Tried & True: Recipes From Pinterest You Need to Make {Pumpkin Edition}

I feel like the love for pumpkin flavoured goodies dies out sooner in Canada than in the States since our Thanksgiving happens so much earlier. When does "all things pumpkin" come to an end? End of November? After Christmas? I really don't know, but in case your still in the mood for some yummy pumpkin infused recipes, I've got you covered. This past month I made over a handful of different pumpkin recipes and today I'm sharing the best of the best with you. (If you want some actual meal recipe ideas, then be sure to check out last month's Pinterest roundup!).

*****

Easy Pumpkin Pie Bites: Pinned over 327 THOUSAND times!

You know what I find interesting (and frustrating) about Pinterest? The fact that a recipe can be pinned hundreds of thousands of times, yet there are no comments on the pin itself, and the blog post sharing said recipe has minimal to no comments on it as well. I for one, like to see what people have to say about a recipe: what worked for them,what substitutes did they make, did they love it...etc. This is why trying recipes on Pinterest are so hit and miss!

Thoughts: Anyway, thankfully, despite the lack of comments on this one, it was a winner. I made these for Thanksgiving dinner, and while my two younger nephews aren't a fan of pumpkin based desserts, it just meant the adults got to indulge in more! I made them the night before and didn't put the whipped cream on them until we were ready to eat them. I would recommend eating them within a day or two of making since the pastry does start to dry out, but they were still delicious!

Verdict: I loved the two-bite, cuteness factor. Although, I'm pretty sure I ate WAY more of these little bites than I would have of regular pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving dinner calories don't count, right?

*****

Healthy One Bowl Pumpkin Banana Muffins: Pinned 715 times

Thoughts:  I wanted something my husband could throw in his lunch for a snack, and something I could grab on my way out the door. These were both delicious and filling. The pumpkin flavour is not strong in them at all - I would probably use pumpkin pie spice next time to amp it up, but otherwise, these would be a great year round muffin to make!

Verdict: These were a big hit with both myself and my husband. Even my toddler, who is funny about muffins, would eat about half of one before declaring "I'm done!". I think the chocolate chips helped.

*****

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: Pinned over 103k times

Thoughts: The texture and chewiness was so different than your average cookie, but my husband and I loved that about them!  I'd probably try and cut down the sugar next time I make them, but they were still really yummy. The dough is definitely a bit odd to work with, and make sure you listen and chill your dough for the recommended amount of time! I ended up pressing my chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies before baking as it just seemed easier this way than trying to mix them into the sticky dough. (These got eaten up before I thought to take a photo!)

Verdict: I really, really loved these cookies. And my toddler ate them too, so that's always a win! They reminded me of a nice, chewy molasses cookie, but with a slight pumpkin flavour.

*****

Pumpkin Pie Spice Chex Mix: Pinned 30 times

Thoughts: Okay, this one is a little self-promotion here because this is a recipe I posted the other week, but seriously, if you missed it, you need to make this one! It's the perfect holiday snack, whether it's for Friday movie night or a party. It's easy, delicious and a great way to have your pumpkin pie spice without using any actual pumpkin.

Verdict: Obviously, make it!!



Over to you:

Pumpkin desserts: love 'em or hate 'em?

Favourite pumpkin snack/dessert? Share your recipe in the comments! 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Chex Mix

The holidays are upon us, and chances are good that you will attend at least one dinner or party in which you are asked to bring a snack. Or maybe not, but if you're like me, you hate to show up empty handed. While a bottle of wine is always a nice gesture to bring your host, sometimes it's more pleasing to think outside the box and bring something homemade. Or maybe you you just need a really tasty snack in your home that you don't plan on sharing at all. Hey, I'm not judging!

Whatever the case, I've got you covered! I've made this Chex mix recipe several times now, and it's been a big hit with both my own family and the guests receiving it. I'm warning you now, it's hard to stop at just a handful. 

