What We Ate Wednesday- Weekend Edition

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another round of What We Ate Wednesday, except this week I'm doing something different. Instead of sharing with you what Miss A and I ate throughout the course of one day, I thought it'd be fun to share what we ate over the weekend.

 

We had family in town and whenever we get together we like to go out and EAT! Seeing as we've only been in the area for four months, there are still plenty of new restaurants to try. We kicked off the weekend with a trip to Starbucks, where everyone got pumpkin spice lattes and I got a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. Oh my God, was it delicious. I was greedy and didn't want to share because it was that good, but of course, I couldn't deny Miss A and her rapidly developing sweet tooth. Like mother, like daughter. Oy.   

Friday night we checked out a local sushi place. My husband and sister-in-law's shared a plate full of three different rolls. This one pictured was my favorite. I forget what was in it, but it was called the New Yorker.

I ordered agave lime salmon with coconut ginger sauce. Hands down the best salmon I've ever had. The sauce on it's own was to die for! 

As for Miss A, she had her own bowl of white rice with lots of veggies and she ate it happily on my lap.

We ate breakfast at home every day, but for lunch on Saturday we went to a small cafe that has the best cakes and pastries, but they also have amazing sandwiches. This sandwich is called the Brie, Turkey, and Apple Panini. All of us ordered the exact same sandwich because it just looked so good!

Miss A had lunch before we left the house, but of course, that didn't stop her from sampling my bread and turkey. 

For brunch on Sunday we went to this amazing breakfast place. It's only open for breakfast and the reviews on Yelp were amazing so we had high expectations. Everyone was pleasantly surprised. My father-in-law said it was the best breakfast he'd ever had. Brie and sauteed apples were an appetizer. A sweet potato pancake was shared between my sister-in-laws, and my mother-in-law had this huge bowl of blueberry quinoa with homemade granola. I wish I had a picture of that to share with you (I've never even heard of blueberry quinoa!) but this is what I ordered: an omelette stuffed with asparagus, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. 

Miss A had a turkey wrap with- can you believe it- strawberries!! My jaw literally dropped open when my mother-in-law offered her a strawberry slice and she actually ate it! I wonder if she'll do the same for me, or is it special because grandma gave it to her?

I hope you've enjoyed this different take of What We Ate Wednesday.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies

There is nothing that I love to do more in the Fall than bake...while drinking apple cider, wearing leggings, and burning pumpkin scented candles. You know. All the things everyone else loves to do in the Fall.

It feels like everyone was very excited for Fall this year. I was shocked by the amount of people lining up for a pumpkin spice latte in August and busting out their boots and sweaters the first week of September. If you remember, I was holding onto summer in every way possible, wearing flip flops like they were going out of style, and I was in no hurry to retire my summer dresses. Actually, as I write this, I'm wearing one right now. Ha! I'm not the only one experiencing summer like temperatures lately, right? What's going on mother nature? Let's get the seasons straight!  

Not that I'm complaining. 

Maybe a little.

So. THESE COOKIES. I made them while we were experiencing Fall-like temperatures. It was chilly in the morning. There was a breeze outside. It was heavenly. As soon as that happens I make these cookies.

They are my absolute favorite Fall treat. All the flavors of the season in one cookie. Pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. These cookies are so soft and fluffy, I bet you can't just eat one. You'll be coming back for more and who knows, these might become your Fall staple too. 

Source: Cooks.com

Servings: makes about 40 cookies

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

2 2/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup white chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, egg and pumpkin. 

Mix dry ingredients together and sift 2 times. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix until combined. The dough will be sticky. Add the white chocolate chips and fold into the batter using a spoon. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Five on Friday

Who's ready for the weekend? We have family in town and we have lots of fun plans. Outgoings to the park, treats of frozen yogurt, and possibly a trip to the pumpkin patch are on our agenda. I can't wait to get the weekend started! But first, let's get through Friday.

1. Let's Play

Toys have taken a back seat in this house since Miss A started walking. I picked up a few new toys recently to intrigue her to sit and play for awhile. She loves this tow truck, complete with three cars, three animals, and a radio. It's currently one of her favorite toys and also one of mine!

Pull and Learn Car Carrier

I also found this play oven. I thought it might be more advanced for her, but she seems to understand the concept well! We "bake" cakes and eat them with the plastic spoons. She "feeds" me and stirs up the ingredients in the mixing cup. I showed her how to do it once, and she's been "cooking" on her own since. It's too cute to watch her walk around holding the mixing cup trying to feed us!

