Starving Artist

One of the few quintessential Boston events that occur during the Fall is the Head of the Charles. The Head of the Charles is the world’s largest rowing event that lasts for 2 days and takes place on the Charles River. The girls and I had been looking forward to attending the event, but were unsure if the weather was going to cooperate for us. Luckily, I woke up and although it was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g outside, it was sunny and beautiful!

We met at my apartment for some apple cider mimosas (champagne + apple cider… so good!!), bagels and muffins. I made a batch of Pecan Apple Spice Muffins for the girls to enjoy! :) They were really easy, and with some healthy substitutions and add-ins, they turned out to be super flavorful and moist!

They started with Trader Joe’s Spiced Apple Bread mix as the base…

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And voila!

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Here is the recipe for Pecan Apple Spice Muffins:

Makes 10 large muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Trader Joe’s Spiced Apple Bread Mix
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider
• 3/4 cup Skim Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 4 tbsp of applesauce
• 1 apple (peeled & chopped)
• 5 tbsp chopped pecans
• 2 tbsp oats
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp water

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Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, apple cider, milk, and apple sauce
2. Fold in the muffin mix, careful not to overmix.
3. Stir in 2 tbsp of the pecans, and the chopped apple.
4. Lightly grease the muffin tins, and pour in the mixture (I fill the mixture almost all of the way up to the top, so that there will be a larger top to the muffin).
5. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp of the pecans, the oats, honey, water, and brown sugar.
6. Top each of the muffins with the pecan/oat mixture.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 22 minutes.
8. Let cool and enjoy! :)

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I served the muffins with some low sugar Apple Butter that I purchased at Honeypot Hill Orchards on our apple picking day.

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We enjoyed our breakfast and bubbly, then set off to walk to the H of the C. Apparantly the champagne had gone straight to our heads, because none of us realized that the finish line of the race is in Cambridge, and we were in the Back Bay. We were on about mile 2 of our walk, when we reached the beginning of the race.

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Then it dawned on us. We were still oh so very far away! We jumped into 2 separate cabs, and unfortunately encountered crazy cabbies who dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, so we were separated for the rest of the day. We finally figured out where we needed to go, and were able to enjoy some of the race.

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Of course the sample tents were quite the highlight of our afternoon ;-)

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Granola…

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… and more granola! And some Slice of Life gummy vitamins.

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For dinner we decided to check out the fairly recently opened Pazzo on Newbury Street.

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I ordered the Chicken Piccata (obviously), but substituted pasta for the potatoes. The pairing just seemed odd to me.  You’re not able to sop up the delicious lemony sauce with potatoes, I feel like it needs a rice or pasta!

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My meal was delicious, but unfortunately my friends’ portions were much smaller than my own, and for the price it just didn’t really seem worth it. I would probably only go back for their $5 appetizers at the bar deal, and would prefer Piattini for dinner (Pazzo doesn’t quite compare).

Despite our directional confusion (story of my life), it was a lovely day with the girls :)

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There’s just something about a rainy Saturday morning that makes me want to stay in bed all day watching movies and my favorite Food Network lineup. Unfortunately, that option wasn’t in the cards today. Out of bed and out the door by 9:00, I headed to Trader Joe’s to pick up a few items that I needed for this upcoming week’s recipes. I can never leave that store with only a couple things – I should know better by now!

One of my new discoveries this week was TJ’s Very Green Juice Blend. I’ve been hearing a lot about green drinks, and thought I’d give it a shot. A mixture of banana, mango, kiwi, and green foods – spinach, kale, green algae, etc. – I expected a horrid taste, but to suffer through it because of the health benefits. Much to my surprise, it actually tastes really good – sweet and fruity! This is going to be a new morning staple so I don’t continue on my terrible 3 cups of coffee a morning routine…

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This was a morning of discoveries, as I had my first Larabar for breakfast. I went for the Apple Pie flavor, and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. A raw food, each bar contains 100% whole foods and no more than 8 ingredients. It wasn’t like most of those other bars that taste like cardboard and nothing like the flavor they’re supposed to have, I was definitely tasting the apple and cinnamon. SO fresh and tasty!

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Groceries purchased, breakfast eaten, showered and ready, I headed to North Station to take the train home to my parents’ house for the rest of the weekend.

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I love riding the train, it’s just so relaxing and a perfect time to either get some work done or just aimlessly stare out the window while listening to my music. I was hoping to get a little reading in from one of the two new books that I recently picked up at Borders.

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My parents picked my brother and I up from the train station, and (shocking) we headed to Trader Joe’s again for my second time today. I apparently just can’t get enough!! We’re participating in the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer’s Association tomorrow with my extended family, and so we’re needing to bring a dish for the potluck we’re all having after the walk. I think I might make my Harvest Apple Butternut Squash Soup… a nice warm soup will be in order after a long rainy walk! :)

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I had quite the amazing weekend, but unfortunately woke up this morning not feeling so hot. Maybe it was all the walking in the rain yesterday? I decided I’d be more productive working from home today, since I have so much to get done.

Some Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Granola and strong coffee should get me going…

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I was definitely thinking Fall harvest cuisine when I was grocery shopping this morning. From squash to grains to berries, I roamed the (thankfully not yet crowded) appetizing aisles and did some impromptu menu planning for the next week or so. I have some really exciting seasonal meals and desserts in store for you, so stay tuned!

Any guesses from the bounty of groceries from Trader Joe’s below?

On my way home, I treated myself to a small tub of Deluca’s cranberry walnut chicken salad.

It makes possibly the best sandwich you’ll ever eat in your life. I toasted up some of the multigrain loaf that I bought at Trader Joe’s. The nuttiness of the hearty bread paired really well with the cranberry and walnut flavors of the salad.

I also bought an acai and pomegranate Vita Coco to round out my lunch.

Best. Ever.

Now on to some cleaning, cooking, and possible nap (7am was way too early…) before the birthday celebration for my friends tonight :)

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I know we still have a few more days until the official change of seasons, but today felt like the most perfect Fall morning. There was a slight chill in the air as I started off on my Saturday morning errands. 9:00 is quite possibly the most perfect time to be outside getting things done. The sun was shining and the streets weren’t quite yet flooded with shoppers and tourists.

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I headed to Trader Joe’s to pick up some milk, ff cream for my morning coffee, and seltzer water. Complete basics. I need to stop going to TJ’s for staples when Delucas or CVS would completely suffice, since 3 items quickly turned into 12. I couldn’t resist buying these beautiful mini heirloom tomatoes. I’m not sure yet what to make with them. Any suggestions?

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I apologize in advance for the poor quality photos. I couldn’t find my camera charger, and the iPhone camera just doesn’t cut it.

I also saw that they’re now carrying Apple Cider! I got way more excited than any human being should ever get about apple cider. I think it’s because it brings me back to being 10 years old again and apple picking in Westford at Drew Farms with the family. I love fall. Have I said that before?? I then picked up a carrot cake Clif Bar that I’ve been wanting to try. Paired with the apple cider, it sounded like the perfect fall breakfast to me. It was really delicious, and definitely had an authentic carrot cake taste!

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Time for Real Simple, MS Living, and Food Network. Saturday morning relaxation :)

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