pumpkin granola for fall

homemade granola is one of my go-to's for breakfast, yogurt toppings or dessert toppings. i have posted recipes for both good, ole, simple granola and for peanut butter granola previously, but today i am putting a fall twist on my classic granola recipe: pumpkin! many people don't think they like pumpkin, but they just haven't given it the chance! it is a most delicious fall flavor, and has nutritional benefits to boot! this morning for breakfast, i had some of this pumpkin granola with kefir, a banana and blueberries (of course, i sprinkled some more pumpkin spice and cinnamon on top). it was so good, perfect for this cool, fall morning! also, it kept me quite full through my barre3 workout and chores around my house!

pumpkin granola

2 cups oats

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp splenda brown sugar blend

1 t vanilla 

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice seasoning

1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. mix together all dry ingredients then mix in wet ingredients. toss to coat everything evenly. 
3. spread the granola on a cookie sheet (make sure you have sprayed it with non-stick pray!)
4. bake for 30-40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so, until granola is crisp. 
5. allow to cool and store in an airtight container. 

(slightly adapted from joyful healthy eats)

nuts and dried craisins would also be excellent additions to this recipe! enjoy it over yogurt, with kefir or atop a warm apple for dessert! 

last night, i hosted a lovely (if i do say so myself) wine and cheese party for my pledge class! we all really enjoy our time together when we actually get together and last night was just perfect. entitles "bring your own bottle," everyone brought their poison of choice and i supplied the munchies! the menu included a bacon cheddar cheese, asiago with rosemary and olive oil cheese, brie as well as white cheddar cheese, an olive tapenade, spicy mustard, turkey summer sausage, apples, grapes, carrots, celery, crackers, baguette slices, trader joe's no-guilt kale and spinach artichoke dip and some brownie bites to top everything off! i really enjoyed everyone coming over to my apartment and getting to host! i'm thinking there may be fondue night, beer and pizza night, margs and mexican night in pledge class '11's future! 

tonight the vols are squaring off against oklahoma and i have a crockpot full of chili ready and cornbread ready to go in the oven just before kickoff! go big orange (stella is ready for the game too)!

xoxo,

clp 

thanksgiving OOTD & a recipe

well thanksgiving has come and gone so i guess its on to the next holiday! the christmas season is officially in full swing! today, we are taking down our fall decorations and starting to put up christmas! i think yesterday was one of most enjoyable thanksgivings we have ever had and i am thankful for all the warm conversation and familiar faces that filled our home. as i told my mom, we had more than enough food. i told her that we had been cooking for two days straight so it was thanksgiving leftovers for supper tonight. my outfit for thanksgiving was a gift from my parents on my birthday that i saved to wear yesterday. of course, in true claire fashion, the majority of it was j. crew and my stylist at green hills, katie, helped me put some of the pieces together (she is something i truly am thankful for!). 

j. crew collection tweed jacket, j. crew grey tippi sweater, j. crew toothpick jean in velvet dot, ivanka trump booties, j. crew tassel necklace

two of the many thanksgiving cooks!

i also wanted to share this delicious recipe we had for supper on tuesday night! everyone (besides me) was a little wary of the pumpkin but they all raved about it. even phillip ate it which was a pre-thanksgiving miracle! i served it with a black bean, tomato and avocado warm salad and pumpkin salsa from The Fresh Market (unfortunately this is only seasonal). 

enchiladas with pumpkin sauce

3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

4 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno chile, sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup grated sharp pepper jack cheese

1/2 can rotel, with juice 

1/2 tbsp cumin

cilantro, to taste

8 6-inch low-carb tortillas (we like La Tortilla Factory)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions, set aside.
2. In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 1 cup water, cumin, rotel, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.
3. Lay tortillas on work surface; mound about 1/4 cup chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas tightly; place, seam side down, in baking dish.
4. Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese, cilantro and additional sliced jalepeno if desired. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

this recipe serves four people perfectly without leftovers and the addition of a side dish, salsa and chips. it was a great, healthy twist on a mexican dish and i really encourage you to try it! don't be afraid of the pumpkin! happy decorating to all - it's beginning to look a lot like christmas! 

