A Fall Find and a Fall Fail…

Hello all, and happy Monday! It was scorching hot, here in Minnesota! Even tank top weather, so nice. It’s such a beautiful time to go for a walk with the colorful leaves and warm sun on your shoulders. It doesn’t get much better then that.

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend filled with lots of rest, pumpkin, and family time.  Mine was very relaxing and productive in the wedding planning arena, but speaking of pumpkin…I know the pumpkin/fall craze is in full swing (as it should be) and pictures like these are popping up everywhere!

             

 

So here is my white-girl ode to fall with a cool Fall find and a whopping Fall fail!

It all started last weekend when my family and Chris went to Aamodt’s apple orchard in Stillwater, MN. The orchard was packed and they had a ton of delicious apple-y foods to taste! Chris got an apple donut, my dad got an apple brat, and my mom sampled some apple and bacon coleslaw. While Chris gave his donut raving reviews, what I sampled stole the show!

Yes, that’s right…apple SALSA (kind of hard to see the salsa part, sorry)! Now I’m not usually a fan of fruit in salsa, like mango and peach or  strawberry rhubarb salsa. So needless to say, I was skeptical at first bite, but oh my goodness its sweet, tangy and even a little spicy! I had to go back and buy a jar, it’s just delicious. And plus it’s so festive!

I really want to figure out how to make this!

After the apple orchard we ran to Target to pick up a dvd player and stumbled across these babies….

Of course we fell into the pumpkin spice trap, but come on, the curiosity just overwhelms me (& Chris) and then we HAVE to buy them, to see if they are an explosion of fall in our mouthes! Sadly, the m&m’s don’t even taste like pumpkin. If I did a blind folded taste test, I bet I would not be able to tell them apart. So disappointing…FAIL!

They are huge though, but moral of the story, stick with peanut butter m&m’s they never fail you!

I hope this inspires you to explore some apple or pumpkin spice action in your life and to not judge all the people in your lives that find joy in pumpkin spice everything!

Question of the day: What is your favorite fall splurge? And have you ever had a fall fail? My favorite splurge is definitely honey crisp apples, but Chris and I have been loving some pumpkin ice cream lately that is to die for!

 

Wheat-less Wednesday

So this week, I know I am being a little ambitious with 2 posts today, but I had to tell you all about these delicious black bean burgers I have been ingesting as quick as I can get them.

It is really hard to find black bean or any veggie burgers that are gluten-free. Most of them use wheat to keep it together, but not these! These black bean burgers are delicious, a bit spicy, and super easy for a weeknight meal! They have protein from the beans, but less saturated fat than beef hamburgers woo (I know my fiancé is rolling his eyes right now).All you do is pop them in the toaster oven for 5-8 minutes and flip halfway through and you have yourself a tex-mex, healthy burger. I found this brand at Whole Foods, and have unfortunately have only been able to find them there. They run about $3.50 for a pack of four burgers.

Question: What’s your favorite kind of burger, beside beef (if that is your favorite)? There is a gluten-free salmon burger at the Duluth Grill that I dream about! Sooo good!

Don’t be afraid to branch out and expand your burger horizons!

~Alyssa

WIAW #2 Fall weather

So this Monday I had an early morning meeting and a day full of classes followed by a super intense kettle bell workout (gotta get those arms toned for the wedding).

As always thanks to Jen from peasandcrayons for hosting the WIAW link up! Go check it out!

Here is what fueled me through the day!

For breakfast: overnight oats with raspberries and cinnamon and a mug of coffee to go!

Snack: Kind bar, the lovely coordinator of my program got for me, because they had bagels at the morning meeting! So nice!

Lunch: Vegetable soup with some leftover grilled chicken and black beans. Also some farmer’s market carrots and greek yogurt spinach dip.

Snack: Before Kettlebells I had some apple, celery and peanut butter!

 

Dinner: Some gluten free spaghetti with turkey meat sauce topped with steamed broccoli and zucchini (with a sprinkle of feta)!

And a pumpkin bar for dessert (recipe soon)!

 

Question: What is your go-to snack of the day? Lately, I have been all about apples and carrots!

~Alyssa

 

Vegetable Soup

Yet another week has come and gone, and yet another Monday greets us. And if you’re like me you enjoy making a big batch of something to tide you over throughout the week. There’s nothing better then that feeling when you go to bed and realize you don’t need to pack a lunch the next day. Ok maybe just the little things in life bring me a lot of joy. Either way, you must make this soup! It is a fall staple and great for the heart and soul.

 

I was intimidated by soup for the longest time (which was crazy), because this recipe is simple, delicious, and reheats really well. Also the great thing about veggie soup is you can use whatever vegetables you have left in your fridge that need to be used up!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 cup of brown rice
• large can of whole peeled tomatoes
• low sodium stock of choice (I used chicken)
• handful of fresh green beans
• 1 medium zucchini
• 2 ears of corn, boiled with kernels cut off
• salt and pepper

1. Heat a large soup pan on medium heat and add oil and in the onions. Let the onions sweat until they are translucent at this point add in the garlic. Let the garlic marinate the onions for a few before rounding out the mirepoix, which is just a fancy term for diced onion, carrot, and celery. I also added sweet potato, but you could substitute white potato or leave them out all together (it’s soup people!).

