Foods and Drinks That Remind Me Of Fall

This year, fall lasts from September 22nd until December 20th.

There are so many things that make us think of fall:

lowering temperatures, leaves on the ground and yummy smells coming from the kitchen!

These are some foods that have me drooling for Fall!

8. Pumpkin

7. Cinnamon and Nutmeg

6.  Apple Cider

5.  Chilli and Soup

4. Hot Chocolate

3. Dressing

2. Gingerbread

1. EGG NOG (My Fave!)

Halloween Party Foods

Hey ya’ll

I was going to throw a Halloween party but instead I threw a surprise party for my boyfriend this week (Happy Birthday Ray!)

Since I won’t be using them, I’ve decided to share these Halloween party foods with you!

Vomit Dip

Use avocado or spinach dip and pair it with chips or crackers.

Trail the dip out of the pumpkin to add the gross effect

Blood Jello Shots
This is one of my faves!

Make 1 pkg of strawberry or strawberry kiwi jello according to the box instructions. Then mix in 1/2 cup vodka,

1/4 cup Midori/melon liqueur and 1/4 cup peach schnapps. Draw the liquid up in the syringes and refrigerate overnight!

Blood Clot Cupcakes

For the more skilled (which I claim to be LOL)

Click here for instructions on how to make these!

  

Cannibal Feast

Gross looking…I know LOL

Get a skull from any arts and crafts store (Hobby Lobby or dollar store) and cover with lunch meat

Use spare ribs as the chest cavity. A bell pepper is the heart, 2 chicken thighs for the lungs, and link sausage for the intestines.

And of course it all has to be slathered in BBQ sauce!

Finger Food

Cut knuckles into mini wieners and also cut the front of the top off. Boil. Add blood (ketchup) to the top and bottom of the wiener.

Add a nail (onion) for the finished look!

Dirty Q-Tips

Large toothpicks with peanut butter (or caramel) dipped marshmallows on both ends

Kitty Litter Cake

 Bake 2 cakes (chocolate and yellow) and crumble. Make 1 box of instant vanilla pudding and chill. Grind 1 package of golden Oreo cookies in a food processor until a sandy consistency. Separate 1/4 cup of the ground cookies in another bowl and mix in five drops of green food coloring. Mix crumbled cake, large portion of ground cookies, and pudding and put in a pan or NEW kitty litter box. Put several unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in the microwave for 12 seconds or until soft; then shape them into poop. Place them in and on top of the cake, randomly, covering some with “litter.” Add the green-specked cookies as scent crystals. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I hope I grossed you out LOL.

If you make any of these let me know how it goes!

   Happy Halloween

-Karyssa

Some Plus Size Fashion Inspiration #8

I need this look in my life! This is GORG from head to do

Photo Credit: My Documented Closet

I love this piece from Nakimuli Curvy

I’d pair this with a black blazer and oooo chile!!! I’d slay in this dress!

3 word: You. Better. WERK!

The pose is everything!! But the outfit is rockin too!

Halloween Oreo Hot Cocoa

It’s Fall! And it’s cold here in Atlanta already!!! This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!!

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 oreos, crushed

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, add milk, water, cocoa powder and stir over medium heat until warm (you can microwave, but stovetop cocoa just tastes better).
2. While the cocoa is warming, crush 4 oreos into small chunks and crumbles.
3. Add into cocoa and stir well.
4. Serve hot with an oreo garnish or some whipped cream!

