Well then.

Ok, I’ll admit. I haven’t been entirely faithful to my goal this week for reasons I can’t say on this blog. (Too traceable, you know.) I promise I’m getting back into it tomorrow, either by walking around Helen, GA or by walking around a creepy 200 year old graveyard. Both sound… about the same.

But… I’ve just been a bum lately! More like a fall junkie… I feel like it’s finally fall now. The windows are open, there’s a chill in the air at night, and our house stays cool enough without the AC on. Good times.

Thanks to not depositing paychecks for over a month, I’m up to a hefty sum in our bank account when i finally do, and while I’m stashing most of it away for bills or “just in case,” I just want a new, cool, fall outfit. The catch is that I’m forcing myself to only spend $70. So, here it is, starting with what I want most:

Target boots. LOVE! $29.99, Old Navy Tunic, $24.99, Target leggings, $5.74

Just a minute, folks. Can we talk about those Target boots for just a minute? Those are a freaking STEAL. And let’s not forget that Target has some amazing Frye boot knockoffs and some cute cuffed booties right now too… I might have a plethora of boots by Christmas that are actually affordable… imagine.

Also, to Old Navy, for the love of all that is good… stop pushing your bell sleeved sweater dress. It is NEVER cute. ever, ever, ever.

Ok, discussion over. This will be mine!

progress.

Well, so far I’ve done something “walking” every day of the 100-day challenge – I cleaned and walked on Thursday, walked and had a picnic on Friday, walked around downtown Clemson on Saturday and today I vacuumed (by hand with the tiny attachment) the downstairs, stairs and upstairs hallway, did dishes, swept the kitchen, did two loads of laundry and cleaned the air intake filter while Chad cleaned the living room and dining area… so our house is cleaner and I am pooped!

But that’s not what I’m excited about. Nope, not a bit… I found out we will be home for Halloween! (My mom’s birthday is on the 30th. I haven’t been outside of Charleston for halloween in three years… and that wast the first time ever.) It’s on a Sunday, and Chad has things to do on Monday, so we have to be back. I am so excited to give out candy! I think I probably didn’t mention the fact that at my parents’ house, they live a bit off from the rest of the neighborhood so there are usually only one or two trick or treaters each year, and I’ve never been the one to hand out candy.

Of course, we still live in a college town and in a sort-of-college housing area, so who knows if we’ll actually get kids? But we’re decorating and we bought candy tonight:

I’ll take pictures of our pumpkin carving and house decorating adventures when the time comes. But for now – what are youuuuu doing for halloween? Oh, and stay tuned for tomorrow/Tuesday’s post – we’re going to a two-hundred year old graveyard tomorrow afternoon to walk and take pictures! Nothing puts you more in the Halloween mood than that, right?

a sampling of veggies.

Here are a few of the vegetarian recipes I want to try soon. I made it a goal in my 101 in 1001 to try to eat veggie for a week, which hasn’t happened yet – but I am working on getting us to eat more vegetarian meals! Enjoy

Udon with Bok Choy and Poached Egg

Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

Three Mushroom Pastry

Squash Calzone

This month:

Going to make a vintage sheet quilt, hand-quilting the squares and then machine-quilt assembly.

I know, that sounds ambitious. I just really am falling in love with the look of vintage sheets – besides the fact that they’re already soft, here’s some of my inspiration:

Those two beauties are from SewChic and you can buy them in their etsy if they have any left… but they are baby-sized.

And these cool quilts are from this flickr group. Basically, I have my work cut out for me, but I don’t mind. I like the casual feeling of these quilts, but linen-hunting might take a while. Here’s to hoping the thrift stores around me have a wide selection!

It’s starting to feel like fall with cooler temperatures at night and I think a nice warm blanket might be the solution as to how we’re getting through this cold winter with as little heat use as possible – I hate turning the heat on, it’s so drying.

On another note: chicken breasts + leeks + apples + sage + thyme + celery salt = gooooooooooood.

My crockpot has a first name, it’s Y-u-m-m-y!