The ingredients are simple, and this is the perfect way to infuse some pumpkin spice into your snacks without baking. Whipping up a batch takes no time at all, and I promise you this is a recipe you'll keep coming back to. Throw it in a mason jar, add a ribbon, and you have yourself the perfect hostess gift!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Chex Mix

(adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers)

Makes approximately 8 cups of Chex Mix

6 cups Rice Chex cereal

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped dried apple slices

1/2 cup dried cranberries

6 small-medium sized chopped oatmeal cookies

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.

2. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine Chex cereal and chopped pecans.

3. In a microwaveable dish, microwave the butter until melted (approx 30-40 seconds). Then add vanilla extract.

4. Pour butter mixture over the Chex cereal and pecans, then add the brown sugar and spice mixture from step 1. Stir until well coated. 

5. Place Chex mix in microwave and microwave on high for one minute increments, stirring after each minute. Repeat approximately 3 - 4 times, until mixture begins to brown. 

6. Stir in chopped dried apples, cranberries, and chopped oatmeal cookies. Allow mixture to cool before storing in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!

Meal Planning: Camping Edition

Thanks to SPUD for providing a shopping credit in exchange for this post. And thank you for continuing to support the company's that make this hobby of mine possible! As always, all opinions and reviews expressed are my own. At the bottom of the post is a promo code for 

A Slice of Brie readers!

This past weekend, we took Sully on his very first camping trip. We packed up our car, headed south a few hours and pitched our tent for two nights. We hadn't been camping in a few years and bringing a toddler along with you is a complete game changer. On our camping trips of the past, we pretty much just winged it when it came to food. Surviving on hot dogs, s'mores and beer is all fine when you're young and don't really care about how you feel when you wake up in the morning. Going into this camping trip though, I knew we needed a plan when it came to what food to pack.

I'm a big fan of meal planning, so it made sense that I would plan out 3 days of camping meals, including snacks. In doing so, I wanted to avoid 3 things: packing too much food, not packing enough food and making a bunch of last minute grocery store runs. As a mom and a pregnant mom at that, it was important to me that I had healthy meals and snacks to balance out the chips and s'mores! I also didn't want to feel sluggish during the day or have any reason for my sensitive stomach to get upset.

Enter SPUD! Utilizing their home delivery for fresh produce and groceries, I placed an order with them to have my Spud Box delivered two days before we left (delivery is free two days of the week in most areas!). I chose an arrangement of sausages, fresh fruit, yogurt, organic oats, soup, hummus, and organic cheese. Combined with ingredients already found in my pantry and fridge, the only thing we had to stop for on the way out of town was a small pint of milk.

I made sure to keep our meals and snacks easy, tasty and appealing to both my husband and my toddler. I'm not saying camping shouldn't be fun and you shouldn't splurge on some junk, but a little bit of balance never hurt anyone! We still enjoyed our fair share of s'mores, beer (for the husband) and chips (my guilty pleasure!).

Here are the meals I planned out for the 3 days:

BREAKFAST

Organic Rolled Oats cooked over the camp stove with Sultana Raisins, Cinnamon and Fresh Berries.
Pork Euro Frankie's
Toast with Homemade Apple Butter or PB (or both!)
Organic Kiju Apple Juice Boxes

SNACKS

Greek Yogurt with Fresh Berries
Sip Yogurt Drink from Bles-World
Cucumbers and Cherry Tomatoes with Hummus
Fresh Fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, plums, apples and pears)

LUNCH

Tuscan Tomato Soup from Happy Planet with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Avocado on Toast
Beans with leftover Rosemary Garlic Sausages

{hands down my favourite meal of the bunch - this soup is delicious and organic cheddar cheese is a game changer!}

DINNER

Wagyu Burgers (no buns) with avocado and cucumber slices on the side
Rosemary Garlic Sausages with buns
Corn on the Cob

BONUS SNACKS

Chips
S'mores


Written out, it feels like a lot of food, but it fed us perfectly for our trip, which was technically, two breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners, plus snacks. The key is figuring out how much of everything to bring because it's not like when you are at home and you can easily store left overs in your fridge. This is where knowing your family and their appetites comes in handy. (I'm still trying to figure this out about my toddler though!). Luckily, fruits and vegetables do well in a cooler and while I may have brought more than we got through, I didn't have to throw anything out before heading home.

