Epic Fail

"Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate, first one says "Oh my, it's getting late"  

The BK and I don't have any children, at home, but that doesn't mean we don't like to carve a mean pumpkin...So we drive all over the county to find the best pumpkins we can. The BK decides, maybe, we should roast some pumpkin seeds. I'm not a huge fan, but I find a couple recipes on Pinterest. Mmmmmmm...Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Seeds sound uh~maz~zuh~ing! 

On a cold, rainy, fall Tuesday, we begin the carving process. And I begin the roasting process:

Step 1:

After digging the guts out of old Jack, place the seeds in a bowl of hot water. This makes it easier to get all the stringy guck off your seeds...

Step 2: 

Spread your seeds on a baking sheet and allow to dry overnight.

Step 3: 

Transfer your seeds to a mixing bowl...coat with 1 tbs of olive oil and add 3 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sweetener, combine well. *Note: the original poster used Truvia Baking Blend, but I chose to use Sugar in the Raw. 

Step 4:

Spread seeds, evenly, on baking sheet and bake in a 310 degree oven for 30 minutes. Spread seeds around, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

(I will admit a gigantic screw up...I read 3 tbsp on cinnamon instead of tsp! So I added a bit more olive oil and sugar. )

This was an epic fail. Epic. Fail. Oh, the cinnamon and sugar glaze tasted delicious...the seeds, however, had the texture of cardboard. I did a little digging around...it seems like the oven should've been set at 300 degrees and the seeds stirred more often. 

If you want to try this recipe, for yourself, you can find the original recipe here...
Maybe your attempt will be a success!!

                                 

not so MANIC MONDAY

"and eatin' hot chili...eatin' hot chili...i love hot chili..."

FLASHBACK yesterday
yeah. so. sometimes you only flashback 24 hours. duh. anyway, it was a rainy, cool, lazy sunday. the plan for the day? football. football. and, yes, football. it's the perfect day for a big bowl of chili.

















FLASH FORWARD today
looking for something easy and comforting for dinner on a cool, crisp, fall day? here is the perfect chili!

BIRD'S EASY CHILI

ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 15oz can light red kidney beans
1 15oz can dark red kidney beans
1 28oz can baked beans
1 26oz can spaghetti sauce
½ c chili powder
½ c sugar
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs pepper
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste (i cup my palm and fill for the perfect heat)

brown meat and onions until cooked thru. add all beans and spaghetti sauce. add spices *all spices can be added to taste*. let simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
yeah. it's that easy.

happy fall feasting!!

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"picture this - a sky full of thunder...picture this - my telephone number"










this week has been all about football, road trips, visits with family, puppy butts, and the taste of fall.

 ^my sick day vs the bk's great day! GO BUCKS!!^

^road trip treats^

^tunnel vision^

^fall beer^

^a favorite puppy^

^another favorite puppy^

^puppy butt^

^another puppy butt^

^look who's just hanging around^

^one of my spawn^

^another of my spawn^

^a throwback to simpler times^

^favorite taste of fall^

happy instagramming!!

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

"this is the shoe and these are our people..."
FLASHBACK september 4, 2013
the bk is busy, busy, busy making plans for tailgating at the shoe. *for those who don't know, but everyone should know, the shoe is the home of the osu buckeyes* all he is responsible for is the sound system. nope. not good enough for bk. out comes pinterest and tons of tailgating recipes.

FLASH FORWARD today
off the bk went, with two delicious dishes in tow! try them for your next tailgate adventure or football party!!

CANDIED BACON

ingredients:
¼ c brown sugar
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs maple syrup
black pepper to taste
1 lb thick cut bacon

preheat oven to 350〫. place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. place bacon on cooling rack and bake for 10 minutes. turn slices and bake for 5 additional minutes. 

mix brown sugar, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and black pepper in small bowl.

remove bacon and brush both sides with brown sugar mixture. return to oven and bake another 5 minutes. repeat basting until bacon is crispy and brown, approximately 35 minutes.

and BOOM!!

TAILGATE SANDWICHES

ingredients:
20 small hawaiian sweet rolls
1 lb black forrest ham (or meat of your choice)
20 slices of provolone cheese (or your choice)
8 oz container of softened cream cheese
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 tbs yellow mustard
1 tbs worchestshire sauce
2 tbs minced onions
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs poppy seeds (optional)

preheat oven to 350〫. lightly coat 9X13 pan with cooking spray. layer pan with bottom halves of rolls.  top with the ham. top ham with cheese. spread top halves of rolls with cream cheese and place on top of cheese, lining up with bottom halves.
in a medium bowl, mix butter, mustard, worchestshire sauce, minced onions, and parmesan cheese until well combined. pour evenly over sandwiches. sprinkle with poppy seeds.
cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. cut at seams and serve warm.

*note: we made up sandwiches the night before and heated the next morning. easy peasy.*

turns out they were a hit. pinterest successes!!
HAPPY PINNING!!

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"snapshot image froze without a sound..."

i've learned a few things in the past week, like: never leave your dishes for the next morning; dogs will protect you from zombie cats; and starbucks refreshers are delicious, low~cal, refreshing (duh doy, it's in the name) treats...

^my morning...every morning^

^early morning disaster^

^first pumpkin ale of the season AND cool label^

^her icing melted but it was still delicious^

^the boys of fall^

^my new favorite thing^

^hydration is important^

^almost the end of summer vegetables^

^stay away from her, she's a zombie^

^shadow dancing^

HAPPY INSTAGRAMMING!!

TASTY TUESDAY

you guys!! i came home from work, sunday, and the bk had cooked dinner. it was fabulous and i just had to share!!

HAWAIIAN CROCKPOT CHICKEN

ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts (original recipe called for 12 drumsticks)
1 c ketchup
1 c packed dark brown sugar
½ c soy sauce
1 tbs grated fresh ginger (or ¼ tbs ground, because who has fresh ginger just laying around)
a splash of sesame seed oil

cover chicken with sauce and cook, on high, for about 2 hours. shred chicken with a fork and return to crockpot. cook an additional 2~3 hours. (you can shred chicken before serving, he just preferred it to simmer in sauce a bit).

we served over jasmine rice with a side of sauteed vegetables. you could, also, serve on hawaiian bread as sliders.

happy crockpotting!!!

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"shake it, shake, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture..."











the past week has been all about good food, baseball, romantic walks, friendship, and pineapples.

^when pizza is healthy^

^riverboats on the ohio^

^a cardinal and her bk^

^ducks on a pond^

^haunted riverboats...it's a thing^

^big brother is watching you^

^beer and cookies are a good thing^

^everything is better in a pineapple glass^

^it was a hot and sunny day at the reds' game^

^yellow watermelon...a delicious and healthy treat^

happy instagramming!!