{body} Homemade Pumpkin Granola

Don't you just love Fall? 

I love the smell of the crisp air, the changing colors of the trees, the clothing, and the food. It is my favorite time of year by far. I especially love it this year because I am actually experiencing the season. Florida doesn't experience too many season changes besides hot and hotter. In Tallahassee, the leaves changed and it got pretty chilly during Fall but nothing compared to North Carolina. I cannot wait for it to actually get chilly!! We have had a cold front for the past three days and it is just beautiful.

As you know I just love all things pumpkin. I could probably incorporate into every meal, every day of the year. Luckily in Fall it is totally normal to have pumpkin coffee with pumpkin granola in yogurt for breakfast, pumpkin soup for lunch, pumpkin pasta for dinner, and pumpkin ice cream for dinner. Right?!?

This fall I am looking forward to apple picking, pumpkin carving, making chilis/soups/stews, the ACC Championship game in Charlotte (hopefully the Seminoles make it this year!!), wednesday kickball games, and hikes in local parks! 

I am so excited to be living in North Carolina and being able to experience a real Fall is going to be perfect!

This pumpkin granola is so delicious, easy, and pumpkiny (if that's a word). It is perfect on top of your greek yogurt with some strawberries or with soy milk for a quick and easy breakfast! The pumpkin spice seasoning and cinnamon add a warmth and spice to the granola. I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, SkinnyTaste. Homemade granola is super easy to make, cheaper than store bought, and you can personalize it with spices, dried fruit, and nuts of your choice!

Definitely make this when you are craving something pumpkin and want to switch up your morning meal!

Skinny Pumpkin Granola
Recipe Adapted from SkinnyTaste

Ingredients:
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed and dried)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (used whole wheat old fashioned)
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup light maple syrup
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp oil
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spread oats and quinoa on baking pan and toast in oven for about 10 minutes, turn once.
3. Remove oat mixture from oven and transfer to a book. mix in the ground flaxseed, almonds, and cranberries.
4. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees.
5. In a second bowl mix maple syrup, oil, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Combine well and add to oat mixture. Stir until combined and transfer back to the baking sheet in one layer.
6. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden
*sprinkle an additional amount of cinnamon/pumpkin spice if needed.

Enjoy!

{body} White Pork Chili

I hate being sick. I used to never get sick (at least not the typical colds and flus)...until I came to pharmacy school. Now I feel like I am sick every other week. I think it's because my brain is so focused on the material in class and then I stay up studying till around midnight every night. Now that doesn't seem late to most of you night owls but then I wake up around 5:30 am. I am an eight - ten hour of sleep a night girl. That is how I function! So this whole pharmacy school thing is messing with my beauty sleep.

This soup is the perfect cure for the sicklings in the world. It is very easy to make and is just as good as the typical chicken noodle soup. It has the mexican flare that you all know I love to add to my recipes. This soup will warm your soul and fix you up in no time flat!

The recipe originally calls for chicken "White Chicken Chili" but we made a pork roast in the crockpot for pork tacos early that week and have TONS of leftovers. If you haven't discovered the $3.99 pork roast at your grocery store...check it out! It is so cheap and will feed you for DAYS! It is amazing too because all you do is sear it in a pan and then pop it in the crockpot. It should be illegal how easy it is to make.

Make this soup on a rainy day, when you are feeling sick/sad/lonely/happy, or on a chilly night. It is sure to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I promise!

White Chicken (or Pork) Chili

Recipe credit: How to Simplify Blog

Ingredients:

•   1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

•   1 medium onion, diced

•   2 cups cooked chicken (I used shredded pork I made in the crockpot earlier, most people posted that they used rotisserie chicken to save time), shredded

•   2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

•   1 can corn, drained

•   1 can (4 ounces) green chilies

•   1/2 teaspoon cumin

•   1/2 teaspoon oregano

•   1 box (32 ounces) chicken broth

•   Kosher salt (to taste)

•   Pepper (to taste)

•   1 lime, juice

Directions:

1.       In a large pot, saute the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent.

2.            Once the onion is done, add shreds of chicken, Great Northern Beans, corn, green chilies (with juice from can), cumin and oregano to the large pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken broth.

3.            Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper (to taste) and juice from one whole lime. (You can add 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro if you desire. I personally don't like cilantro so I serve it as a side.)

4.            Leave simmering on stove until ready to serve.

*Serve with sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded Pepper Jack cheese, avocado or tortilla chips.

{recipe} Baked Portabella Parmesan

If you are craving Italian but you don't want the heaviness of a baked pasta or chicken parmesan - THIS is the dish to make! I am currently obsessed with portebella mushrooms. I love making sandwiches with them, stuffing them, and putting them in salad. I would probably eat them for every meal if I could. I find myself sometimes choosing the vegetarian route lately. I love vegetables and sometimes I just want a light meal instead of a meat heavy meal.