 

 

Found this at Sweet  C’s Designs

 

 

Eat Healthy for $36 a Week

Ok you guys, you know I’m…what shall I call it? I’m frugal. And it’s sort of hard to be frugal when you are trying to get fit. (And we wonder why America is fat!! It’s cheap to be fat! I can get 2 bags of chips for the price of 1 organic apple!!! AHHHH!! Ok…off of my soap box) So here’s a cheap week long menu for you. You’re welcome ; )

SUNDAY

 

• Breakfast: A baked apple with four ounces of plain grits and cinnamon; eight ounces of milk
  Cost: $2.18
• Lunch: Cannellini bean salad; pumpkin/apple muffin; green smoothie
  Cost: 93 cents
• Dinner: Salmon burger on 100 percent whole wheat Arnold thin with steamed broccoli
  Can sub another frozen burger, such as turkey
  Cost: $1.90

Snack: Seasonal fruit cup Cost: $1.00

 

MONDAY

 

• Breakfast: A cup of plain, fat-free yogurt with walnuts and frozen blueberries (thawed and pureed)
  Cost: $1.77
• Lunch: Egg white frittata with your choice of frozen vegetables; 100 percent whole grain toast
  Cost: $1.11
• Dinner: Lentils with brown rice with frozen spinach and fresh carrots
  Cost: $2.00
• Snack: An ounce of unsalted peanuts, with an ounce of raisins
  Cost: 19 cents

TUESDAY

 

• Breakfast: Egg whites and frozen spinach scramble with 100 percent whole wheat toast; orange juice
  Cost: $1.11
• Lunch: Frozen broccoli/leek soup; quinoa with mixed frozen vegetables
  Cost: $1.50
• Dinner: One half cup Sloppy Jim’s with one cup 100 percent whole wheat pasta; cut apple
  Cost: $2.33
• Snack: 100 percent whole wheat crackers with one tablespoon of natural peanut butter
  Cost: 90 cents

WEDNESDAY

 

• Breakfast: One half cup of oatmeal or whole grain cereal, with one cup skim milk and an ounce of raisins
  Cost: 74 cents
• Lunch: Quinoa with your choice of vegetables in a whole wheat wrap; frozen berries
  Cost: 97 cents
• Dinner: Black bean burger on whole wheat Arnold thin with frozen mixed fruit salad
  Cost: $1.22
• Snack: Homemade hummus with red pepper sticks
  Cost: $1.22

THURSDAY

 

• Breakfast: Grilled peanut butter and banana, with frozen mixed berries
  Cost: $1.25
• Lunch: Four ounces of grilled chicken breast atop two cups of fresh spinach
  Cost: $2.50
• Dinner: Frozen mahi mahi with baked potato; fat free yogurt; green beans
  Can sub any burger
• Snack: String cheese; handful of dried apricots
  Cost: $1.32

FRIDAY

 

• Breakfast: A cup of whole grain cereal with one cup of skim milk and cut strawberries
  Cost: 70 cents
• Lunch: Whole grain wrap with fat free refried beans, canned salsa and lettuce
  Cost: $1.10
• Dinner: A cup of black beans and one half cup of brown rice; four ounces of frozen chicken breast
  Cost: $1.63
• Snack: Baked sweet potato kale chips
  Cost: $1.00

SATURDAY

 

• Breakfast: Hard boiled egg sliced; two slices of whole grain toast; fresh apple
  Cost: $1.46
• Lunch: Whole wheat pita with canned salmon, one tablespoon olive oil and vinegar, plus cut celery
  Cost: $2.00
• Dinner: Fat free tuna burgers on whole wheat Arnold thin with sweet potato fries and frozen broccoli
  Can sub any burger
  Cost: $1.67
• Snack: Air popped popcorn with one ounce of almonds
  Cost: 40 cents

Weight loss journey: Check in #5

 

 

Hello peeps!

The next couple of days will be hard…why? Because I have to work. At work all we do it eat, eat, EAT. As a matter a fact, one of my coworkers (one of the best cooks I know) has cooked for us today…country fried steaks, rice with gravy, and broccoli. I won’t be a happy camper because I would love to indulge in all of that goodness.

In addition to that, I can’t work out because my gym will be closed when I get off. Plus…after working a 12 hr shift I don’t really want to go to the gym.

