A Weekend at Home.

For the first time in a while, I got to spend the weekend at home with no plans, and no company. It was wonderful to relax, clean, and watch Halloween movies all while working on little crafty things for my wedding. I've started early, but I think I'll be glad I did next year when we're coming up on the wedding date and I've already got most of the small things done. Plus, it's a lot of fun to make a big mess painting things and figuring out what to do.

Pumpkin Picking.

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
-L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Yesterday I spent my lunch break wandering through a nursery picking through the plethora of pumpkins. I've never waited this long to get pumpkins, but it's been a busy October for me. This has been the first full week of weather that truly feels like October, so it was a perfect time to pick a pumpkin. I picked up this big, oddly shaped, pale orange pumpkin and I can't wait to find a place for it in my living room. I think it has the perfect amount of personality!

October Movie List

I recently mentioned that I have a stack of movies that I pull out and try to go through every October...I guess it's sort of a tradition. Of course I don't really have time to watch twelve movies in a month anymore. In college I could play them while I was working on projects or studying, but now I'll watch a one on the weekend or maybe after work if I have the time. I had planned to share each film individually, but since it's already mid-October I just don't think that I'll have time to go through all of them. Besides, they're not just Halloween movies. You could watch them any old time.

(All images via Google image search)   
1. Hocus Pocus
2. Interview with the Vampire
3. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
4. Young Frankenstein
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
6. Sleepy Hollow
7. The Corpse Bride
8. Scream
9. Sweeney Todd
10.Practical Magic
11. Secret Window
12. Edward Scissorhands

Do you have any Halloween favorites that you watch every year?

Good Eats: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Over my long weekend, I got to do a little bit of cooking while I was visiting my parents. It sure is more fun to cook for other people when you're used to cooking for one. My mom and I spent a lot of the weekend running errands and I tried on a ton of wedding dresses. Before we left on Saturday morning I put together a big pot of Taco Chili for my dad to eat while we were out, and last night I tried something new. Over the summer, my friend Olivia shared with me that involved stewed tomatoes and lentils, which make a delicious pair. I wanted to make something a little more hearty and filling, but still simple and healthy, so when I ran across a recipe for lentil stuffed sweet potatoes, I had to give it a try. Originally I had planned to have grilled chicken tenders along with this recipe, but decided keep it simple.

Here's what you need:
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Dry Lentils
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Scrub your sweet potatoes first, then rub them with a little extra virgin olive oil, coarse sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Place them on a foil-covered cookie sheet, then go ahead and put those in the oven. They'll bake for about 45 minutes, until they're nice and fork tender. After those are in the oven, go ahead and cook your lentils according to the package (I cooked 1 cup of dry lentils & we had a good amount left over after filling three potatoes). Next, the tomatoes. Slice them in half & drizzle with just a little bit of your olive oil, then place them on another cookie sheet and roast them for about 20-25 minutes, but keep an eye on them.

Once all your ingredients are done, put it all together. Slice the sweet potatoes down the middle and sprinkle a little sea salt in them before you fill them with about a quarter cup of lentils. Top each potato with as many tomatoes as you like, and you're done! These are filling and perfect for an early fall dinner. Let me know what you think!

Matcha Latte

Have you ever had Matcha? It's a finely ground green tea that can stand alone, but can also be made into lattes and smoothies, as a baking ingredient, and I'm sure many other ways I haven't read about yet. From what I've read, it has a lot of health benefits--plus it has a pretty good amount of caffeine. Matcha is high in antioxidants, boosts memory & concentration, increases energy & endurance, detoxifies the body, fortifies the immune system, helps lower cholesterol, and increases metabolism. It's also loaded with catechins & EGCg, which are some of the most beneficial antioxidants and are said to have strong cancer-fighting properties. I've been keeping an eye out for a place that sells it, but it's pretty hard to find around here (if you know a good place to find it, share!). I've been a fan of the iced Green Tea Latte for a while now, and recently found a recipe for making your own so when I came across this little can, I decided to give it a try. It was the tiniest bit chilly when I got home, so I tried my hand at a hot Matcha Latte.



All you need is a little milk, your Matcha powder, and your sweetener of choice. Oh, and a whisk. I used unsweetened almond milk and honey to make mine. Mix together 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Matcha and a little room temperature water until smooth. Add 6 to 8 ounces of milk and whisk, then heat over medium-low heat until it's hot. I have a handheld milk frother, so I added a little foam to the top of my latte. Drizzle with honey or stir in your sweetener and enjoy!



