return to regularly scheduled programming?

It's been a lonnng time. So sorry. I plan to make up for it with this picture-laden post.

Can I be honest with you though? (yes? thanks!) The weirdest thing has been going on with me. Lately I've felt sort of indifferent about food. There, I said it. SO weird.
I usually fall asleep thinking and planning what food to make next (sad? maybe), now I just fall asleep trying to plan Christmas presents.
I usually live to eat, but lately it's more like eat to live. Does that ever happen to you?

pumpkin streusel pancakes

 Actually, this is probably the first time it's happened to me. I still like food, and good food at that, but I haven't been making very much of it at home.  I'm also trying to eat well/not eat a lot of meat, so that narrows options when trying to select a restaurant to get takeout from, but I can't really place a finger on what I want to eat even then. I just shrug and let my husband decide and then eat what he gives me. That may be a very slight exxageration, but just a slight one.

smoky spinach and mushroom breakfast hash

I think it's a combination of previous overeating (think Thanksgiving, etc.), being very busy, and being uninspired. Sure, I've made things here and there, mostly sweets, but that's no surprise. We've had black bean burgers and butternut squash fries, lemon/parsley/olive quinoa cakes, and husb's favorite breakfast hash. I've made these amazing pumpkin streusel pancakes, some yeast-free cinnamon rolls, and rather failed at an eggnog breakfast cakes attempt. They weren't bad, just not eggnog-y enough. And a little dry. They looked good though! (see picture)

eggnog breakfast cakes

However, yesterday when I was making cookies for someone (these, one of my favorites), I got a twinge of that old excitement/sense of peace that I usually get when I bake. I actually started thinking about what I wanted to bake next. So maybe it's back.
 

 

In the meantime, Pinterest has been doing it's part in providing exciting/dangerous food pictures.

Let me try to entice us with a couple of them:
 

cookies and cream oreo fudge brownies...

And just so you don't go into sugar shock from all these sweets pictures, here's a picture of a savory (but still unhealthy) thing.
 

fontina mac and cheese with spinach and bacon!!!

Happy carbing!

'stuff you didn't see' saturday

I eat every day. Yup, every single day.

this squirrel wants my food.

...Except if I have the flu. Flu is an unwelcome diet plan. I only appreciate it when it's over.
I always think of the girl in "The Devil Wears Prada" who says that she's only one stomach flu away from her goal weight.

I may be two flus away.

Anyway. Point is, I don't post about everything I eat. That would mean I was only eating like twice a week, and only eating sweets, apparently. Though if I had to pick a food group to live on it would probably be sweets. And fruit. Sweet fruits.

I don't even take pictures of everything I eat. I don't have that kind of patience.
But. Here are some of the things you didn't see. That I ate.

Iss for fun.

These became...

...this. Herb-baked egg cups inspired by this and this. Mine was simply tomatoes, parmesan, fresh basil, cream, and dried herbs de provence. And eggs of course. 

A most wonderful buffalo dog: hot dog topped with homemade coleslaw, crumbled bleu cheese and Frank's Red Hot sauce. Oh yes.

Chicken chili roughly adapted from here. 

Small tomato stack. Just goat cheese sandwiched between slices, topped with salt and pepper, fresh basil, and a nice drizzle of balsamic (not pictured).

Friendly breakfast on our tiny deck. Cinnamon rolls from here, breakfast hash from here. Later, I would make that breakfast hash again...

...for breakfast in bed.

Here's a burger that we stuffed with cheese. Jack cheese. Accompanied by homemade sweet potato fries.

 

Aannd easy spaghetti dinner on the (tiny) deck. 

Have a wonderful weekend full of good food and pumpkin-y things.