Pumpkin Pie in a Glass

Hello friends!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, what better than a delicious pumpkin-pie inspired smoothie? A couple of weekends ago, I was making a banana recovery shake upon returning home from a workout at the gym. 

When I opened our fridge to grab the milk, I noticed my leftover pumpkin sitting on the top shelf. After grabbing it on a whim, adding a heaping two spoonfuls to the blender, along with a little cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, it was complete! It was definitely a nice, festive change from my other smoothie flavor rotations.

To make one pumpkin pie smoothie, you'll need:

• 1 banana (frozen works best for extra creaminess)
• 2 heaping spoonfuls of canned pumpkin
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• cinnamon
• enough milk to get things moving around
• pumpkin pie spice
• handful of ice cubes
• whipped cream is optional but definitely recommended

Whip everything up in the blender--adding the ice last. Pour into your favorite glass before topping with a squirt of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon to finish things off!

Enjoy!

Harvest Party, New Snacks, and The Photo Challenge Returns

Good morning and happy weekend! 

I woke up starving this morning so I made a bowl of pumpkin oatmeal with a big scoop of peanut butter on top. Seriously, don't knock it until you try it--it's so good! For the pumpkin oatmeal, I made oats on the stove using milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and about 1/2 cup of oats. So good paired with some gingerbread coffee in my new Mrs. mug!

This week has been a crazy one! During our first full-week at home together, I somehow managed to break our microwave! 

I promise I've been using more than the microwave to make our meals! The other night I made white pizza with chicken--can you tell which side is his and which is hers? 

Luckily the new microwave will arrive soon so we can resume convenience cooking. It's crazy how much you don't realize how much you use the microwave. For example, last night we made baked potatoes to go with our turkey burgers; normally I pre-cook the potatoes in the oven for about 8 minutes, then toss them in the oven to get crispy since they will cook much faster. Well, last night sans microwave, I stuck the cold potatoes directly into the oven and nearly an hour (!!) later, they were done. They were still super tasty though! 

Harvest Party

Earlier in the week, on Halloween night, my friend Amy hosted a little harvest party for us. It was so fun to see some friends and kick back while catching up with one another. 

My contribution, along with caramel Chex mix! See the bottom of this post for the recipe! 

One of the girls brought a recipe and ingredients to make peanut butter caramel corn and wow, was it ever delicious! Recipe will be appearing on the blog when I make it sometime this winter. 

Last night around 8:15pm, we had the great idea to unpack the rest of our boxes and organize Andy's office. Two and a half hours later, we called it a night and we'll be wrapping it up today (hopefully!). I can't wait to get all settled in so that I know exactly where things are. Andy also suggested putting up our Christmas tree so I am way excited about that--whenever we get around to it. It'll be fun to celebrate our first married Christmas together! It's so hard to believe that it is literally right around the corner.

New Snacks

www.snapzcrisps.com

I recently tried these new apple crisps and thought I'd share my thoughts on them because I was really impressed. 

I've tried apple chips in the past and I feel as though they are either hit or miss; a lot of times they have a chemical-y aftertaste or just taste "off." However, these new snacks didn't disappoint! 

The flavor was spot on and the crunch was perfect. Each snack size bag is made from 1 whole apple, has 45 calories, and is 100% all-natural. Now those are stats to get excited about! You'd better believe I will be picking up some more of these soon! I'm thinking they'd be a great addition to my snack drawer at work--you know, for when you get the munchies around 3pm.

Photo Challenge Returns

Now that I'm almost back into my routine, I'm happy to reintroduce the 30 Day Photo Challenge that I started awhile ago. Looking back, I left off on Day 10, which brings us to: Something I made! 

The mix before adding the m&m's and candy corn

For our harvest party, I contributed a caramel snack mix that we soon dubbed as "Rot your teeth mix" since it was so sweet and addicting. I first sampled this yummy mix a few years ago when my friend Allie brought it over to my house--I remember not being able to stop munching on it--that's how good it was! I randomly remembered it last weekend while I was trying to decide what to make for our party and decided to give it a whirl. 

You may find the recipe below, which I snagged from a forum about cereal recipes. Although, I switched it up a bit by adding some candy corn to the mix--had to make it festive for the occasion, you know! 

Caramel Chex Mix

• 1 lg. box Crispix cereal (Rice Chex will also work)
• 10 oz. bag thin pretzel sticks (I used the pretzel rounds)
• 2 cups of peanuts
• 2 cups of m&m's
• 1 small bag of candy corn

Mix all ingredients except for the candy in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

• 2 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. butter
• 1/2 c. corn syrup

Boil 2 minutes. Pour over cereal mixture and stir. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Take out and stir. Bake another 8 minutes. Spread on foil to cool completely, then add candy, stir, and enjoy!

Saturday Plans

On the agenda for this weekend: unpack/organize, meet up with Krystine for a Starbucks design date, gym time x2, and maybe make some granola with my mom! 

