Pumpkin Patch

We had the best weather this weekend.  After all the turkey and baseball (Go Jays Go!), we headed to a local farm to check out their pumpkin patch.

We brought home five of them, and they will likely rot before Halloween...which means we get to do this all over again.  Unless I get ambitious and make all the pumpkin things...

My pumpkin Pinboard, overflowing with all sorts of pumpkin-y goodness.  Just click on the image to see what I might be getting up to in my kitchen.

Tweet

Friday, it's Friday!

In keeping with my focus on gratitude for the rest of the year...

I'm grateful for lakes on beautiful fall days.

New books.

Growing kids, even if it means more new clothes.

Time in my kitchen to try new recipes.

Apples, fresh and crisp, right off the tree.

Puppies.

Hockey.

Time for coffee with friends.

I'm also thankful for my hard working husband, who's turning 50 today :)

We went apple picking last weekend, and we've already eaten our way through almost one bag of apples.  There's nothing like a freshly picked apple, and I've got a few ideas on how to put them to good use.

I made this Buffalo Chicken Dip again, I think we're addicted.

I think my cabbage roll loving hubby might like this dish.

I love hard boiled eggs, I hate peeling them.  Easy to Peel Eggs - thank you.

I love these DIY Fabric and Burlap Pumpkins!

THIS twisty pumpkin pastry, awesome!

Our daughter wants to go to Ireland.  I think I need to go with her.

How cool is this Black and White Halloween Topiary?  And how is it that Halloween is only three weeks away??

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada.  I haven't planned or prepared a thing, so tomorrow will be a busy day for me.  See my old Thanksgiving posts here.

And I've created a Facebook page for this blog.  I tried resisting the commitment to more social media, but what can I say, I gave in to peer pressure.  

*Sigh*  

Likes appreciated.

Happy Friday, Happy Weekend, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tweet

Oven Roasted Broccoli

I may never steam broccoli again.  I've discovered that roasted broccoli tastes so much better.  

I've never been a big fan of boiled or steamed veggies.  I usually prefer them raw, with some sort of dressing or dip to smother them in.  Maybe I just don't prepare them properly, but bland, mushy vegetables aren't my favourite.

Roasted vegetables, on the other hand, are an amazing thing.  Better flavour, better texture.  Crisp and crunchy, yet still tender, without being soft.  A little bit spicy.  You need to try this.

Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper... all tossed with broccoli florets.

Spread out on a pan, and baked.

It's so simple that it barely needs a recipe.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Two bunches of broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

Combine oil and spices, toss with broccoli florets.  Bake in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until florets are browned and stalks are fork tender.  Toss with parmesan cheese if desired.

Looking for more broccoli recipes?

 

Tweet

Apple Orchard

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Tweet

Apple Pie Smoothie

I'm on a smoothie kick.  I make them for my kids all the time, as nutritional supplements after their sports, but I rarely have them myself.  That all changed when it was time to put away the capris and break out the full length pants, because I had to LAY DOWN ON MY BED TO ZIP THEM UP.  Ugh.  I refuse to buy new ones, so I'm using my blender for meal replacements until I can wear my clothes and breathe at the same time.

A meal in a blender is so simple, and it's an easy way to get some healthy foods in every day.  Most of the time my smoothies start off the same - banana, yogurt, milk.  Then I top it off with different seeds, fruits or greens.  Last week I made a tasty Green Power Smoothie,  and today I made an Apple Pie Smoothie.  I think this week may end up being all about apples...we brought two bags home from the apple orchard yesterday.

Apple Pie Smoothie

1 frozen sliced banana

2 apples, cored and quartered

½ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or milk of choice

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

2 pitted dates or prunes, to sweeten, or 2 tsp honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  I use a Blentec blender and it mixes things up beautifully.  If your blender is less powerful, you may want to process your oats and flax in a mill or food processor first.

This is a filling smoothie, but you can add a scoop of vanilla protein powder if you want to boost the nutritional value and stay full until your next meal!

Tweet

Friday, it's Friday!

Gratitude.  The simple act of being thankful can change ones entire outlook.  I came across a blog post this week that asked the question "can you be happy for the last 100 days of the year?"  

Good question.

Being thankful, a week before we celebrate Thanksgiving is something worth doing.  Being thankful for a hundred days will be a worthwhile challenge.

I'm thankful for sister-in-laws, who texted me photos of two recipes made from my blog this week.  Sticky Toffee Pudding and Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits.  How awesome is that?

Hockey.  I love watching our boy play.

Weekends.  Until recently, I worked most weekends.  Simple things, like a trip to a flea market weren't things I could typically do.

Fall planters.  To replace the dismal looking summer planters that never seemed to get enough water.

Saturday morning trips to Costco.  Again, weekends :)

Our eldest son's recent engagement.  We are over the moon for them both!

Driving at dusk.  We've had some gorgeous sunsets lately.

And I'm thankful for the internet.

It makes me want to collect acorns, so I can paint them.

It shows me how to make this cute Polaroid frame.

It inspires me to paint our front door.

It validates my love for potatoes.

And shows me some of the best pumpkin recipes, like this, this, this, this, and this.

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

Tweet

Green Power Smoothie

I really wasn't sure what to call this.  I mean, it's loaded.  Protein, fibre, probiotics, healthy fat, and greens.  It's my version of fuel.

It's not just a smoothie.  It's a power smoothie.

One of the kids suggested Green Vomit Smoothie.

Uh, no.  Based on appearances, maybe.  But appearances can be deceiving.  This smoothie is not only good for you, but it tastes amazing.

It really is a powerhouse.  We've got bananas (vitamins, minerals, fibre), Kefir (more probiotics than yogurt!), oatmeal (fibre, minerals, protein) and prunes (vitamins, more fibre!), spinach (vitamins, anti-oxidants, phyto-nutrients!), flax seeds (omegas! more fibre!), coconut oil (healthy fat!), protein powder (protein, duh).

The best part - it doesn't need any additional sweetening.  The bananas and prunes provide enough natural sweetness.

Healthy and tasty.  Win win.

Green Power Smoothie

2 medium size bananas (I use over-ripe, frozen bananas)

1 scoop (1/3 cup) vanilla protein powder 

1 cup plain Kefir

1/4 cup rolled oats

4 prunes (dried plums)

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)

One large handful fresh baby spinach leaves

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  I use a Blentec blender and it mixes things up beautifully.  If your blender is less powerful, you may want to process your oats and flax in a mill or food processor first, and place the spinach at the bottom of the ingredients where it will blend better with the liquids.

This replaces a meal for me, and it's way better fuel than anything I can pick up at a drive-thru.

Enjoy!

And hey, you should like my Facebook page!

Tweet