Not Just {Half} Full

Do you do this? I have always had this habit of over-filling things. When I was a kid my mom would always get on to me for filling my cereal until the cereal fell over the sides. When I was a bit older my little sister would always ask me to dish up her ice cream because I would always be sure the bowl was totally full.

These days my habit is not all that different. I was supposed to make pasta for tonight's school party. I wanted to take plenty so that we wouldn't run out. After the first trip to the store, it didn't look like we had enough tortellini. After a second trip to the store, I got started cooking. The water started to boil. And then it boiled higher.


And then it was like the cereal bowl all over again. Only it was pasta. And it was falling down into my gas burner. Yikes!


But at least we had enough tortellini to go around. MORE than enough, actually!

The Winter Burn

Last weekend I watched an episode of one of Giada De Laurentiis' shows. I loved her theme for the episode ~ her idea is that spicy food is great for warming up the winter chill! This got me thinking. Many of my favorite winter meals are in fact spicy. Here are a few of my faves:

• Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
• Corn chowder
• Black 'n' Orange Chili
• Homemade Salsa
• Spicy Mushroom Mini Pizza

Yesterday I adapted one of the recipes from Giada's show ~ pasta with eggplant sauce. This is some of the best pasta I have had in a very long time. I'll share it with you soon.

Meatless Mondays: More on Muffins

{Photo from here}

In the last few weeks I've mentioned my (and my preschooler's!) new love for hearty muffins as an afternoon snack. This muffin started it all. The recipe calls for peanut butter to replace some of the butter. It is sweetened with maple syrup and chocolate chips. And they are made with whole wheat flour. These are more than your average muffin because the peanut butter and whole grains really boost the protein and fiber.

Oh, and did I mention how yummy they are? The chocolate chips poking out of the top of the muffins entice my daughter every time. We have some in our freezer now!

Red and Blue

I have really been loving all of the RED-and-BLUE themed holiday things I've run across lately. I think it adds a nice twist to more traditional color schemes.

Here are a few of my favorites:

{We had this more fall-ish centerpiece at our house on Thanksgiving}

{Red and blue holiday cards are everywhere this year!}

{I just love this snowman themed kids' party}

I guess it's not just for the 4th of July anymore!

Meatless Mondays: Pumpkin Cornbread

Last week I mentioned that the new favorite snack around my house is the {muffin}, and this recipe was a truly great find. These are hearty, sustaining, even long-winded. They are whole grain, for a boost of protein and fiber to make you feel full, and the subtle honey flavor makes them absolutely scrumptious. Just like the little cakes Alice eats in Alice in Wonderland! They taste best the first day, or frozen immediately after cooling and re-heated later. Yum!

Pumpkin Cornbread
Adapted from Simply Vegetarian

• 1/2 c. soft butter
• 3/4 c. honey
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and butter a 12-cup muffin tray. Cream the butter and honey in a bowl. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and milk, then mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Favorite Gifts for People with an Appetite

{For the baker ~ artisan extracts from Sonoma Syrup Co.}

{For the coffee drinker ~ Ethiopian coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee Company}

{For the snacker ~ an olive oil dipping set from St. Helena Olive Oil Co.}

{For chefs of all sizes ~ a lovely apron from Etsy.com}