My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

It's finally cold in Austin! Which means it's time to start planning what'll make the cut for this year's Thanksgiving menu. And also time to put together this year's music playlist.

When my sister and I both lived in Brooklyn, we made a habit of listening to Dolly Parton every Thanksgiving. Because it seemed appropriate? Actually, I'm not sure why. But I do know there's nothing like standing in a tiny, warm kitchen with a spatula-mic in your hand singing along to “Jolene” with your sister with the smells of a turkey roasting and pumpkin desserts cooling swirling all around you.

So what I'm saying is that, this year, I'll be most thankful for Dolly. Obviously. And also maybe these pretty great recipes that I've turned to more than once during the holiday season.

Two-hour turkey and gravy.

Sausage and apple stuffing.

Martha's macaroni and cheese.

Roasted Brussels sprouts.

Pancetta crisps with goat cheese and pear.

Pumpkin cheesecake with caramel swirl.

(Image via Pinterest)

This and That (Featuring Peggy Olson and a Secret Bookstore)

The evolution of Peggy Olson.

Love this: Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space.

A secret bookstore in NYC.

Cute dress.

Craving mushroom bourguignon and butternut squash lasagna.

A little llama costume.

(Image via Pinterest)

Cats on My Mind by Marc Johns

This is basically an illustration of what is in my head an embarrassingly large percentage of each day:

Print available here.

(Illustration via Marc Johns)

Hot Honey: The Next Sriracha?

Honey on your pizza, anyone?

According to Grub Street, hot honey is supposed to be the next Sriracha. And you know I love me some Sriracha. (I even put it in tomato sauce once on a lark and it was amazing! That is the power that Sriracha has over my mouthfeels.)

So basically, I'm not afraid to jump on the hot condiment bandwagon. And the fact that this HuffPo article mentions using hot honey on ice cream, chicken wings, ribs, a breakfast sandwich, and various roasted veggies without even making you click to the next page is enticing and horrifying to me all at once.

Bees Knees Spicy Honey

Mike's Hot Honey

Whole Foods will start carrying two varieties soon: Mike's Hot Honey (the OG) and Bees Knees Spicy Honey (from MixedMade).

Will you be picking up a bottle? I definitely will. Now I only need to decide if I should try it first on a giant rack of ribs or a bowl of Americone Dream ice cream...

(Images via here and here)

This and That (Featuring a Cute Kid and Tom Hiddleston)

Two and a half blocks in two and a half years.

Beautiful stone walls.

A floating library on the Hudson River.

Lovely desk set.

Three-ingredient natural fix for frizzy hair.

NikeEames.

Tom Hiddleston coloring book!

(Photo via Pinterest)

First Look: Dai Due (with a Special Shout-out to Bending Branch Winery)

Another new edition to the neighborhood! As a resident of Cherrywood for almost five years now, it has been so exciting to see this area of Austin grow and evolve.

I had only tried Dai Due's offerings once before: at Oktoberfest last year at the Real Ale Brewery in Blanco.

First impressions of the brick-and-mortar restaurant? Charming and delicious. We sat at the bar and ordered a la carte, but the supper club menu (see below) did look fantastic. I was also excited to find an offering from Bending Branch on their drink list, a winery Chris and I discovered in Comfort in February (and now adore).

(And for the Texas-wine-naysayers out there: I was once one of you! Try Bending Branch and you might just come back from the dark side. You know, the dark side, that special place where all Texas wine haters exist in vast numbers. Just kidding. That was a Star Wars reference. I actually used to copyedit a large amount of licensed Star Wars books, so I could probably Star-Wars-reference most people under a table. Just try me! I will Asajj Ventress you until the Wine Wars are over. PS. I won't really do that. And I know, it's the Clone Wars, not the Wine Wars. Honestly, I would probably want to be a female version of Obi-Wan, not Asajj. Although she is awesome in an evil way. Okay, I'll stop now.)

Pictures!

Dai Due

Dai Due Menu from Thursday

 Waiting patiently for delicious treats

Queso Flameado with 

Boar Chorizo, Mushrooms, 

Chilies, and Homemade Tortillas

 Grilled Blood Sausage with Butter Bean Stew (fave dish of the night)

Mesquite Sourdough Bread 

with Honey Whipped Lard

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Five Inspiring Ideas for Labor Day Weekend

The end of the summer is upon us! I don't know about you all, but I'm excited for the prospect of cooler weather and have been eyeing my long skirts and sweaters with anticipation. I've missed them. They are ready to be released from the confines of my closet.

But in celebration of the impending last hurrah of the hottest of seasons, here are a few ideas to liven up these final sweet gasps of summer.

End-of-summer sangria.

And put that sangria in a portable wine cup.

Maybe add some fancy ice cubes.

Drink it in the river while listening to tunes from your waterproof speakers.

And don't forget your summery temporary tattoos!

(Photos via respective linked websites)