Monthly Thoughts – Thoroughbreads Bakery

February and March Thoughts

Hey! I am so glad you stopped by to check out my recent bakes. My name is Kelsey. I love baking all things but especially pies and pastries.

Hello!!! Happy April!! I am SO excited for spring, as you know! To be honest, I forgot to post my February thoughts… so I have combined them with my March thoughts. The past two months have been spent with a lot of garden planning, reading and building (more on that later).

February overview… February was weirdly busy for me. I went to a hockey game, a couple basketball games, a bachelorette party for my friend, chaperoned a youth group event in Gatlinburg, TN, and built a fence on our property!

March overview… March was slower but it was very welcomed. I started building planters and selling them on Facebook Marketplace which I am super proud of! I love working and creating projects with my hands, it feels so rewarding. I was able to spend a couple different day with some of my favorite people – you know who you are! Spending time with friends really fills your cup like nothing else can.

Valentines day… Jared surprised me with a Nashville trip for a Valentine/Birthday gift. It was amazing! We ate at our favorite places and I got to spend the whole day at the zoo, my favorite.

Bible reading plan… I have done an awful job at staying on the same Bible plan, I keep switching and just reading what I feel like reading – which is great sometimes! However I am getting back on the chronological reading plan and am starting over so I can do it right. I am ashamed to say that I literally forgot about Lent. I mean that is SO awful to say since the entire meaning of Lent is to be thoughtful but… yeah. I have got to do better next year.

Blog Plan… Yes, I already posted this but have failed HARD so I am keeping on here as accountability for myself. April will be spring baking, so lots of citrus and fruit to lead us into a new season. In May, I will try my hand at tarts. In June, I will be giving fun ideas for July 4th. July will be all cold desserts, maybe we will try to make our own ice cream! August will be focused on peaches and tropical produce. September is when we will break out the fall baking and fall spices! In October, we will come up with fun Halloween baking ideas. November will be Thanksgiving baking. December will be cookie tins of course!

Currently reading… I have read SO many books these past two months. I finished the first two books from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and I am OBSESSED. I mean I cannot read them fast enough. I read each of them in 4 days which is insanely fast for me. I have started re-reading the Harry Potter series (again) and finished Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets.

Currently watching… Jared and I spend our “together time” binging new tv shows, we just started Night Agent and LOVE IT (so far). He is not into fantasy so I am watching the second season of Shadow and Bone by myself and its good, not as good at the first season in my opinion.

February and March Amazon Purchases… After SO many different ways to keep recipes, I have decided my favorite way is to just write them on index cards. I like that they all match and that I can write the recipes how I want to!! I ordered several things for my kitchen – Redmond Salt (the only salt we use) and Anthony’s Buttermilk Powder (my favorite pantry hack). So many recipes call for buttermilk but who keeps buttermilk in their house? Not me. I tried once but it always seemed to go bad before I could use it all so I found these buttermilk powder! No, it doesn’t exactly do the same thing as buttermilk in baking recipes but it works, it is so easy and it doesn’t go bad! We had company over a few weeks ago and needed more coasters, I just bought the cheapest/cutest ones I could find and I actually really like them! I preordered Hogwarts Legacy… Enough said.

Cats… We adopted 2 black cats, totally unexpected to everyone. Anyways, I found a bunch of cute stuff for the cats that wont make your home look like cats just completely took over! Also I added this awesome wall broom holder because the litter box had to go where my brooms were stored lol

Ps. Here are the kitty cats in their favorite places (on the bed and on my lap lol)

What’s on my mind… Washington, DC! We are going to DC next week for Jared’s work (I am tagging along because I love a good museum). I thought it might be fun to show you what I am planning on doing and where we are planning on eating dinner!

