Butternut Squash Season!

Hey everyone! Well it has been a pretty same ole same ole sort of week. I am still waiting to hear back from the substitute office so I can get started with subbing. I called today twice...I talking to someone who said they were going to input me into the system...then I called back and left a voice mail, because I didn't hear back from them. Maybe it just takes awhile to get on the sub database...I have no idea.

Justin and I went hiking/walking every day of last weekend, since it was a long one and he had Monday off! Saturday was the Botanic Gardens, Sunday was The Core Aboredum, and Monday was Cooper's Rock State Forrest, we hiked several different trails. It was great.

I have been looking around for workout classes in the area and I found a great yoga studio called BlissBlissBliss. I think I am going to check it out and maybe sign up for some classes. I have also looked into some Zumba classes in the area, they are not too far away and I have a flyer for a complimentary class! So I will definitely go!

I have been enjoying some of the yummy foods that we bought at the farmer's market. I did however forget to photograph everything. Yesterday I made a really good sauteed kale recipe, and tonight I made Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash! It turned out amazing! and this was yet another vegtable that my husband "said" he has never had before. And he loved it too. I have always had butternut squash steamed and I really liked it that way when I was little but now I love baking it. It is a little bit more work because you have to peel the squash and the chop it in to small pieces, but this recipe is so worth it and you can find it here: All Recipes: Garlicky Butternut Squash.
The only thing I did not have is the parsley so I added a bit of dried rosemary instead, which was a great choice! I probably prefer it over the parsley.

I will definitely be making this again and soon!

That is Israeli Couscous blend from TJ's with..yes, it is a hot dog, sometimes you just get the craving for a hot dog. Not to mention it was the only dinner meat we had in the house...:)

Here is breakfast and lunch!

Hot Pumpkin Oatmeal

with chia, a few chocolate chips, coconut, and toasted walnuts, and of course pumpkin spice!

Farmer's Market Olive Rosemary Bread, which is addictive I think with Farmstead spreadable cheese. And a Pomegranate Kiwi Salad!

And that was not enough for lunch so later I had some vanilla yogurt with TJ's Fig Butter (YUM and new fave) and more Pomegranate seeds!

This weekend we are headed to PSU for the PSU vs. Perdue game! Excited to share good times, good food, and good drinks with friends! I will have lots of pictures to share! Better go charge my camera batteries.

Damages

So...someone hit my parked car in our parking lot. At least they came up to tell me. And their insurance is going to cover the damage. Which is good. My poor car can't handle anymore damage. :(
I have been so terrible about posting everyday, but I guess when I start working I won't have the time to post everyday anyway. I guess I will see.
So that is the new and not so exciting news. I am just glad that I was nobody was hurt or in the car at the time. I am pretty sure I would have been really mad if I was in the car and someone hit my car backing out of a parking spot....seriously that is pretty bad driving skills.

Anyway here is a bit more of what I have been doing/eating this week! :)

Monday night I got the craving for homemade mac n cheese so I said I am going to make some!!
I didn't really have all the ingredients for some of the recipes that I saw online but I figured I would just try my own. And truth be told it turned out pretty good, but not the greatest. I am still in search of the greatest homemade mac n cheese recipe...I guess next time I will actually follow a recipe...might help. Mine didn't make it to the hall of fame, but it was "OK" as Justin usually says about everything that he likes.

 I used:

One whole box of Shells pasta
Margarine
2 tbsp mustard (next time I am going to get powdered mustard)
2 tbsp flour (this is what I think might have killed the flavor a bit...I think it was just too much flour, but I don't know..)
1 8 oz bag of mixed cheddar cheeses (next time I am going to just do all sharp cheddar.)
S&P
Italian Bread crumbs and shredded parm on top

Truly though, that was what I used but I wouldn't recommend it as the best mac n cheese but who knows...you might think it is tha bomb!

Served with Italian breaded chicken and fresh green beans!

Breakfast one morning this week...

Tea and Water always in the morning!

My oatmeal recipe which I need to do a series of pictures on how i make it. I make a big batch and eat throughout the week.

my attempt making pumpkin yogurt it was a honey flavored chobani with canned pumpkin and spices but it was too much pumpkin ratio to yogurt and it needed a bit more sweetener or something! My homemade spiced nuts, and pumpkin spice marshmallows made it OK.

I love Pomegranates!! And this is the first time I have opened one myself I watched several different videos on YouTube on how to de-seed a pomegranate without making a mess. :) And guess what! I didn't make a mess!!

 I already started breaking this one apart but...first you cut off the top with the little nub thing...I don't know what that is called

Then cut off the bottom

then you score with your knife around the edges of the pomegranate where you can see the white membrane. Then you pull those apart underwater in a big bowl. The seeds float to the bottom and the membrane stuff floats to the top. It makes it fast and easy, but you don't even need the water if you take your time picking out the seeds.

Little ruby jewels of super food fruit! YUM!

More fun soon to come! :) And hopefully good eats! I have my eyes on an Autumn Root Vegetable Soup, but it is supposed to get warmer so I need for it to get chilly again so I can make it!!