Now, this is not the traditional way to prepare Matcha, so far I haven't been able to find a traditional Matcha set around here. I am keeping an eye out, though! It's always interesting to learn the traditional aspect of things--especially tea because it tends to be a beautiful process.

Halloween Movie Night: Practical Magic

Every year around this time I get out all of my Halloween-y movies and try to watch them throughout the month of October. This year I kicked things off with a little Practical Magic. If you haven't seen it, I recommend finding a copy. My sister and I watched it pretty regularly when we were younger, most likely around Halloween. I mean, it's good in that sort of cheesy way a lot of the movies I loved in the late 90s were. It's got a pretty stellar cast, too, that includes Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest. Plus, it has this this scene:



Doesn't that make you want to be friends with them? They sure seem like a lot of fun for a family of witches.



"You should come 'round here on Halloween. You'd really see something then."



"On Halloween they all jump off the roof and fly!"



"...But there are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can."

Weekend Away: Bulldog Bash

This weekend was Bulldog Bash in Starkville, so of course we spent our weekend there. We drove over late Friday night and watched a little bit of The Black Crowes concert in the Cotton District and got to see a couple of people, but it was too hot to spend much time in the crowds. We really kicked off the weekend on Saturday morning with a hearty Southern breakfast, a few good friends, and lots of coffee at Starkville Cafe before walking around downtown.



Then we spent the afternoon tailgating in the Junction, visiting with family and some of our friends from college. We went out to the game—-our dear ol' State was playing LSU this weekend. Though it wasn't a pretty ending, it was a great night for a football game and the stadium was full of fans proudly wearing the maroon and white.



This morning we met up with MrLanke, as usual, for Sunday brunch before heading back to get ready for the work week. Today we went to Restaurant Tyler, filling up on mimosas and thoroughly unhealthy breakfast foods. Fried Green Tomato Benedict for me, Sausage Biscuit Benedict for the mister, and a French Toast Sandwich for Lanke.



On our way out of town, we stopped to get a big cup of Blueberry Cobbler coffee from Strange Brew to get us through the long drive home. I walked away for one minute and the mister had picked up a bag of The Great Pumpkin Spice for each of us. Then we drove home through the rain that's supposed to bring us some fall weather.

Currently Reading

I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon during my senior year in college. At first, it was hard to get into, but after the first few chapters, I was hooked. The Outlander Series is currently made up of 7 books (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, & An Echo in the Bone) with an 8th book to be released in March 2014. The series is a whole bunch of historical fiction with a science fiction twist. I can't wait to get through this one. What are you reading these days? I would love to add to my reading list.

1. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
2. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
5. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Marie Semple
6. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
7. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
(This one is a re-read, because it's a favorite.)



Also, the other day I saw this Living Room Tour over on A Beautiful Mess and it makes me wish even more for floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in the future. I'm sure we've all dreamed of them since we first saw Beauty and the Beast.

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

I'm a sucker for fall. I'm planning a fall wedding, I own too many pairs of boots, I decorate with pumpkins, and I love to bake things that involve pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. I came across a quick recipe for pumpkin spiced brownies last week, so naturally I had to try it. In the comments, they were described as really dense, fudge-like brownies.


All you need is a box of brownie mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and a half teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice. Mix all that together, and add more Pumpkin Pie Spice if you're feeling crazy or it's just not pumpkin-y enough. Spread the mixture in a baking dish (I used 8" x 11" and lined it with foil for easy cleanup) and bake it for 25-30 minutes, or until set.


In the end, I was not a big fan of the texture, and I'm not sure how to describe it. But it sure smells good in here!

Weekend Away.

This weekend I got to go over to Athens and visit the mister for a quiet, relaxing weekend. When I got to town on Friday, we went out for Hibachi and caught the end of Hocus Pocus on TV. Saturday morning was perfect early Fall weather, so we walked around most of the day on Saturday, around campus to downtown and back. We stopped by to see where they were having College Game Day and through the tailgate tents, then stopped to see the stadium.




A little while later we realized that we hadn't had lunch, so we walked over to a pizza place called Your Pie and got a couple of fancy pizzas and lemonade. We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, I read while he watched football.

