Five Things Friday

Another week has come and gone, and that means it's Friday! Woo hoo! And Friday {aside from equalling only 10 more hours until freedom} means Five Things!

Pumpkin Bars.

These bars are oh-so-moist, pumpkiny and perfect for the season. I made them for our Halloween party, but these would also be a perfect Thanksgiving dessert. I can't wait to share the recipe with you next week!

 

The Little Things: An Update.

I started Julie's challenge almost 30 days ago, and I haven't given you an update since then! Though I had originally planned to be all cute and make a sweet jar filled with gorgeous paper clippings of Little Things, somehow a month has passed and I haven't yet done it. I realized the utilitarian route was better for me so I started keeping a Google documents spreadsheet {you can say it...Nerd Alert!} for my little things.

Here's a few from the list:

Having a great hair day

Perfect autumn weather & a bon fire!

Spending a day sewing with my mom

A solo night at home = cheese & crackers for dinner and Parenthood catch up sesh!

Planning a Thanksgiving dinner.

Next weekend, we are having a mini-pre-Thanksgiving dinner with a couple of friends. I adore Thanksgiving food and am excited to get some sampling in before the big day, which we spend with our families! I also love planning parties and hosting, so I've been hard at work on the details.

Autumn Wreath candle, Yankee Candle.

I picked up this guy at Bed Bath & Beyond (with a coupon!) and have been lighting it every evening. It makes our entire home smell like warm autumn flavors...as though I roasted a turkey, baked a pumpkin pie, lit a fireplace and cuddled under a blanket. You know, if all of that shared one gorgeous scent.

Essie's Poor Little Rich Girl

Though this is an older color in Essie's arsenal, it's one of my favorites for Fall (and you can still get it at drug stores or via Amazon.com). It's perfectly red and has just a small bit of wild flair. I will be painting my nails this weekend!

So there you have it...my Five Things for this Friday! I hope you all have a truly fantastic weekend!

Quesitons of the Day:

What are you loving this week?

What is your favorite scent?

This Week + Go To Meal: Pesto Pasta

This week, Shaun and I used up what we had in our refrigerator and pantry because I refused to go food shopping on Sunday.

note to self: don't leave half opened anything in cabinets. Unless you want some tiny little bugs crawling around on your food. Ack.

The heat {finally} broke and we slept with the windows open last night; me with double blankets, Shaun with none.

We still have a terrace visitor. And we're still mildly obsessed wit him/her.

I've been engrossed in a new book series. Well, new to me. My cousin Veronica demanded recommended that I read the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. Has anyone read these? DarkFever, BloodFever, etc? Although I wasn't so into it at the beginning, I've now plowed through the first two and can't wait to see what happens next! I just downloaded FaeFever onto my Kindle and can't wait to dig in on the train today!

 

I decided that after making my Fall mood board, I need to own Essie's Glamour Purse. ASAP.

Shaun and I whipped up another easy go-to meal.

It's pesto pasta! We had a ton of basil in our urban herb garden, so for a quick fix, I've been making up batches of oil-free pesto. You can easily freeze these for the colder months. Simply defrost, mix with pasta and top with parmegiano reggiano. Easy, quick and healthy...a perfect go-to dinner!

Oil-Free Pesto
*Adapted from Weight Watchers
2 Tbsp walnuts, lightly toasted   
2 C fresh basil leaves
1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth   
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese   
1 garlic clove 
1/2 tsp table salt  

Process ingredients altogether in food processor (or blender) until smooth. Mix with cooked pasta and top with extra parm if you'd like. {I like} I'm newly obsessed with Ronzoni Garden Delight. Isn't it pretty?

Eat that up.

 So that's what's going on with me this week.

Questions of the Day:

What are you reading right now?

What's happening with you this week?

Any weekend plans?

psst...we're dishing up the peaches and pits of the week today! Check it out!

A Tiramisu Bar, Love Grown Granola, Harry Potter + more

Happy Friday friends! It's felt like a long week. But a good one. I'm so ready for the weekend though!

A few fun things this week...

...I stumbled upon this Tiramisu Bar right near the Christopher St. Path station. I fell in love with the rice pudding bar in Soho, and now I am soooo excited to get my tiramisu on! Dolce Vizio Tiramisu is first on my list of places to try. What will they come up with next?

...I saw Harry Potter {finally}. I thought it was truly fantastic. The effects were wild, the story perfection. Ralph Fiennes = awesomeness. I cried an irrational amount. I can't wait to see it again :)

...I came home from vacation to a big box of granola from Love Grown Foods. Talk about a welcome home! I was so excited to dig in and it did not disappoint! My favorite part about this granola is that it tastes like I made it in my own kitchen - not store-bought like many other granolas or granola bars. Shaun and I will likely devour all of these bags in the coming days. The flavors include Sweet Cranberry Pecan (decidedly my favorite), Apple Walnut Delight, Raisin Almond Crunch, Simply Oats & Cocoa Goodness.

 

...I concocted a new scrambled egg sandwich that I can't wait to tell you about. Next week, I promise!

...Shaun and I continued watching The Walking Dead. I am officially obsessed. It's about a sheriff who is shot and in a coma for and undecided amount of time. When he awakes, most of the human population is gone...and they've been replaced by zombies! I know, it sounds so ridiculous...and it is. But it is SO good! Like Breaking Bad (another AMC show), The Walking Dead gives me anxiety at every turn. And to me, that's the sign of a good show.

...It's also the return of Jersey Shore! I know, it's terrible...but it's just good TV. I can't look away and I love it.

...I fell in love with OPI Austin-tacious Turquoise after rocking it in Aruba. It's pretty.

So there you have it. All the things I love this week. Now I am psyched to get through the work day and go get my license renewed (just kidding...not too excited about that one!). I am psyched to hang out at home tonight and just have a nice weekend!

Questions of the Day:

What are you loving this week?

What are your plans for this weekend?

**Love Grown Foods did send me free samples, but the opinions expressed here are 100% my own!