Best of the Foodie Web: December

1. These guys are selling their bacon jam in mason jars for the Holidays, but you can make it yourself using the recipe here.

2. Ashley from Not Without Salt taught us how to make hot buttered rum which prompted me to want to invite 30 friends over immediately.

3. On to Baby featured a family photo shoot inspired by the farmers market. Too cute.

4. Sara Forte (who has a new book out) posted a brownie recipe on Sprouted Kitchen that will make any mouth water.

5. Also with the new cookbook out, the folks at Golubka posted a spiced hot chocolate recipe. Hipster food did too - with hazelnuts instead of spice.

6. Kinfolk promotes the age-old art of gathering over food. Volume six is available now. In the photo below my dear friend Adriana is enjoyed it over a mug of coffee.

7. Minimalist Baker suggested I make raw Mayan truffles. It took me 4 seconds to start pulling out ingredients.

Autumn Must-Do List

With a new little one in the house I am very mindful of doing productive/educational things each day. Most of the time this ends up being an hour spent at the library, a learning walk around the garden or sharing some time under the animal play mat. Today Oliver thoroughly enjoyed getting to sniff basil, oregano, rosemary, dill and peppermint. He also expanded his vocabulary from "hi" and "agoo" to "ga-ga" so that was exciting.

I decided to make this list of fun fall things and I think you should do them too!

1. Go apple picking.
2. Choose a pumpkin. Carve it. Roast the seeds (with raw sugar, cayenne and sea salt - yum!)
3. Rake leaves. Make it a photoshoot. Wear plaid for it. My sister is a killer photographer.
4. Create homemade Halloween costumes.

5. Clean out the closet of summer things & replace them with fall things. Maybe get a leg up on winter things too (yikes?!)
6. Experiment with crock pot recipes.
7. Make a snood.
8. Host a Thanksgiving meal with friends. It's nice to see family but there is nothing like pulling off the full-out turkey, cranberry, stuffing shabang with a group of your best. We've done it for 5 or 6 years straight and I look forward it to all year.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to look at, but it also boasts some of the greatest activities so don't curl up and get addicted to too many tv shows just yet (although Survivor and The Office already have me!).