Pear-Cranberry-Ginger Jar Pies

 I know I'm a little late to the pie-in-a-jar party but, I'm definitely hooked now. It's just fun to say "pie in a jar" it even makes me want to add "What will they think of next?!"

I upped the cuteness factor with fall themed pie crust cutters. I love how easy these are to share and when I want a bite of pie I just pop one in the microwave. I got the recipe from the aptly named Cutie Pies:40 Sweet, Savory and Adorable Recipes. And with a name like that how could I not check it out? The recipes are from the brick and mortar pie shop, High 5 Pie. It probably doesn't look any thing like The Pie Hole but I can dream.

 

These were so fun and easy to make. The cranberries smelled amazing while they were cooking. I even saved some of the cranberry sugar syrup for a later experiment. (I found a recipe for pear infused vodka)

Have you ever tried pie in a jar? What's your favorite kind of pie? Or do you prefer another sweet treat?

a little halloween stop motion

Here's a quick stop motion movie I made with my phone. Hope you all had a sweet Halloween!

Fall Crafts

A reenactment of my previous experiences with wreaths: "Oooo, pretty!" "Want it!" *Looks at price tag* "Yeah, no way. I could totally make that myself for waaay less than that." *Goes home, forgets about it, repeat*
I've seen a lot of gorgeous homemade wreaths on pinterest(how cute is this one?), so I finally decided to give it a try. Here's my result.

Bryant's Butternut Squash & Pear Soup

I've got pears coming out of my ears at the moment so, I've been scouring the internet for new recipes. This soup was something new for me. I've never had pears in soup before but, the recipe is from Bryant Terry so I knew it would be a winner. The lovely orange color comes from the butternut squash and the pears and coconut milk give it a creamy, slightly sweet finish. I think it's gorgeous.

The soup has a lot of prep time but, if you are only serving a few people you will have plenty left over for more meals. 

You will need:

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts finely chopped (3 cups)
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 lb.)
• 3 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (11/2 lb.)
• 5 cups low-sodium veggie broth
• 1 14-oz. can light coconut milk (I used a little less than this)
  
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the leeks for 10 minutes.

2. Add squash and pears, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in veggie broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in coconut milk. Purée soup in batches in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan, and stir in thyme. Reheat over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Season with salt and white pepper, if desired. Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds, if using.

recipe via Vegetarian Times

What I Wore: Dreaming of Fall

 It's finally looking and feeling a little more Autumn in my home state. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and once the temperatures start to dip I break out the tights.

This was my Fall-ish Saturday outfit, my legs look pretty oompa loompa/snooki-esque in these photos but, they're a little less orangey in real life. A stranger called me "colorful." You bet I am.

My fellow junkin' enthusiast Sara and I went estate sale-ing this Saturday and we had a grand time. We enjoyed the cooler air, pumpkin spice lattes, randomly stopping at a carnival at a place called Sherwood Forest, and we even came home with a few great finds. Pictures of those coming soon! Hope your Saturday was cool and lovely!

Chunky Peanut Butter-Caramel Apples

I enjoyed the results of this recipe. It almost feels like a healthier more "adult" take on the fall state fair favorite. The brown rice syrup significantly lowers the sugar content and you avoid the processed sugars in store made caramels.

If you want to make some the way I did you'll need:
6 apples or so
1/2 cup of chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup of brown rice syrup (check your local hippie store if you can't find it at the supermarket)
Parchment paper
Bamboo skewers or Popsicle sticks

To make:
(clear out a shelf in your fridge so, you'll have room to chill your apples)
Spread the parchment paper over a cutting board.

Combine the peanut butter and brown rice syrup. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly until the mix drips off in ribbons. If it's too stiff you can add a little more rice syrup.

Cover your apples in the caramel mixture and place it on the parchment paper.

Let sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

* base recipe source: Bust magazine and thanks to Gary for the inspiration!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Once October begins I am all about pumpkin and squash. Pumpkin beer, pumpkin bread, cupcakes, the list goes on. When I saw these whoopie pies I had to make them right away.

They were a big hit and extremely addicting. I followed the recipe pretty closely but somehow I ended up with 18 whoopie pies (instead of 12) and loads of left over icing. I'm not complaining though. By the way, this recipe comes from King Arthur Flour.

Hope you had a lovely October.