When do you usually put up your Christmas tree?

Would you last long without a microwave?

Do you prefer sweet or savory Chex mixes?

Wedding Recap: Gift Opening

Hi!

I was so surprised when I rolled over this morning and saw that the clock said 9am! I'm not sure if I'm still jet-lagged or what, but my sleeping schedule has been so off for the past week or so. Normally I'm up by 6am each day so waking up mid-morning feels a bit foreign to me.

Yesterday morning began with some pumpkin spice pancakes courtesy of Allie's recipe. You can check out how to make them over on her blog! Not a bad way to start a Saturday!

Back on the Healthy Train

The gym at the resort

Oh well, I guess my body needed the rest! Yesterday I headed to the gym to get back into my healthy-life routine and boy, did it feel good! I worked out a little bit on our honeymoon: hiking, swimming, using the resort's fitness center, etc. but nothing compares to a nice strength-training session followed by a spin on the cardio machines in your usual gym.

Yesterday's setup

I enjoy using other gyms but nothing really compares to have a "home gym" that you frequent most. I like visiting other locations of my gym for variety, but when I want a really good workout, I rely on the one that is most familiar to me so I know where everything is and what days/times it is busy.

The machines at the resort's fitness center were pretty nifty--you could plug your iPod right into the machine and browse your music on the large display screen rather than on your device. This made switching songs while running a breeze!

Speaking of running, it was hot in there! I swear I was sweating within the first 3 minutes into my run and the machine was a mess afterwards--ew!

Gift Opening

Last night, Andy and I headed over to my parent's house for dinner. We were celebrating my brother-in-law Andrew's birthday and opening our wedding gifts that my parents had stashed at their house while we were on our trip.

The resort that we stayed at for the week!

It was fun to see everyone and show them pictures of our honeymoon while reminiscing of stories.

I loved this bag!

One of my favorite gifts--Mr. and Mrs. coffee mugs

Another favorite--a personalized apron!

(source)

After all of the gifts were opened, we headed down to the kitchen for some delicious homemade apple crisp topped with ice cream while we opened all of the cards we received. I opened one card and as I opened it, a baby-themed Target gift card slipped out. I stared at it in disbelief trying to figure out if someone bought the wrong gift card when I suddenly realized it was a joke. Two of Andy's groomsmen went in on a baby-themed gift card together as a joke. Hahaha, made my night.

Andrew's 21st

My dad gave my brother in law a 6 pack since he is turning 21 on Halloween! I saw this and started cracking up--they're so young! My sister's birthday is in March, so her 21st is right around the corner, too.

Off to go tackle organizing all of our gifts and finding places for them! My next post will be the "getting ready" part of my wedding day--hair, makeup, etc. so keep your eyes peeled! 

Have a great day! 

What kinds of gifts do you usually give for weddings? I usually go the "game" route--either a board game or a lawn game.

Do you like visiting a gym regularly or do you like to switch things up?

Favorite flavor of pancakes? I like blueberry--my grandpa makes the best blueberry waffles!

Melt my Heart + Easy Peasy Mac n' Cheesy

Good morning!

Soy lattes for myself and a coworker. After my early start to the morning on Friday, I was thankful that I made mine a triple! I must say that those little green sticks to put in the drink spout on cups is one of Starbucks' most brilliant ideas ever. 

(source)

Well, that is after the Pumpkin Spice Latte...which is coming back soon! I think it usually arrives after Labor Day--correct me if I'm wrong! 

Another Wedding Weekend

This weekend was jam-packed with wedding festivities! Friday night, Andy and I headed out to look at a potential townhouse. It was okay but the kitchen was set up super awkwardly (the fridge door touched the stove when you opened it...?), and the master bedroom was painted such an obnoxious color.

Luckily, Andy scoped out another place this weekend and we went to view it last night. As soon as we walked in the front door, I was sold! I really, really hope we get this one! It is exactly our style!

Saturday was my first bridal shower, and then on Sunday we met with our musicians to go over ceremony music! I also found my bridesmaids gifts so I can check that off my list as well! Things are really coming together and I am so thankful that Andy has been so helpful with all of this. What a keeper!

Back to Monday

It's hard to believe it's already Monday again! Yikes! I'm sure this week will fly by since it's Andy's birthday week and the start of the fair!

On Saturday morning, before heading to the gym, I checked my mailbox and a huge smile spread across my face when I found these two brightly colored envelopes sitting in my box. 

I immediately flipped them over to open them. Check out the cute stickers! haha

Inside were two of the cutest homemade cards ever! My cousins had made them especially for me--with my name and initial on the front! 

Melt my heart!

My two cousins mean so much to me and I am so excited to have them in my wedding as flower girls! They are actually my only cousins, so they mean that much more to me! It has been so much fun watching them grow up over the years and spending time with them doing crafts, going to the park, and playing outside. It's funny because now they're the age I was when they were born! 