I don't think we will venturing out on any more camping trips this year (stay tuned for a full recap post of this trip next week), but I'm already looking forward to next year and meal planning for those! It was fun to pre-plan out our meals and let me tell you, the stress of arriving at our campsite and not having to figure out what to eat despite a cooler full of food, was so nice!

And good news for you! If you want to try out SPUD and experience having fresh, organic and local produce and groceries delivered right to your door, you can use my referral code to receive $20 off your first SPUD Box! Code: CRCAL-FRABRH


Do you meal-plan for camping or just "wing it"?

What's your favourite camping meal?

Have you ever used a grocery delivery service before?

Cooking Made Easy with Chef's Plate!

This post was sponsored by Chef's Plate. Thank you for your support for the company's that make this hobby of mine possible. As always, all opinions and reviews expressed are my own. At the bottom of the post is a promo code for A Slice of Brie readers!

The other week, I finally got to try out Canada's new meal-delivery service, Chef's Plate. When I first caught wind that such a service was available in Canada, I knew immediately it was something I wanted to try. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients, delivered right to your door ready for you to cook up? Sign me up!

Chef's Plate utilizes the freshest ingredients while sourcing and building relationships with local farmers in order to provide high quality and truly special meals. Because the exact amount of ingredients are sent to you to prepare your meal, waste is eliminated, and all ingredients are arrive fresher than you would find at the grocery store, and all meats are hormone and antibiotic free. A true foodie's dream all wrapped up in a refrigerated box that is sent right to your front door!

Every week, a new menu is available to choose from on the Chef's Plate website, and you can choose from the 2-person plan, or the family plan. Each meal option gives you a description of the recipe, the ingredients you will be sent, as well as the difficulty level and the amount of time the recipe should take you to cook. 

I decided to choose meals that utilized ingredients that I don't normally cook with. I love to cook, and I especially love trying new recipes, but sometimes buying a whole bunch of ingredients just to try something new is costly, wasteful and overwhelming. Chef's Plate solves that dilemma for you since you are only sent exactly what you need. The only things you are already required to have on hand are cooking oils and salt and pepper. So with that in mind, I chose the Glazed Turkey Tenderloin with black and white quinoa, baby greens, and pomegranate molasses. For our second meal, I went with the Singapore Shrimp toasted in a sesame curry sauce with bell pepper and rice noodles.

Once I placed my order, I was given a delivery date, and while the delivery time is quite open, you are able to attach specific instructions as needed. I made note that my box could be left on my front porch if I was not home to receive it, and it was. Since the box is refrigerated, it is safe for it to sit out for several hours. The other great thing about the box is all the packaging is completely recyclable, making for a truly waste free experience. 

The first night, I made the Glazed Turkey Tenderloin. I have never cooked turkey tenderloin before, but after that meal, I can tell you it won't be my last. This meal was so delicious that I still think about if from time to time. No leftovers were to be found and even my toddler enjoyed some of it (although I really didn't want to have to share!). 

On our second night, I cooked up the Singapore Shrimp. I've never cooked glass noodles before, and I don't think I would have ever had the courage to do so before this. This meal also turned out great and was a big hit with all of us! Even though it was a meal for two, it fed all three of us and we even had leftovers for the next day. This recipe was a lot of fun because it was something different than I normally cook and felt like a meal we would usually only ever order out. 

Even though I cook frequently and try new recipes all the time, I still really appreciate step-by-step instructions. Along with your ingredients, you are also sent a photo of the meal you will be making which includes the ingredients, number of servings, difficulty level, prep time and nutritional break-down. On the back of the card there are step by step instructions including pictures. I loved this! I am such a visual person when it comes to cooking and this just made the whole process stress-free. The recipes even had a "chef's tip" at the bottom which I found very helpful too. And the neat part is, I can now replicate these recipes at home any time I wish since I have the instructions.

