PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST

Fall is officially upon us, and you know what that means: it's decorative gourd season motherfuckers! In that vein, how about trying this tasty pumpkin inspired breakfast. Mmm ... I can't think of anything better on a crisp autumn morning.

PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST BAKE
via the minimalist baker

Make the night before for an easy, early-morning preparation.
Serves: 10

INGREDIENTS

• 5 1/2 - 7 1/2 cups 1-inch bread cubes (I like challah)
• 7 large eggs
• 2 cups milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin BUTTER (or 1/2 cup pumpkin puree)
• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar for topping
• nuts, like pecan or walnuts (optional)

METHOD

1. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Just use enough slice to fill a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, pumpkin butter and pie spice until well combined. Pour over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until it's all soaked and mostly covered. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover and top with brown sugar, additional pumpkin pie spice and nuts (optional). Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and no longer wet.
4. Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar. 
5. Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered for up to four days.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Serving size: 10 slices; per slice: 

Calories: 122 Fat: 4 g Carbohydrates: 13.7 g Sugar: 7.4 gSodium: 145 mg Fiber: 1.3 g Protein: 7.8 g

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Cheers!

It may be September, but summer ain't over yet - there's still time for one last float.

Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cherry Soda Floats

via how sweet eats

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 pint of dark chocolate ice cream
2. 4 ounces of bourbon
3. 2 bottles of cherry soda

METHOD:
Fill glasses with ice cream.

Pour in 1-2 shots of bourbon (or lots more). 

Pour in soda. 

Drink. 

Enjoy!

They practically make themselves.

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lactation cookies

Yes, lactation cookies -this is a thing. Lactation cookies are chocked full of “galactagogues,” foods that promote or increase the flow of mother’s milk, also they're yummy. There are a few kinds of boobie milk cookies on the market, but why buy what you can easily make? Plus the recipe below (via Mama Natural) is especially healthy, full of organic good stuff, so there is zero guilt. 

Whip up a batch of these bad boys and enjoy some milk and cookies - literally. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cups organic rolled oats
• 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour (can use organic cornstarch or arrowroot flour)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 TB fennel seed, ground (can replace with flax seeds)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup almond butter (can replace with sunflower or tahini if allergic to tree nuts)
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 TB coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs (can replace with chia seed or other egg replacement)
• 2 TB raw honey 
• 1/2 tsp. organic vanilla extract (can use almond or orange as well)

METHOD

1. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Put your 2 cups of rolled oats into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until the oats are a flour-like consistency.
3. Measure out 1 TB of fennel seeds and grind in coffee grinder or with mortal and pestle until fine powder.
4. Put dry ingredients into large bowl and mix.
5. In a smaller bowl, put your almond butter, melted coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well.
6. Pour the contents of smaller bowl into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix well with spoon or clean hands.
7. Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil. Form small flat balls, about the circumference of a silver dollar. 
8. Bake cookies in oven for 15-20 minutes. Check for slightest browning on outside of cookie. Take out and transfer cookies to a cooling rack. 
9. Enjoy warm, or let cookies cool to room temperature. 
10. Eat up and let it flow. 

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Cheers!

it's friday, dolls! I think you deserve a drink.

Watermelon Coconut Refresher
via A House in the Hills

INGREDIENTS

• 2 full cups watermelon, cubed
• 12 oz coconut water
• 6 ounces tequila
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 lime cut into wheels
• sugar
• simple syrup

METHOD

1. Place watermelon cubes in blender, pulse 5-10 seconds until pureed, set aside.
2. In a large shaker muddle, coconut water and lime wedges.
3. Add ice and tequila to shaker, shake for 10-20 seconds.
4. Pour simple syrup and sugar onto two separate small plates.
5. Dip rim of glass in simple syrup and then into sugar to make sugar rim. Repeat for all glasses.
6. Fill glasses with ice.
7. Strain contents of shaker evenly into glasses.
8. Fill remainder of glass with watermelon puree, stir gently.
9. Garnish with a lime wheel.

