Even though we’re well into November, I’m a little bit in shock that October went by so fast and we’re currently on the fast track towards the holiday season. Aside from being in shock, I’m actually experiencing a swarm of emotions from the shock to a bit of disappointment in myself that I wasn’t able to do as many blogs as I wanted to for Halloween and October! It’s been a really crazy couple of months as I’ve been trying to balance everything, but my hope is that I will be able to share some of my ideas for November and December and at least get out some of my creativity before I burst! As far as my current kicks are concerned, I’ve pretty much been concentrating on fulfilling the kicks of others while Christmas shopping this month that I haven’t really dedicated a lot of time into looking around for my own, personal kicks! Fortunately, I’ve taken some time to consider the items that I am absolutely loving this month and am proud to present them to you right here and now in my kick list for November!

1 Food Network Dishes: My first kick on the list is the fantastic line of Food Network dishes and kitchen supplies available at Kohls. First of all, I can’t begin to express my love for these dishes without expressing my love for Kohls and the phenomenal prices that they have on all of their merchandise. Take for example the Food Network dinner plates that are originally $49.99 for four and are now $39.99 (they were even more on sale than that a few days ago)! Speaking in terms of the dishes, they are durable and feature a sleek, modern design and come in three different shades of white: crema, whipped cream, and and white hobnail. We have the Whipped Cream line, which features square shapes and a bright white color. I absolutely love these plates almost as much as I love the Food Network! They have a lot more than just plates, so I suggest you check out this fantastic line at one of the Kohls stores (and don’t be afraid to look around at all of the other stuff there), and if you don’t have a store around…you can at least see a good portion of the available merchandise at: kohls.com.

2 Trader Joe’s: I absolutely love Trader Joe’s; it’s been one of my favorite stores ever since my mom introduced me to it two years ago. If you haven’t been to Trader Joe’s before or if you haven’t even heard of it before, it is basically a grocery/gourmet/natural foods store that is made up of delicious, good for you food and of a “Trader Joes” brand name (or variation of it depending on the type of food, Trader Jose’s, Trader Ming’s, Trader Giotto’s, etc.)  The food is of very high-quality and the taste reflects this while the prices do not (they’re kept insanely low). My only complaint about the TJ’s by me is that it’s very popular and the popularity makes the aisles over packed and the parking can be a bit of a hassle. The closest Trader Joe’s is located at a very popular mall, so this actually may be the cause of my complaints– I really wish they’d expand that location! Anyway, their products are delicious and everything that we’ve tried has been wonderful and if you try something new and don’t like it, their product guarantee states that you can return it for a full refund! They also have a wide assortment of special products such as gluten free, low sodium, fat free, vegan, vegetarian, heart healthy, and kosher. For all of these reasons and also a secondary reason being that they have really adorable, reusable canvas shopping bags, I strongly recommend you to pay a visit to your local Trader Joe’s where you are guaranteed to find some delicious foods and have a unique shopping experience! You can check to see if you have one around you at their website: traderjoes.com.

3 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Movie: Aw…no matter what age you are, you have to love Charlie Brown! I have been watching Charlie Brown ever since I can remember and I continue the tradition with “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for Halloween, and then “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” for Turkey Day, and then to finish up the spree… “A Charlie Brown Christmas“. I was actually pretty disappointed to see that they redone the original voices for these movies because the beauty of them was that the sound quality was vintage! But…nonetheless, I look forward to seeing “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” every year around this time and that may jeopardize it’s position as a “current” kick because it’s more of an annual kick, but it gives me the opportunity to remind you to watch it this year! ABC typically airs it the week of Thanksgiving (I think around the 21st), so keep an eye on that if you want to catch it. You could also pick up your own copy of this great Charlie Brown Holiday Trio DVD with all of the classics!

4 Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine: This magazine is one of my favorites out there right now along with Real Simple and Domino. The recipes are delicious and the articles actually provide the reader with some useful information and tips on different things in your day-to-day life. I have to admit, I’m actually not that big a fan of the Rachael Ray show mainly because I don’t enjoy watching cooking shows. I prefer to just have the recipe out in front of me and to cook it myself (or have Brett cook it, haha) because if I watch the show I just end up getting really hungry and I start to make food rather than watching the instructions on how to make whatever it is that they’re making! One thing that I really love about this magazine is that the featured recipes are really simple to make (30 minutes or less) and have ingredients that you can actually find at the store without having to go to a gourmet shop. Another thing that I love about the magazine is that they often times feature unique ways to jazz up the table as far as centerpieces and dishes are concerned (which is pleasing to a design dork much like myself). Even if you don’t particularly like Rachael Ray, even though I think she’s great, you just may like her magazine– especially if you enjoy trying out new recipes and learning a thing or two about how to navigate around the kitchen! You can get a glimpse of the magazine or even order a subscription at the website: rachaelraymag.com.

5 Hamilton Beach 4qt. Slow Cooker
buy new: $17.99Slow Cooker Recipes: When it’s cold outside, one of three things happen: 1.) I crave warm, comfort food, 2.) I get lazy and lack the energy to be creative with cooking, 3.) Both happen and I end up making soup. A solution to my problem is my beloved crock pot which we only recently bought and have finally broken it out. Slow cooker recipes are so convenient because you can add all of the ingredients in the morning, set the crock pot for the proper setting (very important step), and then go about your business to come home to a warm, delicious dinner! The prep time is often less than fifteen minutes and the food is best when it’s been cooking all day (8-10 hours most of the time), so it’s perfect for those of us that get really tired of soup and want something a bit more substantial for dinner and easy to make. One of my current kicks is to swap slow cooker recipes with people and if you have any that you love, please let me know! Let’s get a recipe swap going here, ladies and gents! I’m going to try some out and when I get some good ones, I’ll share them with everyone.

There you have it! My Current Kick List for November, which was pretty difficult to put together giving my current Christmas Shopping condition! I typically take this chance to summarize my kicks and wish you all a great November with a very happy Thanksgiving…but this time I’m asking a favor of all of you out there! One of my goals is to expand my recipe horizons, especially when it comes to slow cooker and easy-as-pie recipes. So, having said that, I would very much so appreciate it if you would share some of your favorite winter weather recipes with me! Whether it be main courses, side dishes, stews, or even mixed drinks– I’d love to hear what your favorites are and hopefully I can share some of my favorites with you in return. Even if you have a link to a favorite recipe, pass it along!

Here’s to a fantastic November and a wonderful start to our holiday season filled with many special times spent with your family and friends!

-M.