Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Summer & Fall Highlights

What to post about next???

A friend recently suggested that I start blogging, to which I replied that I actually do have a blog, but haven't posted anything for MONTHS!

So, I started thinking...where should I start? I have had such an eventful year, I don't know what to share first!

I could write about our summer house renovations, our 5-year anniversary trip to Costa Rica, all the delicious pumpkiny fall foods I made, coaching soccer, baby showers, or the crafts that I have been attempting. I have been so blessed by having so many experiences and adventures, and so many opportunities to exercise our creativity.

So, to remedy this dilemma, I will attempt to give just the highlights. First, because food is a big part of my life, I'll highlight the foods that marked major parts of the past few months.

In the summer, to fuel our house-renovating selves, I made bagels!
They were fun to make, and tasted delicious--my dad was such a big fan, I had to make them again the next time he visited! If you use the link above, and don't have malt syrup, you can substitute molasses (that's what I did!).
Favorite toppings: minced garlic (bottled), sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.



In August, we took a special 5-year anniversary trip to Costa Rica, where we were spoiled with delicious fresh fruit and Gallo Pinto every day! When we got back, we had to try to re-create Gallo Pinto at home. It couldn't quite compare to the original deliciousness, but it was still pretty darn tasty! It's also very cheap to make, and makes a big batch! The trick, however, is Salsa Lizano, which we had to buy there and bring back with us.

My favorite time of year for baking and cooking is fall. As soon as the weather turned slightly cooler, I stocked up on cans of pumpkin, donned my apron, and away I went!

There are certain dishes that have become annual traditions for us.

  1. Butternut Squash White Bean Soup (SO tasty!)
  2. Pumpkin Turkey Chili (yummy & healthy--we usually add a few diced habaneros to this recipe)
  3. Creamy Pumpkin Brown Rice (makes a a huge batch and is great with chicken sausage!)


This fall I went pumpkin-crazy! I made pumpkin pancakes (without the streussel) which were delish! There's nothing like steaming hot pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup, and hot coffee on a Saturday morning!



I had also previously made granola bars, so then I made pumpkin granola bars which were a combination of these and these. =)


I found a recipe from Cooking Light for Pumpkin Pound Cake which I had to go out and get a bunt cake pan just to make--totally worth it (although the first time I made it I accidentally used twice as much butter as the recipe called for...)!






Pumpkin Apple Pie (left)
and Cranberry Apple Pie (right) on Thanksgiving
For Halloween and Thanksgiving (and multiple get-togethers in between!) I made a new recipe from Whole Foods: Pumpkin Apple Pie! It's perfect for someone like me who can never decide between Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie! Plus, it's delish.

That's pretty much it for the tasty highlights of the last few months, but at this very moment I have a batch of Gingerbread Men dough in the fridge! Mmmm!

4 comments:

  1. Welcome back, Rach! Glad you shared :)

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  2. I am drooling!!!! Where's the bagel recipe? The New Yorker in me MUST try to make them!

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  3. I am going to try that bagel recipe! Did you pin it?

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  4. The bagel recipe is a hyperlink, so if you just click on the word "bagel" the window should open up...if it doesn't work, let me know!

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