what you're lookin for...

Please take a look at the right hand side of the screen, thank you. I have started backtracking and labeling all of my posts so that if you ever have a "oh yeah, what was that yummy recipe that Jessi made?" moment you can go on the right hand side of my blog and find it much more easily. This means that I want you to use my recipes--no need to feel pressure, except kinda. I've only been able to backtrack to March (come on people I do have a life) but I promise soon enough I will have them all labeled. Enjoy!! :)

calling all pumpkin lovers...

The air is a little crisper and cooler here which of course threw me into a fall frenzy. This resulted in me making my first wreath (with precious little yellow and orange flowers), decorating the house with fall decor and of course making something with pumpkin in it...this time it was pumpkin muffins. This may come as a surprise to ya'll but I get intimidated by long ingredient lists and usually skip over the recipe, however this recipe was super simple...plllease try it, it is light, yummy and a perfect fall treat. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Fat: 3.5g
Calories: 164

(recipe and photo courtesy of cookinglight.com)

shrimp & grits casserole

This is what we had for dinner tonight and it was YUMMY!!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (3-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray
• Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine milk and broth in a medium heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, butter, and cream cheese. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp). Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until set. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

(recipe courtesy of cookinglight.com)

movie time

So in the past week I've gone to the movie theaters twice (with Anna...we're movie buds). The movies that we saw were Julie & Julia and Love Happens. Here are the reviews:

Julie & Julia:
I love, love, LOVED this movie, it was so stinkin cute that I would like to own it! Basically Julie decides to take on Julia Child's famous cookbook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and make all of the recipes (I believe that there were over 500) in a year. Plus it also goes back and forth between Julie and Julia's lives (at the point in Julia's life when she was writing the cookbook). Its really, really cute and if you enjoy cooking (or eating) you should definitely see it!

Love Happens:
This is your basic cutesy love story...although there is a little sad element to it so don't be blindsighted when that comes about. I thought it was cute, definitely worth the $5 I paid to see it but I don't know if I would see it again. However, Jennifer Aniston was stunning as always and I left the theater with plenty of cute outfit ideas thanks to her fab wardrobe!

today in the burgh...

The first day of G-20

homework

Well, not quite but I am working from home for the next few days. Thanks to Pittsburgh hosting the G-20 Summit my office has been shut down for the rest of the week. Therefore I was given the option to work from home or take time off. Thanks G-20!

My (temporary) new office

angora

This is where your Angora wool comes from...



John showed me this picture Friday and I just wanted to share it with ya'll, doesn't this sweet little animal/possible monster look pitiful? I feel sorry for how much wool it has on it, I mean you know that little rabbit has to be really hot under there. But on the other hand it is kinda funny lookin...