Autumn Sandwich Recipe Variations

Since Thanksgiving is coming up soon, you probably don't want to make a lot of large meals until the big day--and you'll need some creative things to do with leftovers, too;) So here are a few sandwich ideas that you can enjoy before--or after--Turkey Day:)

First, you'll need some sandwich 'binders'--you know, something to spread on the bread besides those processed condiments like mustard and mayonnaise (yuck). i recommend a cranberry relish or almond hummus. For the relish, you'll need:

whole or jellied cranberries
plum pieces
oranges
sugar
* you can also add a little olive oil and fresh herbs like thyme or marjoram to give the relish a more savory taste ;)

for the almond hummus, you'll need:

raw almonds (organic is best)
tahini
garlic
oregano
olive oil
sea salt
lime
cilantro

--the ingredients for both recipes should be combined in a food processor to get the right consistency, but a blender works well in most cases, too.

Chances are you already have roasted or deep-fried turkey on hand, so just carve that up to put on the sandwich. Sautee the turkey pieces in a mixture of butter, fresh oregano, cayenne pepper, and lime juice before placing it on the sandwich. You can also use thin chicken breast prepared in the same way. Or, dredge the chicken in a light flour like potato or rice flower and sautee for a few minutes before adding the butter mixture.


Ciabatta or French bread is best for these sandwiches; toast the bread lightly before placing the meat and relish or hummus in between--but don't toast it for too long or you'll end up with croutons.:)Sprinkle the bread with a Parmesan and Romano cheese mixture onto the bread and add your turkey or chicken (or both lol) with the relish or hummus (or, you know, both) and enjoy! More side dish ideas coming up ;)

Candy Cane Cupcakes

A number of holiday-themed desserts feature peppermint flavor, but few sweet treats yield the taste of an actual candy cane. So, here's my take on a candy cane cupcake that is great for Christmas bake sales and holiday parties that will remind you of those freakishly sugary candy canes in your grandma's holiday candy dish--in a good way:)this recipe is really easy, and doesn't include any of the 'filler' flavors that take away from the candy cane taste:)

For this recipe, you'll need:

white cake mix (or a homemade batter of cake flour, sugar, 2 or 3 eggs, buttermilk or cultured soy milk, a little pure vanilla extract, salt, butter and baking powder). sorry, i don't measure, so just mix all that around until the consistency is right :)

pure almond extract
red food coloring
peppermint extract
powdered sugar
mini candy canes

-Once you've mixed the cake batter together, take half of it out and put it in a separate bowl. Dye the batter in one of the bowls red--add as much food coloring as you want to achieve the hue of the deep red stripes in candy canes. Get out your cupcake pans and grease each section of the pan, or add cupcake liners. Now, you may find this part tedious, but it's a good idea to fill one cupcake section with red batter, and a drop or two of the 'white' cake batter. Then, use a toothpick or small fork to swirl the two colors around. For the next cupcake, add the white cake batter first, and then a spoonful of the red batter and mix it around. The patterns are really pretty and look impressive when people bite into the cupcake;)

-Place the cupcakes in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. While the cakes are baking, it's time to make the icing. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk or soy milk, and peppermint and almond extract. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients. If you want you can add a splash of lemon juice--it makes the peppermint flavor stand out more. you can also add green food coloring if you want to create a contrast between the red and white of the cupcake.

-After taking the cupcakes out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes before icing them. After you've iced each cupcake, you can crush some mini candy canes and sprinkle them on top of the desserts. :)

The Right Nude Shoes for Fall

OK, so I've been posting lots of recipes lately (and there's so much more to come ;)) but the ladies need to know how to wear these nude shoes this fall, since clearly the trend is here to stay. Which is great--if you know which nude looks good on you. So, here's a quick tip list that will keep you looking your best in a classy nude pump this fall (or winter).

Fair-skinned women: You'll likely look best in a shoe that is a true tan, and has light blue undertones. You can tell the undertones of the shoe by trying it on and seeing if the veins in your feet are more noticeable or subdued. If the veins don't stand out, the color is probably right. Wear nude shoes with a sheer stocking (NOT BLACK)to make your legs look longer ;)

Olive-toned women: Women with olive skin can really pull of a nude shoe that has red accents, i.e. red siding or bottoms--think light or medium brown, or a red-brown in a leather or suede material. Again, it's best to wear tights or stockings that are close to your normal skin color.

'True' brown women: If your skin is the color of honey, cinnamon, or toast right when it should be taken from the toaster, choose a nude shoe that is as close to your skin color as possible. You can also pull off a nude-hued heel with some texture to it, i.e. suede or lace. You know the deal with the tights:) But, textured tights work well for you as well--think argyle or stripes.

Dark skinned women: OK girls, you can do a few things with the nude shoe. A creamy-colored shoe, in the same color scheme as what fair-skinned women would wear looks great on you, or you can wear an olive-toned shoe if you have red undertones. A thick tight (or some skinnies) will help to pull the look off;)

Send me your nude shoe pics, and I'll be happy to feature them--especially if you did it right! lol ;)

5 Spice Candied Apples

Candied apples are a treat that you can enjoy any time of year, but somehow, they taste just a little better in the fall. If you enjoyed candied apples as a kid, these recipe variations will offer you some sophisticated flavors that will make this sugar-cased fruit stand out :) For this recipe, you'll need:

