Pumpkin Bread Recipe

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and had 2.. 3...4 helpings of Thanksgiving dinner!
I don't want to be just a fashion blog, because that's not what I'm all about. I'm all about food, traveling, adventures, and so much more than just clothes. So in order for me to classify myself as a "lifestyle blog" I need to incorporate more lifestyley things.
And As fall comes to a close in no time at all. I thought I'd share one of my favorite fall recipes, homemade pumpkin bread. I thought it wouldn't be right if I let the last month of fall go by without sharing this delicious and easy recipe!
I always love having a loaf of this hangin' around so you can grab it for quick breakfast or an afternoon snack and also cause its the bomb.com.

Mmmmm, doesn't your stomach just growl looking at that loaf of deliciousness? 

Well you're in luck cause Chef Natalie is here to show you how to make it :-)

-Apron-

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups of pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup water

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a medium bowl pour in the eggs, oil, and sugar.

Whisk, until you get this smooth yellow mixture. 

If you're like me and eat half the batter before you actually bake the thing. Then just trust me when I say that this mixture doesn't taste like much. Don't worry, I'll tell you when the batter will taste soooo good and when its actually worth eating.

Next, in a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.

Mix together the ingredients.

Then, pour in the wet ingredients.

Mix together until you get a dough like substance.

Last, add in the pumpkin and water.

Mix the ingredients in.

Now is the time to taste the batter, but be careful cause you won't be able to stop.

Pour it into the loaf pans and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 min.

Once baked, check with a toothpick to make sure its cooked through.

Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Lemon Bars

Ok, ok so this isn't a homemade recipe post buuutttt hey they taste homemade I promise.
I did not know how much I loved lemon bars until about... yesterday.
Mom and I nibbled on one from Tartine in Coronado back In July, and we loved the sweet and tangy lemon square, we said that we had to make these at home sometime!
So here we are a month later revisiting this delicacy and I have to say I'm hooked.

You may be thinking that this is a summer dessert and I'm breaking a law by making this after labor day {aka the close of summer} but whhattevvaaa, I am not one of those strict food season followers. I will continue to eat these babies in December while curled up by the fire place!

All you have to do is buy Betty Crocker Lemon Bar Mix and follow the directions!
One tip I have for you is to cook it NO MORE than 26 minutes, I cooked mine a little longer than that and they turned out more cakey than I would of liked :( You want your lemon bars to be moist and gooey!

 

ENJOY!

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad

Oh holy goodness... {it was almost too pretty to eat}

After the 3 glorious weeks I spent in California, 

basically eating Mexican food everyday, and then 

coming home to no authentic insanely good Mexican 

food joints, I quickly became Mexican food deprived.

So the other night I decided to try out some

sort of Mexican dish-and this taco salad

hit the spot.

What's awesome about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are common foods that are probably already In your fridge or pantry! If you are missing an ingredient or two, pull a Natalie, and substitute {or leave it out}! 

Ingredients:

1. 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained {I didn't have any In my pantry, so I instead used Green Giant Steam Fresh Southwestern Style Corn}

2. 3/4 cup of salsa {any kind}
3. 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
4. 1 tbs. lime juice
5. 2 tbs. chili powder
6. 1 tsp. ground cumin
7. 1 tsp. ground coriander
8. 1 tsp. brown sugar
9. 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
10. 1 tbs. olive oil
11. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
12. 4 {7 inch} corn tortillas
13. 4 cups shredded lettuce
14. {another} 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
15. 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and sliced {optional}
16. 1 lime cut into wedges {optional}
17. 1 cup of sour cream {optional}
18. 1 cup Crushed tortilla chips {optional}
19. 1 cup shredded cheese {optional}

Other things you could add...

• Sautéed onions
• green peppers
• tomatoes
• crushed red pepper {if you like things hot hot hot}

FYI all the optionals make the salad soooo much better, so just go for all of them!!

Directions:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. {or do what I did and sauté it until cooked}

2. Mix black beans, salsa, 1/2 cup cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl; SET ASIDE. {I admit, I messed this part up and mixed the wrong things together, so don't pull a Natalie here!}
3. Stir chili powder, cumin, coriander, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and olive oil in a bowl until smooth; rub mixture over chicken breasts {or just throw it in the sauté pan and swish the chicken around in it, then cook for another minute or two}

4. Cook chicken breasts on preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 10 to 12 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). While the chicken is cooking, place tortillas on grill and grill until lightly brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. {if you're going the sauté route then all I did was place a tortilla in the middle of each plate, or you could throw it in the oven and toast it until slightly brown}

5. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and slice into long thin strips. Divide chicken strips over lettuce and top with bean mixture, and remaining 1/2 cup cilantro. Serve with avocado, lime wedges, and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!!

Fruit Pizzas

The perfect summertime dessert!

Ingredients:

1. fruit {Good ones to use are strawberryies, blueberries, rasberries, peaches, and blackberries}

2. cookies {I used Publix sugar cookies}

3. cream cheese

4. powdered sugar

5. lemon zest

Directions:

{There are 2 ways to prepare this, you can either do it yourself and serve it already made or you can do it as a fun activity and have everyone do it themselves!}

1. Prepare the cream cheese spread

- Get a big bowl, dump the cream cheese in and mix it up. Add 1 tbs of powdered sugar, mix it in. Taste it and see if it's sweet enough, if not add more powdered sugar. Finally, add lemon zest according to how much cream cheese you have.

2. Flip over cookie and spread cream cheese spread on bottom.

3. Prepare the fruit

-Slice up all fruit and mix all together in bowl

4. Take a spoonful of the fruit mixture and place it on top of the cookie with cream cheese spread on top

5. Repeat steps 2 & 4 for all the cookies! Or if you're going to have people do it themselves show them how to do steps 2 & 4!

Enjoy!