Pumpkin Pumpkin everywhere!

Pumpkin beer, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes....as much as I hate the fact that the weather is slowly getting colder, I can't deny my obsession with everything fall!  Matt and I woke up on Saturday planning to tailgate for the PSU/Temple game at the Linc, only to miss the train and end up somehow deciding to take advantage of the Suddenly Fall weather by taking a road trip to Linvilla Orchards!



We had the most amazing pumpkin funnel cake...OMG A-MAZ-ING.  Yup- that is a huge dallop of cream cheese icing on top

And then took home some pint-sized pumpkins to make this nice little set of pumpkin pint glasses.  We stopped at Pinnochio's in Media on the way home to hand pick a selection of pumpkin ale for our hollowed-out steins.  They have an awesome beer selection and great service.  I wish we had more time to sit and enjoy some of their draft beer at the bar before heading home to start carving!

 

I had to grab these little carnival squash for some fall decor in my dining room, I just couldn't resist.

 

Now - TO THE DRAWING BOARD- my company bake-off is in 2 weeks--and NO CLUE what I'm going to enter!!

I've got MAIL!

You'll never guess what I got in the mail today....a nice response letter from siggi's and some gift certificates!!!  and they couldn't have come at a better time- since I'm having a Clean out the Fridge and Don't Spend Money week!  and I only have one yogurt left at work, so looks like I'll be stopping at Whole Foods tomorrow to spend some of these.   Thank you siggi's!!

On another note...my day of using up leftovers was a success.  Breakfast was yogurt, 1/2 a frozen banana, and a HUGE honey crisp apple that I bought at Whole Foods last week (all scattered throughout the morning).  Lunch was a salad with diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and some other random things...and dinner was surprisingly good, considering I pretty much threw everything on it that I could find in my fridge (that leftover spaghetti from last week, extra sauce, sauteed brussels, mushrooms and garlic, all tossed together with some bagged radicchio mix and topped with barbeque seasoning.  Random Random but SO good.
Off to do some more reading about the digestive tract!

Saving $50. cleaning out the fridge

This week, I'm NOT food shopping.  I spent entirely too much money this weekend on eating out, buying dresses (I bought two, because I couldn't decide.  so at least I found one! yay!), a Philly ghost tour, and online shopping (finally bought a laptop sleeve- magenta by Built- love it!).  So, I thought I'd try a little project called: Getting Creative with the Food I Already Have in My Kitchen.  I'm going to try to make it to Friday without spending so much as a dime on food.  Should be an interesting week!
So here's what I'm working with:

 Quinoa, cereal, Pop Tarts, Oatmeal......apparently I like breakfast foods!
Tomato sauce, soup, spaghetti.....looks like I'll be having pasta night at least once this week

That ugly looking thing on the bottom shelf of my freezer is a delicious turkey loin, and I have a roll of polenta somewhere in my fridge to pair with it.  2 nights of Lean Cuisine pizzas won't kill me, plus veggie burgers and potato rolls!  If only I had a working grill...

TURNIPS! amazingness!  and some frozen leftover vodka sauce with sausage (in the tupperware) and Matt's aunt's beer bread (maybe a breakfast one morning with PB?)

I had to buy these Mission tortillas because they didn't have my norm at the store last week.  These have about 70 more calories each, but it's amazing how they keep me full all morning.  Thank God I have lettuce!  And some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes to throw together a salad or two.
And Clover Hill's apple wine!  For a little taste of fall :)

Condiments galore.  Of course.  Where would I be without my Ken's light honey mustard or Sriracha sauce?

Lots and lots of beer (thanks to my beer-selling boyfriend).  And of course almond milk.
Those leftovers are spaghetti (from last Monday night's dinner on Main Street), sauce, diced tomatoes, and black beans.  How long do black beans stay good for anyway?  I might be throwing these out.

Anyway, it's pretty clear that I won't be going hungry this week.  I'll just be forced to get creative, which is more than okay.  Maybe the creativity will spark me to finally start on my canvasses so I can get some color in my living room!

OH and I just remembered I have a baking cabinet with a box of yellow cake mix and funfetti icing= dessert! yup.  definitely not going hungry this week!  Who needs Acme, anyway?



BTW- here are the dresses I'm deciding betweeen.  I figure I can always keep them both and wear the black one to my office Christmas party.

Me=a Blogger!?

I'm 26 and living in Philadelphia, pursuing a Masters degree in Human Nutrition while working full time.  As I become educated in the science of nutrition, I'll share my journey with recipes, restaurant reviews, cocktail tastings, and other tidbits that interest and excite me (think--- running!  decorating my new apartment! traveling!).  Aren't you excited?   This should be a fun 4-year journey, and I'm ready to take on the challenges that will lead me to my goal of becoming a RD.

"I love your boobs but I hate your dress"

yes, I'm sitting here watching Millionaire Matchmaker for like the 3rd night in a row.  I keep sitting down with my Nutrition book and a highlighter and making the mistake of turning on Bravo while I finish my dinner.

.....and then I get sucked in.

I'm listening to Patti be a bitch to these girls.  She no sooner calls one girl fat and then tells another she loves her boobs but hates her dress.

....and then I remember!