I’ve lost my 4 pounds (5 pounds so far) for the week…so honestly if I don’t lose another pound before Monday I’ll be fine. When I stepped on the scale there was 0 change. I went to Whole Foods (a grocery store that sells foods with little to no preservatives, organic food and stuff like that, they also have a hot line) for a late lunch. I had unbreaded lemon pepper wings, sweet potato with dried cranberries, and broccoli. I also had a small piece of gingerbread. So I ate good and didn’t work out…and still didn’t gain weight…victory

Also this may be TMI….but this diet can constipate you sometimes…which is why I believe I didn’t lose another pound today. When this happens I usually drink prune juice (YUCK) or magnesium citrate (DOUBLE YUCK) but they get the job done ; )

 

 

Easy Salmon

 

Lay out a large piece of tin foil. Slice a lemon and lay the slices on the foil. Lay over top the salmon fillet. Add butter, salt and pepper (or whatever spices you like) then wrap up the sides and fold tightly together, like a pouch. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 25 minutes at 325° or 350° depending on how hot your oven runs.

Grilled Brownie Smores Skillet

This recipe is one that I have GOT to try from http://www.mommyskitchen.net. I think I will try it in the oven instead though…

Check It Out!

 

 

Ingredients:

1 – boxed brownie mix (13 x 9 in) plus
ingredients to prepare the mix (eggs, oil & water)
1/2 – cup Great Value graham crackers, crushed
3/4 – cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 – cups Great Value mini marshmallows
1 – cast iron skillet (measuring 11 – 12 inches) 
Great Value churn style vanilla ice cream

Start by heating your outdoor grill to 325 degrees. Brush oil  into a  11 -12 inch cast iron skillet. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions (adding the eggs, oil & water). Pour the batter into the skillet.

Add the graham cracker crumbs and place on the grill to bake. Bake for 25-35 minutes at 300-325 degrees with the lid closed. Avoid opening the lid to check the brownies during this time so the heat stays inside and creates an oven effect. Test with tooth pick, don’t over cook, but make sure the brownie is more than half way cooked.

Remove from grill and add the chocolate chips and then the mini marshmallows. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan with marshmallows, because the marshmallows will swell up and puff during heating. 

Place skillet back on the grill and cook until the marshmallows are lightly brown about 3-5 minutes. Run a knife along the edge to test brownie without disturbing marshmallows. If the brownies do not brown fast enough on the grill you can place them under your oven broiler for 1-2 minutes (watch closely to prevent burning).

Chickadee Deviled Eggs

This was the cutest little recipe to me!! It’s from Alison Artisan 

This would be perfect for Easter or a baby shower!!

 

Ingredients:

12 eggs, hard boiled and peeled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp salt and pepper

1 carrot, peeled and julienned (for the beaks)

3 black olives, diced small (for the eyes)

 

 

 

Cut the eggs horizontally when the eggs are standing tall. Cut them about 2/3 tall instead of cutting them in half. It makes them look more like little shell caps that way.

 

 

 

Using the mini muffin tin helps a lot! Put the filling in a small zip sandwich bag with the corner snipped off.

 

 

 

Tiny bits of olives for eyes and little triangles for the beaks from a carrot.

 

 

 

  If you have to take these somewhere, put a sheet of wax paper over the top then another layer of cling wrap. If you are going far, put the tin in a cooler over ice.

 

 

 

Lastly, make them look cute…put them on lettuce leaves (get the shreds to make them look like the eggs in Easter baskets). Or you can just leave them in the muffin tin!

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:

-Pillsbury biscuits

-Cup of cooked and diced chicken breast (rotisserie chicken is the best)

-One can of cream of chicken soup

-Shredded cheddar

-Frozen mixed veggies

-Spices and herbs of your choice like onion powder and garlic salt

 

 

Dump everything into a bowl. (minus the biscuits)

 

 

And mix it up! You’d think the frozen veggies would need to thaw first, but they don’t. They cook quickly in the baking process.

 

 

Press your biscuits into a muffin tin, like so.

 

 

Spoon the filling in. Pack it in there.

 

 

 

 

After about 15 minutes of baking at 400 degrees, look at what we have!