…T.G.I.F.F. November 6, 2009…

… Pumpkin Waffles for a cozy Fall Brunch…

… isn’t it nice to actually get to sleep in on a Saturday and then enjoy a leisurely brunch…

… well that’s exactly what i did last weekend… and since it was a Halloween Saturday… we thought it appropriate to have PUMPKIN pancakes and caldron coffee…

…i used the Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix from Trader Joe’s… and my beloved Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker…

… i’m just gonna carry on with the pumpkin obsession right through thanksgiving in case you haven’t noticed… but, i’ll be intentionally and intensely throwing in Peppermint, gingerbread, and other yule tide cheer… especially starting at the end of this month with Fa-la-la Fridays (a fitting follow-up to Thank Goodness it’s Fall Fridays, don’t ya think)…

… but for today… Pumpkin Mickey Mouse Waffles…

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… Ghoul’s Night…

… get it… GIRLS night all hallows eve style…

… as i mentioned in a TGIFF post about a month ago it is TRADITION to watch Disney’s Hocus Pocus at least 10 or 12 times during October… and specifically with my dear friend Ashley who is responsible for the Chic Bachelorette Cupcakes everyone loves so much…

… well, we decided to go all out this year and invite some of our best witches over for an evening of spooky entertainment (a muck, a muck, a muck , a muck- can’t resist)… and LOTS  and LOTS of treats…

… here’s a teaser photo of our table spread… with more photos and recipe links after the jump…

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…Pumpkin Cheesecake…

 

… i’ll apologize in advance, as this post is going to be a little bias, seeing as i might be a little emotionally attached to this particular treat…

… but, I felt it was my responsibility as a dedicated pumpkin bloggette to let you know that Marie Calendar’s has a DELICIOUSLY intense Pumpkin Cheesecake…

… it’s taken me nearly a week to make a dent in this decadence as it is extremely rich… BUT, i applaud Marie for her ability to make something that embodies the ideal pumpkin flavor… it’s so much more than just cheesecake- it’s definitely pumpkin… and so much more than pumpkin pie– it’s definitely cheesecake…

… this concludes my review of the delightful treat pictured above… cheesy story and one more photo after the jump… read at your own risk…

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… Pumpkin Cupcakes…

… i saw this recipe in Real Simple last month… and considering my love of pumpkin AND baking, it was obviously a match made in heaven…

… plus the fact that I had the perfect excuse to make cupcakes, as my friend and I were hosting Ghoul’s Night (get it– Girl’s Night)…

… aaaaaand the minor detail that i was supposed to be doing homework… but anyways, CUPCAKES…

… they were super easy and super yummy... not overwhelmingly pumpkin-y… but definitely fall flavored…

… recipe after the jump…

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…in a hurry on a fine fall morning…

… Einstein’s Bros Bagels has you in mind this fall…

… with new Pumpkin Bagel Poppers…

…balls of pumpkin bagel… iced in a “pumpkin cream cheese”- of a slightly sticky rather than creamy consistency… i haven’t had the chance to try them yet but you can be sure I will… and at $2.99 for a container of 10-12 poppers… they seem like an economical breakfast for a certain fall Saturday in the very near future (this saturday- halloween- in case you didn’t catch my implication)…

 

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… Pumpkins…

… as promised…a couple pics of our pumpkin trip…

… and this poorly shadowed corn maze pic is pretty much what i have to offer … because i’m NOT sharing pics of my pumpkin… it was a disaster…

… things started out great… i was SUPER excited as i wiped all of the dust and hay from my pumpkin’s skin… then thoroughly enjoyed the cleaning and prepping process…

… but things quickly turned sour after this… the pumpkin rind was much thicker than i remember and i chose a design that had a few precarious edges… for which i completely had a plan but did not-so-successfully navigate…

… there were tears… small ones at first because i was disappointed but thought i could save it…  then a full fledged sob as one slightly forceful slice left a gaping hole in the front of my pumpkin…

… yes, i take my seasonal activities THAT seriously…;)

… once i realized the design could NOT be salvaged… i may have had a momentary pity party… where i spun the mutilated orb around… and carved this in the opposite side… lol…

… but my mom,  in true mom fashion, offered a brilliant  solution to my disappointing disaster… TOOTHPICKS… i was completely encouraged and immediately dug the separated chunk from the trash (ok, really it was more like retrieved it from the top of the bin)… while he emerged with said reparation tools…

… and with a little team work, innovation, and his strong fingers pushing tiny stakes through the stubborn pumpkin skin (i promise you this sucker was tougher than most)…………..

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… Why I love my Croc-Pot Reason #1273: Pot Roast…

… pot roast and a fire…

…i’ve touted it 1000 times before… but i love my croc-pot and REALLY believe that it’s something everyone should have in their kitchen arsenal…

… i currently only have one weeknight that is not occupied by class or work… this means one night a week to go to the gym AND one night a week to cook for my boyfriend (which i love to do)…

…BUT THE CROC POT MAKES THIS ALL POSSIBLE (so glad i sound like an infomercial)…

…i throw everything in the croc the night before… plug it in before i leave for work in the AM… get my gym trip in after work… and come home to an incredible home-made meal… and a house that smells like i slaved for hours… i LOOOOOOOVE it…

… recipe after the jump…

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…T.G.I.F.F.: October 23, 2009…

… Thank Goodness it’s a Fall Friday so we can go to the PUMPKIN PATCH this weekend…

…never mind the Saturday i’m going to spend studying, writing a paper (or at least part of a paper), and studying for an econ exam…

…Sunday afternoon we’re going to go to a pumpkin patch to pick out a little orange friend… and carve him up… woo…

… you can’t tell me that there is any better fall fun than spending an afternoon at the pumpkin patch… running through a corn maze, sipping apple cider, and hopping on a hay ride… i know you love it because i have seen A MILLION CUTE PICTURES of people’s pumpkin patch trips all over the blogosphere and facebook this month…

… pics from our trip last year… and our carved creations after the jump…

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…Pumpkin Smash..

… in an effort to consume EVERY limited edition Pumpkin treat I can… I had the Jamba Juice Pumpkin Smash for lunch today…

…it was yummy… VERRRY punkin-y and probably not the best choice as my “lunch”… but i enjoyed it nonetheless… i would add it to the, “you should try” list if you’re on the same pumpkin kick that I am…

…sorry for the crummy cell pic of me… but google image did not give me any suitable images for “Pumpkin Smash”… haha… and I couldn’t figure out how to save the image from the Jamba website… tech-y failure…

…happy thursday…

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…TGIFF: October 16, 2009…

…apple dumplings…

… i made these for the first time tuesday night… and it was kind of a poignant moment for me… these are something my grandma made every year growing up… and i had to call her for the recipe earlier that afternoon… this was possibly the sweetest, most wonderful conversation i’ve had with my grandmother, possibly ever- as she passed along her wisdom of many, many years of preparing these treats with love for our family, friends, and usually my college dorm-mates…

… it’s really not even a difficult preparation process… but i could tell it meant the world to her that i wanted to take this tradition and ensure i could keep it… actually, i know it did, because i got a call from my mother- promptly after she got off the phone with my grandmother- who called her promptly after we got off the phone… This is how my family works…

… recipe and additional photos after the jump…

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