Food

Seasonal Snacks

Sometimes things are just better when they are bite sized! I'll take canapés and mingling over a sit down dinner any day. I make these every Fall and this year MK requested them basically as soon as Fall...fell. With the smell of Pumpkin candles flooding the air and a not so coincidental Pumpkin beer in hand, I certainly was in the mood for Mini Pumpkin Pie making!

image.jpg

You can make these exactly how you make a normal pumpkin pie but here is my recipe:

For the crust:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup  oil
  • A splash of water as needed

Mix everything together and then form into greased muffin tins.

For the filling:

  • 1 can pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, mix all of your ingredients until smooth, put 1/3 cup filling in each pie crust, bake 20-25 minutes or until the centers are about set.

Enjoy! 

, ,

Marseille, You Say?

, ,

For as long as I can remember it has been a dream of mine to get to go to France. I just love the culture, the language and we mustn't forget the fashion! When MK and I were planning this trip and deciding where to go France was a must for me. Also just for the record, all those people who say French people aren't nice are wrong. All of the locals we ran into along the way were so sweet and accommodating. Here is the view of our first stop Marseille, France. 

We were lucky enough to stumble upon a local fresh fish market and by fresh I mean directly off the boat! These fisherman were gutting the fish they had just caught and selling them to the lined up natives. I don't believe it gets any more fresh than that.

This café was the first of many food stops and one that won't soon be forgotten. If there is one thing that you should do in France it's eat a baguette and some pastries which is exactly what we did. The stereotype of French people being mean might not be true but the one about them taking their bread very seriously certainly is! It was almost comical that most every person on the street had a baguette in their handbag! 

These fancy pastries were laced with chocolate and melted in your mouth. What I'd give to have the recipe!

With your baguette and pastry, a glass is champagne is pretty much required. Clearly in this photo I am in deep thought. Probably about how delicious that drink is. My dream of going to France? Well it was amplified by getting to stroll the quaint streets eating macaroons! I felt like I was in a fairytale!

After eating some amazing macaroons and champagne I was on cloud nine; and then we found the shopping district! Getting to see the current styles in Europe was just a fantastic experience. I loaded up on all the latest and took in every second of this experience.

At this point I am really thinking that there was no way the day could get any better. Then, this too good for any kind of word pizza was placed in front of me and my world as I knew it was changed. A little dramatic? Maybe. But really, this pizza was to this day my favorite of all the pizza sampling we did. A thin crust filled to the brim with prosciutto, mozzarella, parmesan, arugula, spinach, olives, and cherry tomatoes that were so fresh it almost brought a tear to my eye! Wine and pizza. I really don't know of a more complete meal.

Mk's choice was a little less involved with cheese, and sausage but was certainly packed with flavor and deliciousness. I'd fly right back here just to have these pizza's again!

One thing about the two of us is that we love hats! My Forever 21 find back in May was my go to hat all season. It went with just everything.

Marseille was just a gorgeous little fishing town full of great food and people. For as much as we packed in here, it was hard to believe we were only at the start of our adventure. Next up is Villa France...

It's Getting A Little...Chili

Welcome Fall!

It is an amazing thing to leave for a trip in the summer and come back to a complete season change. I appreciate the chill in the air and need for a sweater just a little bit more. A tradition of mine is to make a huge batch of Chili as soon as Fall starts. Letting the hearty dish simmer for hours and the delicious smell lingering through the house all day really added an extra thrill to welcoming Fall back once more. 

image.jpg

Here is my easy and lower cal Chili dish recipe:

  • 2 pounds lean ground meat
  • A spoonful of chopped garlic
  • Half an onion
  • 3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 15oz can of tomato sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 15 oz spicy chili beans (I don't put these in as both MK and I don't love them in our Chili)

Put some oil in a pot, add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions are translucent. Add you meat and brown, then add your tomatoes, sauce, and everything else.