xoxo,

clp 

christmas break bucket list & a dessert

i make lists. lots of lists. grocery lists, wish lists, to do lists. the list goes on and on. the most fun list (besides a wish list) is my bucket list. i even have lists of bucket lists. for christmas break, i have made myself (and whoever wants to join) a bucket list. it contains a ton of seasonal activities that are happening in murfreesboro and nashville! i really hope i get to accomplish most of them, but to do so i will definitely have to hit the ground running!

1. nashville predators hockey game: i have only been to one and i was teensy then so i really want to go this year! phillip goes quite often so hopefully we will get to go to one together! 
2. lights at opryland: every year i want to go see the lights and somehow time just gets away and they are turned off before i get the chance to see them. this year i am determined to see them! 
3. ice! at gaylord opryland: mom and i have wanted to go to this for a couple of years now but like with the lights, time got away. this year it is frosty the snowman themed so a christmas classic is a must see! 
4. painting with a twist: now that i am 21, i really want to have a fun mother-daughter date at painting with a twist. mom is afraid her painting will look bad, but i keep telling her the wine will loosen her up! (i already offered to be the DD - her artistic skills are lacking a bit) 
5. actually go see movies... in theaters: i couldn't tell you the last movie i saw in theaters so hopefully i may get to see at least one over break. frozen comes out soon and i really want to see it. mom loves going to movies so i know i will have a taker when the time comes! 
6. cross some restaurants off my nashville restaurant bucket list (told you i like lists): the list has grown quite some bit with the opening of new restaurants that all look delicious. it seems like every time i cross one off, i add two more. i hope to try some new ones as well as frequent some favorites in nashville over break!  

for now, the list isn't too long but i know i will probably come up with some more things to do! 

today was a long day. i left the apartment at 8:30 and didn't get back until 4:30! i am just a bit weary. nonetheless, i was put in the holiday spirit by the salvation army bell ringers at kroger and my purchase of peppermint creme coffee at the fresh market today (yes, i did go to two different grocery stores). i also snatched up some pumpkin salsa while it was still on the shelves! also, lilly pulitzer released the first products for the alpha chi print. i must say that i am a bit disappointed that there are only 2 items available for preorder and unfortunately, neither are products that i want. its rare that lilly disappoints me so i am hoping that more products will be revealed soon. i am still on that pumpkin kick and i have been craving rice krispie treats so tonight for dessert i made a half batch of pumpkin spice rice krispie treats! they were so good with the hint of pumpkin and cinnamon... i may or may not have eaten half of the batch! 

half batch pumpkin spice rice krispie treats

2 tbsp butter

2.5 cups mini marshmallows

3 cups rice krispies cereal 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon 

1. spray large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. melt butter over low heat. 
2. add marshmallows and stir constantly until completely melted. stir in spices. 
3. remove from heat and stir in rice krispies until well coated.
4. press into loaf pan or 8x8 baking dish. 

if you don't want pumpkin spice flavored rice krispie treats, just leave out the spices! and try not the eat the half the pan like me! 

xoxo,

clp 

hello november

the week is finally over! after a quiz and three tests, i am glad that the weekend is here! this weekend brings a birthday-costume party, mom and dad coming to town and the start of homecoming here at UT! and today brings us november! where on earth did october go? i don't mind though because i can celebrate 21 years of myself starting today (yes, i get the whole month)!

i am still on that pumpkin kick i talked about earlier and as a treat for surviving this past week and since my parents will be here, today i made some pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting! if you ignore the icing, they really aren't horrible for you and they make the whole kitchen smell like amazing!

pumpkin cupcakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup pumpkin (NOT pie filling)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend 

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

2 tbsp honey 

cream cheese frosting

1 block greek yogurt cream cheese (i used kroger's brand)

