Happy Halloween 2011

This Halloween Nick and I partook in a lot of pumpkin carving. We carved pumpkins with our neighbors and then I carved another for a pumpkin carving contest at my work. I think they all turned out pretty good. Carving pumpkins and cooking with pumpkin and/or squash is definitely my favorite part of Halloween.  

Pumpkin carving with the neighbors.

Us imitating our pumpkin

My pumpkin for my work's pumpkin carving contest.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

I hadn't made my seasonal batch of pumpkin bread this October and so when I stumbled upon this recipe online, I knew I had to give it a try. This was a delicious recipe and Nick who doesn't like zucchini liked this bread, it was delicious, perfect for the season. 

Sweet & Sour Meatball Appetizer

This is a delicious and easy appetizer to make with your slow cooker. Although it sounds weird, the chili sauce and grape jelly create a delicious flavor that never fails to impress. This is a party favorite and seriously the easiest to make. Go for it.

Guilt-Free Mac'N'Cheese (Made With Butternut Squash)

Nothing is better than mac'n'cheese. Both Nick and I could eat mac'n'cheese multiple times a week, whether it be the KRAFT blue box or homemade. I love it because not only is it delicious, cheesy, gooey, and made with pasta, but it is extremely versatile. As you can see from my previous posts, I have made many different versions of mac'n'cheese: Pesto & Bruschetta Mac'N'Cheese, Spicy Mac'N'Cheese, Adult Mac'N'Cheese, and Funky Chicken Mac'N'Cheese. Well now I have finally found a relatively healthy version of mac'n'cheese, of course I found the recipe in Coking Light Magazine so of course it is guilt-free and delicious. I was really anxious to make this version of mac'n'cheese after I found it and I am really excited to share it with you all. Fall is the perfect time for squash and so this is a great recipe for October. I really enjoyed this mac'n'cheese, the butternut squash gives the dish a sweeter taste but it is still very delicious and I feel guiltless having seconds. You have to give this one a try.

Balsamic Chicken

I made this for girls night tonight. It turned out pretty delicious and it was a very hearty meal. 

Slow Cooker Citrus Carnitas

 I have never made Carnitas before and when I found this delicious citrus themed recipe, I knew I would have to give it a try. Nick and I both love citrus foods and so this carnitas was perfect for us, it turned out delicious and the touch of citrus was perfect. The Carnitas was great as taco meat the first night but the leftover meat was great in a soup I made the following night. 

Fugsicles

My friend Megan shared this recipe for healthy fugsicles with me. I decided to give them a try and they were delicious. They definitely have a slightly different taste than traditional fugsicles but these are a completely guiltless treat that have a great taste and a similar texture. Great for the summer or any California day, especially when it' still 100 degrees in October (lame.)

 Some beautiful flowers from Nick

Pots de Creme

 I made some pots de creme before but this is the first time they came out perfect and thick. The other recipes I've used did not include eggs and I know now that that is a vital component. These are a delicious treat, like a fancy pudding. They are so rich in flavor that it's impossible to overdue, they are a perfect treat to soothe any sweet tooth. 

Chicken Parmigiana

 The other night I realized I had all the perfect ingredients to make Chicken Parmigiana. It is one of Nick's faves and I had never made it before. When I told Nick that I was making Chicken Parmigiana for dinner, he got really excited and had the cutest smile ever. I guess the way to Nicks heart is through this meal. I was pretty proud of this and I loved that I served it with spaghetti squash, they went great together and kept the calories lower.

Bourbon-Glaze

I found this recipe in a Cooking Light Magazine, as soon as I read the ingredients I knew it was something Nick and I would enjoy. I decided to use this glaze on some ribs I was planning on cooking in my slow cooker, it worked great on them and I know it would be a great glaze for chicken or other pork cuts, like pork chops. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My co-worker Christina passed this recipe on to me. I love fall and I love the holidays and so I couldn't wait to celebrate with some fall flavors. I would've never thought to do something like this but now I know the thought will never slip my mind. Nick even enjoyed these cookies and he doesn't even like pumpkin pie. These are the perfect cookie to ring in the new season and new month.