Day one – While Jared is at work (so sad), I will be seeing the Japanese cherry trees along the Tidal Basin and making a stop at the Art Museum of the Americas before going to Georgetown. The spots I would like to hit in Georgetown are Dumbarton Oaks, Compass Coffee, Pomander Walk NW + Cecil Place NW (really beautiful streets apparently), and Fresh Baguette (I can’t pass up a good bakery). We will be having dinner at one of our favorite DC spots – Guapo’s Restaurant.
Day two – The day of botanical gardens and museums. I will be visiting Capitol Hill Books, Library of Congress, US Botanic Garden, Museum of the Bible, Enid A. Haupt Garden, National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of American History. We are planning to go to the Barcelona Wine Bar, which I am SO excited for! This seems like a really authentic Spanish restaurant. I am very critical of restaurants claiming to be “Spanish” or Barcelona-inspired because I lived in Barcelona for 4 months. But I have to say… this is the only restaurant that I can say for a fact that everything on their menu, I ate while living in Barcelona which is HUGE! I am so excited to check it out!
Day three – I will be starting the day at the National Archive, I have been to DC over 10 times and have never been, oops! Followed by a Compass Coffee (again!), National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Art. I could literally spend the entire week in the National Gallery of Art but I am trying to only spend one day, we will see if I succeed. This night we are going to get burgers near our hotel at Big Buns.
Day four – As its the last day, I am leaving this day open for what I want to add in or re-do (National Gallery of Art lol). I love the Smithsonian National Zoo, its one of the few US Zoos that has pandas! For dinner we are thinking of Grilled Cheese DC, its a cute place that isn’t too expensive and we love their mac and cheese burger.
On our way out of town, we will drive by the Washington National Cathedral – SO pretty!!

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January Thoughts

Hey! I am so glad you stopped by to check out my recent bakes. My name is Kelsey. I love baking all things but especially pies and pastries.

I took a break during the month of December and some of January, it was really nice to just hang out with our families and reset for the new year. 2023 started off with a bang. Our family dog, Teddy, had to be put down, I pulled a muscle in my back which put me out of commission for about a week, and several other personal struggles. It has been an emotionally difficult first few weeks of the new year which has really pushed us to fully rely on God.

December thoughts… December was honestly a whirlwind, it always is but for some reason it always surprises me. It is also an emotionally difficult month, as much as I love hanging out with family a lot of energy and emotions come with that. Overall, we loved Christmas and had so much fun!

Christmas gifts… We had a great Christmas with out families, Jared received some clothes for work and a few tools for our new home. I received some baking books, a planner for 2023 and an espresso machine!!! I have used my espresso machine every single day since I got it on Christmas Day and I think I have almost mastered the iced latte… Some days I’m like what was that, ew. I’m getting there though!

New Year resolutions… I didn’t come up with any specific resolutions this year. I would really like to focus on my health this year, making healthy meals, moving my body every day, and reading the Bible all the way through.

Things I want to try this year… I want to try doing my first garden! I would also like to start flipping furniture for some extra money. This year I really want to try and declutter my home, especially my wardrobe. I feel that a lot of my clothing is not my style anymore so I really want to focus on clearing out what I don’t absolutely love.

Blog Plan… This year I will be baking along with the holidays and seasons. January I will review what I did for my 2022 Christmas Cookie Tins. February will be fun valentines baking options. March will focus on bread. April will be spring baking, so lots of citrus and fruit to lead us into a new season. In May, I will try my hand at tarts. In June, I will be giving fun ideas for July 4th. July will be all cold desserts, maybe we will try to make our own ice cream! August will be focused on peaches and tropical produce. September is when we will break out the fall baking and fall spices! In October, we will come up with fun Halloween baking ideas. November will be Thanksgiving baking. December will be cookie tins of course!

Currently reading… Queen of Shadows, book 4 in the Throne of Glass series. I am obsessed with this series, I cannot read them fast enough!! I am also reading the Hercule Poirot books by Agatha Christie, I finished the first one this month – The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Currently watching… The Marvel Cinematic Universe! Jared and I started to watch them in MCU timeline order a few months back but in January we have watched probably 2 of them a week! We are almost caught up now. This is the timeline we followed.