2. Once the Mirepoix is starting to brown add in 1/2 cup of brown rice and let the rice absorb some of the delicious flavors. As the rice is starting to turn golden brown add in the tomatoes and stock. I like to remove the tomatoes and cut them into smaller chunks and then discard the extra tomato juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to season along the way.

3. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice is almost completely cooked and the potatoes are soft.

4. Add in the zucchini, green beans, and corn in the last 5 minutes, so they don’t turn into mush! Salt and pepper to taste, and you’re done.

 

I hope you enjoyed the will power it took for me to use rice instead of quinoa!

~Alyssa

Question of the morning: What’s your favorite kind of soup? And does it change based on the season?  I love chili and butternut squash soup!

 

What I ate Wednesday

So this week, I am trying something difference and linking up with Jen from Peas and Crayons for WIAW(What-I-Ate-Wednesday)

Before I started blogging I would look at her blog and this link up, and would find it so interesting to look through what other people enjoying eating throughout the day. I also think it’s good for me to see what I am eating, because I tend to eat the same things over and over again! So I am hoping this will help me to explore my food and cooking options and put some spice into my normal food cycling. Hopefully you all will find it amusing and don’t worry Wheat-less Wednesday will not die!

So this is from Monday! I started off the day with oatmeal and blackberries and pecans with a hot mug of coffee and a splash of milk.

I had a handful of granola in between my classes!

I have 4 hours of class on Monday, and always pack a lunch. Here is my super salad with chicken, sunflower seeds, broccoli, and balsamic vinegar and cottage cheese for dressing.

Around 4 I had an afternoon snack of hummus and garden carrots with dark roast from Starbucks (and a splash of cream).

And for dinner I finished the day with a quinoa tex-mex dish with sweet potato, spinach, black beans, and avocado. Some salsa is lingering in the background waiting to be mixed in!

And I had 2 dark chocolate covered cashews for dessert!

I hope you enjoyed this new series!

~Alyssa

 

BEET the cold weather blues…

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I had a wonderful weekend full of fall weather…let me tell you about it.

So this Sunday after the Vikings game, Chris came to view the apartment he will be moving into in January. He even moved in some Vikings knick knacks to make him feel more at home. So on Sunday night we made our first dinner together in the new apartment and it was glorious! We got to cook, eat, and pray together. I was loving it. On the menu: garlic turkey burgers, corn on the cob, grilled zucchini, and roasted cauliflower (all veggies from the farmer’s market). Delicious, it was a taste (pun-intended) of what life will be like in 4 short months.

Backing up to Saturday, I went to the Farmer’s market in Cloquet and discovered BEETS! I had never really experimented with this food, but under the guidance of my mom’s friends I roasted them up and now I am obsessed! Here is the recipe for beets success.

1. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil.

2. Roast in oven at 400° for 40 minutes.

3. Let cool and remove outer skin and EAT!

So easy and so delicious. I could not stop popping them in my very purple mouth.

After the beets adventure, we had one of our last weddings of the year, before ours. I just can never get enough of weddings. There is something about all the love and happiness and hope for the future that just makes me adore them. Here is a wedding row selfie with Chris’s siblings before the ceremony started. It was a cool fall day, but the sun came out during the ceremony making it absolutely beautiful.

Looking forward…I will have internet tomorrow! Oh my goodness I have been waiting for this day. Hopefully everything goes smoothly.

~Alyssa

Farmer’s Market

Let me tell you folks, fall has officially hit and embraced Minneapolis, and it is down right chilly out! But I have to say I am loving the crisp weather it makes me think that December 27th is right around the corner….

Anyway, going to a mega-school like the University of Minnesota does have it’s perks. Like having it’s very own farmer’s market on campus every Wednesday (which I always have every intention of meandering through until I get to campus and forget all about it). So yesterday I remembered and stopped by to got some Zestar apples. Now if you know anything about me, it’s that I can’t get enough of apples when they are in season! I seriously think an apple in fall, is my favorite food of all time. So when I scarfed down my first in-season, fresh, crisp, and sweet apple I was in heaven!

So when everyone is going on and on about pumpkins (love them too), remember to give apples some love too!

Speaking of apple season, here is a recipe my grandma wanted to test out, that I gladly agreed to make after she supplied me with apples from her tree.

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
Slightly Adapted from American Profile Brown Betty Recipe

10 small apples, peeled, sliced in 1/4-inch slices (or 6 large apples: Fuji, Gala, Delicious), about 2 pounds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, divided
6 ounces cranberry juice
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 cup water
2 slices Udi’s gluten-free bread
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray 8×8 inch cooking spray.