Disney Princess Cool Bake Magic Oven

2. What's For Lunch?

I don't know about you, but I constantly feel like I'm stuck in a lunch rut. Sandwiches get boring after a while. Leftovers aren't always appealing. I was happy to find these new mouth-watering ideas!

Ham & Apple Butter Panini 

Ham, Egg & Herb Wrap

Croque Monsieur Sliders with Strawberry Jam

3. Infinity Scarf Giveaway

Have you entered my giveaway to win an infinity scarf, of your choosing, from Desiring Joy? Take a moment to visit her Etsy shop, you'll find so many to love!

4. Pass the milk, please! 

I've been doing some baking lately and I have to say, these cookies are pretty tasty. I hope to share these recipes with you very soon!

5. Stitch Fix

I'm seeing more and more blog friends sign up for Stitch Fix. If you've joined, what do you think of it? Do you like what you've received? Is it hit or miss?

Happy Friday!

My Thanks to You- An Infinity Scarf Giveaway!!

I've got a special treat for you today! First, I'd like to say thank you. Thank you to all my new readers and all my old readers who have stuck with me since the beginning. I started this blog four years ago and I've never enjoyed it as much as I do now. I'm loving every minute of it and I'm finally feeling like a blogger, with something to say, something to share. It's becoming more than just a hobby for me. I'm always anxious to tell you about a new recipe or to post the latest updates on Miss A. You make my day, every time I receive an email from you, a comment, or a "like" on Instagram. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for following along with me.

I don't host giveaways very often. But when I do, it's because I really love a product, I really want to spoil my readers, or because I want to give someone some exposure, like Anna. In this case, it's all three! Anna has graciously offered to give one beautiful, handmade infinity scarf of your choosing. Take a moment to visit her shop and see her work for yourself.

Here's a little background on Anna and how she started her Esty shop, Desiring Joy.

"I was working as a marketing and communications coordinator for a large merchandising company in Pittsburgh until I decided to quit my job and pursue my passion on Etsy. A couple years ago I learned how to make infinity scarves because I wanted a cool scarf that no one else had. I was wearing one of my scarves when I walked into my local bank and my teller complimented me on my scarf. I told her I made it and she immediately told me she would buy at least one for her daughter for Christmas. I went home and designed 15 new scarves, went back to the bank the next week, and sold 8 to the tellers there! That got me thinking - I opened my Etsy shop on August 15, 2012, and have sold over 1,000 scarves online, at craft shows and through personal contacts. Thanks to Pinterest, a couple of my scarves went viral and it has been crazy ever since. My husband has been super supportive of me and my overflowing fabric pile....we are renovating a house, enjoying our boxer puppy, volunteering at church, and I'm able to coach high school volleyball at the same time. Life is good!"

Anna is giving away an infinity scarf of your choosing. You can also find beautiful custom made invitations, save the dates, and wall prints at her shop. Here are the details to enter:

Giveaway open only to U.S. residents. Winner must have a valid email and reply back within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn. Giveaway closes on October 10, 2013. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What We Ate Wednesday

Breakfast: 8:00am

I ate: a waffle topped with strawberries and a side of scrambled eggs. Lately I've been mixing a little bit of milk into my eggs before I pour them into the skillet and they come out SO fluffy. Do you know this secret?

Miss A: egg frittata cups (I make a batch every now and then and freeze them for quick breakfasts and lunches) with hashbrowns, carrots, spinach, and celery. Most of the vegetables are tossed aside, but I know some bites get in there! 

Lunch: 12:00

I ate: a tuna salad wrap with lettuce, dried cranberries, walnuts, and swiss cheese. I also had some crackers and string cheese.

Miss A: A ham and cheese wrap with some crackers that she stole from me :)

Snack: 4:00pm

Snack was late because we went to the park in the afternoon. Miss A had some cheerios there and had something else when we got home. 

I ate: a yogurt bowl with granola, and two pumpkin cookies

Miss A: watermelon, animal crackers, and some of my yogurt. She always wants to try whatever I'm having!

Dinner: 6:30pm

The hubby was working so I made a jazzed up toddler friendly meal. 

I ate: homemade baked chicken tenders (coated in flour, egg, and panko), pasta with a homemade mozzarella cheese sauce, and roasted broccoli

Miss A: Everything! She loves this meal, I think it's one of her favorites.