Packing in the Pumpkin Spice

It is officially my favorite month of the entire year, and what better way to celebrate it then talk about all of the awesome pumpkin spice or fall-flavored treats I have come across so far. This way you too can get your hands on some of the deliciousness before the season is over.

Who doesn't love apple cider? For the kiddos and those who want non-alcoholic, you can't go wrong with Baugher's apple cider, sold exclusively at their market attached to the restaurant in Westminster. They just started carrying it recently and I bought our first of the season this past Monday. It's great cold, heated up, or spiked with your favorite whiskey.

If you're looking for a little kick in your cider, there are a ton of local wineries that also make cider. Hauser Estate Vineyards, Great Shoals, Reid's Orchard and Distillery Lane Ciderworks are just some of the places you can visit to get your fix. We'll be visiting Distillery Lane this weekend. Pictured below is some I purchased from Hauser.

Next up is a classic: pumpkin bread. Made by many a family each year, it's a staple. I have not had time to make my own yet but Baugher's carries it in varying sizes. Shown below is their smaller size.

The only times of year that I have candy in dishes around the house are fall/Halloween and Christmas. Always on hand are varying types of candy corn and this year we've rotated through Pumpkin Spice M&Ms and Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. I have to say we were pretty disappointed with the M&Ms. They have a very slight hint of spice but mostly just taste like chocolate. The kisses though are a different story. They are truly authentic in their taste and we have torn through those like there is no tomorrow.

Nabisco Oreos chooses seasonal flavors several times a year and because I loved their Watermelon, Marshmallow Crispy, and Root Beer Float earlier this year, I was extremely excited to find out their fall flavor. Enter Caramel Apple. Oh boy. These were soooooooo good. The caramel truly tastes like caramel and the apple was just tart enough without being sour. They're sold at Target (I haven't seen them anywhere else) and I've had to stop myself from buying more!

This past week I made a pit stop at one of my favorite cupcake bakeries, Flavor, to try some of their fall flavors. I was also extremely interested in not just their cupcakes but also their French macarons, whoopie pies, and new mini-pies. I chose the Sweet Potato Pie and Pumpkin cupcakes, a pumpkin macaron, a vanilla bean macaron, a pumpkin whoopie pie, and a pecan pie. Oh my Lord I can't rave about this place enough. EVERYTHING is incredible. My only criticism was that I would have liked the whoopie pie to have more filling.

Starry Night Bakery is located in Westminster and has been featured on Food Network's Cupcake Wars twice. I try to stop in and try their seasonal flavors as much as possible and had a chance to a week or so ago. I picked out their Maple Pumpkin and Apple Spice cupcakes, both of which were very good. I really liked the spin on the pumpkin with the maple. There is also an Almond Joy one pictured but while great is not fall related. 

Hoffman's Ice Cream in Westminster is a local hotspot for some of the best homemade ice cream around. They just started offering their fall flavors, Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Apple Pie, and Ravens Ripple (home and away). I chose a scoop of Pumpkin and another of Apple Pie. Both were great but my favorite was the Pumpkin in all its bright orange glory. The Apple Pie was a vanilla ice cream studded with pie and apple chunks.

Each season I also like to make a stop in a Walgreens and check out the seasonal Russell Stover flavors. I purchased Pumpkin, Apple, and Pecan Pies.

Other pumpkin spice flavored things I have had so far include Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Cake (only available at a winery event), Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Milanos (also at Target! Along with their Pumpkin Cheesecake cookies), pumpkin spice marshmallows (haven't opened these yet but plan to make some awesome smore's with them), and of course who can forget a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks!

What other pumpkin spice or fall flavors do you love and where do you get your fix?? I plan to make more pumpkin flavored things in the coming months such as oatmeal, pancakes, and possibly even a chili or soup. Stay tuned! 

Hungry in Hampden

Hampden is a part of Baltimore City that has been on my list to explore more but it's been difficult to get back there. I pass by it every day on my way to and from work, but because I work the overnight I'm never able to stop. Fortunately a perfect opportunity presented itself this past Saturday.  One of my friends works at the Baltimore Zoo, so I met her after work to first explore the zoo since they opened a new penguin exhibit this past weekend, then to try out The Food Market, a restaurant that quite a few people had told me to try.

The zoo was awesome. I haven't been there in years and they've done quite a few renovations. My favorites have always been the penguins, polar bears, and elephants and it was fun because most of those animals were extremely active that day. The elephant was in the water playing with a ball, the penguins were clustered around the keeper at feeding time, and the polar bear was diving for fish. Here he is below:

After walking around the zoo for a few hours we headed to Hampden, particularly 36th street, aka The Avenue. This is where you will find most of the major restaurants and shops. We walked in and out of a few places (I already went home with some unique Christmas gifts!), then ducked into The Food Market.