Bible reading plan… I am doing two plans right now, the first is The Life of Jesus with She Reads Truth. I am doing this one by myself and it is 35 days long. The second plan I am doing is reading through the whole Bible chronologically with my husband, we are following this plan on YouVersion. It is a full year long and to be honest, we are already behind haha! We are trying to catch up though.

Things I want… I have been looking at these little boots. They would be perfect outside shoes for gardening and landscaping this spring! Amazon has some of the cutest home decor, I’ve linked what is on my wish list below. Specifically, there is this kitchen rack that dries quickly, great for the hand soap and brush by the sink.

January Amazon Purchases… since I got a bunch of coffee supplies for Christmas, I bought a cute little shelf to hold all of my coffee stuff. We recently set up our office in the second bedroom of our home, so I bought two small lamps for our desks. Lastly, I have been reading the Throne of Glass series (until 1-2am, whoops!) so I bought a little book light! Before I just had my bedside lamp on, which probably wasn’t great for my husband haha!

What’s on my mind… GARDENING!!!! I cannot wait, I know it’s only January but I can’t wait to get my hands in the soil and grow my own veggies. I have always helped my mom with her garden but this will be the first year of having my own garden. I am so excited, you wouldn’t even believe it. My plans are below, I will have two raised beds in the back yard that are 16×3 feet and a raised bed on our deck that is much smaller for herbs. I am debating on whether to plant strawberries or not, if I do I will make another small raised bed for the backyard and use starts from my mom’s strawberry bed.

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November Thoughts

Hey! I am so glad you stopped by to check out my recent bakes. My name is Kelsey. I love baking all things but especially pies and pastries.

This month was much more low key than October, which was definitely needed. I love traveling and experiencing new things but staying home and being able to keep a regular routine feels so nice. For me, and a lot of others, November = Thanksgiving! We have two thanksgivings (one with my side of the family and one with my husband’s side of the family). I love the traditions each family has and the dishes they serve. For my side of the family, we always do a charcuterie board until we eat around 2pm. My sister made the cutest turkey charcuterie board, it really belongs on Pinterest (it was also delicious!). We also do a smoked turkey, noodles, stuffing and dressing (there is a heated debate over these dishes every year). On my husband’s side of the family it is much more dessert focused, we have a lot of desserts haha. This year I brought corn pudding, cranberry salad, bourbon pecan pie, mashed potatoes, and a baked mac and cheese. Onto my thoughts from November…

Advent… Moving into December I like to focus myself on Jesus and remember why we even celebrate Christmas! The holiday season can be so overwhelming! You have to coordinate with your families about when to meet, you want the perfect gifts for each person, you also don’t want to blow your budget out of the water so you are trying to take advantage of those sales while you can, you have to cook for your family Christmas meals, and so much more! But the entire reason we do it all is overlooked. Jesus!!! For the past 4-5 years I have done the She Reads Truth Advent Study. I love how they give each year a new look on the Christmas story all while helping you focus on what we should be focused on! This year the theme is “Joy of Every Longing Heart.”

Currently reading… I have found a new Cozy English Mystery Series (surprise surprise lol), it’s about a woman named Verity Kent and is set right after World War 1 in London. I have read the first three books in the series this month – This Side of Murder, Treacherous is the Night, and Penny for Your Secrets. I also read The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans, it is a very short read but such a good story! It is about a parents love in relation to God and Jesus and Christmas.

Currently watching… I have a list of movies and TV shows I want to watch in the notes on my phone, I have started going down the list and watching whatever is next! This week I have watched a baby Johnny Depp movie, Chocolat on Netflix and Snack Vs. Chef which is a super cute food competition show.

