Taste of Game

Is anyone else starting to feel the cool breeze of fall blowing in the air?

I definitely don't, but I am just pretending that it is there.

I love fall. Plain and simple. To me it is the best time of the year. Reasons why?

Orange. It's my favorite color.
Food. The food is sooo good! Pumpkin anything please!
Beer. Ohhhh the beer! The bestest beer!
Football. 'nuff said!
Cool breezes. Best day of the year is in jeans and a long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up.
Boots. Show me those ridin' boots, ladies (love 'em!)!!
Fires. Love to build me some good, real, one match kind of fires.
Camping. Who doesn't love to go camping?!
The leaves. Not much that is more beautiful than fiery red, yellow, and orange leaves.

This year, we hope to add a new favorite thing to this list. What is it, you ask?

Hunting.

We are virgin deer hunters this season. Now that we have our bows and a fake deer staked out in the backyard, we are going to try to put our practice into reality starting this weekend. I am not going to hunt initially. My hubby wants to be the first to kill. I cannot blame him. It's a man thing, I understand. However, I am going to be there every step of the way. Camo and all!

In honor of Georgia's first week of bow hunting season I have a real special treat for you all. My father-in-law went dove hunting last weekend and shot a whole bag of doves. Not knowing what to do with them, he of course brought them over to his favorite food buddy's house. Yep. We definitely agree on food!

I came up with this recipe thinking of a delicious appetizer you could snack on while watching your favorite team play on Saturdays this fall. However, my favorite food tester thought they were more of a delicacy - an hor d'oeuvre eaten by the high class of the early south after a day of hunting. I halfway think he thought they were fancy because I served them on my china, which I NEVER get out. I just thought they would look pretty on a delicate white plate. Anyways, you will definitely enjoy these!

Juju's Paleo Bacon-Wrapped Dove 

Ingredients:

Dove breasts (skinless, featherless, boneless... just the boob)

Bacon, strips cut in half

3 Tbsp worcestershire

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1-2 tsp pure raspberry jam

Cayenne pepper to taste

Salt and pepper to taste (keep in mind, this is what brings out your flavors)

PINCH of nutmeg (do NOT overload, I mean just a tiny pinch!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Wrap each breast with your half strips of bacon. Secure with toothpick.

Place on baking sheet. I used my stone so I didn't use non-stick spray, but if you are using aluminum you might want to consider it.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. 

Put in microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk while warm.

Brush sauce over your bacon-wrapped doves. You will still have sauce left over.

Put in oven for 7 minutes. Brush again with sauce.

Keep in oven another 7 minutes. If bacon is still not crispy, brush with sauce again and put back into the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the bacon is nice and cooked/crispy.

After taking them out of the oven, drizzle with any leftover sauce.

Serve fresh out of the oven. 

Hope you guys enjoy these, Paleo eaters or not! They are definitely delicious and gorgeous!

Oh yeah, and they are SUPER easy! :)

Happy early fall y'all (I definitely don't say this but it rhymed)!!!

A Very Merry (Un)Birthday

After you meet me, it doesn't take very long for you to realize that I am probably the cheapest person alive. I am always the person who goes straight to the back of every store I enter and go directly to the clearance section. Yep, I am that person. I also find worth in myself (sorry we are going so deep, here) for how good of a deal I can get on anything. I am just that way. I am my father's daughter. Growing up, all I heard from him was about pinching pennies and saving every dollar you earn. Now, it haunts me every time I buy anything! This practice includes when I am given any money.

Well, I am starting to recover somewhat from the practices my father has taught me. Not that saving money is a bad thing, but when you feel guilty for buying something (and this is anything, needed or not needed), it is not very healthy. I have always had more expensive tastes (thanks to you, Mom!), but I have never been able to fork out the cash to really get what I want. However, I just got a big ol' box in the mail that even my mama will be proud of! (Sorry the picture quality is not the greatest. My excitement made the pictures a little crappy!)

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have been doing some internet shopping! I still had Birthday money piled up in my secret stash place (only I know, hehe) and I decided that I wanted to buy a nice pair of riding boots. My search started last fall when riding boots became the "thing." I ended up going to DSW with some coupons and buying a pair of suede knee high boots that I liked better than the riding boots at the store. The sales girl told me that "even Fergie had a pair of boots like that," so I shouldn't doubt my decision to get the suede boots instead of the leather ones. I love the boots that I bought last year, but I was still itching for a pair of boots that smelled and felt like butter (that's what my mom and I call anything that's real leather, which I never buy because it's too expensive). I stopped looking after the cold months were over, plus I didn't want to throw down more cash for another pair of boots.