The space is small and you have to be comfortable with sitting very close to your neighbors. The decor is modern industrial and waiters wear blue jeans and black button-downs. The service was great; our waiter was very personable and engaged us in a lot of friendly teasing.

The menu is broken down into "Little," "Small," "Big," "In Between," and "Sides." This was advantageous because neither of us wanted to spend a lot of money but we were still able to order a lot of food and split it right down the middle.

Our choices included the Pan Roasted Popcorn, topped with basil grated cheese and truffle oil, Johntay's Brussel Salad with bacon, red onion, pepper panko, and parmesan cheese, Shrimp and Garlic Sauce, with wild mushrooms, sherry butter, smoked paprika, and torn bread, the Lobster Mac and Cheese, and Hazelnut Asparagus.

Everything was INCREDIBLE. The brussel salad sat on a base of a creamy Caesar-type dressing and was probably my favorite, followed by the shrimp and garlic sauce. The lobster mac and cheese had huge chunks of lobster in it, and the asparagus was also topped with a delicious balsamic drizzle. The popcorn was gone in minutes, and we were also served warm, salty foccaccia bread with olive oil.

This place gets 5 stars in my book and definitely makes me want to go back to Hampden to try out more spots!

Barefoot Contessa's Scallops Provencal

Scallops are a dish that I have only ever made twice in my life, this recipe counting as number two. This is entirely due to the fact that they are not even remotely cheap and definitely a treat meal. After 16 hours of OT the week before, I decided that heck yes we could have scallops this week.

I had seen this recipe on an episode of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa on Food Network and I had not been able to get it out of my head. I wanted to make it so bad! It's a pretty simple recipe and requires hardly any prep work.

You will need:

1 pound of fresh scallops (you can use frozen but if you're gonna go for it I say go all out)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
All-purpose flour for dredging
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 lemon, cut in 1/2

To start, sprinkle your scallops with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat until sizzling and then add the scallops. Sear on both sides for about 3-4 minutes, flipping only once.

Next, melt the rest of the butter in the pan, then add in the shallots, garlic, parsley and saute for a few more minutes, stirring to coat. Then add the wine, cook for one minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

For a side I went with her pairing on the show, an herbed rice. She says to use basmati but we had jasmine in the house already. which works just as well. Cook one cup of dry rice according to package directions, mixed with one tablespoon of UNSALTED butter and 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt. We're pretty sure that we didn't realize that our butter was salted, because our rice tasted like a salt lick, which was really disappointing because had it not, it probably would have been extremely good.

Once the rice is cooked add parsley, dill, scallions, and pepper and fluff with a fork. Make a round of it on a plate and top with the scallops and sauce. Serve with a warm piece of crusty French bread.

Aside from the salty rice, this meal was fantastic and an excellent way to use scallops. Can't wait to try it again without salted butter!!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a meal that I go to when the budget is tight but you still want something flavorful and filling. They're easy to make and don't require a whole lot of time. Perfect for a work week dinner.

 

You will need:

 

6-8 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (Avoid green, you want a sweeter pepper for more flavor)

1 1/2 pounds of 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 1/2 tablespoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz can of sweet corn, drained

3 cups of cooked Jasmine rice

1 cup of reduced fat Colby jack cheese

2 sliced green onions

 

To start, cook your rice according to package directions and set aside. Next, slice the tops off your peppers and remove the seeds, then stand them up in a 13x9 baking dish. 

In a large skillet, brown your meat, drain, and then return to the pan, Add the cumin, salt, tomatoes, black beans and sweet corn. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add your rice and stir to combine. Next, remove from the heat and use the mixture to stuff your peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Remove the foil and top with cheese. Place back in oven for another 5 minutes, then remove, top with green onions, and serve! 

Trisha Yearwood's Power Balls

I'm sure by now you've figured out that I have a horrible sweet tooth. I am cursed with the need to eat something sweet after I've consumed something salty. Sometimes I can resist but others I am helpless. In an effort to still be able to satisfy the sweet tooth without sacrificing my health, I made these Trisha Yearwood Power Balls that I came across while watching an episode of her show last week. Trisha Yearwood cooks you say? Yes! And her recipes are pretty delicious.

You will need:

2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup of extra-crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (make sure you find these pre-shelled! I didn't and ended up skipping them because they were too much of a hassle)
2 tablespoons of flax seeds

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with a wax paper and shape into balls. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes before serving. 

These are really really good and I'm happy to say so far have definitely helped with my sweet tooth. Justin also really likes them and has been eating them left and right. I plan on making a lot more of these in the future!

Tex Mex Burgers

Everyone's got those go-to recipes when you don't have much in the house and are looking for something quick and easy that you know is good. For us it's Tex Mex Burgers, a recipe I stumbled across a few years ago and have held on to because they are so tasty!