2. Peel, core, and cut apples (worst and longest part of recipe).

3. Combine apples, cranberry juice, water, half of the sugar, half of cinnamon, nutmeg, cranberries and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. And simmer for 12 minutes until apples have softened. Pour softened apple mixture into greased pan.

4. Place the 2 pieces of bread in food processor. And blend until bread crumb consistency.

5. Mix bread crumbs, walnuts, oats, remaining sugar, cinnamon and butter in mixing bowl. Then sprinkle on top of apples.

6. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is starting to brown.

Easy and delicious, Enjoy!

~Alyssa

 

Veggie Sandwich and Return of the PSL

Well Hello All! I feel like it’s been forever since I have told you about my life, maybe because crazy things have been happening!! Let’s start with last week…first week of classes in my last year of school EVER. Moving on to MOVE-IN weekend. I usually hate packing and moving, but our friends and family helped us so much it wasn’t that terrible (still a little bit).

Now this week, our internet hasn’t been installed so I’ve been spending a lot of time at starbucks.

Which brings me to my next point the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL). While I do find that delicious my drink of choice is actually a dark blend with 2 pumps of pumpkin, it tastes just like the latte, with half the sugar and most importantly half the cost!

Because I just moved in, I have little ingredients and have been making due with my various vegetables from the farmer’s market! Here is a simple, easy, and delicious lunch!

 

What you need for the Zesty Greek Yogurt Spread:

-1 tablespoon of cream cheese
-2 tablespoons of plain greek yogurt
-fresh dill, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon of red onion, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste

For the heart of the sandwich:

-1 gluten-free bagel
-thinly sliced cucumber or zucchini
-handful of spinach

To Make:

1. Mix the cream cheese (cream cheese should be soft and at room temperature) and yogurt together.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Toast bagel, or whatever bread product that is the base of your sandwich.

4. Assemble!

Yumm!!

 

Enjoy this light, end-of-summer sandwich before the cold weather hits!

~Alyssa

Question of the day: What’s your favorite thing to put on a sandwich?                             I like any sort of salad: chicken, tuna, or egg!

Wheat-less Wednesday: Affordable GF options

So as you can read in this post, being gluten-free does have its drawbacks, especially when it comes to the pocket book. That’s why typically I like to eat naturally gluten free foods and tend to steer clear of things that have been processed to become gluten-free. Usually gluten-free alternatives have higher amounts of fat and sugar to make them taste better. With that being said, I still buy some gluten-free products, usually only necessities such as bread and pasta.

However, sometimes you just are craving a cookie, that you don’t need to whip out the food processor and coconut flour to make. In these times, there are some affordable gluten-free options! This week I will highlight some options at Wal-Mart, and hope to continue with most of the major food markets.

Wal-mart just released a new Great Value gluten-free line that has many affordable cookies, pasta, granola bars, and bread. Now I don’t know if I would classify any of these as healthy, but if in need of a treat under $3, here you go!

They have pretzels! They also have some gluten-free meal options such as mac’n cheese for a busy night option.

They have chocolate chip cookies.They also have oreo-type cookies! These were catching my eye. Oreos are one of the few gluten-containing foods that I really find myself craving!

Now I haven’t tried any of these, I just think it’s interesting that gluten-free options are taking over the world! And these options, as I mentioned before, are all under $3.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite type of cookie?  While I do love oreos, I take after my dad and think my heart belongs with the old fashioned chocolate chip cookie. 

 

Last Day

So today is my official last day of summer…which means tomorrow is my LAST first day of school!

Tomorrow I will move back to Minneapolis, which means I will be very close to my BFFs Linda and Ben.

I’m so excited for the year ahead of me, but also slightly sad that I will be leaving home/my parents for good now and being a real live grown-up.

So what am I doing on my last day of summer? It started with a rough 5 mile run and then I enjoyed a yogurt bowl full of fresh peaches, Best Granola Ever, an apple and blueberries!

 

And of course I enjoyed my breakfast with a little Kathie lee and Hoda!

Now I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but lately I have been whipping up desserts like they are back in style. And I have found some keepers! Here is a new banana bread recipe that is easy and super delicious. I actually added a lot of dark chocolate chunks because I was a little scared of the banana bread, but after tasting it, it was so good I felt like I could have used less chocolate.

 

Here is what you need (recipe slightly adapted from Bakerita.com):

• 4 bananas (mashed)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt
• handful of dark chocolate chips

And here is how you do it:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° and grease a 8×8 pan (you can also make in a loaf pan, but I find it cooks more evenly in a square pan).

2. In a kitchen aid put in your four bananas and mix to mash them. Then add in the eggs, almond butter, and butter. Mix well.

3. Add in the dry ingredients and mix.

4. Add in chocolate chunks and stir by hand.

5. Pour into ban and bake for 40-45 minutes. You can use the toothpick test and the edges should begin to pull away from the pan.

This is really good to pack up and eat on a picnic date with your handsome fiancé!

Have a great Tuesday!

Question of the day: Chocolate or no chocolate in banana bread? Or what is your favorite add-in to banana bread?        I have to say no chocolate! I like the original.

~Alyssa