Christmas plans… We will be meeting for 3 (maybe 4) Christmas parties! Every year we celebrate Christmas Eve with my husband’s family. This year we will meet with my side of the family this weekend! We will have our (just me and Jay) Christmas on Christmas Day. We always make waffles, read the Christmas story and then open our gifts together. It’s a simple, cozy tradition that I love so much. So because our family Christmases are so far apart I am doing 2 different cookie tins lol!

Cookie Tins… This weekend I will need to make 6 cookie tins and Christmas Eve I will need to have 6 more cookie tins. I will have a little overlap but for the most part they will completely different. This weekend I will be making Neapolitan Matcha Cookies, Chai Cookies, Chocolate Hazelnut Slice and Bake Cookies, Butter Pecan Cookies, and Gooey Oatmeal Cookies. The cookie tins will also include homemade vanilla sugar and puppy chow (my favorite).

Wrapping Paper… If I let myself, I could easily spend every penny on wrapping paper. I love it so much and its all so cute! Here are some of my favorites from this year.

Christmas Activities… Jared and I love to drive around and look at Christmas lights, no thats not an activity just for kids! Haha but there are some more adult Christmas activities that we have done in the past years that are so fun. First, Zoolumination at the Nashville Zoo, this one is great for families! If you check your local zoo they will most likely have a lights display that you can buy special tickets for, its always worth it! Something I have done since I was a kid was go see the lights at the Opryland Hotel, they are one of the few places you can see a nativity set up, so special! Some more ideas that you can find anywhere are visiting a Christmas Tree Farm, go ice skating, or find a Christmas market with homemade crafts.

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October Thoughts

Hey! I am so glad you stopped by to check out my recent bakes. My name is Kelsey. I love baking all things but especially pies and pastries.

This month was SO fun!!! We went to a Thomas Rhett concert, hosted a Murder Mystery Party and took a week-long vacation! My husband and I took our annual Anniversary trip and this year we went to New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was the perfect weather (mid 60s) which makes everything better. We were outside the entire week and got to see some of the most amazing things! Most importantly, we ate some really great food haha! Onto my monthly thoughts…

NYC + Newport… I could talk for hours about what we did for a week in these places but I think all I will do is show you all the amazing food we ate and where its from! Did we mainly eat baked good and snacks? Yes. No regrets.

Kouign Amann from Dominique Ansel Bakery

Chocolate Chip Cookie from Levain Bakery

Lobster + Lobster Burger from The Lobster Bar

Murder Mystery Party… I bought a boxed murder mystery with the theme of 1900’s Circus (think Greatest Showman). The box came with everything you could need for the party, it even came with awards for best dressed, best detective and best actor. It contains three endings so you can actually have three murder mysteries if you want to! We had my family and my cousins attend and it was so much fun! Seeing everyone’s costumes when they show up brings me so much joy. Below are some pictures of the decorations and food we had.

Currently reading… While on the subway, planes, and trains during our trip I was able to listen to an Agatha Christie book – Murder in Mesopotamia. It was good (as are all her books!) Getting back to our regular schedule, it was time for me to move to another Cozy English Mystery series, I have landed on the Augusta Peel Mystery series. First up, Death in Soho. Emily Organ, who wrote two other series that I really love, has started writing this series, so far there are only three books.

Currently watching… Andor. My husband and I have been binging Andor this week (even in the airport and train stations) and it is just so good. We had watched the first two episodes before our vacation and just finished the whole series! Disney+ drops a new episode each Wednesday, it is so hard to wait until next week after binging 9 episodes!

Thanksgiving plans… This year we have 3 thanksgivings planned! One with my friend, Madi, and one with both sides of our family. My go-to dessert to bring is a bourbon or spiced rum pecan pie, the alcohol elevates it and makes it a little more special. I also have the best pumpkin roll recipe, I will post that soon so you can try it out! Last year I made strawberry butter and a copy Texas Roadhouse butter recipe, I think it’s my new annual thanksgiving addition. Its so simple but makes any bread so much yummier!