You don't miss the meat here at all. I made my roommate chicken parmesan the same time as making the mushroom parmesan! So if you have family members or friends who don't like mushrooms or prefer chicken, you can easy substitute the chicken for the mushrooms. It is a quick delicious Italian dish - very romantic with some wine and candle light :)

I am so happy that it is Friday! This is my last weekend of freedom before my hell month of tests begin. I think I am just going to spend it having a relaxing night alone tonight, go hiking to a local waterfall tomorrow and watch FSU play USF, and then have a lazy Sunday making pumpkin pancakes and studying.

Enjoy! Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!! 

Do you have any plans for the weekend? 

Baked Portobello Parmesan

Recipe Credit: One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1 cup (3-oz.) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley, divided use

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use

3/4 cup egg substitute

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon marjoram leaves

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano leaves

4 large (5 to 6-inches wide) stemmed potobello mushrooms, brushed clean

1-1/2 cups (6-oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup commercially prepared "light" tomato sauce

Cooking spray

Directions:

1.    Position a baking rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 17-1/2 x 11-3/4 baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a 16-1/2 x 11-1/2-inch wire cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Mist rack with cooking spray. Set aside.

2.   Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons parsley, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow pan. Mix well. Set aside.

3.   In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute, remaining 1 teaspoon salt. pepper, marjoram, garlic powder and oregano. Mix well.

4.    Dip both sides of mushrooms into egg mixture. Dredge in crumb mixture until both sides are completely coated. Transfer, stem side down, to prepared wire rack. Spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove pan form oven.

5.   Reset oven thermostat to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, carefully turn mushrooms stem side up. Cover each mushroom with 2 tablespoons of remaining Parmesan cheese, 1/4 of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Spray tops lightly. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and mushrooms are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer mushrooms to a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

{recipe} Whole Wheat Banana Peach Muffins

Its peach season! Peaches are 99 cents a pound at the grocery store and something that I cannot pass up. I can't resist a juicy fresh peach on a sunny day. They are so refreshing right out of the fridge but somehow become even better baked in a crisp or muffins. When I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs I knew I had to make it. It would be the perfect quick breakfast on its own or even better crumbled into my greek yogurt. Needless to say after a week most of the muffins are already gone. Did I mention that the muffins are SUPER healthy. No sugar, eggs, or butter. These are truly nutrient dense and guilt free. What is not to love?

Whole Wheat Banana Peach Muffins
Recipe from Eat, Live, Run
Makes 14-16 Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup whole wheat old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup light maple syrup
1/2 vegetable oil
2 bananas, mashed
3 large peaches, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together maple syrup, oil, and mashed bananas.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold in peaches. Stir only until combined.
4. Fill a greased muffin tin with the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm!

{recipe} Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

I love cooking but not when I have to cook for one. For some reason if I have to cook for myself I end up making a PB&J and call it a night. It is very difficult to portion size and create a good meal for one person. So my roommate and I decided we are going to do family meals three times a week. Which means I can come up with healthy and easy meals for two! I think cooking for two is a great skill but sometimes difficult when most recipes are made for 4-6 people.

When cooking on a budget you buy in bulk when things are on sale, freeze, and meal plan. I ended up getting a pound ground turkey breast for $1.98. It was a steal! So naturally I bought 2 packages and froze them in 1/2 pound portions. They are perfect for quick defrosting and throwing into weeknight meal. 

When I made a meal plan for the next two weeks, meatloaf was on my mind. Meatloaf is something that reminds me of my mom. She makes the best meatloaf muffins and it one of my favorite meals. I decided to lighten up my mom's meatloaf by using turkey instead of ground beef. I also added some mexican flair by adding cumin to the mix. If you don't know this about me by now - I love mexican food. I cook a lot of it at home and love a good mexican meal out! So I am constantly adding mexican flavors or cooking with mexican ingredients at home. Healthy mexican? Yes please!

This meatloaf is was so moist and guilt free. It hit the spot after a long day of studying. Healthy comfort food is the best. Make this soon!

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Recipe adapted from Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Makes 4 Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground turkey breast

1/4 yellow onion, diced

1/4 green pepper, diced

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

4 TBS soy milk

1 egg

1 TBS dijon mustard

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp thyme 

1/2 tsp light brown sugar.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

2. Saute onion and green pepper in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Cool before adding to ground turkey. 

3. Combine bread crumbs and milk. Stir until combined. Add to ground turkey.

4. Add remaining ingredients to the turkey and mix until combined.

5. Spray a muffin with nonstick spray and separate the mixture into 4 equal muffins. 

6. Bake for 35 minutes and enjoy!