Pumpkin for Breakfast

 I wanted to tackle my roommate when she came in with this bag of candy corn from CVS (on sale for 89 cents!). When I was really little I hated candy corn with a passion. Give me anything Reeses or a Twix bar and I was one happy trick-or-treater, but I dreaded those yellow, orange, and white striped candies. Then one year my mom bought a bag of pumpkin caramel corn -- they're shaped like pumpkins, they aren't pumpkin flavored like one of my friends who shall remain nameless thought -- and was in love. I couldn't stop popping them in my mouth. I'm still not a huge fan of candy corn, but I love the pumpkin candies. I don't know why, but I promise you they taste different.

We put the candy corn next to our bowl of Dum Dums -- also on sale at CVS, too good to pass up

I think my taste buds are just weird when it comes to pumpkin. My strange tastes don't only apply to the candy pumpkin impostors but to the squash itself. I hate pumpkin pie. There. I said it. In all honesty, there are very few pies I like, but everyone seems to be most upset with me not liking the Thanksgiving staple. Again, I can't tell you why, I'm just not a fan. BUT (time for the contradiction) I LOVE pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin ravioli, basically "pumpkin" anything except pumpkin pie.

My favorite meal of the day is by far breakfast. All my favorite foods can be enjoyed in the morning, plus I get to sit and watch How I Met Your Mother and The Office while I eat. However,  I'm a creature of habit and tend to eat the same breakfast each day. To spice things up, I've been adding canned pumpkin to some of my favorite breakfast items. In addition to providing a wonderful fall taste, the pumpkin also contributes an awesome nutritional boost:

1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin provides: 

• 44 calories with 0 fat
• 4g fiber
• 4g natural sugar
• 280% of your daily Vit A 
• It's also a good source of calcium, potassium, iron, and Vit E

Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

In my Rice Crispe Bowl!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Scottish oats
1/4 cup Rolled oats
1 1/4 cup water
2 giant spoon fulls of canned pumpkin
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Splash of vanilla extract

Place oats and water in pot and bring to a boil
Once boiling, reduce to low, put pumpkin and spices in, and place lid over pot. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
Stir oats and check to see if they are at the right consistency for you -- I like mine very thick, so you may need to add water
Remove from heat and pour into favorite breakfast bowl

I often like to place a couple dots of peanut butter in the bowl and then pour the oatmeal over the peanut butter to melt it.


MUCH Better than Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

 The players: Coffee Press, ground coffee, canned pumpkin, original almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg (not pictured), and vanilla extract

 What you do:
Prepare coffee. While coffee is brewing, place 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg in a pot. Place over medium-low heat and gently stir until hot -- do not let boil! Once hot, remove from stove. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk the mixture until it becomes frothy. Pour coffee into mug then pour in the pumpkin mix.

 PLEASE PLEASE try making this! I would imagine it would taste phenomenal with vanilla almond milk -- anyone tried it? If you use regular skim milk, you may need to add some brown sugar for sweetness. Oh! And keep the spoon handy and stir periodically while drinking. I didn't and some of the spices clumped together at the bottom making for a weird last couple sips.

Half way through the week! I'm especially excited because that means I'm that much closer to seeing Boy & Bear on Saturday night! Be sure to check out their stuff on YouTube

--Kelli

How I'm Staying Sane

Two presentations and an exam this week. Two exams the following week. Don't forget work. At both jobs. Oh ya and go to class. And actually pay attention. Throw in a student counsel meeting and a club meeting here and there, and you get junior year. Every night my roommate and I come back to our cozy apartment and pass out in front of an episode of the Office or Grey's (such great season openers for both!). Junior year is the ultimate mental-stability test, and so far I'm passing. Yes it's crazy. My colorful Google Calendar is evidence of it. Yet somehow I'm completely in love with this year so far. About 80% of my happiness is due to that I'm finally doing work that I love and am passionate about. The other 10% is thanks to a bunch of randomness, which I've listed below. Hopefully some of these things can help keep you sane too!

The other 10%:

1. My Coffee Press

Greatest invention. No worries about burnt coffee or remembering to set the timer. You just simply pour in boiling water and a tablespoon or so of ground coffee beans, and you have a perfectly rich, full-bodied cup of coffee ready in 5 minutes. Coffee + Almond Milk + Dark Chocolate Syrup = My survival strategy for this semester.

2. Vera Bradley Mugs my roommate and I got at Good Will for 99 cents a piece

No cup of coffee or tea is complete without the perfect mug to drink it out of.

3. Veggie Galaxy and LifeAlive

Two AWESOME all-vegetarian restaurants in Central Square. It’s a very good thing I don’t go to MIT because all my money would be blown on vegan chocolate cakes; warm, flavorful bowls of nutritious amazingness, and make your own veggie burgers with the most amazing sun-dried tomato spread and bacon tempeh (sounds odd but trust me it’s delicious). Look for my reviews of both places complete with mouth-watering pictures soon!!

4. City and Colour’s Bring Me Your Love and Little Hell albums

Check out both of these albums. I’ve listened to at least one track everyday since August. New obsession.

5. Pearl Jam’s Just Breathe and Last Kiss

I started every day this week with either one of these songs. Pretty sure I had Last Kiss on repeat all day yesterday. Love Eddie Vedder.

6. Guiltless

Guiltless is a truly amazing blog by Elizabeth Jarrad and Stephanie Horton. The purpose of the blog is for people to share their stories about their relationships with food and what they love about themselves and their bodies. This blog is so wonderfully positive and the posts give you that glow inside that can only come from realizing how truly beautiful you are. PLEASE check them out!

7. My version of Peanut Butter Puffins

Yes you can go to the store and buy a big box of peanut butter puffins and they will be delicious. OR you can go my route and get not only the flavor of peanut butter, but the creamy texture as well. Pour a bowl of original puffins in a bowl then add a small amount of almond milk (I use the original flavor, the unsweetened just doesn’t do it for me). For the final touch, I add a small spoon-full of natural peanut butter.

8. My new “Floor” playlist

Every night before going to bed I put on this playlist and do yoga in the living room. Phil Collins, Sia,and Band of Horses are just a few of the essentials to wind down.

Stay Sane!
Kelli