Overall, I was so impressed with Chef's Plate. It was incredibly easy to order my meals, I was more than satisfied with the quality and freshness of the ingredients, and my meals actually turned out just like they look on the cards. I think it's so fantastic that a service like this is finally available in Canada. The average cost per person per meal is around $10-12 dollars, which, when you think about the cost of eating out, is very reasonable. I know I cannot take my family out to a restaurant for dinner for less than $30, and so often I leave disappointed. If you already love to cook, or if you are someone who wants to cook more often and aren't as brave in the kitchen, then this is a great option for you! I love that the guess work was taken out of it for me: how tiring is the old question "what should we have for dinner tonight"?! I think this is a fun way to make meal planning a little more exciting and easier. Or a great idea for a stay-in date night. Or even a thoughtful gift for someone! Really, I can't see anyone not enjoying this service.

Have I convinced you to want to try this yet?! Honestly, this will not be the last time I order from Chef's Plate. Luckily for you, if you too want to try them out, you can use code #ASLICEOFBRIE to receive 3 free plate credits (that's a savings of $33!) . I promise, you won't be disappointed!

{my sous chef!}

Have you ever used a meal delivery service?

WIAW: American Edition

I've never done a WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) post before, and I can't say I'll be doing them too often, because let's be honest here - most of my food consumed during the day consists of last minute handfuls grabbed from the fridge and the leftover food that my toddler deemed too gross to continue eating mid chew, so I'll spare you those posts. It's true, my life is so glamorous (in case there was every any doubt!).

Anyway, if you've learned anything about me while I was in Florida for two weeks, it's that I love, love, love American grocery stores, especially Trader Joe's, and there are some really neat and tasty foods and flavours that we just aren't lucky enough to get up here in Canada. Life is so unfair.

So in efforts to torture myself with some of the amazingly delicious food I ate while in the States, and to make my Canadian friends jealous, I thought I'd share a typical day of eats while I was in Florida, despite my mother-in-law thinking I was absolutely insane for taking photos of all my food during the day. Sometimes the life of a blogger can't be explained.

Breakfast

Mashed avocado on toast with lemon juice and black pepper, four slices of turkey bacon, some Gouda cheese, and a big mug of coffee!

Snack

Half a Honeycrisp apple (my number one favourite variety of apple, but so expensive in Canada, so I only justified splurging on them when I was pregnant) and more Gouda cheese (so inexpensive in America, why???).

More Snacking

Handful (or two or three) of these mini Kit Kat bites. Kept in the freezer for extra crunchiness!

Lunch

Only the best salad ever from Trader Joe's. I get one every time I make it to their store. I should probably try to recreate it at home one of these days.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

I first tried these crackers when I was in New York with my best friend back in May and knew they'd be a hit with everyone in Florida. Even my blue cheese hating husband ate them without a word! Dipped in this tangy hummus, this box didn't last long.

Supper

We picked up a few frozen pizzas to have on hand for quick suppers when no one felt like cooking after a day at the pool, or an early evening on the beach. This one from Trader Joe's was particularly delicious.

Dessert

Oh Chobani. Why do you have to be so darn delicious but only available in America? Do you know how hard it is to go back to eating regular old yogurt after feasting on Chobani's millions of amazing flavours?! So hard. This trip, I noticed new (to me?) flavours of Chobani, and I actually had to ration myself to one a day. These little flip containers (of which I think I tried every available flavour) were not only fun, but each one was delicious! On this day I ate the Salted Caramel Crunch, but Key Lime Pie was a close second in favourites.

Dessert #2

A handful, (a large handful), of these wonderful things.