Christmas decor… This year I am obsessed with greenery, candlesticks, bells, and dried orange slices.

DIY Gift ideas… Homemade Vanilla Extract, Homemade Vanilla Sugar, Stovetop PotPourri, Hot Chocolate Mix, and Mulling Spices (my favorite!!). Click the photos for instructions!

Stocking stuffer ideas… My favorite stocking stuffer will ALWAYS BE mascara!!!! Because of several reasons… One – its like $10 for even the cheap kind, I hate buying it myself. Two – they are so small and fit perfectly in a stocking. Three – I only wear mascara and color in my eyebrows so it is great to stock up on mascara for the next year haha.

Jewelry… I am loving small hoops right now, especially a double hoop.

Christmas gifts I’m asking for… The main thing I want for Christmas is an espresso maker, I don’t know which one I want yet. I don’t want to spend too much money on one but I also want a good machine that will last! If you have any suggestions, please let me know! I found this cute honey dispenser, we use honey for everything, it would make clean-up so much easier to have it in this dispenser. I love this thin wallet, all of the colors are cute but the color “Nate” is my favorite. Ballerina Farm has the cutest apron, I found a cheap version on Amazon with tons of cute colors! I have a lot of board games on my Christmas list, some of them are below. I would really like some large storage containers, I love these with the scoops stored in the tops.

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September Thoughts

Guess what, I am late posting my monthly thoughts again! Oops! This month has been full of projects on our new house, which I love! We have made a ton of progress and it is starting to really feel like home now. We had our house power washed, bought a shed, picked a kitchen cabinet color, painted wallpaper in the laundry room, hung shelves in our closet, and hung bathroom hardware. The next project on our list is to weed-eat the pond and rake out as many lily pads as we can, it will look so good after that! But first, look at our view… Gorgeous!!! I can’t believe that I get to see this view every day and watching the leaves change and start to fall has been so fun.

September home renovations… This months we have finished a lot of small projects as well as a few big ones. As I said above, we had our house power washed, bought a shed, finished our master bathroom, picked a kitchen cabinet color, installed our Ring Camera (which we love!!), painted wallpaper in the laundry room, hung shelves in our closet, and hung bathroom hardware. Here are some pictures (before and afters will be in a separate post once the house is actually complete)!

September Amazon purchases… We bought SO much for our house on Amazon this month, I have linked everything below 🙂 We bought vent covers, which we learned are so expensive! Ugh! We also noticed our air vents weren’t the most clean, we vacuumed them out and I scrubbed what I could with bleach water but I still felt the need to buy vent filters (I had to cut them down to fit the vents). We bought a floor lamp for our living room, we love the sleek and minimal look of this one. Our master bathroom is finally complete, we replaced the toilet (from Lowe’s), vanity (from Lowe’s), mirror (gifted) and faucet (Amazon). One of my favorite Amazon products are these little motion sensor lights, we use them for the bathroom and hallway so we don’t have to turn the lights on in the middle of the night. For the kitchen, we ordered the kitchen hardware and rubber bumpers for the kitchen cabinets and drawers.

Things I have made… I didn’t post a blog post (or take good pictures) about these recipes but I did make two different bread puddings. One was a Cinnamon Croissant Bread Pudding and the other was a Chocolate Chip Croissant Bread Pudding. They were both so delicious. Also I made the Autumn classic Pillsbury ghost and pumpkin cookies, of course!! Every single year I am reminded that they aren’t that delicious but they are so fun and nostalgic so I keep making them haha!

Currently reading… Rotten to the Core by T.E. Kinsey. This is one of my favorite “Cozy English Mystery” series. Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid Flo are so goofy. I love their banter, making fun of each other and just having fun solving mysteries together.

Currently watching… White Collar. It is an older show (it aired from 2009 to 2014) about the white collar crime unit in New York City. I love crime shows and I really like the spin on white collar crimes instead of your typical murder-solving crime shows.