NOTES

• 1 cup of cubed watermelon makes just under 1 cup watermelon puree.
• Additional simple syrup may be used to sweeten cocktail as desired.
• There may be additional watermelon puree depending on size of glassware used.

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Tips & Tricks

The weather is finally heating up, which means ... it's iced coffee time!

This is one of those genius-so-simple-why-didn't-I-think-of-it ideas. Freeze coffee to make ice cubes for iced coffee. Chill your coffee for a warm day treat with out watering it down-- so smart, right?

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Cheers!

It's friday! Since I've been pretty obcessed with all things pink lately, let's celebrate with a pretty pink libation.

Pink Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail
via she knows

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce cotton candy vodka
• 1/4 teaspoon grenadine, plus extra for rim
• 4 ounces Champagne
• Sugar

Method:

1. Pour a small amount of grenadine onto a saucer and some sugar on another saucer. Place the rim of a Champagne flute into the grenadine, then roll into the sugar.
2. Pour vodka and one-quarter teaspoon grenadine into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne.
3. Enjoy!

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Friday's Find

I have this weird thing for ice buckets. I don't know why, I just love them. This one is totally adorable, I love the coral with the gold. This actually reminds me of the red and gold one my dad inherited from his dad that I inappropriately have my eye on. Whenever we visit, I help my dad make cocktails and then drop not so subtle hints about the ice bucket. So far this has not worked. I think my dad like the ice bucket as much as I do. So until he decides to relinquish it into my custody, I think this one will do quite nicely.

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Cheers!

It's Friday - Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, so shall we celebrate with a margarita? I thought so. 

Grapefruit Margarita Via Apartment 34

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz. Tequila
• 2 oz. Grapefruit
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 oz. agave
• Kosher salt for rim
• lime wedge
• garnish- grapefruit slice/lime slice

Method:

1. Take lime wedge and run around lip of glass. Place salt on plate and swirl the cup lip in the salt.
2. Add tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec and agave into a shaker with ice. Shake.
3. Add ice to glass. Strain cocktail shaker into glass. Garnish with grapefruit.
4. Gorgeous, no? 

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Tuesday's Tips & Tricks

Hopefully the weather is warming up where you are dolls. If so, we are getting into prime iced coffee territory. I love using cold brewed coffee for the coffee portion, but what about the ice cubes? The ice cubes are a crucial component here.

Regular ice cubes just dilute the coffee unless you gulp it down right away, but that defeats the relaxing and savoring part of an iced beverage. So, why not freeze coffee and use that for your iced coffee? Genius! So simple, so obvious, so brilliant.

You could simply freeze plain (cooled) brewed coffee, or you could jazz it up a bit by adding vanilla or cinnamon, perhaps a little sweetener or cream if your feeling frisky. The possibilities are endless.

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Cheers!

It's friday - Good Friday in fact. Shall we toast to that?

Kiss of Light Margarita
via magnolia days

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces tequila
• 1/2 ounce Licor 43
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/4 blood orange

Method: 

Add tequila, Licor 43, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Pour liquid into a rocks-type glass filled with ice. Squeeze and drop the 1/4 blood orange into the drink. 

Enjoy!

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Cheers!

It's Friday! Fancy a refreshing beverage?

Mrs. William's Rosemary Lemonade
via local palate mag

Ingredients:

• 6 heaping teaspoons fresh rosemary, plus additional sprigs for garnish
• 12 cups water, separated
• 2−3 cups sugar, more or less depending on your sweet tooth
• 1½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Lemon wheels, for garnish

Method: 

1. Mix rosemary, 3 cups of water, and sugar in a saucepan and boil gently for 5 minutes.
2. Strain out rosemary and add (the now rosemary-infused) simple syrup mixture to 9 cups of water, lemon juice, and salt.
3. Mix well and serve ice cold. Garnish with sliced lemon and rosemary sprigs. 
4. Enjoy!

