Dedicated to my October Obsessions!

Hello world! I'm so excited to say that Autumn is in the air and the Fall feelings are right! I know it is only September and this blog is titled Dedicated to October Obsessions, but I am SO one step ahead...all the time. If you know me you can atest to the fact that I am very impatient and when I get excited about something, that is ALL you will hear from me until my obsession is met. So since it is the middle of September, I figured that was an invitation to go ahead and talk about my "October Obsessions."

First of all I would like to talk about the fact that I am in LOVE with Halloween movies. Scary, non-scary, doesn't matter to me. I like 'em all! Here are a few of my FAVES that I make a point to watch every year:

Numero Uno...of course!

 

Not necessarily Halloween but I like to sneak it in there :)

I know, I know...they are all Disney movies but they are the BEST! :) These I can watch over and over again year after year. Actual scary movies...not so much.

Lets talk about food and beverage next shall we?

I know I have already informed yall about my Pumpkin Spiced Lattes, Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin Ravioli if you forgot heres a reminder:

Along with these little gems, I am also addicted to:

Apple Cider

Marble Slab Pumpkin Ice Cream...yes it's true!

Pumpkin Loaf

Also, I'm a huge fan of seasonal beers. These are DE-LISH:

Ok so aside from food and drink, there are definitely other Fall traditions that I love to be a part of.  I LOVE and miss dearly decorating my house for this season. However, I'm glad my mother shares my same passion for decorating and being festive as I do and although they aren't my own decorations, she does a great job of putting us all in the mood around the house.

Other fun events I like to take part in include: Carving pumpkins, hayrides, going to haunted houses, etc...

Doo Dee, Doo Dee, Doo Dee, Doo Dee (Twilight Zone?)

So Scott and I are debating on whether or not we want to go out this Halloween. Call me an old grandma if you will, but I just don't feel like going out and purchasing an expensive costume anymore like old times, to wear to some mediocre party. It would be a totally different story if we attended a party like the parents on Hocus Pocus but just to go to a house party, I'd rather save my money and just go in my regular clothes. So this year we are thinking of just staying in, watching movies, drinking one of the delicious beers posted above, and passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters. If we were to change our minds, this is my costume idea:

Audrey Hepburn

Minus the long black dress, substitute a short black dress :)

Thursday, in observance of the first day of Fall, I will be making dinner. This is what will be on the menu:

Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

 Ingredients:

24 jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
22 ounces ricotta cheese
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 large egg white
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jar (26 ounces) purchased tomato sauce

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer to a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, 3/4 cup Romano and all remaining ingredients except tomato sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread sauce in bottom of 13-by-9-inch pan. Fill each pasta shell with pumpkin-ricotta mixture. Arrange in pan. Cover pan with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle shells with remaining Romano. Bake 15 minutes longer.



TaTa for now!

Fabulous Fall Feelings!

Hello again! I know it has been awhile since I have last posted on here, my life has been on a non-stop flight to Crazytown capital being Stressville. I have been overloaded with assignments from my 5 classes this semester. I'm definitely looking forward to some sort of a break. I have a little bit of down time so I figured I'd do a little posty-post :)

Lets start out with these Fall feelings shall we?

First things first, this weather has been AH-MAZING! It is such a nice relief from this triple digit Texas heat we've been experiencing. I'm a big caffeine drinker and it has been so difficult to enjoy a nice cup-of-joe. I either have to drink it iced (which I don't mind) or drink sweet tea (which I definitely don't mind) to get my caffeine fix because it has just been too hot to drink a hot cup of coffee. Well not anymore! Starbucks is now serving there fall drinks including my absolute FAVORITE Pumpkin Spiced Latte. I have talked about my love for Fall and Pumpkin Spiced Lattes before but just in case you have forgotten, here's a reminder:

If you haven't tried a PSL, I highly recommend it. It feels so good to go to Starbucks after the sun has gone down a tad, order one of these little gems, and sit outside and enjoy this fabulous weather! Just a suggestion...

Along with the PSL, Starbucks makes a great pumpkin loaf. I'm pretty much obsessed with pumpkin anything. One of the major things I miss about living in Austin is Kerbey Lane's Pumpkin Pancakes. OMG yum! Here is a recipe I have found for them:

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sugar

1 pound can pumpkin

4 eggs

4 cups milk

1/2-ounce baking powder

1/8-ounce ground nutmeg

1/8-ounce ground clove

1/8-ounce ground cinnamon

1/2-ounce salt

1 2/3 cups oil

1 pound all-purpose flour

1 pound cake flour

2 ounces baking powder

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients, except the oil, to a large bowl. Mix well, then slowly whisk in the oil until completely incorporated.

Mix the all-purpose flour, the cake flour and the baking powder together in a large bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the desired amounts of batter to the skillet and cook

until bubbles appear on the top of the pancake. Turn and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. Arrange the pancakes on a serving platter and serve.

*These Pumpkin Pancakes with a Pumpkin Spiced Latte would be a great way to start your Fall morning off Fabulous! :)

While grocery shopping, My mother and I found a recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli. I was a little unsure about this at first but being as how I'm OBSESSED with pumpkin anything, we bought it and I can't wait to give it a try.

Moving right along, I had to pick up the new InStyle Magazine while out running errands because I couldn't stand any longer not knowing what the new Fall fashions would be. To a great surprise here are the colors that will be in style this Fall...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE:

I am so excited! I love the bright look. Intense hues were in for Spring and there was no reason to tone it down for the following season. Fabulous! Here are some other Fall trends I will definitely be following:

Lace

Striped Pants

Edgy Blazer with Leather Leggings

Houndstooth

Necktie Blouse

*Time to go shopping!!

Random, but seeing Kelly Rowlands bangs really makes me miss mine. The past few years, around this time, I usually darken my hair and get blunt bangs. I'm thinking I need to make a hair appointment soon! Martha!!! (My hairdresser)

Last but not least, my sister was telling me about this new creative idea she had heard about from one of her friends (shout out Melinda) It's called painting with a twist. Melinda and her mother tried it and it looked like they had a lot fun. I was looking through her pictures and it seems like a interesting way for you and your girlfriends to do something new and out of the norm. You bring your own bottle of wine and follow along with a local artist who walks you through the steps of creating your own masterpiece. "It's a little bit of paint, a little bit of wine, and a whole lot of fun!" I love the idea!

TaTa for now!