This week on Catching up with the Kelnhofers, I’m sharing a recap of our Halloween festivities. Hint: the kids had so much fun! And, I’m also sharing all the books I am looking forward to reading this fall and winter.
Welcome to November! Time is certainly flying. The weather is starting to cool down, and I’m making everything I can in my slow cooker (slow cooker recipes category here – there’s so many good ones!)
I’m also starting to think about the fall and winter reading, so I’ve included my reading list below!
Also, just came across this universal balm called balm dotcom in cookie butter flavor? Yup, just ordered 3 in different flavors!
Sharing the latest posts up on Sweetphi.com:
- Big chocolate chip cranberry cookies – great for the holiday season and uses fresh cranberries!
- Weekly meal plan – check out the post for recipes and an easy-to-create grocery list
- Candied nuts – a super easy snack that makes a great food gift
- Ultimate gift guide, under $50 – the start of a ton of updated gift guides for the holiday season!!
- Love List – weekly finds from around the web
- Thanksgiving snack board – a great way to keep guests full while waiting for the turkey to be done!
Have leftover halloween candy?
- Oatmeal chocolate chip candy cookies are a great way to use some of that candy!
- These trashed up shortbread cookie bars made great use of candy too!
- For some healthy-ish ways to use candy:
- Apple with crushed up Butterfingers
- Oatmeal with cut up Reese’s Cup
One pan or pot is all you need for these meals:
- One Pot sausage and rice casserole – comforting and easy to make
- Sheet pan ground turkey balsamic meatloaf – you can add any starch or vegetable you’ like
- Hot honey baked chicken sheet pan meal – a little sweetness on the chicken will please everyone in the family
- 5 ingredient baked chicken parmesan pasta – a classic dish made even easier
- Baked chicken potatoes, carrots and herbs – easy, inexpensive ingredients make for a great dinner
- Roasted whole chicken carrots with lemon, garlic, thyme – it’s a perfect time to roast a whole chicken!
It’s the perfect weather for chili and this reader comment on my easy chili con carne is always nice to read!
- “This was a great chili. Usually I do not like using pre-made salsa but the ingredients in the Frontera Gourmet Mexican Chipotle Salsa are all natural. Meaning I do not need a chemistry degree to know what is in it. Also normal grocery stores sell it. We used a standard pressure cooker and left it pressurized for maybe 45 minutes, I think 30 minutes would have been fine though.”
It’s the perfect time to make a pumpkin loaf, so I love seeing when you send in your pictures.
- I’ve mentioned it before but I have really been trying to wrap up Christmas shopping since baby #4 is coming any day now. We love playing with Magna Tiles, but they are so pricey, making it harder to expand our set. I found this awesome set of Picasso tiles and am going to stock up on some for all of the kids.
I love reading in the fall/winter when the weather is cool and I just cozy up with a book. I’m going to be having a baby soon so I thought I’d make a fall/winter reading list for reference that I’ll keep coming back to (I might add a few along the way, and of course I’ll let you know!):
- Laine Moriarty’s new book Apples Never Fall– I love everything she’s written.
- The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews -it sounds super cute and festive, and it’s a short novella!
- My Sweet Girl – a new release thriller!
- The Intimacy Experiment – is a follow up to The Roommate which was a steamy-ish book with a good story, so on to book two!
- This book just came out Nov. 2nd – The Fastest Way To Fall – sounds super cute!
- Atlas of the Heart – by Brene Brown – comes out end of November, a book all about emotions and connection.
- Halloween recap – our neighborhood goes all out, we ran out of candy (had over 500 pieces!) after an hour!
- Outdoor set up – Nick bought this awesome canister and cups and made Abuelitas Surprise hot chocolate, it stayed warm and was so yummy!
- Our outdoor fire pit– pricey but such a nice addition to our outdoor stuff! I can see us using this for outdoor gatherings (and s’mores anyone?!)
- We’re getting ready for Christmas now! A toy magazine came and the boys were looking through it, then the twins had Christmas themed photos at school; cannot wait to share those with you.
- The kids thought they were being sneaky and were ‘hiding’…I don’t know, I can’t see them, can you? lol
Holiday Gift Guides
We are starting to share all of our holiday gift guides, like this one for gifts under $50! They are so fun and feature gifts for everyone from the beauty lover in your life to the best ideas for stocking stuffers.
You can always shop all of our gift ideas here – it’s super simple!
EAT
- These pumpkin spice latte chocolate chip cookies need to make an appearance in your kitchen before fall is over!! Soft and fluffy and flavorful and chocolate chip cookies!!!
- Also, these apple cider ginger beer mule cocktails are something I’m going to make into a non-alcoholic drink, apple cider + ginger beer + lime = YUM!
WATCH
- It’s Hallmark holiday movie season! What do you think; will you binge each and every movie or not your thing?!
PURCHASE
- The most quintessential fall candle – crackling maple – it sounds like a fire and smells like fall.
- Have you purchased your copy of Holiday Entertaining Made Easy yet? It’s available in digital or print versions! Be sure to purchase the print one asap so it arrives in time for the holidays!!
How was your Halloween? Just leave a comment below and let me know, I love hearing from you!
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