Hello, November

Wow, can you believe it's November...already?! I just cannot get over it.

There are only two months left in this crazy year. In honor of that, Joey and I have decided to make a cute project that I first saw on Pinterest earlier this year. I've been obsessively waiting for November so that I could make this with him.

source: simplyvintagegirl

It's a Thankful tree, and I think it's the best thing I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, in our haste to clean our apartment and get caught up on our TV shows (ha -priorities!) that we missed because of the World Series, I forgot to go gather sticks... but I am definitely doing that after work tomorrow. Joey has class, so I plan on spending my night making a ton of these cute little circles for our Thankful tree, as well as making my lovely friend Lisa some business cards.

Lisa is the best baker I know and I'm excited to help launch Desserts by Lisa. If anyone needs a cake made for a special occasion (or cookies, cupcakes, etc), definitely get in touch with me and I'll send you her way. :)

I'll keep you updated on our Thankful tree and post pictures when we've gotten some of our little notes of thankfulness up there. Such an incredible idea, and very humbling for this time of year.

I must remember this.

[After] Mini Pumpkin Pies

Well.

My camera died in the middle of making this recipe. I should have probably checked that before I started, but that's the story of my life.

I mentioned yesterday that I was going to attempt these Mini Pumpkin Pies to take for a food day at work tomorrow. Here are the two before pictures I managed to snap before becoming camera-less.

(Woo, what a great photo log of my process! Ugh.)

So basically, make your pumpkin pie filling.

Then cut out your little pie crusts and line your muffin pan with them.

Pour the pumpkin pie filling in each and bake.

The original recipe has the instructions and they were super easy to follow and resulted in yummy mini pumpkin pies!

Next time I need to coat the pan with more cooking spray because as you can tell in some of the pies, the crust is flaking off. The rest of it is still firmly attached to the inside of the pan. Rats!

Oh well, I think they turned out super cute and I'm really proud of them. I'll garnish with some whipped cream tomorrow before serving them at work. Yay!

I love when things work out, even though my camera was dead. ;)

[Before] Mini Pumpkin Pies

Autumn is my favorite time of year.

I know that I've said that recently and I even made a list about it. But it's definitely worth repeating.

Autumn is really the best season, for real, especially in St. Louis. We can have 80 degree weather one day, and 40 degrees the next. I may complain about it sometimes because my allergies go absolutely nuts, but I love the unexpectedness of it all. I dread, dread, dread the winter months though. We get some of the craziest, coldest weather here in the winter and I don't like it! You think after 24 years of living in the same city, I'd be used to it. But no. I like the first snow of the season because it's fresh and new and exciting. And no matter when it happens, it reminds me of Christmas. But once the first BIG snow happens and we have mounds of black snow on every parking lot and street corner that doesn't melt until March, that is when I can't wait until summer. Then, it will be summer and the first day it's 90 degrees,  I'm cursing and say I can't wait until winter.

The moral of the story is that I am extremely unhappy, always.
Ha!

But what I was getting at really, is that autumn foods are the best. Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday because of the abundance of comfort food, both sweet and savory, and it never disappoints. I was allergic to dairy for 10 years growing up, so a lot of these foods I am recently tasting for the first time in a LONG time. It is so much fun to be able to eat pumpkin pie again! My mom also made the best stuffing ever and my sister-in-law has perfected it.... it actually rivals it, to be honest. I tend to overindulge on the stuffing. (and my overindulge I mean I try and eat all of it before anyone realizes it was ever on the table.) But really, can you eat too much of the very dish that defined your Thanksgiving's growing up? I don't think so.

Dang, I got off topic - AGAIN! Man. We are having a food day at work on Monday and I am going to try making these Mini Pumpkin Pies.

All I need for the recipe is pumpkin pie filling, refrigerated premade pie dough, a muffin tin and whipped cream. Sounds easy enough!

Also, I know that I just made meatloaf in muffin tins, but really, making things in mini is SO addicting! 

I'm going to get the ingredients tonight and make them tomorrow afternoon, so I will take pictures as I go. I am so excited to see how they turn out!

World Series Champs

source: stlcardinals.com

St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series in Game 7!

I may be married to a rabid Mets fan, I may have been rooting for the Rangers to keep the peace in my tiny apartment, but the native St. Louisan in me is feeling pretty proud of the win.

Now, everyone get off my back. Sorry dear.

However, the Rally Squirrel can DIE.

DIE. IN A FIRE. A BLAZING ONE.

God.

Meatloaf Miniatures

Meatloaf dinners will always be fond memories I have of growing up. My mom made the best meatloaf of anyone I know... and I mean that, literally. I know some people say their mom is the best cook ever, but I'm not saying that. My mom didn't always make the best of the best things, but she did a couple things totally right. Her meatloaf was one of those things. Her BBQ chicken was another (yum!).

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to learn from my mom, and she was not one to use a recipe. Or if she did use one, she would alter it and then never write it down. In fact, it's kind of surprising that I have a "favorite" of anything my mom made, because each time it was guaranteed to be just a little bit different.

Regardless, back when she would make meatloaf for dinner, I had no need to watch her make it - I mean come on, I was 14 and knew everything, and besides, my mom would be around forever.

10 years later, I would give anything to know how she made her meatloaf so incredibly addicting. I would also give anything to hear her scold me for not asking her for the recipe or how I should have watched her cook those many, many times. But that would just lead to me crying, so let's not discuss this anymore. ha!




  
I found a recipe on Taste of Home that I thought looked fun... mostly because I am a sucker for anything made in a muffin pan! I love that they cook for a LOT less, and while overindulging is definitely a risk, you just can't help but smile at their miniature size!

I definitely am going to keep this recipe and do it again. The only thing I need to work on it smashing the meat more into each cup because they kind of just fell apart. I literally got the best picture (which is quite frankly sad) of the only 2 that came out into perfect "muffin" form.



Click here for the link to the recipe!

I also found this cute little idea on Pinterest and decided that since I had all of the ingredients, I would make them! I just used melting chocolates, marshmallows and crescent rolls.






Deeeeeeeee-licious! :) The crescent roll was buttery, and added to the sticky marshmallows and sweet chocolates... it was the perfect after-dinner snack. Even Joey ate one! Which is great, but at least I only made 2. ;)