Fall fashion/outfits I’m loving… I love mixing neutrals, I have linked a bunch of pins I have saved recently. I love a chunky sweater and black skinny jeans combo. A few other of my favorite fall combos are black on black and a sweater with a white tennis shoe. Fall is my favorite season for fashion!

Halloween party ideas… My husband and I love to host people in our house, we think we can have our house ready (at least the living room and kitchen) to have a halloween party! We have been doing Murder Mystery Dinners for the past few years and they have been so fun! This year we will be doing a Circus-themed Murder Mystery party with our family. Below are some of the decoration ideas I have gotten off Pinterest.

Anniversary trip… When Jared and I got married we agreed we wanted to set aside a few days of just us each year and go somewhere new together. This year we are going to New York City! We have both been but have never been together, we are so excited! We will spend several days in NYC then take a train to Newport, RI and spend 2 days there before heading home. If you have any food recommendations for either place, please let me know!!

August Thoughts

This month has been a whirlwind! I am a few days late on posting my August thoughts because…. we bought a house! We closed on a little house in the country with 4.5 acres last Thursday. Jared and I are so excited to move in, start a garden, and enjoy the slow life. I will be posting plenty of before-and-after photos because who doesn’t love those! Here is a little sneak peek of our new home.

Home ideas… I am really feeling a wallpaper and some wood shelves in my laundry room, I really like the ones below, something not too busy but still fun! The granite in our house is pretty dark with lots of browns in it, which I would not choose myself. However, when I got on Pinterest I saw a similar granite paired with green cabinets… I know! Green cabinets! That may be too much but I think it is just enough haha. I like that it will be unique and fun. Also I want to get chickens, like immediately.

Recipes to make… I am so excited to get back into cooking! We have been living with family so we haven’t been cooking and using the kitchen as much. The first thing I want to make is this Baked Pineapple Salmon. Jared and I love salmon, we could eat it for dinner every single night. I am also ready to get back into my sourdough starter. It’s been about a year since I was baking a lot of sourdough bread. I had a ton of discard and didn’t realize there were discard recipes! I have found sourdough crackers which is exciting because I love to eat brie and crackers for lunch (not very healthy but it is delicious haha). So this time around I am going to focus on the discard recipes and try to throw away as little discard as possible.

Goodies to bake… So it’s September. Which means its Autumn (please no one disagree with me haha I have already made up my mind)! It’s time for some fall baking. I can’t think of anything more fall than an Apple Fritter. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it looks really good and not too difficult. All the fall spices in one recipe – Chai Scones with Maple Glaze. I love Baklava but it is pretty time consuming to make (totally worth it in my opinion). But I found a recipe, Baklava Cookie Bars, on Pinterest. I always replace whatever nut the recipe calls for for walnuts. This recipe calls for almonds so I will alter it and post that recipe on the blog later. Last but certainly not least…. Cinnamon Sugar Swirled Apple Butter Bread. I don’t even have to describe or explain why I would like this one. If you are unsure, read the name of the recipe again.

Most excited to… start a garden!!! I cannot wait to garden, it has been my biggest request – “I want land to have a garden” – and now we have it! It really is a dream come true, to plan my own garden. That may seem so small or silly or insignificant but I just love it! The house we bought was very bare, no hardware on the cabinets, no landscaping, etc. So I am also excited to landscape, pick my own hardware, pick my own paint color, stuff you don’t get to do when you rent.

Currently reading… Murder in Ratcliffe by Emily Organ. It’s another one of those “old English mysteries” that I love so much. They are quick reads but I love it, they are so cozy.