I’ve been crock-potting it up lately, mostly because it is fall and yet still so hot! The crockpot gets less hot than my stove or oven.

This weekend we had a dinner party and the first course was a delicious butternut squash soup… it tastes like fall in a bowl.

How to make it (simplified for 4-5 people)!

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 24 oz container low fat no added sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• pinch nutmeg
• garnish (not optional–really changes the soup!): lowfat sour cream

Cut the squash into 1″ cubes, and put it and the liquids into the crock pot for 8 hours on low. Using a stick blender, puree the squash in the pot. Add the spices and let simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Dish up and add a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Boone, ho!

This weekend, Chad & I will be setting out with five friends to go spend five days in Boone, NC at his family’s cabin. It’s exciting, because I’ve been there before and it’s a really pretty place! We’re also taking engagement photos there, but I’m really excited for:

Sugar Mountain Oktoberfest! YEAH! Unfortunately, our trip to Boone means we’ll be missing Fall for Greenville and the Pumpkintown Pumpkin festival, but we think that being in the mountains makes fall a little more authentic! We’ll also be going to the one in Helen, GA the weekend after–how exciting.

Meanwhile, around here we’ve been eating healthy, but no new recipes for me to share yet. I have quite a few marked off to try, so later this week I’ll post one that works out!

In the meantime, how about we enjoy this classic favorite, which can also be used with artificial/non-sugar sweetener and lowfat cream cheese: Pumpkin Cream Cheese.

Also, I got to IKEA again this weekend, one of the many things I did (and boy, were there quite a few things to do this weekend)! We picked up some new candleholders and apple & cinnamon scented tealights, along with a dish for the balls of yarn idea found here, but in fall colors. Along with my fall wreath and the weather, I think I am so ready for fall to be here!

Phew, what a week…or so.

well, it has been quite a week. I have been so sick with… H1N1! i Now that I’m back in commission (though still weak), Mandy and I have set a weight loss goal because… I found the dress! And Mandy just wants to lose the last little bit she needs to lose before she gets her MOH dress.

So, of course, I’ve been aiming for healthy (yet still tasty) meals this week. Tonight’s choice was pasta, salad and a roll, yum!

Get ready for fall!

Now that school’s in, tailgating’s back, cooler weather has arrived and I’m stressing about wedding stuff–it’s FALL!

I thought I’d share that this weekend, I am aiming to try to create Pie Pops from Bakerella’s blog… I hope they go well! I want them to be a delicious fall treat, but I gotta experiment first.

I also realized that I need to start thinking of what my halloween costume is going to be… gasp! These few weeks are going to FLY BY.

And finally… The Office starts back next week, so we’re having an Office Party–Chad is going to be Andy, and I’m going as Kelly! I love The Office. I love it so much I watch it almost every day… Season Five COMES OUT TODAY!!!!!! You have no idea how much I love life right now.

Finally, a recipe that we used for tailgating this weekend, that everyone called “Bacon Wrapped Pork/Heart Attack on a Stick”

• One pack bacon slices, cut into short slices down the middle
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• One pack Lit’l Smokies, BEEF.

Basically, wrap them, throw the brown sugar on top and put in the oven.  We baked them on 350 for 20 minutes, then turned the broiler on for 3-5; watch carefully at that point! These are SO bad for you, we cannot be held responsible. Just don’t eat a lot of them–let everyone else do that work for you.

pre-fall.

this week has been amazingly fall-like in temperature, though it’s ending pretty slowly. it sucks, but I guess that’s just something I gotta deal with! to celebrate the fallness though, I did two things tonight:

1. Made Pumpkin Bread from this amazing recipe, follow the link! I did two things differently: added 1/4 cup rum-soaked raisins; there was about .75 oz of rum in the raisins/dumped in from the bowl. Also, added walnuts. I am not aware of how much spice I used either, I just kind of

If I could have done something different now, I would have raised the rack in the oven (it was a little low) and I would have added 1/2 cup more Pumpkin… seriously though, as-is, that recipe is delicious!

2. Bought Martha Stewart Halloween. Wow. Glitter skeletons and pumpkin owls and what-have-you. I’ve decided I like fall a LOT more than Halloween decor… ick!

