H5FF

Man that week went by fast! It was stressful and had its ups and downs but I'm ready to start the weekend! I'm linking up with Lauren again but today I am also linking up with Emily for Weekend Blog Hop!




 Let's start off the weekend right by looking back and seeing the good parts of this past week.

1. Last Saturday the KC Marathon was happening right in my neighborhood. My roommates and her friends made some signs for the runners and their friend that was running. Watching these runners actually gave me no motivation to run. It looked painful! Maybe some day inspiration will hit me.

2. Guess who voted already?! Sad news is that they didn't give me an "I Voted" sticker. Maybe you just get those on election day.

3. Breakfast in bed makes for a good day.

4. Yes I did watch Gossip Girl at work. Don't tell my boss.

5. Random pumpkin pic. Tis the season!

6. Grabbing supplies for my Halloween costume. I already know I'll have to go back.

What are your plans for the weekend? Have fun!

Pasta Carbonara

This is one of my favorite pastas. Maybe because it is fast and simple. But most likely because there is bacon in it. If there is bacon in it.... I will eat it! I'm guessing this meal isn't the healthiest though. Sometimes you just have to go for it and eat something that will hit the spot and make you happy. :) It tastes like a lighter version of an alfredo sauce

When I tried this particular recipe out, I wished I had a glass of wine and some italian bread to go with the meal. Don't make the same mistake!

Pasta Carbonara

This sauce will be enough for 8 ounces of warm, freshly cooked pasta; always reserve a bit of the cooking water to toss with the sauce and hot pasta.

Ingredients: 

3 slices bacon

1 large egg

1/2 cups heavy cream

1 green pepper cut into small bites

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces freshly cooked pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine. I used angel hair because it was in my pantry. Reserve 1 cup cooking water.

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until finished. Then add the green pepper to the pan to cook. The pepper should get a little soft but still have a crunch to it. Turn heat off when done.

2. While this is cooking, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in bowl. You can always add more salt and pepper after everything is mixed together.

3. Drain excess fat from bacon skillet.

4. Put the just-cooked pasta into the skillet where the bacon and green pepper are and place over low heat.

Add the egg-cream mixture and some of the hot pasta cooking water (if needed to make creamy), and toss to coat. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

The great thing about this recipe is the option to change it up to fit your craving. You could replace the green pepper and add peas, onions, or any type of veggie. The options are endless!

Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

Nothing beats going home. Home being where your family is. Where you feel grounded again. Going home is needed especially when you are having a rough week. Woof. What a doozy! Is it really only Wednesday? I can't really name the overall comfort I feel when I get to spend the night at my moms. I guess that means I haven't fully grown out of being looked after by my parents. Does this ever happen? Last night I immediately got in my pjs and ate some ice cream when I got there. It was perfect. 

Another benefit is playing with my puppy. Look at the cute little face! 

Any ways besides having a stressful week and needing a break, I needed to make the trip back home to vote. I will be visiting my brother and SIL the weekend before the election and don't want to risk missing the big day. So today I will go vote absentee! Don't forget to do the same if you will be out of town. I think last election I was away at college and forgot to get my ballot notarized but sent it in anyways. Oops.

On the way back to my place this afternoon I plan on getting supplies to make my halloween costume. I'll make sure to take pictures of the process but hopefully the end results look like this.

I found this gem on pinterest and decided to try it out. It involves me being crafty so it could get interesting!

Apple Butter

I'm not going to lie. I love apple butter but the main reason I wanted to try this recipe was to make my home smell AMAZING! I was not disappointed. If you need to create a welcoming aroma in your house, this will do the trick. Not to mention the benefit of having apple butter to eat afterwards. It could quite possible by my version of crack in the autumn. I want to put it on everything: toast, bagels, rolls... Basically anything with carbs. I found a pinterest recipe for pancakes with apple butter mixed in. Watch out! This will be happening. That pinterest thing is so handy. 

Start with apples. Duh. Any type will do. I picked the cheapest kind and now I do not remember what kind that was. Sorry.

Then you need to core and peel the apples. This handy device was handed down from my grandma and I love it!

Once you've done this step, throw all the apples into a big slow cooker and sprinkle with all the spices and water. It was difficult for me to get it mixed evenly but I tried my best. You can do the same better!

At this point it already smelled like three apple pies cooking at the same time. You will leave the apples to cook for a long time with the lid not completely closed so air can escape. I used my wooden spoon to prop it open. Here is the end result after using a food processor to blend it all together. I had to use my single serve blender because I'm not fancy. I should invest in a processor huh.?

Ta da!! Here is the recipe that actually makes sense.

Ingredients

- 10-12 apples, any type

- ½ cup brown sugar

- ½ cup filtered water

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- ¼ tsp allspice

Directions

Peel, core, and dice apples, then place them in a slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.   Place the lid on the slow cooker, but prop it open slightly to allow moisture to escape (I prop the handle of a wooden spoon between the lid and the base). Set slow cooker on low and cook for 12-16 hours, until apples have reduced significantly and turn a deep caramel color.

Remove apple mixture from slow cooker and place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.   The apple butter is now ready if you plan on storing it in the fridge.  Apple butter will keep quite well in a fashion similar to jam.  

Recipe makes just over a pint (2 cups).

Original Recipe found here

Tricky Coats

Why is finding a perfect winter coat like finding the holy grail? It doesn't happen. Every year I know that I need to get a coat that I can wear on a day-to-day basis but I never end up pulling the trigger. This might be the year! Probably not.  Once I find a great coat, I look at the price and cringe....which means it's not going to happen. Or my lack of fashion sense kicks into high gear. What I need to do is actually plan ahead and buy during the off season. Any ideas? Any free coats?

High Five For Friday

It's going to be a great weekend! I don't have to work and the Cardinals are playing. Whoop! Here are some highlights of this week.

1. Yummy Sushi

2. California Pizza Kitchen with a pal

3. Starting a new book this week. 

4. Let's go Cards!

5. Started my new exercise program this week. We will see how long that lasts. 

What are your plans for the weekend? 

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

This recipe is AMAZING! I love bread in general but if you add chocolate and bananas, i'm all in. By the way, is it weird that I can only spell banana by singing this song? Every.Time. 

Can you see those delicious chips?! Yummy. The loaf was 3/4 gone by the end of the day. It can double as a breakfast or dessert. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 stick softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In medium bowl, beat sugar and butter until soft. Add vanilla and eggs and beat 1 minute. Add flour mixture and beat 1 minute. Beat in banana. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into loaf pan.

4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. (I had to cook loaf for 10 mins more)

Recipe found here.

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