After it became cold again this year (thanks to the trip to Maine and Frankenstorm), I began to search again for some boots. I fell upon some Etienne Aigner boots on Amazon that I loved. They were two-toned and had a large crest at the top of the boot, uber regal and beautiful. I showed them to my husband, who absolutely hated them, and then it became a game to see how many people liked or disliked the boots that I liked. Comments about the boots were: "oh, those are... different," "very...unique," or no comment at all while the person being questioned would try to come up with something to say other than they were just plain ugly. Much to my husband's delight, I decided these boots were probably not the best boots to buy, not because people thought they were ugly, but because I was worried that with my big calves, the leather would separate from the zipper. I have had a lot of boots that have done this in the past because I am too cheap to buy nice shoes. I didn't want that to be the case again. I decided to keep looking.

I stumbled upon a beautiful pair of boots by Frye. Now for those of you who don't know who Frye is, Frye is one of the oldest shoemakers in the U.S. They produce the most beautiful boots, mostly cowboy/girl boots. I only know of them from riding horses and wanting a pair of riding boots so bad. They are high quality shoemakers, which is usually why their shoes are so stinkin' expensive. Most pairs of their boots run over $300. However, I found this pair on Amazon that, combined with the price and a coupon from Amazon, I could actually afford (somewhat). My husband had to be the one to hit the BUY button, because my cheap self just couldn't do it. I was also nervous about buying shoes from an online retailer, because you don't actually see/feel/smell/try on the shoe before you buy it.

I just got the box today, and I am so excited to reveal them and tell you that THEY FIT!! I loved the idea of these boots. Sexy and versatile... that is what everyone said in the reviews. I think they were right!

When I opened the box, I knew I would love these boots. The smell of the leather was unbelievable! They feel like distressed butter (yummo). I saw how big the shoe was and I knew they would fit well! I went and put on some leggings and threw those puppies on to see how they looked!

These boots are considered "over-the-knee," which I love. Several websites listed ways you can wear the boots. These are the ways...

Pulled up over the knee.

Folded down. Looks like pirate boots to me!

Scrunched/slouched.

All that to say, I love them and I am so glad they actually fit! So excited to wear them! I will not be so hesitant to shop online in the future. This picture pretty much sums it all up!

Happy (un)Birthday to me! :)

Fall Snack

So, I have seen this yummy snack all over Pinterest lately, and I have been wanting to eat it. You know, the one with the recipe for some yummy, creamy peanut butter dip to dip your apples and bananas in? Unfortunately, not all the ingredients are consumable by my standards. So, I took matters into my own hands.

What you need:

Almond butter
Coconut milk
Cinnamon
Apples

Put as much almond butter in a bowl that you want to make for your dip. I was just making it for 1 apple so I used a few hefty tablespoons. Now add coconut milk to your almond butter. I started by adding a small spoonful at a time, stirring well between each addition. Keep adding until it gets to be nice and creamy. Now add cinnamon to taste. You actually need to add more than you think. The almond butter is pretty "woodsy" tasting. Add cinnamon until it is nice and sweet. Enjoy!!

Fall. Oh How I Love Thee

Juju Eat Cake... DONUTS!

Ever since we have been on this "diet" (which for all of you that just means our new way of eating), I have been trying to come up with a way to remake GOOD food (which is usually BAD for you), into food that is both GOOD for you as well as being super tasty! One of the things I have been craving most and have been wanting to replicate a healthy version of has been... DONUTS! Donuts are probably one of the WORST things for you, nutritionally speaking. However, they are oh SO good for the soul!

Now don't get too excited, because I have not come up with an exceptionally healthy and delicious recipe for donuts. However, get excited, because I did make some tasty bad for you donuts! I figure to have a tasty and healthy version of donuts, you have to be good at making the real deal, right?! Well, that is just what I am telling myself to make me feel better.

This is attempt number one. Don't judge.

Since I am still in the fall mood, I decided I HAD to make pumpkin donuts. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to go to Krispy Kreme and get a pumpkin spice donut. For those of you who have never had one, make the trip to Krispy Kreme and get yourself one...

you won't regret it!

