Tasty Tidbits

Here's another throwback picture for you. Dad has a moustache! Yikes...  Also, Mom with pigtails?! I love seeing my parents & grandparents looking so young. Mommom's laughing & it's just perfect. :-) 

I know I keep saying how I love fall, but seriously! I love fall! Mom bought us a HUGE neck pumpkin, so I'm going to roast that soon. I've never seen one so big. I'll take a picture & share soon. 

Last weekend, we borrowed my in-laws' truck to take our unsightly pile of yard waste to the local compost depository. This was load 1 of 2. Apparently we were hoarding yard waste...there were 2 old Christmas tree skeletons in the pile. Now we have a big bare spot in the back of the yard where the grass died. Time to start a new pile. This time we're going to try to clear it out more frequently.

It should be a good weekend. The grapes come in for wine making & I'm hoping to see one of my best friends.  Yay!

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Pineapple Coconut Granola
• Berry Boost Smoothies
• Katie's Oatmeal Pancakes topped with Angela's Lightened Up Raw Pecan Pumpkin Butter - These are super easy pancakes to make & they were light & fluffy.
• Summer's Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal - I was surprised how much the peanut butter shines through in this! I thought it wouldn't, since it's only 1/4 cup. I'll definitely make this again, though I think I'll leave out the maple syrup...it's a little sweeter than I like my breakfasts to be.
• Bananas

Lunches

• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Variation on Angela's Delicata Squash Salad - I used half an avocado in the dressing instead of hemp seeds & it worked well. Lots of flavor!
• Corn on the cob
• Celery, carrots, & crackers with roasted garlic hummus
• Apples, kiwi, & watermelon

Dinners

Saturday:

• Beard & Bonnet's “Pulled” Cauliflower BBQ Sandwich - This was a very different way to prep cauliflower, but it was yummy & super easy. I want to try it again with some slight variations to give it a little more bbq flavor.
• Roasted potato wedges
• Balsamic cherry tomatoes
• Green salad

Sunday:

• Angela's Luxurious 7-Vegetable and “Cheese” Soup - We always love a good soup! This one was perfect for fall & we had lots of leftovers for lunches during the week.
• Green salad

Monday:

• Martha Stewart's One Pan Pasta - Our new go-to pasta...until the tomatoes & basil run out, at least. Then I'm going to try some variations!

Tuesday:

• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• Leftover bulgur & roasted potato wedges

Wednesday:

• Taco salads with lettuce, cucumbers, black beans, onions, corn, peppers, & double fire roasted salsa 
• Mango guacamole with lime tortilla chips

Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir

• Two bean & rice chili
• Cornbread
• Zucchini & tomato salad

Friday:

• Grilled pizza topped with pesto, bbq sauce, onions, mushrooms, & peppers

Treats

• Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Macaroons
• Rainbow Snow for ice cream - they closed on Monday, so last weekend we met friends there. Until next year, pb soft serve!
• Jessica's Amaretto Apple Crisp - I cut back on the amount of sugar (and used coconut sugar instead of brown), used brown rice flour in place of regular, tripled the amount of apples, & used coconut oil instead of butter. Simple replacements, to make it a bit healthier & less sweet. I always struggle with crisps being overly sweet. I prefer the fruit to shine through. The addition of amaretto, which was what called me to this recipe, was definitely a great decision. It makes the flavors really pop!
• Mom's apple turnover - Yum! Tis the season for apples. :-)