Let's make some brownies, Pumpkin!

Summer's bags are packed and it slowly leaves us, we feel a sense of nostalgia and maybe even the post-summer blues. Perhaps all of the summer goals we had set are not completed, and the tan we had promised ourselves is not as bronze and beautiful as we'd like. Whether we like it or not, she's outta here and fall is en route. Some of us have not accepted its departure and are still serving (and enjoying) summer delicacies.

Well I am here to let you know that your culinary creations can now reflect the color of the leaves and the season they bring.

It's time for fall to make its way into our kitchens, and radiate in the forms of nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin.

If you are ready to make the transition to Autumn cooking, read below. If not, consult your local medical center because these brownies are to die for. :)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking pan.

Mix together-

• 1/2 a big can of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup almond butter
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tbs vanilla
• 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt

Pour these into the baking sheet and sprinkle walnuts, chocolate chips and/or pecans on the top.

Bake for 20 minutes.

These will be more moist than normal brownies. They stay fresh and amazing for days!

I know you may be thinking, "Hey, Crystal, you don't use measurements in your blog . . . what the hey?"

Well you're right. But with baking I have to make an exception. And this one is soooo easy (and delicious), you'll get over it ;)

Thoughts are greatly appreciated.

<3

Crepe-lette!

For fearless chefs who want toast in the morning, but have no bread.

Okay, I have been doing sweet omelets for some time now, but the other day I got a bit brave and tried this.

I think it's fabulous.

Heat your pan up, with olive oil or butter, whatever you fancy.

Take a couple eggs and beat them with vanilla, cinnamon, milk and a tiny bit of nutmeg.

Pour them into the pan once its hot enough.

let it cook like an omelet. (on medium - medium low heat, from the bottom - up. )

Once you see it cooking on the top, sprinkle any white cheese on one side of it (in a half circle.) You can use, swiss, emmental, even goat cheese!!

Then spread jam on top of the cheese! I used strawberry, but fig or anything else would work!

Fold over the other side of the crepe-lette, and let the cheese melt.

Trust me, its goooooooooood.

Experiment with cheeses and fruits. You can even try plain or vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit! In this case I would wait to add the yogurt until you have plated up the crepe-lette so it stays somewhat chilled. (Maybe try adding chopped nuts inside the omelet. Walnuts or almonds?)

Bon appetit!

<3

Chaiii it!

Hey, YOU! Yep you!

I know you love chai, but serrrrriously its SO expensive to buy one every time we get a craving for one. Am I right?

Well guess what? Now you can have the savory, spicy, satisfying blend of flavors that will leave you saying, "mmmmmmm. . . ," and all with ingredients you are sure to have in your spice cabinet!

First off we need to heat some milk in a small saucepan. Make sure you keep it on a medium-low heat otherwise your milk will cook!

In a small cup mix 1 spoon of vanilla, 1/4 a spoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. (or if you have pumpkin pie spice you can use that and cloves. you need the extra spice!) Add 2 spoons of honey, mix well.

Add a very small amount of boiling water to this mixture and mix well. It should be pretty liquid-y and only about 1/4 - 1/3 of your mug. At this point, you can drop in a black teabag if you want caffeine. But if it's nearing bedtime, leave the teabag out! (let the tea brew for at least 3 min)

Once the milk is hot, pour it into the mug, give it one more stir for good measure and enjoy!

If you want to mix it up a bit you can add a little cocoa powder to the vanilla mixture before adding the milk, and then you have a chocolate chai!

So simple, so easy, and you don't even need an espresso machine!

Let me know what you think!

<3

Soup Opera!

Souuuuuup.

Threw this together, loved it and thought you might too.

We open with a soup pot on the stove. What a lonely soup pot. He is sitting there, no friends and his temperature is increasing by the second. Lets add some olive oil. They used to be buds.

As the olive oil's temperature raises to meet that of his friend the soup pot, we get really crazy and add chopped onions and garlic. But we don't want this being a white-only party, so sprinkle it down with black pepper, cumin and salt.

Invite the dry lentils to the party in the pot and allow them to percolate like there is no tomorrow. Five to seven minutes is more than enough percolation for those unruly lentils so allow the floodgates to open and pour a substantial amount of water over our spicy party.

We must not forget, however, the love affair between chicken bullion cubes and lentils. Its really quite the scandal you see. The bullion cubes are really quite fowl in their pursuit of the saucy lentils, but they persist nonetheless.

Don't hold back the passion of one or even . . . dare I say two cubes to dive into the edible party of the century. They will soon enough amalgamate into the soup opera, abandoning reason for passion and infuse their flavor into the hearts of every lentil they encounter.

Considering all is fair in love and war, cover up this romantic battle and leave them alone to simmer for 30-40 minutes. . . just long enough for a lentil to let down it guard and allow the assimilation of flavors to penetrate them.

You will return to find a beautiful mixture of flavor and passion that will have your tongue happier than Romeo when his lips first met those of Juliet.

I suggest welcoming cheese and bread to this culinary experience, they are guaranteed to improve your time spent watching the lentil soup opera.

Harvest Melange

Hello!

wow, its been so long since I have posted a recipe! But here's another that is perfect for this time of year!

put some olive oil in the pan and let it get hot.

toss in chopped sweet potatoes. (chop any way you want. half circles, cubes, stars . . . up to you)

cover the sweet potatoes and let them start to get brown and steam.

Once they begin to cook (maybe 5 min) add an equal amount of chopped apples and then a handful or two of nuts. (I suggest pecans or walnuts). Sprinkle all of this with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. Cover and let cook.

When the apples are soft, its done! (super simple I know).

You can serve it with butter, brown sugar or honey, or stay healthy and none of the above!

You can also add turkey or chicken for protein or substitute or add any kind of squash you like.(You should know that anything squash like is really good with cinnamon) You can also try adding red onion, but I liked it simple and sweet.

If anything, its great as a side dish!

Let me know your thoughts!

The Pursuit of Trail Mix

Yep, you guessed it, I made a YUMMY trail mix that you MUST try.

you will need roughly equal parts of

(The fruit may need to be a little less since its more expensive):

Pumpkin seeds
Almonds
Raisins
Chopped, Dried Apricot
Coconut Flakes
Walnuts
Groats (they are a small oat, rice looking thing. They had them in the bulk section at WinCo and they weren't that expensive. Of course, its optional, but these are YUMMY!)
and
Dark Chocolate Chips

sooo

on a cookie sheet spread out a handful or so of groats, walnuts and almonds. sprinkle all with vanilla and Agave Syrup if you have it. Bake or Broil until the walnuts start to brown. Let cool fully.

While these are baking combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and when the baked goods are cooled, add them to the mix! Sprinkle the whole thing with pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon and nutmeg), vanilla, a little agave, and cocoa powder.

Put in a big bag, seal it up real tight and do the twist!

:-)

Cluck Cluck WalNUTS!

Okay, so literally JUST finished eating this.

It was absolutely FABULOUS.

Heat up your pan on medium heat with some garlic, olive oil and chopped red onion. While this gets happy, chop up a small red apple into bite sized chunks. Roughly chop up some walnuts. once the onion starts to cook down, add the walnuts and apple and let the apple start to get crisp and brown.

Throw in cubed chicken breast (raw or cooked) and let all the flavors combine. Sprinkle whole pan with cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. You can even sprinkle a TINY bit of vanilla on the apples.

When the chicken starts to brown throw in cubed, cooked sweet potato chunks. Cook all together for 3-5 minutes.

Trust me folks, this sounds weird, but oh SO good. Its like healthy comfort food.

<3