1 stick butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with 11 cupcake liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. in a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients for cupcakes and mix well. 
3. fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of batter. 
4. bake for 30 minutes and let cool before icing. 
5. to make frosting, beat all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until thick and smooth. 
6. ice cupcakes once they are cool and store in the fridge until ready to serve! 

now that halloween is over (which i have never gotten to celebrate in college because i have always had a test the day after), holiday season is already in full swing. i love everything about the holiday season and am so excited that everything holiday related is starting to appear in stores. i went to target today and they have out their thanksgiving decorations (which some of is already on sale!) and are starting to put out their christmas decorations! i bought an adorable pink and green stocking to hang on my door later this month. i have a rule where i won't decorate for christmas or listen to christmas music until after my birthday! 

and sorry for being MIA for the past few days but i thought school should probably come before blogging! since i have a much lighter workload this coming week i promise not to disappear on you! happy november to all! 

xoxo,

clp 

all pumpkin everything, throwback thursday & a recipe

y'all! i have had over 10,000 pageviews! what a milestone for me! i just want to start out by saying thank you so much to my readers! because of you, i can do this! please continue to read and share with your friends!

since its thursday, that means its throwback time! once again, its a halloween throwback featuring two of my favorite people in the whole wide world! i don't know what i would do without my Gerhart girls who i have known since birth!

i am on the biggest pumpkin kick ever! pumpkin coffee, pumpkin crepes, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin brownies and tonight was pumpkin pasta and pumpkin cookies! pumpkin boasts health benefits too! it has loads of vitamin A, fiber, and vitamin C as well as many other nutrients. tonight for supper i wanted some non-traditional, savory pasta so i decided to try out a recipe for pumpkin sauce that i found online at Created By Diane. i plan on serving it over whole wheat shells with maple chicken apple sausage and a side salad. also, i already made up some cookie dough for later on. pumpkin for dinner and for dessert! these cookies are yummy and healthy and the dough can be refrigerated so you only have to cook your desired amount at a time! 

pumpkin oat cookies

1 1/4 c oat flour (or 1.5 cups oats ground in blender until flour consistency)

1/4 cup Splenda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup pumpkin puree 

3 tbsp egg whites 

dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts, craisins or other mix-ins of choice

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees. spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. in medium size bowl, mix together wet ingredients (applesauce, pumpkin and egg whites). add in the dry ingredients and mix well. stir in mix-ins of choice. 
3. scoop 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp of dough into each muffin tin. these cookies don't spread so mold them to fit the muffin tin. bake for 10 minutes or until set. 

(slightly adapted from Dashing Dish)

some other pumpkin recipes i am dying to try are:

• Skinny Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin Quinoa Risotto
• Slow-cooker Pumpkin Sausage Chili
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
• Low Calorie Pumpkin Cream Muffins

tomorrow begins Bama Weekend and i am so excited! i crossed most everything off my to-do list and we are Bama Bound the minute everyone is out of class. lucky for me, my one class got cancelled tomorrow so i can be ready whenever! pictures and stories are to come i'm sure! go vols! 

xoxo,

clp 

fall break adventures: day 1 & a recipe

i guess today is technically day 1 of fall break and thank the good lord almighty that it is finally here! it officially started for me at exactly 1:01, the minute my finance class let out. i fueled up with coffee and then i was murfreesboro bound for the next 4 days! this semester has been great, but they don't lie when they say junior year is stressful and hard. fall break couldn't have come at a better time!

it was almost like christmas morning when i got home. i have ordered quite a few things and had them shipped home and my room was starting to look like santa's workshop! its sad how much fun i had opening the packages and everything fit so that was fantastic! also, mom and dad had the house all decorated for fall and halloween and it looked great! i love seasonal decorations!

next on my list of things to do when i got home was to make some pumpkin apple bread! mom and i have both been dying to make some so i decided i would have some waiting on her when she got home from work! the house smelled wonderful as it baked!