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Cheers!

It's Friday! One pregnancy craving I've been feeling really strongly lately is for margaritas - don't worry, I haven't indulged, but I can dream ...

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas, via Pretty Plain Janes
serves four 

Ingredients

• 1 lime, cut in wedges, optional
• Rock or kosher salt, optional
• 1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (2 fruits)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
• 1 cup orange liqueur, such a Triple Sec
• 1 cup white tequila
• Agave or simple syrup to taste, optional
• 2 cups ice

Directions

1. Rub lime wedges on edge of 4 empty glasses and rim in salt. Fill each glass with ice
2. Combine juices, orange liquor or triple sec and tequila in smaller pitcher and stir. Add agave or simple syrup to taste if you desire extra sweetness.
3. Pour into prepared glasses and serve immediately with lime wedges. 

Enjoy!

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Cheers!

I'm told it's spring, maybe that's why we have all these showers ...? Or maybe it's still snowing where you are? In any case - I think we should still pretend it's spring and celebrate with something appropriately cheerful.

Orange Blossom
via Style Me Pretty

Ingredients: 

For Almond Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tsp almond extract

For Cocktail:

• 8 oz Vodka
• 4 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• 4 oz Almond Syrup*
• 12 splashes of Angostura Bitters
• Juice squeezed from 4 Oranges
• 12 Orange slices

Method:

To make the almond syrup: Mix the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add in almond extract stir thoroughly. Let cool to room temperature.

Pour the vodka, grapefruit juice, orange juice, bitters, and almond syrup into a Cocktail shaker and shake thoroughly. Crush 4 slices of orange in the bottom of each highball glass and fill with ice. Pour cocktail evenly in each glass. Enjoy!

Image and recipe via. 

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Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

One of my goals for after baby girl arrives is to get better at weekly meal planning, and I think utilizing my slow cooker will be a good tool in this endeavor. I'm still having a hard time cooking, but once the hormones settle I'm excited to give this recipe a try. 

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
Via No. 2 Pencil
Prep time:  10 mins  Cook time:  4 hours  Total time:  4 hours 10 mins  Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 4 lemons
• 2-3 heads of garlic
• 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
• Fresh rosemary, or any fresh herbs
• All-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cut garlic heads and lemons in half and lay in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Cut the bottoms off the lemons so they lay flat.
3. Add a sprig of rosemary, and any herbs.
4. Remove insides from chicken, rinse chicken and pat dry.
5. Season chicken well, inside and out, with all-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper.
6. Lay chicken on top of garlic and lemon slices and stuff the chicken with a garlic head cut in half, and a lemon cut in quarters.
7. Cover top of chicken with additional lemon slices and rosemary.
8. Turn slow cooker to high, and cook for about 4 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees. Slow cooker cooking times may vary.
9. When chicken has reached 165, turn off slow cooker and let chicken rest for about 15 minutes. (Important: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.)
10. Remove from slow cooker, carve and serve.
11. Liquid from slow cooker can be strained and served over chicken as a sauce. 

Sounds delish, and doable, no? 

Image and recipe via. 

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Cheers!

It's Friday! I've had all things pink on my mind lately. So why not toast this spring, with all the exciting new beginnings it brings, with something pink? 

Coconut Water Champagne Fruit Punch via averie cooks

Makes about 3 cups punch – double or triple the recipe as desired

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups coconut water, flavored or plain 
• 1 cup+ champagne or white wine*
• 1/2 cup+ orange juice (or other juice; pineapple, apple, pomegranate, grape)
• fruit, frozen or fresh (for garnishes)
• splash grenadine
• 1 drop pink or red food food coloring

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl or pitcher, stir to combine, chill in the refrigerator before serving. Boom! Easy peasey. 

*You can also use non-alcoholic wine or champagne, white grape juice, or simply omit and adjust proportions of other ingredients to taste.

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Cheers!