August Amazon purchases… I recently broke my phone case which gave me the perfect excuse to buy a fall-themed phone case and pop socket haha! I ordered some more of my favorite socks, they are so soft! With all the planning I want to do for the house (I love making lists if you can’t tell…) I bought a few super cute Rifle Paper Co. notebooks! I make my own face serum out of jojoba oil and essential oils but I ran out so I had to reorder my favorite jojoba oil, its easiest to buy it on Amazon. I also bought some things for the house but I will share those in another post 🙂

Currently watching… so I watched Partner Track in one day… I have another confession… I also watched Echoes in one day. They were not the same day for the record! My go-to feel good shows that I love to watch in the fall are Gilmore Girls and Call the Midwife.

Nighttime routine… My nighttime routine is pretty relaxed, I first wash my face with my diy face wash which has unscented Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap, water, and essential oils (Lavender and Frankincense) in it. Immediately after I put on my diy face serum (following Becca Bristow’s recipe) which is made of jojoba oil, Lavender essential oil, Frankincense eo, Patchouli eo, and Blue Tansy eo. It definitely doesn’t soak in like a moisturizer would but since I immediately go to bed, it doesn’t bother me by feeling greasy or too oily. Then I brush my teeth, I have a Quip toothbrush which I LOVE! My favorite clean toothpaste is Tom’s Botanically Bright Toothpaste. I take my vitamins (B Complex, Pre/Probiotic, and a vitamin for my thyroid) and hop in bed! I usually play on my phone and do a crossword puzzle to help get some of my extra brain-energy out from the day haha. Then I read my kindle until I fall asleep.

Fall decor I’m loving… I am so excited to move into our new house and immediately decorate for fall, its my favorite time of the year! I have linked some fall decor I have seen this year that I am loving. It will probably shock everyone that it is mostly made up of pillows and throw blankets.

Favorite Instagram accounts… Just Ingredients, I love following Karalynne because she is the best at informing her audience on what is really in the products we use daily. What I used to think was “clean” once is no longer! She really helps break down the big words they hide on the packaging to tell us if its good or bad. I also like following her blog too! Ballerina Farm – if you don’t follow Hannah, you need to!!! She gives daily insight to her life on a farm and she used to be a ballerina! Every once in awhile her and her daughters will dance and it is the sweetest. Also her milk cow, Daisy, makes me want to have a milk cow.

Cookies to bake… I said I was going to bake all the cookies for the rest of the year and this is true! While we are in the middle of this move, I am compiling family cookie recipes, Pinterest cookies I want to make, and recipes I have clipped out of magazines. I am super excited to get started with that and post them all on the blog!

July Thoughts

This month I had the privilege of going to Myrtle Beach with my husband’s family. I had never been to Myrtle Beach before, I didn’t go in with any expectations other than I would get some much needed sun! The weather was great, we did have some rainy days but overall it was perfect. Nothing beats a quiet morning on the beach with the sound of the waves, reading a new book, sipping on an iced coffee. I mean… maybe a mug of hot chocolate in front of a fire in late autumn but that would be a pretty hard debate. Enough of my rambling, so here are all my thoughts from the month of July:

Favorite restaurants at Myrtle Beach… I loved Pier 14. They had the best hushpuppies I think I have ever had! I got the salmon as an entree, which was delicious. I know that salmon in South Carolina isn’t fresh but it was still amazing.

Favorite blog… Half Baked Harvest, obviously. I mean she is the QUEEN of all things food/baking blogging, I aspire to do all that she has done. She is actually where I got the idea to do this post. She does something called “Nine Favorite Things” each week which I love to follow.