-white chocolate morsels (you can substitute caramel or peanut butter morsels, or mix all three together--they all taste great with the rest of the ingredients ;))
-finely chopped almonds or macadamia nuts
-rum flavoring
-lemon flavoring
-vanilla flavoring
-licorice flavoring
-fresh cinnamon
-fresh nutmeg
-fresh ginger
-fresh anise
-allspice
-splash of milk (or soy or almond milk)
-golden delicious, Granny Smith, or red delicious apples (depending on how sweet or sour you like your apples)

melt the white chocolate morsels (and/or other flavors) over the stove or in the microwave--be careful not to let the morsels get too sticky or dry. Add a dash of milk to the mixture to make it extra creamy. add all the flavorings to taste--you'll have to keep tasting the mixture to make sure it's right. ;) Grind the cinnamon and nutmeg (you can use a zester or cheese grater) as well as a few pieces of finely grated ginger. Add these to the mixture, along with a dash of allspice.

soak the finely chopped nuts in a mixture of all the flavorings you've used (you can use Frangelico or Kahlua as well). Let them 'marinate while you cover the apples with the white chocolate mixture. Then roll the apples in the nuts and place the apples in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let them set. You can also cut the apples into slices and dip them halfway in the white chocolate or nuts for a great party dish that looks pretty impressive :). Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Pasta

Pasta is often a go-to dish for lots of cooks, especially during the fall season where we could all use some hearty comfort food that will stick to our ribs. This recipe for bowtie pasta with a butternut squash sauce goes will with the seafood of your choice, but of course, it makes a great vegetarian meal as well. For this dish, you'll need:

Farfalle pasta
pureed butternut squash
cream cheese or vegan sour cream
fresh sage
fresh parsley
fresh marjoram
butter or vegan margarine
olive oil
garlic cloves
shallots
dried cranberries
cinnamon
nutmeg
pine nuts
*Seafood (tilapia, shrimp, salmon)

-Sautee the shallots, garlic cloves, butter, and olive oil in a saucepan. When the garlic has cooked down some, add the fresh herbs. Mix the pureed squash and cream cheese together, and add this mixture to the herbs, shallots, and garlic (add a few tablespoons of vegetable or seafood stock if you want the sauce thinner). Allow the sauce to simmer for about ten minutes, then add cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried cranberries (dates work well, too). if possible, purchase fresh cinnamon and nutmeg, but if you can't, the dried variety tastes great as well.:)Sprinkle some pine nuts on top of the pasta dish once you've plated it, or roll them around in some olive oil and cinnamon first.

*While the sauce is cooking, boil the pasta--add sea salt and olive oil to the water to give the pasta a little taste. This is also a good time to cook the seafood you want with your pasta dish. Sautee a few slices of tilapia in olive oil and fresh herbs, and add a slice or two of zucchini for added color and taste. The same cooking method will work well no matter which seafood you choose. :)Enjoy!

Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

I love cooking in the fall! This pumpkin recipe is ideal for dinner parties, and you can make this with your kids too:) it's stuffed mini pumpkins--one savory recipe, and one sweet:) Here's what you'll need:

mini pumpkins (I prefer the organic variety)
ground turkey, beef, or TVP (textured vegetable protein)
pureed squash
shallots
butter (or vegan margarine)
allspice
turmeric
white pepper
fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano)
brown rice
sea salt
half an apple (Granny Smith, as red as you can find:))

Start by cutting off the top of the pumpkin and getting all the seeds and meat out. Save the parts of the meat you want to use for the filling:) Rinse the pumpkin thoroughly, and make sure it's hollow enough for all the good stuff to fit inside.

Melt some butter in a large saucepan and throw in some chopped shallots, along with the chopped Granny Smith apple. Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs, sea salt, turmeric, and white pepper to taste. Add the ground meat of your choice, along with a few shakes of allspice. Mix in the pureed squash (if you want, you can mix in some heavy cream or vegan cream cheese into the squash before adding it to the meat mixture). Stir in the chunks of pumpkin and cover the mixture so that it will cook thoroughly--about 15 minutes should do it:)
Boil about a cup of instant brown rice in a separate pot, and flavor with sea salt and white pepper.

After the 'stuffing' and the rice have cooked thoroughly, pour a few heaping spoonfuls into each pumpkin 'bowl', and garnish with fresh herbs. You can serve the meal with your choice of a creamy or warm fall beverage--stay tuned for upcoming blogs to get recipe ideas! Enjoy:)

Spiced Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Ok, here's another fall recipe that I'm sure everyone will LOVE. Spiced apple oatmeal cookies are one of the best treats of the season, and you can even make them with Equal or agave nectar if you want to cut down on the sugar content :) You'll need:

Brown Sugar
Applesauce
Equal or agave nectar
about one a half sticks of butter (or soy butter for a vegan cookie)
1 egg (or Ener-G egg replacer equivalent of one egg)
milk (soy or almond milk works, too)
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
sea salt
uncooked oats
dried apples
almond extract
maple extract
vanilla bean

melt the butter, and add the applesauce and sugar to taste(just make sure it's not extremely soupy). Mix all the spices together along with the two extracts to form a pasty consistency. Add the spices and extract to the butter and applesauce. Use just a splash or sea salt (just a splash! sea salt is more potent than table sauce). Pour the milk and egg into the mixture--make sure the batter is not too thin, and add milk as necessary, so that when the oats are added, you can easily spoon out a cookie. Fold the oats into the applesauce mixture, and add some bits of dried apple to the cookie dough.

Spoon the cookies out onto a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. While the cookies are baking, make some icing from sweet apple cider, powdered sugar, and lime juice. Mix the ingredients together so that the icing is thin enough to drizzle on the cookies. Sprinkle a little allspice on each cookie after adding the icing, and get read to eat every cookie on the sheet, 'cause they're sooooooo good! :)