Easy Peasy Mac n' Cheesy

The other day I was stumped about what to make for lunch. I desperately needed groceries (and still do! Hopefully heading over there tomorrow night!) and nothing really sounded good. I opened my fridge and saw that I had a tupperware of cooked pasta from the day before. Hmm...maybe I could make some mac n' cheese. However, that sounded like a lot of work, so I improvised. 

I dug around in my fridge until I came across this little gem! Lately I've been loving this cheese on wraps and with crackers--so why not give it a whirl with pasta? I plopped two wedges into a bowl, added a splash of milk, and microwaved it in increments of 10 seconds--stirring each time. I then heated up my pasta, poured the cheese on top and stirred it up! I also added in some fresh basil and olives to jazz it up a bit.

The verdict? It was actually really good! The flavored Laughing Cow Cheese gave it a nice kick and it really hit the spot! I'll definitely be making this again! 

While I was home this weekend for my bridal shower, my dad had stopped at a local bagel bakery. Hello, toasted chocolate chip bagels with butter. I forgot how much I love these things! Paired with some fruit and a homemade iced coffee--it was delicious!

Off to work I go! I've got another huge website project to dive into this week--it's for a real estate company, so it should be fun for something different!

By the way, are anyone else's trees turning colors way too early? It's only August and my tree is half red, half green! Not that I'm complaining....

Alright, have a great day! 

Are your trees changing colors yet?

How many cousins do you have?

Ever made up a recipe on the spot and loved it?

Provolone Portabella Burgers & Then Some

Good morning!

I've been slacking in the blogging department do to the wedding date sneaking up on me! We are almost exactly 2 months out from tying the knot!

I just wanted to thank you guys for all of your advice regarding my migraines. Yesterday was definitely better than the last few days and I'm finally starting to get some relief. From your advice, I think I've been able to pinpoint these headaches arising from a lack of sleep and an increase in stress. I'm going to try to take it easy the next few nights before gearing up for another wedding-packed weekend!

This weekend's agenda consists of wedding dress alterations and addressing invitations! I feel like we've been making a ton of progress lately and it is such a relief.

In case you've missed this past weekend's wedding posts, you may catch up below:

• Friday's post featured a Grab Bag of Tangents
• Engagement photos were shared on Saturday
• Registering recap and a bar review popped up on Sunday

Alright, now to fill you in on what's been happening these last few days!

First of all, check out this awesome duct tape that we found at Target this past week! How cute is that?! I used to love Hello Kitty items all through highschool and this definitely brought back some memories!

Lately I've been hooked on lunch wraps consisting of turkey, Laughing Cow cheese wedges (this stuff is amazing! See below for details), sprouts, and veggies! All wrapped up in a whole-grain tortilla...portable and tasty! 

So far I've tried the "Creamy Swiss" cheese and the Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil flavors and I must say, it is hard to choose a winner. The swiss reminds me of a tangy cream cheese, while the tomato basil delivers a punch of flavor. Perfect on a wrap or with some crackers for a snack! They have a garlic and herb one that I've been meaning to try as well. I'll keep you posted!

On Monday, I headed to my desk to drop off my purse before swinging by the break room to fill up my water bottle and place my lunch in the fridge when I noticed this cut-out on my desk. Turns out a coworker saw this in a magazine and cut it out since it says my nickname, "Lola" on it! This little surprise definitely made my morning! 

Monday mornings are always kind of rough...point proven: I topped my Greek yogurt with a squirt of honey from home and when I went to stir it, I realized that there was a plastic wrap on top of the yogurt. Fail! 

Luckily, I remembered that there were some honey sticks in the break room leftover from a project I worked on last year. The packaging of these honey sticks served as inspiration for a similar project for a different brand of honey. I snagged two of them and squeezed them into my yogurt before giving it another stir. Delicious! 

After work, I headed to Trader Joe's to pick up some groceries for the week. These Portabella mushrooms caught my eye and I quickly tossed them into the cart. The whole time I was shopping, I kept dreaming of a portabella mushroom burger with some gooey cheese on top.

And that's exactly what I made when I got home. It definitely hit the spot! 

To make the "burger," I simply sprayed my griddle pan with some non-stick spray and cooked the mushroom on both sides for a few minutes. I then added a slice of provolone cheese and let it cook for a few more minutes, just to melt the cheese. After it was done, I sliced it in half since it was so huge; half went on my toasted whole-wheat bun, while the other half was saved for another day. 

I topped that bad boy with avocado, onion slices, fresh tomato, red pepper, and lettuce. The crisp of the veggies combined with the gooey mushroom and cheese combo was outstanding! I can't wait to eat the other half this week for dinner.

In closing, I am obsessed with this song. I heard it on TV this weekend and have been blasting it ever since! Set Fire to the Rain // Adele = Amazing! Check it out if you're an Adele fan! That being said, off to work I go! Have a super day!

Do you like mushrooms?

Have you had a recent food / cooking fail lately?

What song have you had on repeat this week?

What are your nicknames?