Wednesday, October 10, 2012

New Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Hey Guys,

I'm still working through the Fall Into Blogging with the SITS Girls...Today's topic is "Share your favorite fall craft or autumn recipe or share what you're eyeing on Pinterest". Ok, guys. By now you probably know I'm going to post something with pumpkin and you would be absolutely correct! On Sunday, I had some pumpkin left over from adding it to my coffee in last weeks attempts to find the perfect pumpkin coffee (which wasn't too successful BTW), so I decided to bake something with it and ended up making basically Pumpkin Bread, you know like Banana Nut Bread, but without the banana and nut? The recipe I followed went like this:
Pumpkin Bread
2 1/3 cup Heart Smart Bisquick
1 1/2 cups Pumpkin (Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin) - It was probably more like 2 cups.
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9x5x3 loaf pan. 
2. In large bowl comine all ingredients, stir until well blended. Pour into greased pan.
3. Bake 45 - 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. 
4. Let cool, remove from pan, and enjoy!

I actually used a "8.5" loaf pan to make 2 loaves, very uneven sized loaves. I also only cooked mine for about 45 minutes, but it seemed done enough to me. I would have added more sugar and less vegetable oil, maybe cinnamon applesauce instead to have less calories and more flavor. I should have used Sweet N' Low, but didn't consider the WW points until after I ate a couple of pieces. (I tend to slack on the weekends and when it involves pumpkin.) If you cut this into 12 pieces it's 6 WW points per slice I believe, which is why I should have tweaked the recipe. It's waaay to many points...Oh well. It was delicious, but I'm sure I'm biased in my crazy love of any and all things pumpkin. I don't have any pictures to show you at the moment. I finished the first loaf this evening. I ate like half the loaf Sunday evening, before I felt bad about ingesting all those points and took it slow until now. If I remember when I get the other loaf out of the freezer I'll post a picture of it for you. 

What are your favorite fall recipes? Do you have any that involve pumpkin? Let me know!

-Chelle 

Monday, October 8, 2012

What I look forward to in Fall

Hey Guys,
  This is a continuation of the SITS Girls Fall Into Blogging series that I missed a couple of weeks ago. Today's topic is "Share one of your favorite fall memories or something you look forward to each fall." This is actually Day 3's topic, but I don't think taking a picture of the view outside my house would make you believe it's fall. I'm surrounded by Pine trees...

I look forward to Pumpkin _(any and everything)_ each and every fall. In recent years it has been the Pumpkin Spice Latte (Frozen/Blended) from Starbucks, in addition to Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cream Rolls,Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Creamer, Pumpkin Spice K-Cups...I think you get the idea. However, this year I have tried several great looking Pumpkin Spice Latte recipes from Pinterest and around the internet  and although they look amazing - to me they taste nothing like Pumpkin Spice Lattes. While browsing through sneekpeaq today, I realized that I need to try the Pumpkin Syrup recipes around blogland to get the pumpkin spice flavor I'm looking for. The Sonoma Syrup company page on sneekpeaq made me realize that with their product: Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup. I found a great recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup on Katie's Creatively Living Blog. I think with this recipe I can have delicious Pumpkin Spice Coffee at home!!
 (From Creatively Living)






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Friday, October 5, 2012

Best School Memory

   
I really wanted to participate in the Fall Back Into Blogging event with The SITS Girls, but just didn't get around to it so I will be posting my responses to those topics over the next little bit. Day one was entitled, "Best School Memory".
    My best school memories I think are the majority of my senior year of high school. After being in school together for at least 4 years together (I was a part of this class for 5 - 8th grade to 12th grade.) it seemed like senior year we all really grew up, got over all of our petty differences and started acting like a cohesive, "loving" class. We started doing things together - a great turn out for our class homecoming float and accompanying activities, school/class spirit, getting together to do things (parties, birthdays, senior skip day), and graduation and all the accompanying activities and festivities. It was really sad our last full day of high school knowing that we may never see some of these people ever again, and others we would see on a regular basis, at least until we (I) move out of my hometown.

Great Giveaway at Sour Apple Studio DIY

Hey Guys,

http://www.sourapplestudiodiy.com/2012/10/02/giveaway/

  
  Lindsey from Sour Apple Studio was a science teacher and is now a full time web designer!! (I think it is amazing - a.that I found another science teacher/web designer (I'm not the only one out there!) and b. that she is now able to do web design full time!!! (It gives me hope I can do this at least part time after I finish grad. school until I can find a teaching position.)) She is having an amazing giveaway, which I entered, because let's face it I haven't been very quick about trying to improve my blog's looks lately have I? (Hint: The answer to that is no.) Her giveaway is an amazing product - DIY blog design!! Please go check out her site and enter the giveaway. You have until 11 pm PST on Monday, October 8th to enter. You can also snag one of her designs for only $59!! What a great price!!

-Chelle

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Aquariums

Hey,

Today I wanted to talk to y'all about aquariums or fish tanks. I have had fish tanks for the majority of my life and have recently (in the past year) gotten back into fish keeping. I started with the 12 gallon tank that my husband bought for me while we were still dating and stocked it with four danios, a pleco, a blue/dwarf gourami, and most recently a male halfmoon betta. (Currently, the aquarium contains four danios, the gourami, and the betta.) A couple of weeks ago a friend and colleague of mine sold us her 30 gallon tank and stand. We strongly considered setting this one up for saltwater, which was what it was being used for, but chickened out at the last minute. So our 30 gallon tank is currently home to two ghost shrimp (one died), three Glofish electric green tetras, and a pleco. I don't think the pleco is going to make it. He has been acting funny today. I really didn't want a pleco in the first place because I have had horrible luck with them in the past. Although, I don't know what other bottom feeders would be better. I want to eventually work our way up into a reef+fish tank, but I think that will be awhile. I chicken out EVERYTIME (so far). I'm afraid to invest serious money into fish and equipment right now and have a $50 fish or a tank full of $50 fish die! That would be a huge hit right now. Do you keep any fish? Freshwater or saltwater? What are your suggestions for a 30 gallon community tank(FW) and starter saltwater tanks (sizes and fish suggestions)?

I really look forward to your comments on this!
*Update: 10/5/12 The pleco died yesterday. But here is a picture of my tank currently! Hopefully, tomorrow we will see about picking up some more fish for it. (Guppies I think!)