Monster Munch & Halloween Movies

Happy Halloween friends! It's a little bit of a bummer if you ask me, that Halloween is falling on a Monday.. am I right?

I don't have kiddos to take trick-or-treating, however our pups will be dressed up and ready for a good movie night! What does a Halloween movie night call for?

Monster Munch! I wish I had better photos, I threw some of this together a few nights ago. But this stuff is so addicting! It is the perfect movie night Halloween treat!

Pop your favorite bag of popcorn, crush pretzels over the popcorn, and pour melted white chocolate over the crunchy mix.  (Buy melting white chocolate - in the baking aisle. Follow the melting directions on the package!) After you drizzle the white chocolate over the popcorn and crushed pretzels. Then top with M&M’s or your choice of candy while the popcorn mixture and white chocolate is still warm.  Toss it all together to cover the popcorn with the white chocolate. The candy gets melty and the white chocolate begins to harden so it all sticks together.

Warning: you will not be able to stop grabbing handfuls!

Here are my top 5 Halloween movie picks:

1. Hocus Pocus

Is this even a question? It's the go - to Halloween movie!

2. Psycho

  This 1960's thriller will have you on the edge of your seat!

3. Practical Magic

This is my favorite spooky movie of all time! Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play sisters raised as witches! Who doesn't love a good 90's throwback/thriller? Sandra and Nicole too? The best!

4. Murder By Numbers

This is somewhat of a new movie for me, I just saw it recently. But, as one of Ryan Gosling's first flicks, it is definitely the top of my murder-mystery-thriller list!

5. Fracture

I am mainly including this as my favorite movie of all time - but suspenseful and murder-mystery category enough to be perfect for Halloween night! Yet another one of Ryan Gosling's fist flicks. The film has a bit of courtroom drama, and the perfect amount of suspense!

I hope you all have the best Halloween! We will be snuggled up on the couch with a bowl of chili, Monster Munch, and these great Halloween flicks!

XO - Enjoy!

Burrito Bowls & Roasted Poblano Corn Salsa

 Are you as obsessed with Chipotle as I am? Can you say, basic? No shame.

 However, I am so inspired by their cilantro flavors I thought I would whip up my own version of a burrito bowl and let me tell you, it was so good.

I marinated my both chicken and steak for 3-4 hours in a mixture of soy sauce, worchtershire, tiny bit of lime juice, cilantro, and a lot of spices.

I threw the chicken in the crockpot with a little chicken broth and seared the steak on the stove top.

I slow roasted the fajita veggies on the stove top in the same pan and started on the best part; the poblano corn salsa.

Now this does take a little extra work, but it is worth every second!

Start by roasting your poblano pepper in the oven until it gets really soft and charred. Use gloves if

you wish.. these peppers are no joke! Once it's nice and toasty, slice open the pepper and rinse the

seeds out. Dice it up and throw it in the food processor with a handful of cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime.

Meanwhile, I poured two cans of corn (yes.. canned.. lazy gal confession) diced red onion, a generous handful of cilantro, and lots of fresh lime juice in a mixing bowl. 

Toss your cilantro, poblano, lime mixture over your corn. Give it another squeeze of lime, and generous amounts of garlic powder, fresh salt, and pepper.

Now, you should have all the perfect fixens for your burrito bowl. Dice up your steak, shred your chicken, put it all over your favorite rice, with your roasted veggies, cheese and sour cream of course!

Enjoy! XO

Full Recipe

For the fajita steak:

- 1 lb skirt steak/sirloin

- 3 tsp garlic powder

- generous amounts salt & pepper

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 1 Tbs worcestershire sauce

- handful of fresh cilantro

- squeeze of lime

Combine all ingredients into a freezer bag, allow to marinate for 3-4 hours.

Once marinated, cook on medium to high heat on the stove-top, dice into chunks.

For the fajita chicken:

- 1lb boneless skinless chicken breast

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1 tsp paprika

- 2 tsp cumin

- generous amounts of salt & pepper

- squeeze of lime

- 1/2 cup of chicken broth.

Combine all ingredients into a freezer bad, allow to marinate for 3-4 hours.

Once marinated, cook chicken in chicken broth on low for 3-4 hours or until tender.