You will need:

1 1/3 pounds of ground beef (we use 93% lean)
1/2 cup of mayo
1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (you can find McCormick's at any grocery store)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (the recipe calls for a whole one but we found it too spicy)
1/2 cup of diced white onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
4 slices of Pepperjack cheese
4 hamburger buns
4 leaves of lettuce
4 slices of tomato

To start, in a small bowl or ramekin, mix the mayo with one teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and set aside.

Next, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef, jalapeno, onion, garlic, one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce with your hands. Then divide into four balls and shape into patties. I had about one and a half pounds of beef and was able to make seven patties depending on how large you like your burgers.

In a cast iron or a grill pan, lightly oil the surface and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the burgers in the skillet, making sure you hear a nice sizzle when you put it down so you know it's hot. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, less if you like your burgers medium rare. During the last 2 minutes of cook time, place your cheese over the top of each burger so it melts (I forgot to do this so our cheese didn't get quite as melty as this time).

Toast your buns slightly in a toaster oven (this gives them a nice crunch and they hold up better with burger juices), spread with the seasoned mayo, place the burgers on the buns and top with lettuce and tomato. Voila!

These burgers are so flavorful and taste good for several days if you make a bunch. I suggest serving them with sweet potato fries.

Eating Our Way Through NYC

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking the train to NYC to visit my good friend Lee who has been living there for the last 3 years. You know I can't go anywhere without checking out the food scene and most people seem happy to join in!

Once I got off the train we made our way over to Chelsea to Billy's Bakery for a cupcake. Billy's was one of two major cupcake chains in NYC that I had left to try. I picked out a classic red velvet and honestly I was rather disappointed. The cake was fairly dry and the frosting didn't have much of a flavor. Lee had carrot cake and had very similar things to say about hers. Fortunately we had one more stop later in the day to redeem this weekend's cupcake experience!

Lunch took us to an Umami Burger, a gourmet burger chain that is quickly expanding and reminds me of a Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. What's unique about Umami is that there's an option to let the restaurant serve you whatever burger they want. Lee likes this option and did that, whereas I chose the special, a duck burger. We both had fries (mine were sweet potato) and the waitress brought to the table four dipping sauces: homemade ketchup, jalapeno ranch, garlic aioli, and Diablo, a spicy red sauce. My favorite was the jalapeno. The burgers were pretty good. I had only had duck once or twice and was excited to try it again. I liked the flavor of the duck and the peach marmalade and garlic aioli on top paired well with it.

Later in the day we took a trip to El Laboratorio del Gelato near the Bowery. This place makes all of their gelato in house and specializes in really unique flavors. I had Green Tea and Honey Lavender, which seem fairly exotic but this place even has flavors like Cheddar Cheese and Olive Oil! The latter two weren't offered that day but part of me would be super curious to try them! I liked the two that I had with the Honey Lavender being my favorite.

One our way to our next stop we passed a street fair in honor of Saint Gennaro and I couldn't resist purchasing some food magnets from this vendor! Look how colorful their display was!

Our travels now brought us to SoHo and Laduree, a famous stop for macaroons! I have long wanted to go here and was very excited. I chose the option to pick six and went with Vanilla, Raspberry, Pistachio, Lime Basil, Blackberry Currant, and Salted Caramel. My favorites were probably the Salted Caramel, Vanilla, and Lime Basil. Please excuse their appearance in the following picture, they got a little crunched in our travels.

I can't tell you how excited I was for dinner. I had seen an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives that featured The Smoke Joint, a BBQ joint located in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn. This place was easy to find and I kid you not, probably the best BBQ I have had to date. I chose the brisket sandwich that came with coleslaw and pickles, and I also ordered their corn on the cob. The brisket had awesome flavor and the dipping sauce that came with it was incredible. Coleslaw has been growing on me and I really liked theirs and I devoured the corn. It was coated in a barbeque aioli, joint rub, and green onions and had nice char marks from the grill. The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was my cocktail, which I didn't realize was quite as spicy as it was. It was spicy enough that it was hard to drink and made my eyes water and my nose run. Not exactly what you want in a drink. Lee ordered the catfish sandwich and said it was the best she had ever had as well. She also ordered the cornbread which she said was good, and had a spiked strawberry lemonade that was delicious and made for easy drinking. I should've ordered that!

The last stop for the day was Baked by Melissa, a mini-cupcake chain. They're only slightly bigger than a quarter, so I chose the 6 pack option. I had Banana Cream Pie, Key Lime, Smores, Tie Dye, Red Velvet, and Cookie Dough. These were really moist and packed with flavor. They totally made up for the disappointment of Billy's!

Sunday brought us to the very tip of Long Island, Montauk. Neither of us had ever been to the Hamptons and were excited to visit. It was a beautiful place, especially at the point with the lighthouse! Because of the location of course we needed to find some seafood. We stopped at Bliss Kitchen and both had the cod fish tacos, which were yummy. Our only complaint was that the pico de gallo on the top was very liquidy and dripped everywhere and soaked the tortilla a bit.