Fall Lovin'

I know I've already expressed how I love coffee and cute scarves in Autumn, but there is so much more to love about the season! Check out these photos and just tell me Fall isn't your favorite :)



I would love to have a space like this to take in the cool breeze and colors of the season. (



Toppings for lovely caramel apples... (Candy Apple Creation Station)



...like these! Those stick are also such a fun twist on popsicle sticks! (couldn't find the original source on those!)



Drink holder out of a pumpkin, much more festive than a galvanized tub for a pumpkin carving party! (Martha Stewart)




Split Rock Lighthouse in Duluth, Minnesota. I had to throw a little Minnesota in there somewhere :)  (JohnCHamilton)

Slacking on my Blog :(

I realize it has been a few days since I have posted anything. I must explain: my sister got married this past weekend (yay!) and I had been very busy helping her and her new husband prepare for their BIG DAY!

I will be posting soon about their amazing (looking AND tasting!) dessert table, table flags and potted grass signs, and barn silo table place cards. They were so cool!!

Morning Food

Good morning!

I love breakfast foods. Especially when they are presented in fun ways! These are two that I would like on my plate this morning:



These are SO fun! Rainbow fruit. In champagne glasses :) Classy. (Rainbow Party)



Who said Doughnuts can only come in neutral colors? Try colored sugar! Maybe as a holiday treat!? (Colored Sugar Doughnut Recipe)

Until later, enjoy your day!

Bacon & Chocolate - Perfectly Matched or an Odd Couple?

I have had this obsession lately with bacon and chocolate combinations. Or bacon and maple combinations. Or bacon and anything sweet!!

I had this Dark Bacon Bar a few weeks ago. It was good. It reminded me of Sea Salt chocolate bars, which I LOVE. Yet, it seemed to be missing the BIG flavor that I was expecting. (Vosges Dark Choc. Bacon Bar)

I will be needing to bake these soon. Pancake cupcakes with Maple frosting and Bacon garnish... Who could ask for anything more in a cupcake??? (Pancake Breakfast Cupcake)

If I'm feeling real crazy one day, I might even tackle these little guys! (Choc. Covered Bacon Recipe)

Homemade Choc. Syrup for Coffee

Is anyone else feeling like Fall is here? It was below 40 degrees when I woke up this morning and after a HOT summer it felt nice to throw on a sweater and a scarf. :)

Autumn always gives me cravings for yummy cappuccinos and mocha coffees. They are my weakness...

Me, drinking coffee with my cardigan and scarf..

Coffee and Cardigans :) Yay, Fall!

Unfortunately, our budget does not allow me to pick up a $3-4 coffee everyday, even though there are 3 different coffee places within 2 blocks of my work! Does anybody feel my pain?

Our office does have a Keurig machine, but those are also expensive to buy when you have a cup a day!

I do have a cappuccino machine that I inherited from my mom when she stopped drinking coffee (Yay!). Yet, it still costs probably $.50 a day to make a 'cafe con miel' (coffee with honey), or a full on mocha.

So, my mission was to find a cheap (read: PENNIES a day) way to indulge my coffee cravings. The solution is homemade chocolate syrup!

Hot coffee. Yummmm.......

It is seriously easy to make this stuff for yourself! Wish I would have known THAT in college!

First, whisk your unsweetened cocoa in with the sugar. Try to get most of the clumps out.

Add the water and a pinch of salt. Okay, now on low to medium heat stir the cocoa mix. 

 See my wooden spoon? Do not try to whisk the water into the cocoa! I repeat, DO NOT! I did this the first time I made the syrup and it ended up with a thick light colored foam on top... There will still be a slight foam when you use a wooden spoon, but not like when you whisk it.

Ahhh.. the amazingness of chocolate.. So versatile. So delicious.

Make sure to heat the syrup until the sugar is all melted. Otherwise it could end up gritty. Blah.

Pouring the syrup into hot coffee... (sorry for the blurry photo: i need a new camera!)

Make regular hot (or iced) coffee and throw in some better-than-Hershey's chocolate syrup. It tastes Starbucks or Caribou worthy. 


Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Makes about 8 oz.

1/2 c. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 c. White Sugar (a little more if you like it sweet)
1/2 c. Water
Pinch of salt

Whisk cocoa and sugar in a small saucepan until there are no clumps left. Add water and salt. Stir constantly over low-medium heat. Heat until sauce is no longer gritty from sugar. Cool slightly and store covered in fridge.

You can also add this to milk, pour over vanilla ice cream, top some yummy brownies with it, etc....

Foodie Tuesday

This is one of my most favorite dishes in a fun party bites form. Caprese salad bites drizzled with balsamic vinegar... YUM! 

Come on, just tell me that this doesn't make your mouth water....
http://www.jocooks.com/salads/mini-caprese-salad-bites/

1st Post!

Hello!

I am currently a Montana resident (although my heart will always lie in Minnesota). My husband of one year and I are both Minnesota born and raised. We are constantly on the move and try to live life as cool, calm, and collectively as we can, within reason. More of our life will unravel with time.

In the meantime, my love of food, nutrition, crafting, and nature may come out in the following posts :)