More and MORE pumpkin recipes!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Ok, I know I'm going kind of pumpkin crazy... but I can't help it! How have I never realized the fact that pumpkin literally makes everything better?! Hmm...

Ok, so I really wanted the same breakfast as yesterday (my chicken sausage egg white omelet) but I thought that would be kind of boring. Soooo I mixed it up with a Pumpkin Egg White Omelet.

I wisked together a half a cup of egg whites w/ a tablespoon of pumpkin puree. The omelet's filling consisted of honey roasted turkey, sauteed mushrooms and provolone cheese. The sublte sweetness of the pumpkin egg whites and the honey turkey, combined with the savory mushrooms and cheese was seriously AWESOME.

When I got to work today I realized that I had completely forgotten about our field trip to Cub Foods, to learn about where our moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas buy everything to get ready for Thanksgiving. It would have been such a fun trip if our kids hadn't been absolutely HORRIBLE. I was so embarassed. Thank God the store was pretty empty of shoppers and that I didn't know anyone there! The manager had set up and awesome tour, a bunch of demonstrations and even treat bags for the kids and they were absolutely out of control. Not listening, running all over the place, touching things, knocking things over. We had 27 kids and 7 adults. Should have been easy. It wasn't.

Once again, lunch break could not have come soon enough. However, when it finally DID come, I realized I'd made a mistake packing my lunch this morning! I'd brought a bunch of fresh veggies and some leftover canned chicken breast in a Ziploc Steam Bag, which was I was going to steam and then pour on a delicious Sweet Pepper and Honey Mustard dressing I'd prepared. But I forgot the dressing! So it was just plain old steamed veggies and canned chicken. BOR-ING.

I have to give it some credit though, since it kept me full until 7 pm!

I also had a Honey Crisp Apple and a Cherry Coke Zero.

After work I headed back to Cub Foods for some much-need grocery shopping. I was there for over an hour, trying to figure out what we really needed, what we could afford, what was a better deal, etc. I ended up buying a TON of groceries for a pretty low amount of money. Cub Foods might be nearing the top of my Favorite Grocery Stores list. Their stores have really changed in the past year or so. It used to remind me of a Sam's Club (or Costco) but now it's really nice inside and has a HUGE produce and organic section.

My Groceries:

From left to right: black grapes, Honey Crisp apples, Peanut Butter Company Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter, Mild Kimchi, Spinach, Reduced Fat French Onion Wheat Things, Kahiki Chicken Egg Rolls, a Lean Cuisine Panini (I've been meaning to try one!), maple syrup, canned artichoke hearts, Hunt's fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Chicken Broth, Miracle Whip Free, Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, V8 Soups (Sweet Red Pepper and Creamy Broccoli), Wasa Fiber Crackers, Athenos Crumbled Feta Cheese, Brummel and Brown, Turkey Bacon, Sargento Bistro shredded cheese, Crystal Farms string cheese, romano tomatoes, Sabra hummus with pine nuts, Tofu Shiratki noodles, mushrooms, kiwi, imitation crab legs, green pepper, sweet yellow onion and frozen cooked shrimp!

Woah. Now that's alot of food.

Dinner

Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Buttermilk Soup

Does anybody else watch the Food Network religiously? I don't quite as much as I used to (I just don't have time anymore!) but I looooooooooove Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. I played on her ideas here a bit and made my own Semi-Homemade Soup.

1 can chicken broth
1 can Progresso Light Chicken & Noodle Soup
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded asiago cheese (optional)

1. In a Dutch oven on medium, whisk together chicken brother, Progresso soup, pumpkin, buttermilk, salt and pepper.
2. Bring to boil; boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add beans and mushrooms.
4. Reduce heat to low; simmer 20-30 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
5. Top soup with a little asiago cheese and freshly ground pepper.
6. SERVE! :-)

This soup was honestly sooooo good. The cheese really does add something, I would reccommend it! I had two bowls of this for supper and I am very satisfied.

For dessert, I had a glass of Yellowtail pinot noir (my Thursday night 'cocktail'):

AND.... a double-stuffed oreo with a little bit of cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter on top. OH MY GOD this was amazing. You all need to run out and buy both of these things. Or, maybe you shouldn't, you'll never stop eating them! So good, seriously.

Okaaaaaaaay Grey's Anatomy is over and I'm pretty tired. I just probably go to bed! Good night everybody! TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!! :-)