Pumpkin Chili

   I have a few picture from the weekend, but I mostly just spent it relaxing and enjoying the fall-temp days.  I LOVE fall.  This Chobani was taken before I left for work.  Not a totally substantial breakfast, but it was delicious.

  I was weary of putting Saturday morning's breakfast on the blog.  Mainly because it's the least photogenic thing I've ever photographed, but soooooo tasty.  Those little egg things are mini-fritattas.  I sauteed up some green onions, mushrooms, and yellow bell pepper with herbs and garlic.  Then I dropped little spoonfuls of it into a muffin tin, and poured in scrambled eggs into each tin.  There's about 1 egg per muffin cup.  Bake at 350 until they're done....sorry I don't have a more exact time, but I just stood around the oven and watched it.
  The star of the show was the pumpkin panckaes.  This was Kodiak cake mix made with canned pumpkin and Greek yogurt instead of water.  It made the pancakes very dense and moist.  The "syrup" was maple syrup, pumpkin and cinnamon heated up on the stove.  Brilliant is all I can say.  I topped the pancakes with syrup, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts.

  For dinner the hubby and I had sushi.

Seaweed salad.  Never realized how much I liked it.

  Andy needed some new jeans so we went to JCP, and I had to photograph the following pictures.  These are both bad outfits, and I want anyone who reads this blog to not wear it.  I repeat, do not wear this outfit.  It channels the inner "I play World of Warcraft all day long in my mom's basement."  I even laughed out loud directly in the store.  The 2nd shirt is also bad, but all my Marshall med school ER friends will get the joke behind it.

 
  Last night, Andy and I knew that we wanted to cook and I've had some roasted vegetable ravioli in my freezer for quite awhile.  Andy made homemade marinara sauce to go with the ravioli.  The ravioli was a mixed of butternut squash, spinach, and pumpkin.
  I wish I could tell you all that Andy put into the marinara, but I just let him work his magic and I didn't pay attention.
1.  Sauteed garlic and olive oil.
2.  Add canned artichokes, fresh mushrooms, and chopped white onion.
3.  Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes.
4.  Add 1 small can of tomato paste.
5.  Season with a mix of dried herbs, salt, pepper, and Andy's other secret spices.
This sauce was excellent!!  Spicy, tomatoe-y (just made that up), creamy, and perfect.

  That bag at the bottom of the picture is stuffed full of cans of pumpkin.  I also just read online that the pumpkin shortage is over!!!!  No need to hoard cans this year.  Woohoo!

That was my take on Panera's orchard harvest salad.  Romaine/mixed greens with carrots, artichokes, radishes, bell pepper, and sliced pear.  Okay, now that I typed that it's really nothing similar to Panera's salad.  There's has pear and dried cherries...wish I had some dried cherries on hand.  Note to self....must go to healthy life market and buy some.

  Breakfast this morning was especially lovely.  I was able to enjoy it over the morning paper, since I had a little extra time. 
- Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal with milk and sliced bananas
- Mexican chiapas blend coffee with cream
-  leftover egg fritatta

    This article caught my eye in the paper this morning.  All I can say is FINALLY!!!  Let me get on my soapbox and say that I am sick of all the abstinence-only crap.  If this was such an effective tactic, every patient I saw on OB/GYN wouldn't be less than 18 years of age.  All I'm saying is that it's said when you're 24 years old, on your labor and delivery service, and you feel as if your ovaries are dried up compared to the youth delivering babies.  If it were up to me we'd just go ahead and put birth control in the public water source.  I'm done preaching now.
  Today was the best day at work.  12:30 rolls around and my attending said that I could just go home for the day since he didn't have any more surgeries scheduled.  Score!  I was in a baking and cooking mode today.

  Those are banana cranberry muffins....I had 2 with coconut creme coffee.  Such a great snack.  These muffins are also relatively healthy.  I made them with half whole wheat flour, and a little over a 1/2 stick of butter. 

Dinner tonight is thanks to Taste of Home's pumpkin black bean chili.  I must say that it's making the whole kitchen smell great.  I'm going to be topping our bowls with cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt, and sliced scallions.  I'm also in the process of making homemade cornbread.  Enjoy your evening.....make something with pumpkin!!