TJ's Corn Tortillas

An old friend taught me how to make these fab and fresh green chili enchiladas using fresh tomatoes, cilantro, olives, queso fresco... and of course chicken!  For the first time I bought my corn tortillas from Trader Joe's and the preservative-free flavors were worth every bite.  The green chilis and enchilada sauce I kept authentic... from Food City!

I prepared a lot of ingredients yesterday so that today wouldn't be as much work.  That would be my tip for the day- prep work pays off!

Smoothie or Milkshake?

The bf made me a smoothie for breakfast and a milkshake for dessert, and this is how...

We found these in Target's frozen section, stocked with a variety of fruit blends.  All it takes is a shake of the bag, a little juice or milk (lactose free milk for me) and a blender.  Check, check, and check!  ...and we've got ourselves cold drink-- feels healthier than a slice of pumpkin pie.  Although, something pumpkin is on the menu; stay tuned for more!

Just Add Water, Oil, and Eggs

Fall is my favorite time of year for these reasons: its a colorful time, there is a serene feel in the air, and my life becomes pumpkin flavored!  I found this little bread mix at Trader Joes and while I admit there is no "organic" labeling on the box I did use "uncooped" eggs laid by cage free hens... and well, TJ's is on the label!

I followed the directions on the box to a T- except for while watching an exciting episode of Battlestar Galactica the timer went off and I didn't hear it.  Nevertheless, with the aid of the lovely boyfriend I am now enjoying my very first pumpkin bread loaf... and I highly recommend it!

What You'll Need-
Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup water

The Steps-
Set oven to 350 degrees, mix ingredients together, pour into a greased 9x5 and bake for an hour.

Savor the Seeds

My boyfriend and I carved our first pumpkin together, leaving us with a pot full of fresh pumpkin seeds!  As John was reading aloud various options to roast and season the little suckers, one recipe stuck with me- Halloween Flavored Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

What You'll Need-
pumpkin seeds, apple cider, brown sugar, pumpkin pie seasoning (cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, star anise, fennel black pepper)

The Steps-
First, take the seeds out of your pumpkin and rinse using a strainer.  I left mine to dry over night but I'm sure you can just jump right into step two.
Then, boil your seeds in apple cider for ten minutes.
Next, strain the seeds and smother them with a spoonful of butter.
Last, sprinkle about two handfuls of brown sugar and a spoonful of spice mix and mix it all up.  Bake it at 250 degrees for about an hour.

Since I've never roasted seeds, I taste tested them and stirred them around about every 20 minutes.  At about an hour they were the perfect crispy and the sugar/spice mix was caramelized on.  I asked John if he could taste the apple cider and he said, "All I taste is good!"  I definitely agree.