I found a recipe I liked on a blog called Annie's Eats. The pictures looked delicious and the recipe sounded awesome, so I tried it out. I did do a few things differently. I did buy a donut pan on Amazon. I just thought that step #1 towards healthy donuts is not frying them, so I baked these bad boys instead of frying them up. I ended up making the glaze from the recipe for the donuts because after baking them, it did not seem likely that a cinnamon/sugar mixture would stick to the donuts. I added about a tsp of vanilla to the glaze, but followed the rest of the recipe.

I started by mixing the dry ingredients.

Then mixed room temp butter and sugar in my lovely KitchenAid Mixer. Definitely a must have!

After adding egg and egg whites, I started to add the dry and wet ingredients alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Once the batter was done and mixed up it looked like this.

The original recipe says to let the batter sit for a few hours before frying the donuts. But since I was baking mine, I didn't have to wait! Healthier and quicker! YES!

I put the batter in a plastic sandwich baggy, cut a hole in one of the corners, and piped the batter into my sprayed donut pan (used Baking Pam). I filled them up about 1/2-3/4 of the way full. This was plenty! I baked them at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 13 minutes. I put a toothpick into one of the donuts to make sure they were baked all the way through.

After taking them out of the pan and letting them cool, I mixed up my glaze. I added quite a bit more milk than what the recipe called for to make the glaze a little thinner. I think next time I won't add as much milk as I did, because I wish the glaze would have been thicker.

They ended up being QUITE delicious! If I were to make the unhealthy version again, I would have made them a little healthier by adding NO sugar to the batter and just getting sugar intake from the glaze. The glaze was sweet enough on its own. Other than that, they were superb!

You can find the original recipe at http://annies-eats.net/2011/09/26/pumpkin-doughnuts/.

Singin' in the Rain

I am not much of a fashionista. I never have been and probably never will be. Sometimes I wish I was more stylish, but I just can't bring myself to either spend the money it takes to be stylish or take the time and effort. Also, I wouldn't know how to start even if I wanted to be.

Although I am not good at what's in or out of style these days, I did come across something at the store that whet my appetite for something that I believe is somewhat stylish. For probably a year I have been holding out for the perfect pair of rain boots. I know that they are probably more on their way out of style than their way in, but rain boots are super cute and comfortable, and when it's raining, seemingly useful! I love it when purpose and style intertwine! In my opinion, that is how it should be!

My sister and I went down to the outlet mall in Locust Grove and on our way back stopped by a local attraction we had never visited. That attraction was the Sock Shop in Griffin. I have heard of it and seen signs, but had never been there. We decided to check it out. It was pretty cool, but most importantly, I found the cutest pair of rain boots there!

Aren't they awesome?! I just liked how different they were! Nothing like what's at Target or any other retail place I have looked.

Just wanted to share my little find. Sorry if you think they are ugly, but I love them! :)

Not Yo' Mama's B-Nut Squash Soup!

THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Now that it is fall, we all want to feed our faces with our favorite fall foods. Soups, stews, and pot pies, are now what dances in our heads when it is dinner time.

Also, for some reason, we want to eat anything that is pumpkin flavored.

Pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin coffee, etc.

Recently, the grocer man has been giving us some alternatives to just cooking with

cans of pureed pumpkin.

He has been busy stocking up some butternut squash!

(F.Y.I. My favorite farmer/my farming mentor once told me that all pureed pumpkin from a can is..... is BUTTERNUT SQUASH! Who would have thunk?)

Anyways. I have been craving some butternut squash soup. Instead of using a recipe from online, I just thought I would try whipping some up on my own! Besides, it gave me an excuse to use one of my most favorite things in my kitchen...

THE DUTCH OVEN

Isn't she perrrtyyy?!

So, I got to business this morning. As follows is the recipe and what I did to make this fab soup!

Juju's Butternut Squash Soup

Here's what you're going to need...

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil -> for those of you who have been living under a rock)

1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized cubes

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 large or 4 small cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 granny smith apple, chopped (I am sure another kind would be fine if that's what you got)

1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1.5 tbsp butter

1/2 cup brandy

4 cups chicken stock/broth (a carton)

2 roasted red bell peppers (the ones in the jar)

1 carton SO Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer (make sure it's the ORIGINAL kind)

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Cayenne Pepper

Salt

Pepper

First off, I got all my veggies chopped so that I could be ready. Don't worry about chopping everything perfectly, it's not worth it in the long run. We are going to puree this in the end.

After getting everything cut up and peeled, I got my dutch oven out, drizzled some EVOO liberally in the bottom, and turned my stove on to medium heat.