Currently reading… Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas – recommended by my best friend, Chandler, she knows everything about YA books. She has gotten me hooked on so many series. I can’t read one book at a time, maybe I should haha but I don’t! I am loving these books called “cozy English mysteries.” Basically a mystery set in England (or Ireland… love) usually in the late 1800s or early 1900s that isn’t scary or suspenseful, usually has some humor which makes me chuckle. Its just a good happy little read. Some of my favorite series are the Churchill and Pemberley series by Emily Organ, the Posie Parker series by L.B. Hathaway, the Lady Hardcastle series by T.E. Kinsey, and the Penny Green series by Emily Organ. I may or may not have read every book in these series and are waiting for the authors to write the next book… in each series lol…

Favorite recipes… Jared loved this Creamy Roasted Tomato Ricotta Pasta by HBH. I am obsessed with pancakes, I mean I could eat pancakes every single day. I love this Dutch Baby by HBH with Strawberry jam… so good. We both loved HBH’s Creamed Feta Garlic Herb Butter Salmon… What’s not to love??

Wanting to buy… a beach cart. I mean why would you carry all your stuff to the beach when you could have one of these carts?? I had some major jealously over the people that had already figured this out. I really like this one from Amazon.

Currently watching… Rosewood, I really wish they had made more seasons of this. It’s a medical show (from a pathologist view) that makes me giggle. I am also watching Chicago PD, Med and Fire. I am almost caught up and I will be really sad when that happens.

Dream Kitchen Inspo… Um look at these tiles!!!! A corner kitchen window is my dream. I love this accent wood on the ceiling and the beam on the side! Lastly, this dreamy little baking nook by a window (talk about some good lighting), don’t forget to peek at the double ovens.

Current Bible study… Entrusted – A Study of 2 Timothy by Beth Moore, I am LOVING this study. I’m not watching the videos that go along with it but I am still getting so much out of it. I have learned so much about Paul that makes me even more in awe of our amazing God! God’s plan is truly perfect, so detailed and deliberate (obviously).

Kitchenware… I love this Le Creuset set: Square Baker, Cast Iron Skillet, and this Rectangle Baker. I am obsessed with this kitchen set, I don’t even think you can buy these anymore so if you know anyone that can make them for me…. Let me know lol Drink Dispenser, Canisters, Storage Bin, and this Bread Bin.

Worship songs on repeat… Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel Music, Charity Gayle’s entire album but especially I Speak Jesus, We Need a Miracle, and Endless Praise.

Amazon purchases from July… these cute notebooks, mini packets of raw honey for my sugar cravings, these large claw clips (am I too late for this trend? lol), this hat for the beach, and this swim top to match this cute swim skort.

Podcasts I’m obsessed with… Whoa That’s Good with Sadie Robertson Huff, she has really great guest speakers that say some awesome stuff about God. Rope Drop Radio with Derek and Doug. I love a good Disney podcast, plus Derek and Doug are hilarious! The Crumb from Bake from Scratch. I mean a podcast by my favorite company ever, come on now!

Jewelry I want… Pinterest has been hitting me hard in the jewelry department. There are so many things I like, here are all the links.

Pearl Drop Fan Earrings – a very cute Art Deco feel
Pearl Drop Earrings – love a flower
Carved Gold Band – love the dainty-ness (is that a word?)
Double Hoop – double hoop in a single piercing.. Yepp.
This Signet ring – I don’t know, I just love a tiny signet ring haha especially with flowers

Stuff I want to bake… Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake from Bake from Scratch… Delicious. Have I made this Magnolia French Silk pie 10 times? Yes. Do I want to make it again? Yes. These Hazelnut Sourdough Cruffins… There’s not a single thing in there that I don’t love. Since it’s technically August can I start planning my Halloween baking yet? I want to make this Spooky Pie, maybe without the skull, that’s a little far for me lol. I made these Swedish Cardamom Rolls one time, it was extensive, took me so long and made my back hurt. But it is one of the treats that still make my mouth water when I think about them, maybe it’s time to do it again!

I have recently taken a break from the blog, I am feeling motivated to come back with a new idea…. COOKIES! I want to bake all the cookie recipes I have dreamed about, ones from my grandmothers, ones from Pinterest, ones from blogs I love, and maybe a few of my own concoctions. If there is a cookie you want me to bake, comment or message me and I will bake them! I hope you all tag along only cookie journey. Love you all!