September's Six — Six Gardens

The aim of this series to corral some favorite things and share them in a short and sweet post. Whether it’s a new favorite song, book, recipe, tip, or product, hopefully you will find some inspiration in this list.

1. September usually marks the beginning of the school year for many children which leaves me reflecting on childhood more generally. Morgan Neville’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a touching documentary on the subject, and is absolutely worth a watch if you missed it this summer.

2. Momofoku’s Milk Bar Cornflake Cookies are so good and the baking mastermind behind them was featured this year on Chef’s Table: Pastry on Netflix. Christina Tosi is known for embracing nostalgic, American ingredients (think sugary breakfast cereal and Kraft marshmallows). Watch her episode and then try your hand at this recipe via marthastewart.com. I made two modifications to this recipe, and from a quick glance at the comments, others corroborate these slight changes: first, these cookies do not need quite as much time in the oven; second, if you’re short on time, just use plain cornflakes in lieu of the cornflake crunch.

3. Add tongue scraping to your morning routine. Even if you’re unpersuaded by the health benefits attributed to this practice, at a minimum, what’s grosser than a fuzzy, white tongue? Make sure to buy a stainless steel scraper.

4. Two sisters swear by this bareMinerals product in the "illuminating" finish. Even if you’re not particularly makeup savvy—or perhaps especially if you’re not makeup savvy—this fool-proof illuminating powder might be just the thing for you.

5. Next up on my reading list is Marilynne Robinson’s The Death of Adam. If you’re new to Robinson, begin with her Gilead. Her writing is beautiful and slow in the best kind of way. Thank you mom for introducing me!

6. Memphis-based band, Lucero, celebrated their 20th anniversary this year. They are responsible for so many great songs, straddling the country and rock genres. If you too can’t help but love a love song tinged with achy melancholy, check out “Baby Don’t You Want Me.” Listen here. If you're into their sound, listen to "Texas & Tennessee" next. PS: They're on tour now.

Alison