Hellooooo, November.
How it’s even possible that October is over remains a mystery to me; wasn’t it just September? What’s happening here?!
October started off with gloriously sunny fall days and one of the most colorful fall foliage seasons we’ve had in years, and ended with our first snowfall (!!) and temperatures below freezing and deep darkness at 4:30pm.
It’s been a wild ride, but I finally feel like I slowed down and enjoyed this October, which hasn’t been true in the past. Typically I’m just dreading the impending darkness of November and December, and I end up missing out on some of the magic of fall. This year I made it my mission to actually enjoy October, and it was honestly great. I’m feeling so much more prepared to take on November and December than I have been in a long time.
Also, after promising to do so for most of the year, I finally shared my guide to making and maintaining a sourdough starter, and my go-to sourdough bread recipe. I’ve been loving seeing you all make starters and share pictures of your freshly baked loaves with me on Instagram!! If you missed them, here are the sourdough posts: How to Make a Sourdough Starter, How to Keep a Sourdough Starter Alive, and Sourdough Bread for Beginners.
OCTOBER FAVORITES
So, without further ado, here are my favorites from October. If my obsession with all of them is any indication of the months ahead, I’ll likely just be sharing the same exact list with you next month because I’ve literally used everything on this list every day this month with no signs of stopping anytime soon; they’re all keepers! If you’re in the market to shop small for the upcoming holiday season, any of the items on this list would make lovely stocking stuffers or holiday gifts!!
links below are not affiliate links; I’m (sadly) not making any money off your purchases.
MEDICINAL MUSHROOM SALT
I’m only barely exaggerating when I say I’ve been sprinkling this mushroom salt over everything in my life this month. I love everything Lauren from lalaearth.com makes in her apothecary (from skincare products to tinctures to salves and body butters, to maple syrup and this salt!) but have been reaching for her medicinal mushroom salt all month long. It’s earthy, not too salty, and full of flavor from parsley, onion, and garlic. I love that it adds a nutritional boost to whatever I’m eating, too! If you aren’t already following her on Instagram, she’s one of my favorites…her son is seriously the sweetest and I love getting a peek into her life as an herbalist/homesteader in Vermont!
SOUL CHAI
I love the warm spices and cozy comfort of a steaming mug of chai, but am honestly usually underwhelmed by most masala chai tea bags. Enter soul chai: a brand I think I stumbled upon on Instagram? It’s SO fragrant, spicy, and perfectly balanced, plus…you don’t need to steep it! The tea is finely ground so you just scoop out a teaspoon of the powder into your mug, top with hot water and/or milk, and you’re good to go. Chai lovers, I hiiiiighly recommend grabbing a tin or two for all of your fall beverage needs. I love that they make a rooibos blend for a caffeine-free option, too!
AUTUMN LIP BALM
A little mascara + this rusty orange lip balm has been my vibe all month long. I bought it from another apothecary whose products never fail to excite me: Roots and Crowns! I got her Autumn lip balm earlier this month, and somehow wasn’t expecting it to be quite so orange, but am 100% in love with it. I think it would be really pretty with so many different skin tones, too!
PUMPKIN BREAD
I think I’ve made this chocolate chunk pumpkin bread six times this month…it’s just so good! I love love love the combination of cardamom + cinnamon with super dark chocolate chunks, and it even bakes up really nicely as muffins if you don’t want to bake a loaf; just reduce the bake time to more like 18-22 minutes and you’re good to go. Pro tip: we love using leftover roasted butternut squash in place of the canned pumpkin!
That’s it! I hope your month ahead is full of frothy masala chai lattes, homemade pumpkin bread, the prettiest orange lip balm, and lots of well-seasoned savory dishes!