Tag: pumpkin

Mmm...Food...

Vitamix!

megstermeter

Christmas has come early for us this year! Mom went ahead and ordered us an early Christmas present, something I’ve been wanting for a long time…a beautiful, top of the line Vitamix blender.

IT’S AMAZING!

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I’ve only used it a few times so far, but it makes the smoothest smoothies of all time. I can’t wait to use it for soups and other goodies all winter long.

In honor of my new toy, I’m reposting my favorite Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake recipe for you. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

Check out my recipe here: https://megoirs.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-pie-protein-shake/

Mmm...Food...

Pumpkin Dip

megstermeter

pumpkin dip

Yeah, this is good as it sounds / looks. Serve it with Nilla Wafers, graham crackers, apples, or pears. And it’s SO EASY to make. So do it!!

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Then add in pumpkin and seasonings, beating until all the ingredients are completely combined. Chill in the fridge, and voila! Deliciousness.

A little pre-party shot when just the pumpkin dip was ready to go :)
A little pre-party shot when just the pumpkin dip was ready to go 🙂
Creative Crafting, Mmm...Food..., Picture Taking Time

Fall Favorites {Round Up}

megstermeter

It’s October now, and starting to really feel like fall here in Ohio. I can’t say I’m looking forward to THE-SEASON-THAT-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED, which comes after fall and rhymes with “splinter,” but I still really LOVE fall. And now that I’ve had this lovely little blog going for over six years, I’ve shared a number of fall crafts, food, and festivites along the way. Here’s a little round up of some favorites!

Crafties

Last fall, mama B visited in October and helped me deck out the house a little with some sweet decor, which I recently pulled out of the basement to use again. LOVE IT.

fall 1

A few years ago, I bought little pumpkins at the Nashville farmers market and came up with a few new centerpieces. I need to do this again!!

fall 2

Last year, this sweet little argyle wreath was inspired by my husband’s late grandmother’s fabrics. She quilted all the time, and my mother-in-law gave me a stack of these pretty squares. I used a few on this wreath, and still can’t decide how to use the rest!

fall 3

Pumpkin and Squash Treats

SO MANY!! My favorites are:

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake and Protein Bars

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hersheys Kiss Acorns

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

Festivities and Photos

One of my FAVORITE fall festivities is the Wine and Harvest fest in my little hometown. Best part? The Pumpkin Race! Literally, a few people get into giant pumpkin boats and race across the river. It’s awesome.

Pumpkin Regatta

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, of course, and I love decorating our pretty table. Another wonderful part of fall!

table5

So that’s it. I love me some fall. A few years ago I took a photography class with my 35mm camera (not digital!) and took random photos all over the place. This one of a paper pumpkin is still one of my favorites. Happy Fall, Y’all!!

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Creative Crafting, Daily Notes

Happy Fall, Y’all!

megstermeter

house 3

Hiiiii…

So, I’ve kept my computer shut the last couple of weeks. And honestly, I’m sorry I’m not sorry. Two weeks ago, we traveled to Nashville for my 5th year college reunion. It was a blast, in spite of a pretty brutal Commodore loss. And the next weekend, my mom traveled to visit us from Wisconsin. We spent the weekend doing tons and tons a perfectly acceptable amount of shopping, eating, Packer-watching, and decorating. In fact, a trip to Michael’s with mom resulted in a fabulous decorated home. It seems so much more like fall now! And that’s what moms are for 🙂

house 1 And this weekend? Well, we celebrated a big Commodore WIN and some gorgeous fall weather in Columbus. porch

And this is what happens when you are too lazy to carve your pumpkin…

pumpkin

And here is one of many Michael’s purchases. I mean, how can you deny a 70% off sale??scarecrow

Daily Notes, Health, Mmm...Food...

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

megstermeter

My coworker and I have been talking a lot about pumpkin lately…and also about protein shakes. So I did a little experimenting and I think I’ve just about perfected the pumpkin pie protein shake. I know there are others out there, but I’m pretty partial to this one. Forgive the iPhone photo, and enjoy the healthy pie in your belly!!

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Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake (1 serving)
Ingredients
1/2 frozen banana (I pre-slice my bananas before freezing for easy blending)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling – just plain pumpkin)
1 cup milk of your choice (I use plain almond milk to keep calories and sugar down)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1-inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
Very generous dashes of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

Blend it all together and enjoy! This is not an overly sweet shake, because I don’t love too much sweetness in my protein shakes. If it’s not sweet enough for you though from the banana, you could definitely add a packet of stevia or other natural sweetener. The banana adds some sweetness and also thickness. Feel free to add ice too if you like a more “icey” shake.

Happy pumpkin season 🙂

Mmm...Food...

The Messy {Ponytail} Cake

megstermeter

If you are a girl in your mid (to late) 20s like I am, you may remember the early stages of the messy ponytail. It wasn’t really messy, per say, since all you had to do pull your hair half way through your last twist, and leave it at that. The result was a nice, clean, pint-sized ponytail loop.

Sometime since then, the “messy pony” has become a complicated bun of knots and twists, and the bigger the better. I love this super “messy” look (which usually takes longer to accomplish than just wearing your hair down in the first place), and I get its nonchalant popularity.

So I’ve noticed the same trend in desserts lately – have you? Don’t get me wrong, I think we all love a clean-cut fondant finish, but cakes like this “milk bar” beauty have become so popular:

And it’s no wonder! It’s the “oh I just threw this together at the last-minute” look, even though I hardly doubt a cake like that was just thrown together. All this to say, I love this trend, and over the weekend I made a very simple version of the unfinished-messy-ponytail-cake. For the recipe, you can visit my Pumpkin Spice Cake post from way back when. Looks pretty tasty, no?

Creative Crafting, Daily Notes

Pumpkin Centerpieces

megstermeter

This time of year, there are so many pumpkins available. Different shapes and sizes, you don’t have to pay much to get plenty. In fact, all the pumpkins I’m about to show you only cost me about $2 at the local farmer’s market. Can’t beat that!

A plethora of pumpkins is one of the main reasons I love the fall. So of course, I love putting them all over my house, especially on the dining room table. My little centerpieces of the season include pumpkins and floating candles. That’s it! I encourage you to add some pumpkins to your decor this fall.