For the Poblano Corn Salsa:

- 1 Poblano pepper

- 2 cans whole kernel corn

- 1 red onion

- 2 fresh limes (lime juice)

- handful fresh cilantro

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- generous amount of salt and pepper

1. Roast the poblano pepper in the oven on 400 degrees until roasted and soft. Once roasted, peel, and  rinse inside for seeds.

2. Dice the pepper and put into a food processor with a handful of cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.

3. Pour drained cans of corn into a bowl. Add diced red onion, handful of cilantro, spices, and add the diced poblano mixture from the food processor.

4. Squeeze juice of two fresh limes over the corn mixture. Allow to sit for 2 hours prior to serving.

Serve meat, poblano salsa, fajita veggies, (dice peppers and onions and cook over low heat, in a tbs of vegetable oil until soft), cheese, sour cream, over rice.

Friday Faves - Fall Wishlist

I work from home on Fridays, and I have to admit... today I have had the worst trouble focusing. All I want to do is buy ALL the fall things.

All. The. Things.

So.. while my beef stew is bubbling on the stove (standby for the recipe), and my pumpkin candle is burning (so basic.. but my house smells divine).. I thought I would share a few of my favorite fall items I've got my eye on!

1. These precious puppy vests from Baxter Boo!

Baxter Boo

We have a camping trip planned for next month, and I am dying to get these for the babes to keep them warm and toasty. Plus, who wouldn't be obsessed with a dog in a vest?

2. These Matte purple Hunter Boots.

Hunter Boots

So I have had my eye on these forever. They scream fall.. and this purple is the best. Will I drop the $150 on them? Probs not. But a gal can dream.

3, This white Le Creuset Dutch Oven.

Le Creuset

How classic is this white? I feel like it is the epitome of fall and winter. Not to mention, it would be gorgeous in my kitchen. I already have two others.. but hey, you can never have too many.. right?

4. OPI Fall nail colors - Purple in particular!

OPI - Casino Royale

I can't wait to treat myself to a fall manicure ASAP.. because this will be my go to!

5. Over-sized Sweaters.

ROMWE

Not that this should come as surprise, because this is the kind of thing I live in this time of year. Over-sized though.. long enough to throw on with leggings. If I could wear them every day, I would! Nothing better than a big comfy sweater and a good pair of boots!

What are some of your favorite things for fall? I could honestly go on and on and on. 

also - YAY FRIDAY! Weekend, how I missed you.

XO

Fall Feels

I’m back!

God it feels good.

What can I say? Life gets in the way. And it has been a real juggle lately.

Work has been tough. More tough and more pressure than usual, leaving me feeling drained and exhausted at the end of each day. I can’t say I don’t like what I do.. but I can say it does not leave much room for other things. Physically or mentally.

Mentally I have struggled with anxiety, and I think as time goes on, and I inevitably age, it has gotten worse. The funny thing is, is that this is what brings me solace and peace. This is what I am passionate about. Writing and sharing, cooking and baking.. this is how I self-medicate.

It is easy to get discouraged when your mind can be your worst enemy, but I am here and I am SO ready to share the best stuff yet with you!

First things first: I turned 25 in September. Wait… what?

The big 2 - 5. Quarter of a century. Closer to my 30’s than to my 20’s... It was scary, it was exhausting, it was a blast. We celebrated by road-tripping to my most favorite place on this Earth: the ocean. We cheered to an incredible 24 years, greeted my 25^th year with my toes in the Gulf, fresh seafood, endless amounts of cake, and plenty of wine to boot. Does it get better than that? I think not.

But MOST exciting thing that has happened yet?? FALL! Fall is here, October is here! Quite possibly the most beautiful, magical, sweetest month of the year. Not only because of the leaves and the season, not only because of the football and the crisp air, not only the sweater weather and the bon-fires… but the anticipation it brings. Fall brings an anticipation and excitement for the holidays like nothing else – it gives me warm fuzzies like a child on Christmas Eve. I wait for this all year long.

My most favorite part of fall and winter? The food. Comfort food. The warm soup bubbling on the stove. The smell of fresh baked pumpkin bread or chocolate-chip cookies in the oven. The pot roast slow cooking all day. The hot chocolate that warms your soul.

This, this is what I live for. And I am so excited to be back just in time to share it with you!

Happy October!