49 Comments
Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

Loved the format of the newsletter this week! One of my cozy joys was actually completing an autumnal craft for my new home! It always feels good to make things with my hands. A low-stakes craft is especially soothing, and I paired it with a WONDERFUL audiobook, Greta & Valdin (highly recommend!)

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What are you making now? I love the idea of a low stakes craft!

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Nov 16Liked by Alisha Ramos

https://www.instagram.com/p/C__RQ1ESfA4/ They turned out super cute! This whole account is filled with great sustainable craft ideas

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This account is magical, thanks for sharing. Love the Christmas tree collar idea!

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Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

I love watching Shrinking. It’s heart warming and always gives me a good cry which has been much needed. Also, getting a shampoo & hair cut is a wonderful way to feel pampered. I love my hairstylist and it’s nice to feel taken care of!

Other than that, I’ve been focusing on bigger joys like seeing Broadway shows (i live in NYC) and a concert! An active social life is very helpful :)

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Gahh yes - Shrinking has been so heartwarming and funny and just everything. ❤️

Enjoy the shows!

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Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

The Kamagowa Food Detectives is such a lovely book! I picked it up on a whim at my library several months ago when it was on the new books display. I've got the collection of his other books in my wishlist on Audible.

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I'm so happy it's now on my radar. It feels like a perfect cozy winter read.

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I finished my early Thanksgiving prep this week (i.e. loading the freezer with anything I can make ahead and buying non-perishables on sale). My final recipe was the Slice and Bake Sprinkle Cookie dough from Sally's Baking Addiction: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/sprinkle-slice-n-bake-cookies/. These are a really easy dessert to bake off the Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving so I don't have to cook at all that night. We always do takeout so I don't burnout in advance of the holiday.

The other fun thing I did this week was head to Michael's with my daughter so we could craft one afternoon. She painted a wood craft while I used a grapevine wreath, clearance fall flowers, and my hot glue gun to make a wreath. This is one of my favorite things to do right now!

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Those cookies look positively delightful, THANK YOU! Bookmarking them for a future emergency freezer stash situation.

Did you buy fake flowers for the wreath, or live flowers that will dry well? I loooooove the idea of making my own wreath so I might have to do this for the holidays...

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If you soften your butter in advance, the dough takes maybe 15 minutes start to finish with a stand mixer. Magic!

I used fake flowers, but I’ve used pre-dried flowers and pinecones in a previous wreath. If you go that route, you’ll need sturdy flowers that will stand up to wind, etc. A good pair of clippers is your friend for cutting the stems down, whether you go fake or dried! I grab a few flowers I like at the store and hold them together in my hand to see if I like the colors together. I usually choose one dark, one lighter, and a neutral. When I’m ready to make the wreath, I lay the flowers on the wreath form to see if I like the pattern, then, working one bunch at a time, I clip the flowers, hot glue the stems and slide them into the wreath. When I’m done I clip any stray stems and let the wreath dry for a few minutes before hanging. Happy to share a photo!

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Our family has moved away from turkey for Thanksgiving. We now smoked tri-tip. We still have mashed potatoes and stuffing plus potato salad. For anyone wanting to make turkey, the best recipe is from The Lazy Genius (thelazygenius.com). It’s called The Only Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe You’ll Ever Need.

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Thank you for the recipe rec!

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Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

The best stuffing recipe is this one by our Queen, Ina Garten! https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sausage-and-herb-stuffing-recipe-1943434

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Ohhhh this looks GOOD. Thank you!!

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Nov 17Liked by Alisha Ramos

Two must haves on my thanksgiving table year after year are the "If it Aint broke dont fix it" stuffing from Bon Appetit and Claire Saffitz's sour cream and chive rolls! They are to dieeeee for. Both my family and my husband's family insist that we have the rolls no matter what.

Loved the Martha doc! Next up on my list is Rivals. Hearing great things so I can't wait to start that.

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ohh thanks for these recs. those rolls sound divine.

I am LOVING Rivals!!

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Nov 17Liked by Alisha Ramos

After the election I downloaded Summer’s End from the Shady Hollow series. I’ve been trying to read these slowly and only in emergencies because they are the perfect cozy read. If you are looking for a book series that has Agatha Christie style mysteries but in a small town populated by woodland

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Great stack! Immediately ordered 2 of the book candles! Appreciate the rec!

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Of course, I hope you love it as much as I do. ❤️

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Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

Specific joy this week: I finally finished reading all the Neapolitan novels and I'm binging through the HBO show. Can't stop thinking about the story and love it so much. Currently reading Eve Babitz's LA Woman and it has the funniest opening line I've read in recent memory

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Ohhh Elena Ferrante is such a great journey to be on!

Have you seen or heard of the new book "Didion & Babitz?" That came to mind with the Eve Babitz mention.

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Yes I have! Hope to read it when I'm out as I love Joan Didion too. I'm still pretty new to Babitz's work

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It's so funny you mention your style star is Alexa Chung - lately mine has been Cate Blanchett's character in Disclaimer and my forever style North Star is Sharon Horgan's character in Catastrophe! Her clothes in Bad Sisters are amazing, too! I love this hack and use it all the time! 😉

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This is a great reminder that I need to watch Catastrophe! I love love love Sharon Horgan.

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It's the best!

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100000% YES to number 3-- I am currently reading Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Boreum and I cannot stop raving about it. I have dog-eared so many pages, it's truly a balm to my soul right now. I cannot recommend it enough, each chapter reads like it's own mini-essay all the while telling a story, just beautiful.

And I've got that Books are Magic candle on my wishlist, I'm obsessed!

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Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

Not HFM! Ugh… we just went through it at our house. Hang in there it passes. Sending good vibes.

Lovely newsletter as always. I look forward to them every Friday!

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Thank you - and HFM was easily one of the top 10 worst experiences of my life and I hope to never get it ever again! Praying for a vaccine within our lifetime because no one should experience this!

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Those cozy fiction books are calling my name!!!!

I make a pumpkin cheesecake that has forced many to unbutton their trousers. I don’t have a specific recipe — any will do — but these are additions I’ve learned that will work for any cheesecake — and most cakes.

- add an extra egg yolk (makes it richer)

- sour cream (tang + texture)

- always put it in a steam tray.

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Oh my. I'm so impressed that you make a pumpkin cheesecake! I've never even tried to bake a cheesecake, but it sounds like a delicious project. Great tips!

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Alisha you can totally do it!!!! It’s actually way more forgiving than cake. And then you get to eat a cheesecake!

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this newsletter was right on time for me, thank you for sharing and inspiring me to find my own small joys this week! for thanksgiving, as a southern girl living in washington, i'll be continuing to push my Grandmomma's dressing on everyone i know instead of stuffing. there's nothing better for the holidays!

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Nov 15Liked by Alisha Ramos

Soooo glad "Bad Sisters" is back as well! And still hunting for my own personal style. Really liking the idea of the "uniform" and have been purging my wardrobe to find it. As for Thanksgiving, I'm going to hunt the comments here and see if there is something to add to our menu. Have a great weekend!

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