Oh hey there!
October is ending. November is practically here. Let’s chat about the things that have gotten me excited this month.
(links below are all affiliate links)
Hu Kitchen Chocolate
I am obsessing over this Cashew Butter + Vanilla Bean Chocolate Bar right now, but here’s the thing: Hu Kitchen’s chocolate is expensive, to the point where I put it on my Christmas list because it’s justifiable as a gift but not really as an everyday purchase. That being said, it was on sale on Thrive Market (and I was saving $25 off my first order- more on that below) so I treated myself to a very expensive chocolate purchase. Maybe you will, too? It’s totally worth it for a once-in-a-while treat but not something I buy regularly, despite how much I love their chocolate. [Friends + Family, take note: I will graciously accept any and all Hu Kitchen chocolate you’d like to gift me this holiday season]
Thrive Market
I just started shopping at Thrive Market this month and LOVE it. Have you already joined? It’s a membership-only online marketplace that sells organic groceries (+ household/beauty items, too) at really affordable prices. Like, cheaper than Whole Foods and Amazon, which is where I bought the majority of my pantry items up until now.
Everyone starts with a free 30-day trial, then membership is $60 for a year (and for each membership purchased, Thrive donates a free membership to a low-income family!!). I love how convenient it is to shop online, how great their prices are, their commitment to making organic food accessible to everyone, AND the fact that they pack all of your groceries with paper, not plastic, so the entire box is recyclable. If you’re not a member yet you can join through this link and save $25 off your first order! As with anywhere, I tend to shop the deals, and only place an order when I need several items to ensure I always qualify for free shipping (by spending at least $49).
Organic Cotton Leggings
This month I gave my closet a little makeover in the form of all-new undies, bralettes and leggings from Pact. They’re my go-to company for fair trade + organic basics like tees, tanks, leggings, etc, but up until now I still had some old worn out pieces still kicking around from years ago. I decided to pull out and donate whatever was still in decent shape, get rid of the rest, and replace with a few pairs of each from PACT. I’ve been LIVING in the leggings (I wear a large and they’re perfect!); I love how soft everything is (organic cotton is the best!!) and they sell lots of their products in bundles for less if you’re looking to stock up.
You can save 20% off your first order on PACT with this link (and they’re doing free shipping for all of October in honor of Fair Trade month, so if you shop in the next few days, your order ships for free!) If you’re looking for more eco-friendly/sustainable clothing options, head over to this post!
Homemade Bread
As soon as the overnight temperatures start to drop, my body starts telling me that bread with every meal is the best option. So, rather than fight it, I just go with it. We’ve been going through loaf after loaf of my Crusty No-Knead Oatmeal Bread and I’m working on a cheater’s version of homemade sourdough that doesn’t involve keeping a sourdough starter alive, or any long, complicated sourdough methods. It’s still not perfect yet, but I think I’m getting close! I’ll be sure to share if I ever get it right!
We’re also going through at least a loaf of banana bread a week (this one is our current fave), and have been finding lots of excuses to eat cornbread, too. What can I say, it’s been a bread-filled month.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
When was the last time you had a good PB&J? Up until a few weeks ago, I probably hadn’t eaten one in months. Then, someone on Instagram mentioned loving a toasted PB&J for breakfast and I was like peanut butter and jelly, where have you been all my life? Needless to say, a deep love affair with PB&J was born and I’ve been eating them for breakfast nonstop since.
I love taking big slices of homemade bread (Trader Joe’s sells a sliced multigrain sourdough that I love, too!), toasting until juuuuuust warm, but not really crunchy, then slathering with thick, crunchy PB, sprinkling with a little bit of flaky sea salt, and topping with whatever flavor of jam sounds good to me that day (this fruit juice sweetened brand is one of my all-time faves; I love the strawberry, blackberry, four fruit, apricot, black cherry…okay, I love them all!)
That’s all for today!
This month has been jam-packed with Thanksgiving and Christmas recipe testing and photo shoots, fall cleaning projects, pumpkin carving, and drinking endless cups of tea to stay warm (we don’t turn our heat on til November 1st, so it’s been a chilly few weeks!) I hope you’re all enjoying this last weekend of October; see you next month for my November Things!
Psssst: this blog post contains affiliate links. translation: I earn a commission if you make purchases through the links above. I only recommend products I actually use and love; thanks for supporting Baked Greens!