Once the oil has had a chance to heat up, add garlic. Let it simmer in here until it gets yummy smelling. This takes about a minute. Stir while it's sizzling, you don't want the garlic to burn.

Next, add the onions. Stir this stinky combination until onions are soft. This may take a few minutes. Again, don't let the garlic burn!

Now add the butternut squash. Stir the mixture up a bit. This is where I let everything sit and mingle. I put the lid on for a few minutes before checking on them. Occasionally take your lid off and stir. The squash should release some juices, so you don't have to worry about burning the food. Let this cook so the squash can soften up a bit (about 10 minutes).

Now add your butter, apple chunks, and thyme.

Keep on letting everything sit and mingle, stirring on occasion. While my pot was cooking up, I was making myself busy with other things. Don't worry about it too much!

After a little bit of time, this is what my mixture looked like.

Once everything is soft and mushy, add some cinnamon. I added 2 pinches at this time, but then I added 4 more pinches at the end for taste. Also, add salt and pepper in there according to taste.

Once you add your cinnamon, this is when you start smelling those apples! Sooo good!

Using a microplane, grate your fresh, whole nutmeg to where the mixture is dusted with yummy nutmeg powder. Nutmeg is always a great secret ingredient.

Now that your pot is smelling like fall, add your brandy.

Let the brandy coat your mixture as the alcohol burns off. Also, make sure you're scraping the bottom of your pot at this time. Get all those yummy crumbs that are stuck to your pan!

Once you give the brandy a few minutes to burn off (your liquid should just about reduce in half), add your chicken stock. Once you've added your stock, put the lid on your pot and go find something else to do! You want your soup to come to a boil, and this might take a few minutes.

Once you get your soup mixture up to a boil, let it stay there a little bit. Add your roasted red bell peppers at this time.

I know, it's not the most beautiful looking creation, but it gets better from here. If you have a food processor or blender, follow my instructions from here on out. If you have a hand held blender, you can use that right in your soup pot!

Once everything is nice and steamy and boiling, dump your soup into another vessel. I used my large mixing bowel from Pampered Chef. If you use something that is glass, it might crack, so be careful! This is some hot soup!

Get our your food processor/blender. I used the biggest blade for this job. Using a ladle, fill up your food processor about 1/3 of the way with your soup.

Let her rip!

Turn on your food processor until WELL pulverized!

If done correctly, your soup should now look like baby food/applesauce.

The more you blend, the better the texture of the soup will be.

Once your first round is done, dump your baby food back into your original soup pot.

Repeat until all soup is pulverized and back in your original pot.

Here is what your baby food should look like...

Almost there!

Okay, this is when I started to add my spices to taste and add my creamer. Once I got to this point, I had only added 2 pinches of cinnamon. When I say a pinch, I literally mean a pinch (between your thumb and index finger, people).

At this time I added a total of 4 more pinches of cinnamon and about half the amount of cayenne pepper. I would guess about 1 tbsp cinnamon and 1-1.5 tsp cayenne pepper in all. This is also based on personal taste! I like spicy, but you may not, so add a little at a time, stir it up and taste it. You will know when it is just right!

I also started whisking in my coconut milk creamer at this time. This is to help the soup be creamy, instead of baby food texture. I used almost a whole carton of this stuff. I think it is a pint of creamer. I used coconut creamer instead of whipping cream because of that whole Paleo diet thing... you can use whichever, but the coconut creamer is WAY better for you.

Whisk the creamer into your soup until...

VOILA!

You did it!! You're done!!

The final product is beautiful and delicious! Would make a great appetizer or side item to any meal! Especially on a chilly evening!

Hope you try it and love it! I know I did!

There is a Chill in the Air

There is a chill in the air here in Georgia, and you know what that means?

Well lots of things, actually! Fall brings all kinds of wonderful things! Football, warm meals, Halloween treats, fall decor, beautiful leaves, amazingly comfy clothes, and the list can go on and on. One thing I wanted to do this fall season since we have our own house and everything, is make a wreath for the front door. I have been using Pinterest to help me out on my quest for coming up with a cute fall wreath idea (if you don't know what Pinterest is, I am sorry that is a whole blog post in itself and right now is not the time). The one pin that I found that I really liked was from a blog called Craftaholics Anonymous. Here is my creation!

Love the burlap flowers!

Simple, easy, and looks great! Thanks Craftaholics Anonymous and of course, yours truly, Pinterest!

The original craft with instructions can be found at the following link: http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/2011/09/burlap-fall-wreath-tutorial.html.