It's Friday - let's celebrate with something tasty and green. Yummy, yes?

Shamrock Shake via cupcakes and cashmere 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of whole milk (less milk if you prefer thicker shakes)
• 2 large scoops of premium vanilla ice cream
• 1 tsp of peppermint extract
• 2 dashes of mint bitters (optional for flavor and color)
• 2 drops of green food coloring (if you're not using bitters)
• Whipped cream

Method:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender, in the order they are listed.
2. Turn blender on and mix until you reach your preferred consistency.
3. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream.
4. Indulge and enjoy!

Image and recipe via. 

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Cheers!

It's Friday! Since it's also March, let's celebrate with something festive and St Patrick's like.

Pot of Gold Punch via The Glitter Guide

Ingredients:

• 1 750ml bottle of white wine
• 1/4 cup St. Germain Liqueur
• 1 cup lemonade
• Seltzer water or tonic
• Lemon slices + rosemary sprigs to garnish

Method: 

Combine wine, lemonade and St. Germain in a pitcher. Pour over ice and top with sparkling water or tonic for a sweeter taste. Garnish with rosemary and lemon slices. Enjoy!

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Cheers!

It's Friday - I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for something sweet.

Vanilla Lemonade 

Ingredients:

• For the Simple Syrup:
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 3 slices of Lemon Peel
• 1 Vanilla Bean
• 1 generous pinch of Kosher Salt
• Cheesecloth, to strain syrup
• For the Lemonade:
• Juice of 6-8 lemons, strained
• 8-10 cups of water
• 1 cup of vanilla/lemon syrup
• Lemon slices to garnish

Method: 

Slice the vanilla bean in half and with the back of your knife scrape out all the seeds.

Bring sugar, water, vanilla bean and pod, lemon peel and salt to boil on your stove.

After sugar dissolves gently simmer 5-10 minutes to really get the lemon peel flavor in there.

Remove from heat, strain through a few layers of cheesecloth set over a large measuring cup and cool. You can speed up the process by placing the measuring cup in a large bowl surrounded by ice.

Once the syrup has cooled; add it to a large pitcher along with the 8-10 cups of water and strained lemon juice. Garnish with a few lemon slices.

Pour in a tall glass over ice and enjoy.

Image and recipe  via. 

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Cheers!

It's Friday! Let's celebrate with something toasty and chocolate-y.

Aztec Chocolate Old Fashioned via Apartment 34

Ingredients:

• 2oz Bourbon
• few dashes Fee Brothers aztec chocolate bitters
• ½ oz Creme De Cacao
• Peeled orange wedge
• Brandied cherry
• 1 oz Soda Water

Method:

Gently muddle orange slice and brandied cherry in glass with creme de cacao and chocolate bitters. Add ice cube. Pour in bourbon and soda water. Garnish with a blood orange slice (or peel) and plop in a brandied cherry (or three!). Enjoy! 

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Tuesday's Tips & Tricks

One of my biggest pregnancy cravings these days has been ... smoothies! They satisfy that itch for some tangy goodness, plus are a great way to get several of your fruits and veggies in for the day in a single setting. Here's one of my go-to concoctions.

Mango, Spinach, Banana Smoothie 

Ingredients

• Handful frozen mangos
• 1/2 banana
• Generous handful of baby spinach
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup tangerine juice
• Optional: vanilla greek yogurt - if you want a creamier smoothie
• Optional: agave nectar - if you want a sweeter smoothie 

Method
Throw everything into a blender and blend until all ingredients are evenly combined into one smooth mixture. Pour into a tall glass and, if you're feeling frisky, top with some whipped cream.

You can also substitute frozen berries for the frozen mangos, add fresh berries to the ingredients above, or change out the type of juice - coconut water is really good as is blueberry juice. You really can't go wrong with a smoothie. Do you like it? Then that's a successful smoothie in my book. What are your favorite smoothie combos?

Images via yours truly.
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