This week was packed with creativity in the kitchen! I made a brioche loaf from scratch and homemade Cheez-Its and continued exploring my sister’s trendy Instagram recipe finds. H and I even enjoyed a fancy croissant sandwich by the pool (it’s too cold for swimming, but we soaked up the sun☀️🥐).

I also visited Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in search of fall-inspired food items. To my surprise, I realized I had missed the fall season entirely while out of town—it’s officially Christmas at the stores, and everything is peppermint-flavored already! 🎄🍬 I wasn’t quite ready for it. Still, it got me excited for the festive season ahead.

This weekend, we celebrated Friendsgiving, and I felt so grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received since moving back to San Diego. I’m thankful for the new friends we’ve made and the old friends we’ve reconnected with. 💛✨

With Thanksgiving approaching, I look forward to spending time with family and sharing delicious food. There’s so much to be grateful for this year! Amid all the chaos in the world, I’m especially thankful for the love and laughter my family and friends bring into my life. A special thank you to all of you for supporting me in this ValeCooks journey—your kind words and messages have kept me going. 💌

As for cooking, I’m still finding my way through Thanksgiving recipes. I’ve never hosted Thanksgiving before and didn’t grow up with a traditional American Thanksgiving. Last year, we celebrated at my sister’s for the first time, and here are a couple of recommendations I loved:

• Mashed Potatoes with Manchego and Olive Oil from Food and Wine 🥔🧀

• Mac & Cheese from Mom on Timeout (My brother-in-law, Albi, still talks about this one!) 🧀🍝

And of course, I can’t resist pumpkin recipes—so if you’re planning to make a pumpkin dessert, I have a whole list of tried-and-true recommendations! 🎃🍪

Recipes Made So Far This Year:

Goal: To try seven new recipes each week 🗓️, aiming for 365 this year!

 Number of Recipes Made this Week: 12 ✅ 

Number of New Recipes Tested as of 11/17: 390 🌟

Weeks Achieving Seven or More New Recipes: 44 out of 46

This Week’s Recipe Test Summary

Impress Someone🌟

Nothing this week.

Would Make Again 👍

Croissants with Smoked Salmon from Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten 🥐🐟

While on the plane back home, I watched Be My Guest with Ina Garten, where she made this recipe for breakfast with Danny Meyer. I had to try it! It’s fancy yet simple. I grabbed croissants from a local bakery and made these for a Sunday breakfast. Perfect for a low-prep but impressive brunch idea!

Super Veggie by Bryan Johnson 🥗

Back in February, I wrote about Bryan Johnson’s recipes. H requested I try his most famous one, and it’s the best yet! It’s practical for everyday eating, though I skipped the tablespoon of cumin—it’s just too much for me. A quick, healthy recipe I’ve already made for H four times!

Creamy Ginger Green Smoothie from Nutrition Stripped 🥬🍹

An easy way to get my greens in, and it tastes delicious! I’ve made this three times already.

Warm Apple Pie Overnight Oats from Kale Junkie 🍎🥣

Yummy oats topped with warm, spiced apples—comforting and perfect for fall mornings.

Mango-Yogurt Mousse from What’s for Dessert [Cookbook] by Claire Saffitz🥭

A mango lassi-inspired mousse. My sister gave it a 9/10.

Would Not Make Again 👎

These recipes didn’t live up to expectations or weren’t to my taste

Twice Baked Potatoes from Grandbaby Cakes🥔

I’ll stick with Ree Drummond’s version—her recipe is still my go-to.

Pressure-Cooker Easy Ziti with Sausage and Peppers from America’s Test Kitchen 🍝
You can make pasta in an Instant Pot, and I’ve had success with other recipes, but this one wasn’t a hit for me.

Apple Chocolate Chunk Granola from Kale Junkie | Instagram Reel 🥣🍎

Adding apple chunks made the granola soggy—definitely not my thing.

Laura Bush’s Texas Governor’s Mansion Cowboy Cookies 🍪

My cousins ate them all, but we agreed they were way too sweet.

Brioche Loaf from girl vs. dough 🍞

Making bread is a process, and while this turned out well, I’m stricter with bread recipes because of the time they take. I’ll be back with a recipe that beats my go-to grocery store brioche soon!

Crispy Rice Salad from @thealmondlane | Instagram Reel 🥗🍚

My sister sent me this trendy recipe, but it didn’t hit the mark. I’ll keep searching for a better crispy rice salad recipe.

Zesty Cheddar Cheese Crackers from Indulge [Cookbook] by Valerie Bertinelli 🧀🍪

I was excited to make homemade Cheez-Its, but this didn’t compare. I’ll stick to the store-bought version for now.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or any recipe requests you might have. Just respond directly to this email.

See you next week. Keep cooking! 👋 

Vale from ValeCooks