Chapel of Memories

Not too long ago I took my mom over to Starkville so she could see the Chapel of Memories. I had forgotten that I took a few pictures while we were there. I edited a couple tonight and really, really like the way this one turned out.

Young Frankenstein

You've all seen my list of Halloween movies, and tonight I picked Young Frankenstein. Anyone else love Gene Wilder? He's so fantastic—there's not much better than him as Willy Wonka in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. If you love to read as much as I do, check out his book Kiss Me Like A Stranger. I picked it up at a library sale a few years ago and it was pretty fantastic. Come to think of it, I'd love to read it again.

Anyway, if you've never seen Young Frankenstein, I recommend you find a copy and watch it as soon as possible. I guess you might need a certain sense of humor to appreciate the movie, but I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it. Here's a little clip:

Halloween Movie Nights

Last weekend I decided it was time to get out all of my Halloween(ish) movies and start watching them. It's like my own 13 Nights of Halloween! Somehow, when I went through all of them I forgot to grab The Corpse Bride! I have no idea how that happened, what with my love for Tim Burton films and all. A cold front came through Austin today, so it seemed like a perfect night to curl up on the couch after Grimm with a nice, hot cup of tea to watch it. Every time I watch it, I love this particular scene more and more—it's such a fun tune for a grim tale. 

Here's what the lineup looks like, though it seems I'm one short of 13:

Sweeney Todd

Hocus Pocus

Edward Scissorhands

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Interview with the Vampire

Young Frankenstein

Secret Window

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Sleepy Hollow

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Corpse Bride

Practical Magic

Maybe I'll fill that last slot with an old classic. Hitchcock, perhaps? What are your favorite Halloween films?

Semi-Homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Since it's the the season of all things pumpkin, I thought I'd whip up a batch of {semi-homemade} Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins. It's no secret that fall is my favorite season, so naturally I like to try cooking with pumpkin like everyone else. This is a really, really simple recipe—and they're light, too! 

1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix (I used sugar-free Devil's Food)

1 can Pumpkin Puree (I always use Libby's)

6oz of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix your cake mix and pumpkin puree on medium speed for 2-3 minutes—this makes your cupcakes a little fluffier. Then mix in most of the 6oz of chocolate chips. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill them almost to the top with batter. You can make regular sized muffins (3 WW points+ each) or mini muffins (1 WW points+ each). I made some of both. Right before you put them in the oven, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top, just for a little extra chocolate. Bake them for about 20 minutes and enjoy! Oh, and the leftover muffins are wonderful microwaved for about 8 seconds, just to make the chocolate chips good and gooey. 

Do you have any tasty pumpkin recipes for me to try? I'd love to see them!

Insta-October

Texas Pumpkins, Wacom Drawings, Tea + Scones, New Coffee Mugs, Halloween Movies, 

Nap Attack, Candy Corn Nails, Etsy Update, Mario Kart

What have you been doing lately?

Sweet & Spicy Soup

With a few days of fall weather coming up here in Texas, it was the perfect weekend to make my first batch of fall soup. Recently I've seen a few different recipes for Sweet Potato Soup, so I chose to adapt this one because, personally I like for my sweet potatoes to be more on the savory side. Besides, there's nothing like a hot bowl of soup on the first cool weekend of the year. 

(the only picture I have is from instagram)

2 large sweet potatoes

1/4 cup butter

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

24-ish oz low sodium chicken broth

1.5 teaspoons Sriracha

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2-3/4 Tbsp maple syrup

In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter & saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Add the sweet potatoes, chicken broth, Sriracha, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Cook on medium heat for about a half an hour [or until the potatoes are soft]. Mash everything up with a potato masher if you want your soup more chunky, or blend it all together until smooth (easily done with an immersion blender). Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

For the Love of Fall

In honor of the [official] beginning of fall, I did a little bit of decorating around here. While I was out running errands this afternoon, I picked up a couple of precious pumpkins for the island in my kitchen. (It seems that in all of the packing that I did when I moved, I didn't remember to bring any of my seasonal decorations). And while it's still hot in Texas, but still, piles of pumpkins have been turning up all over the city and everywhere you look, so I'm still in the spirit of the season. 

So here's to fall. My favorite season, colorful and crisp. I'm glad you're here.