pumpkin apple bread

1.5 c whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 egg whites

1/4 c Splenda brown sugar

1 c pumpkin puree

1/4 c plain greek yogurt

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1 apple, sliced and diced

1/4 c crushed walnuts (optional)

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray one loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. in a large bowl, mix flour and baking soda.
3. in a medium bowl, mix egg whites and brown sugar. add pumpkin, yogurt, applesauce and spices until mixed well. 
4. mix wet batter with flour mixture until combined, but make sure not to over mix.
5. stir in apples. 
6. evenly pour batter into loaf pan. sprinkle walnuts on top of batter.
7. bake 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

(slightly adapted from Peanut Butter and Peppers)

hopefully, i will post about my fall break adventures every step of the way and share them with you! today hasn't too exciting but i am so happy to be at home with my family and even my cat! by the way, today being october 16th only means one thing: ONE  MONTH UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY! let the countdown begin!

xoxo,
clp

a chili and cornbread kind of night

fall weather finally showed up this week which means one thing: its time to make some chili. there are very few things that represent fall more than a bowl of chili and a slice of cornbread do. since chili feeds a crowd, i invited my favorites over to help me eat it! this recipe is my brother's recipe and it is my favorite red chili recipe! he always surprises us when he breaks out his chef hat and makes us something that is delicious! of course, i made granny's cornbread to accompany the chili!

phillip's chili

1-1.5 lbs lean ground beef

1 chopped onion

1 can Rotel Chili Fixins

2 cans no-salt added petite diced tomatoes

1 can dark kidney beans, drained

1 can light kidney beans, drained

1 can chili beans, NOT drained

1/2-1 can water

1 tbsp cocoa (optional, but encouraged!)

1 tbsp sugar (i used Splenda)

2 tsp each cumin and ground red pepper

at least 3 tbsp chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1. brown ground beef and chopped onion together. 
2. put in large pot or crockpot.add remaining ingredients to pot and let simmer on stove or cook on low in crock-pot for 6-8 hours.
3. serve hot with toppings of choice!

i am so happy kaitlin, alivia, kellan and lauren came into my life. before i found them and others, i didn't really have a "group" of close friends in alpha chi. i know i can depend on any of my sisters for anything, but these particular girls have become my best friends. i don't know where i would be, certainly not at UT, if it weren't for this group of girls that have become such a part of my life. i have changed quite a bit since i left for college, as i think everyone does, and my group of friends has changed both here and at home. i am so lucky to have found people who accept who i am, both for my strengths and weaknesses.

"they are the family we choose to surround us, the sisters bound by love instead of blood. they know when we are lonely, and appear without being called. when we feel lost, they provide a living map to what comes next; when we doubt everything about ourselves, they remind us who we are." 

-Barbara Alpert

y'all, i have had one of the best fridays ever! this morning, i made chili, did laundry, cleaned up the apartment, shopped online and was headed for the gym all before 8:30. i then had finance after lunch which i was dreading because we were getting our tests from last week back. however, after i got my test back, i was on cloud nine the rest of the day. the grade was refrigerator worthy in my opinion. after class, i went took some clothes to plato's for some spending money, and then went to target and trader joe's! i also finally decorated a pumpkin i had bought over a week ago! though i didn't do anything extraordinary, it was such an enjoyable afternoon and evening, especially with the stress of not knowing how i did on my test gone. i did purchase a few things today as a treat to myself which i thought i would share my two favorites with you and also my finished pumpkin! 

merona chunky cardigan

power t studs

my decorated pumpkin

the rest of my friday night is consisting of Homeland, Gone Girl, Pinterest-ing, and birthday wishlist making. tomorrow morning i am trying out a Barre3 class which i am really looking forward to and i am having my little and grandlittle over for a family dinner tomorrow night! i love low-key weekends and am going to enjoy this one before school gets busy again after fall break! 

xoxo,

clp