Sidenote: Congrats to my brother and his fiance Kristen on getting engaged yesterday!!!!!! 

This month is looking good thus far. 

Indian Chicken Curry

This is a great recipe my friend Megan shared with me. I conveniently had all the necessary ingredients to make this the other night and so I did. It turned out delicious and it's a great well-rounded meal.

Avocado Egg Salad

 

I would've never thought hard boiled egg and avocado could be so good together. I don't really know why I was surprised by this combination, but it is a great combination, definitely good enough to have two days in a row.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

 

 I was in charge of birthday cake at work this month and since one of my birthday co-workers favorite things is peanut butter and chocolate, I decided to go ahead and make this peanut butter chocolate cake. I ended up making it in a 9 by 13 pan to guarantee some extra slices, but it would be best as a round cake with layers. This turned out pretty tasty, most of my co-workers favorite part was the peanut butter cream cheese frosting, which would be great on top of any boxed vanilla, yellow, or chocolate cake.

Avocado Pasta Sauce

I had some ripe avocados and I just couldn't bring myself to make guacamole again. I found this recipe on the California Avocado Commission's website, it was very intriguing and so I decided to give it a try. It was really interesting and quite delicious, the avocados work as a creamy alternative to milk products. I don't think it would be as good without the Parmesan or the shrimp, so I highly recommend you include both when you decide to give this recipe a try. 

Chocolate Chip Yogurt Based Scones

  

I used to love getting chocolate chip scones from Starbucks when I was in high school, but for some reason I haven't been able to find a chocolate chip scone there for years, it's like as soon as I graduated high school they were gone. This made me very sad and although I have missed them for years, I just now got to making some for myself rather than purchasing them from other local pastry shops.  My friend Megan is like a professional scone maker, so she helped me with these since it was my first time making scones. These turned out delicious, although they aren't quite what I remember from Starbucks, I must try again until I get that Starbucks quality, my guess is they used a cream base rather than yogurt.

Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi

I had some leftover ingredients that I needed to use and so I came up with this recipe. This turned out really good. The Parmesan and Panko worked excellent together and made a delicious coating on the fish. I will most definitely do this one again. 

Whiskey Infused Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Burgers

I think burgers have become one of my top most favorite foods. There are so many different things you can do with burgers, prom plain to super creative like my Spanakopita Burgers, they are always fun to create and delicious to eat. The day I made these I was craving a huge burger at work, my co-worker mentioned to me how her old neighbors used to caramelize onions and mushrooms in whiskey as a burger topping. I knew when I heard her say whiskey infused onions and mushrooms that I would have to give them a try that very night. I did and it was absolutely delicious, it gave grilled onions and mushrooms a whole new tang. So good. 

Seafood Paella

Pa' ella, Pa' ti, Pa' mi (for her, for you, for me)... That was an old saying my Señora would say when she served us Paella for dinner. Paella is a traditional Spanish dish and although my Señora only made it a few times, it was always a treat. So I gave this a try with the seafood ingredients I prefer and I even used some legit saffron that I bought in Spain 5 years ago.

Portland

Over Labor Day weekend, I took a trip to Portland, Oregon to visit with two of my greatest friends, Danna and Cindy. Cindy currently lives in Portland while Danna flew in from Phoenix, Arizona. We all met in Portland and stayed with Cindy in her pleasant suburban home. We had a great weekend of eating, catching up, eating, touring, eating, and hanging out. It was so nice to have a ladies weekend filled with three of my favorite things: food, friends, and lots of laughter. Below are a few pictures to represent my three day trip. I hope you enjoy looking over them and see how gorgeous Portland is. 

In front of Cindy's home with myself, Danna, and Cindy