist!
Thanks for being a long time reader even from way back in the LV&Y days! Glad that this list can help stock up your wishlist. And enjoy the soup!
Forgot to mention–LOVE the cats. We have a Maine coon cat and I’d love to clone him. Well, except for the hairballs.
A chocolate gingerbread molasses cake would be PERFECT for the holidays.
I loooooved my cat Muffin so much and I got her from a breeder and I reacher out to her again and said give me a Muffin clone please and that’s how we got Peaches :)
Your post today was fun! I look forward to your recipes but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up.
I have made your chicken noodle soup and possibly your cream cheese chocolate chip cookies–I’m losing track of all the recipes I’ve tried over time. Not sure which recipes of yours are my favorites–too many to choose! I repeatedly use your quick yeast breadstick recipe, lasagna soup recipe, and the molasses cookie bars with chocolate chips. One of my son’s friends has taken to sitting by him at lunch so he can bum dessert from him–he described the peanut butter monster cookie bars as “peanut butter and a little bit of Heaven”.
Last night for dinner (brinner!) I made Cheesy Baked Eggs from allrecipes.com–it’s the second time I’ve made it and both times it has been a hit. Bonus–it’s super quick to throw together.
I learned about Silpat from you and I really like it–I have the name brand version as well as one from Aldi and they both work equally well. Aldi’s was significantly less expensive but if you find it, you have to buy it right then as it may not be around the following week.
I have a Cuisinart saute pan and I absolutely love it. The sides are high enough to keep me from making a mess.
I want a plaid shirt! So cute! Right now I like anything that goes with ankle boots. And I just discovered CereVe’s skin renewing night cream. It’s amazing. I’ve used their daytime facial lotion for years and it’s great if you have sensitive skin.
Hope this wasn’t too long of a comment! I had more to say than I thought I did!
I love your comment! I know you have made a TON of recipes of mine over the years. And that you have some repeated faves that you go back to. Funny you should mention those chocolate molasses bars. Last night I made a chocolate gingerbread molasses cake that I am frosting this morning and am going to shoot it for an early Dec. post.
Good to know that the Aldi works as well as the Silpat for you and about the Cuisinart pan. My skin is so dry that I am always on the lookout for new lotions and creams!
Averie, you rarely do posts like this. I loved reading this one. I love finding more about you. I have been following you since loveveggies and yoga days and it’s nice that you open up yourself. I loved your cat pic. And I have tried 3 if the 5 top trending recipes you mentioned. Stay safe
Thanks for the nice words, Iram, and I know you have been following along since day 1! I know you have tried a ton of my recipes, too, over the years! Thanks for your support!