I have been putting off dress shopping for an October 8th wedding.  But I did find this awesome website in my hunt for the Perfect Dress (even Patti Stanger-worthy):  https://marketplace.asos.com/women

I'm not buying my dress here, but I did spend over an hour browsing through designers.

.....and now I'm opening my book.  at 9:30.  So much for spending the night learning about the digestive tract!

A couple'a things to write home about

Good beer.  Good breakfast.  What else is there in life?  OHHHHH-------- Mondays.

Well, I take that back.  Today was techinically Tuesday, but since yesterday was Labor Day it was really that Oh-So-annoying- How I Hate you - Monday.  

Anyway. 

I had this great beer on Friday:  Saison Dupont.

I had gotten Dad a 6-pack of a Belgian and German beer variety, and this was one of the last 3 that he had yet to open.  We shared it on the deck before going to dinner at the always amazing Roy Ann Diner in Sellersville =)

Here's all the important stuff:

www.brasserie-dupont.com  Alcohol : 6.5 % vol

Straight from the Saisoniers themselves:  The Saison Dupont is a top fermentation beer with refermentation in the bottle.
Since 1844, this beer has been brewed in our farm-brewery, during the winter time.  Then this beer became a second refermentation in the barrel.  During the next summer, this very thirst-quenching beer was served to the “saisoniers” which were working on the fields.  Surely therefore, our Saison Dupont is considered as “the classic” among the Belgian season beers!  Coppery blond, the finest aromas and a strong bitterness transform this beer into a thirst-quenchener with no equal, just the way it was created.
Our selection of yeasts is the perfect base for these typical aromas and ditto taste.  A real refermentation in the bottle, which will continue for a long time in your cellar, result into this complex and particular aromatic beer.

Ok, so on to BREAKFAST.  I've been dying (yes- dying!) to try overnight oats.  I've been following Jenna's blog (www.eatliverun.com) for a while, and her overnight oats recipes have really been tempting me.  Since I'm sick of my peanut butter tortillas, and pop tarts are probably not the healthiest choice after my crappy weekend diet at the shore, I thought tomorrow would be a good time to try this healthy, protein-packed breakfast for the first time.  I chose to combine 1/2 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of vanilla almond milk, 2 tbsp raisins, 1 tbsp cinnamon (I know, it's a lot- I LOVE cinnamon), and 1 tbsp sunflower seeds.  I threw the combo together in a tupperware and can't wait to have it for breakfast tomorrow at work.  I'm such an early breakfast-eater, it will be hard to skip my normal tortilla-on-the-go and wait until 8!  But I'll keep you posted! 

I'm on a peanut butter kick

I consider it a productive day when I don't have time to eat my 3pm apple.  I'm such a freaking creature of habit when it comes to my snacks and snack-times!  Today I left work with a quick stop at Whole Foods on my way home to restock on Better'n Peanut Butter (soooo good for breakfast ---I mix it with a scoop of regular peanut butter and spread it on a multigrain tortilla, then top with cinnamon and roll it up).  Yea, you have to try it.

 Anyway.  As I'm browsing the aisles getting distracted by things I shouldn't buy, I saw
<--------------------------these
and of course had to have them!

So after opening the bag on my way home just to see what these suckers taste like, I have to say- not so impressed.  Imagine:  Peanut butter Captain Crunch but LESS peanutty.

I DID, however, come across my new favorite yogurt today:

THINK: thick, delicious, 100-calorie ice cream!  This stuff is awesome.  I'm a Greek yogurt kind of girl-- I love plain Chobani and could probably eat it all day.  But I have to say, this brand of Icelandic style yogurt knocks Chobani out of the water.  I found a new obsession.  I can honestly say it was worth the $2 a pop at Whole Foods!  And it would take a lot for me to pay that much for a stinking cup of yogurt!

Here we go.

I am an amateur. 

Main Entry:	amateur
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	casual participant
Synonyms:	Sunday driver, abecedarian, apprentice, aspirant, beginner, bush leaguer, dabbler, dilettante, greenhorn, ham, hopeful, layperson, learner, neophyte, nonprofessional, novice, probationer, putterer, recruit, tenderfoot, tyro
Notes:	an amateur  is someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime; a novice  is someone who is new to a field or activity

When it comes to nutrition, I'm an amateur.  To culinary arts, an amateur.  The science behind the appeal of food to all human beings, amateur.  I know NOTHING about all of these things.  Okay, not completely true- I know ONE thing- that I love talking about, thinking about, and learning about all of the above.  Which may be the ultimate reason behind my recent decision to continue my education in an exciting area- nutrition.  That, and the strong desire that I have to revise the way that I have nourished my body in my first 26 years, and to become nutritionally-smarter and therefore all-around healthier moving forward.  I mean, who doesn't want to live a long and healthy life, forever and ever Amen?   This blog will be the canvas that I throw ideas onto as I venture down the long road to obtaining my MS in Human Nutrition.  From the recent passion that Philadelphians share for food, to the scientific breakdown of our bodies and how best to nourish them, I will be using this outlet to splatter my cooking creations and dietetic revelations as I learn.  In what will hopefully be a 4-year process, I'm excited to see my evolution into a more educated eater.  And the best part?  A fun trip on the foodie train that will lead me to a Masters degree!