Monthly Musings: November 2020
Hello friends, happy Wednesday! How are you keeping? I’m so glad you’re here for our Monthly Musings November post, because it marks the two year anniversary of these very posts! Two whole years of sitting down to hash out my thoughts and feelings for the month past and the one to come. I’ve always loved writing them, but I’ve found them especially cathartic this year. Thank you for being here, and for showing up month after month to listen to my random ramblings – I appreciate this little space more than you know.
November is one of my very favourite months – the colours, the skies, the coziness, everything – I love it all! Are you an autumn lover or a summer fan? Speaking as the girl who tries to wear wooly jumpers year round, I’m definitely camp autumn/winter. I just love any excuse to curl up in my favourite thermal socks, hot chocolate in hand, and watch the colourful leaves blow around outside. It’s magical.
Our monthly musings for November are below, and I truly hope you find something to take away with you – be it a new recipe, a spooky movie, or a stellar music recommendation.
monthly musings: november 2020
Sigh, back to Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions again. 5km from home limit, no household or garden visits, no unnecessary outings. I mean, to be honest, we were kind of already living like that anyway, but I’m glad the government have finally stepped up to the mark. The number of cases has already drastically dropped – and we still have four weeks of lockdown left! Assuming that everyone finally realizes how serious our situation is, hopefully things will be under control enough to allow for a somewhat normal Christmas. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed for that one.
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Related: November is a big birthday month in my family – hi Mom! hi Kid! – and these new restrictions mean we won’t be able to celebrate properly. Although…technically we wouldn’t be breaking any rules by meeting at an outdoor public space and staying 2m apart. So, birthday picnic on the seafront? I’ll try to work out a rain-proof cake box situation.
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We had a very successful Halloween movie viewing month! We eased into it with Halloweentown – a fave from my childhood – and rapidly moved on to more serious horror films. After watching the third Paranormal Activity I’m literally afraid to be left in the house alone. We also watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Blair Witch Project, Halloween (1978 & 2018), Scream, The Nun, Host, An American Werewolf in London, and three more childhood classics: The Addams Family, Hocus Pocus, & Casper. I think we did quite well! Did you watch anything scary?
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Movie related: The Atlantic compiled a list of comforting films to watch over and over, and it’s perfect! You can be sure I’m watching Julie & Julia later this week – and yes, I obviously have it on DVD.
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Did you watch Emily in Paris? It was such escapism viewing that both Boyfriend & I loved it. I were actually quite sad when it was over. It was just so nice to let my brain relax and to laugh at silly innuendoes every five seconds. Truly, more like that please.
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Might I suggest the Leonard Cohen Live in London album for some light listening? We are addicted. Every time we hear the spanish guitar in Who By Fire, it brings us right back to our staycation in Kerry this past August. Boyfriend’s dad had the album on repeat in the car as we drove along the Slea Head Drive, and I can never not remember that when I hear it. Perfect album, perfect memories.
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October saw a couple of new recipes hitting the blog, and I must say: I’m actually rather proud of them. My personal favourite is the Vanilla Sugar Palmiers; they speak to my deep seated love of butter. I also shared a recipe for a S’mores Tart with a lusciously gooey meringue topping, and a Perfect All-Butter Pie Dough recipe that actually lives up to its name.
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I’m just going to leave this guide for cutting recipes into thirds right here so I know where to find it. I can do the math to divide a recipe in half, but thirds is beyond me.
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It dawned on me recently that this is the first time in fourteen years that I haven’t left the country. Fourteen! Years! That is a heck of a long time, and I’m so grateful for all of those journeys. These days, instead of exploring foreign lands, I can be found staring longingly at old travel photos. If you’re looking for a bit of armchair traveling yourself, check out my travel guides here.
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A meal that we enjoyed recently: Sheet Pan Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts. Just when we were starting to get sick of eating the same veg over and over, brussels sprouts saved us. This week, it’s pak choi to the rescue – I’ll let you know if we find any delicious recipes.
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An oldie but a goodie: Pecan Pie. What better way to embrace November than with a delicious pecan pie? My version has a chocolate crust and no corn syrup – who’s with me?
And that’s a wrap on our Monthly Musings November 2020 post! I hope you enjoyed it! Have a great month, okay? I can’t wait to do it all over again in December – see you then!
Hugs,
Vicki xo