Stay tuned, because this weekend is the Apple Festival, Clemson First Friday, our first football game and… hopefully… Pie Pops from Bakerella!

putting off a cold slumber. (t minus six hours until wake up)

it is downright frosty outside. the mountain areas of our local tv coverage are getting snow. that is still foreign to me that you have two different areas, different CLIMATES, covered by the same “local” channels.

so we are still going heatless. our electric bill was $21 less this month! I know, it seems kind of dumb–it’s $10 a person so why not pay it, right? But last month we left a LOT of lights on all night, or when we left. We’re trying to see if we keep the lights off, unplug the things we’re not using and keep the heat off if we can bring it down to $35 less per month. it helps that we’ll be gone for three or four days. (For comparison purposes: we have a two bedroom, two bath apartment with about 900-1000 square feet of living space. Our normal monthly bill is around $65-$72 dollars. This month’s bill was $50 after last month’s bill being $71.) It really doesn’t feel like a drag to have the heat off until you’re really cold, but mandy and I bundle up. We’ve gotten used to wearing socks around the house, to cuddling up under blankets. Two things make it really warm in our house (without using the oven or dishwasher for extra heat–we do that anyways): one thing is to burn candles! they do put out a lot of heat. Create a nice candle garden on your coffee table and keep your hands and feet toasty–and it doesn’t suck out heat like a standard fireplace. another thing we do is to keep the halogen track lights on for about 2 hours before bed. those things heat up a room like nobody’s business.

So anyways. We’re having a “college family” thanksgiving–all our friends are contributing food and drink and we’re meeting up at Chads/Nathans/Justins to chow down, i do believe. It’s nice to get together with them since I’m missing thanksgiving with my extended family. I mean, I could go down, but there’s really no point in going if i have to leave again on sunday then come back tuesday. LAME. But i’m making green bean casserole and bringing rolls and mandy is making an apple pie… yum! and betsy is bringing brown rice and nathan’s doing the turkey and kel is bringing pecan pie and some sort of pineapple casserole (i hope its the one i was going to make) and kit is making sweet potato souffle and carmen is making stuffing and gravy! I might throw in an extra veggie dish or something because i think we’re going to have a carb heavy meal if i don’t… some corn or baby limas or a squash casserole. haha. i’m excited. thanksgiving is such a relaxed and fun time.

also! I am baking pumpkin cookies this week so that chad and I can take some home to our respective families. I’m excited, I do hope they turn out like Granny Zuercher’s. (It’s a fabulous converted house bakery in Pendleton, SC not far from the square downtown! Stop by after a delicious lunch at Pendleton Cafe if you’re ever around that area!)

finallyyyyy. we put the tree up! again, stupid camera problems, so no pics yet. i didn’t do major ribbons flowing from the top this year, but it looks good anyways–i made a LOT of bows with that little roll of $3 ribbon! I bought two boxes of candy canes from Ingles for $.98 each and with that, the tree is done. My sewn ornaments don’t even have room on it, so instead of making those, I am making rustic stockings for the walls! At least it will make it a little more festive. I also think i’m going to tie ribbons around the mirrors on the walls, red and gold or red and white, and instead of poinsettias for my silver vases–a candy cane display! Not to mention the wreath and the snowflakes for the windows, and of course candles too! It’s going to feel a lot warmer decoration-wise than real-life, hehe.

okay. computer is dying, clock is reminding me i have six hours left, and i am refusing to plug in my charger until i use the computer tomorrow… so i’m out of here! peace!

 

ps: three things: I really want a good gyro, my computer charger gets so hot i use it to warm up (it’s another trick!) and i am posting the recipe for really really good hot choco right now.

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup milk choco chips
• mix above things together in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat until combined. then…
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 packet hot cocoa mix
• stir these things in, let marshmallows melt, and then pour into mugs. Makes two mugs, but you have to top it off with a little cold milk (it cools it down so you can drink it right away, and also means the mix makes two drinks!)

ok, now i’m gone.