Suffed Squash

 It's fall, so let's get festive with a stuffed squash recipe! In the future I think I'd add sausage or goat cheese to up the protein quotient. I also made half a dinner squash and half a dessert squash (butter and cinnamon sugar), and it was a great choice!

 

3 Acorn Squash
3 3 cups cooked grains (I used 2 cups rainbow quinoa and 1 cup rice)
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 bunch of green onions, spring greens chopped
Dressing:
1 1/2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

1. Slice Acorn squash in half and scoop seeds. Cook at 400 F for 40 minutes on a cookie sheet.
   
2. Cook grains according to instructions.
   
3. In medium bowl, add cooked grains, chopped nuts and cranberries.
   
4. Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss with grain mixture. 
   
5.  Fill squash halves with grain mixture and pop back in the oven for 20 minutes.
   
6. Garnish with green onion and cheese.
7. Dig in!
   

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

In case you haven't been on social media, or in a Starbucks, or  just out in the world, I would like to notify you that it is fall. Any although it has been over 90 degrees here in Southern California, I wanted to get into the spirit so I baked up some delicious treats! I used a blend of almond and oat flour, which I really liked. The almond flour allows it to get a bit crispy and the oat flour gives it some substance.  For the chocolate, make sure you chop up a chocolate bar, and don't just use chocolate chips. It makes a big difference.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Melted Butter or Oil
• 2/3 cup Sweetness (sugar, maple syrup)
• 1/2 cup all natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla
•  2 1/2 cups Flour (I used 1 c oat flour, and 1 1/2 c almond meal)
• 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Coconut
• Dark Chocolate Chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In medium bowl, add and blend Butter, Sugar, Peanut Butter, Egg and Vanilla.
   
3. Blend in Flour.
4. Add optional ingredients.
    
    5. Using measuring tablespoon drop by spoonful about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
     
   6. Using fork make criss-cross marks on cookie.
   7. Bake for 10 minutes. Should be slightly brown on edges.
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Enjoy!

Fall Forward for Fun

 

      So I've reached that off point in the year where I gear back up to apply for grad schools and I may have only a year left of school free time here in San Diego. So here's my list for fall!

     -Julian is a great little town in east county, and somehow I've never been. So what better time than apple picking season-aka apple pie season!

     -Even with all this fun, I need to make sure I've got my list ready to go when apps get released on October 1.

     -With everyone going back to school the beaches finally won't be as crowded but it's still plenty warm to frolic around!

    - I've gotten pretty comfortable in my breakfast, brunch, brinner routine. But that's no way to live, time to get a bit more adventurous in my food realm!

     -Any article of about moving to a new place will tell you that the hardest thing is that you're on your own when it comes to exploring. So I want to push myself to do one new fun thing each week so that I can finally start crossing stuff off my SD bucket list!

     -Between working 3 jobs, modeling and going on weekend trips, my room is a mess.  It'll be nice to start with a clean surface before heading into application time.

    -Last week I was able to walk for a San Diego designer in LA Fashion week. It was kind of incredible to walk for a packed house at a big event. Hopefully the open calls are on days I can actually make this time!

     -San Diego has heaps of Dia de los Muertos celebrations, so I'm hopign to make it to at least one this year!

     -I'm chronically late with deciding my Halloween costume. This year I'm aiming to decide a month before to allow the max amount of thrifting and creativity!

So that's my list for Autumn! If you want to join me on any of these activities, or think that there are major SoCal activities that I'm missing, let me know!

Keep Adventuring!