Not pictured - the usual glass or two of sparkling wine or beer I had in the evenings. For some reason, I didn't take pictures of any of the cool beers or wine we drank, but for fun, check out this photo I took at the grocery store one day. Mini four-packs of wine! So cute! And a brilliant idea as I often hate opening a bottle of wine if I know I'm not going to get through it before it starts to go bad. I know there's an easy to solution to this problem, but sometimes one glass is all this momma needs. Let's not even talk about the prices.

Favourite flavour of yogurt? 

Favourite apple variety? 

Tell me the best thing you ate lately!

Explore Waterton: The Food

This is my final post in all things Waterton! You can read my previous posts on our blogger retreat here, here, here and here. Our weekend in Waterton was such an amazing experience and I really wanted to spread out the posts so that I could properly capture and document how we spent our weekend. The one thing I didn't talk about yet is the food. Now, you don't go to Waterton for the food, but there were definitely some highlights (and lowlights) to what and where we ate.

The town of Waterton is literally two streets. Everything is in walking distance and there are quite a few establishments to eat at. If you like to eat what you know, then there is a Subway and a Starbucks for you. Besides sit-down restaurants, there are also a few take-out places (which have a few bar stools to perch at with your food, or there are picnic tables outside) and then of course there is an ice-cream store and a candy and pie place.


Vimy's Lounge and Grill

Vimy's Lounge and Grill is located in the main building of the hotel we stayed at, The Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort. Upon arrival, a few of us had an early dinner there while we waited for the rest of the group to show up. I found the menu a little underwhelming and the prices were quite steep. I ended up ordering the chicken burger on a brioche bun with a side of fries. I devoured it because I was starving and while it tasted good, there was nothing about it that stands out for me. Good to know though that this is the only restaurant in Waterton that is open all year round.


Pearl's Cafe

We ate breakfast at Pearl's Cafe before our Shoreline Cruise. Nothing really jumped out at me off the menu and I had a hard time stomaching the prices for their breakfast items (there was nothing under eleven dollars). Not in the mood for a hearty breakfast, I opted for a plain bagel with plain cream cheese (not on the menu) and a coffee.  That bagel was the best bagel I have ever eaten. It was so warm and fluffy that I'm pretty sure they must bake them in house. The coffee was weak, but a free refill to take on the road with you was a nice perk!


Wieners of Waterton

This place was a group favourite and a few of us frequented it more than once. Wieners of Waterton is a gourmet hot dog place and their buns are baked fresh in house every morning and their hot dogs are grilled on order. You get to choose between some awesome toppings for your dogs and if you order fries (which you should!) they have some really unique dips for them. My only regret of the entire trip was that I didn't try their deep-fried pickles! On Sunday before I hit the road though, I popped back in and grabbed two of their homemade cinnamon buns to take home with me and a coffee for the road. The cinnamon buns got eaten before I could snap a photo and they were delicious and sticky and oh so flavourful.


Lakeside Chophouse

Our group ate at the Lakeside Chophouse, which is part of the Bayshore Inn, for dinner on Saturday night (there's also a lounge attached - The Fireside Lounge). The entire back wall is windows which gives diners a view of Waterton Lake while enjoying their meal. The prices are comparable to a steakhouse or other more premier restaurant. I ordered the Grilled Mexican Steak Tortillas, which are actually on the starter menu and I inhaled them before I could remember to take a photo. It's fair to note I was starving post Bertha Lake Hike, but they were also really, really delicious! I did remember to take a photo of my margarita which was both yummy and strong.


Trappers Mountain Grill

Our second and last breakfast happened at Trappers Mountain Grill, where I splurged and ordered the two egg and sausage with hash browns meal. This is generally my go-to breakfast when dining out and I'm so glad I went with my normal order. The sausages were delicious (I think they were bison?), the potatoes were cooked perfectly, but the real winner was the homemade Saskatoon berry jam that came in a little dish on the plate. I would return just for that jam. Prices were a little steep, but you start to expect that in a little tourist town.


Welch's Chocolate Shop & The Big Scoop Ice Cream Parlour

If you're looking for somewhere to satisfy your sweet tooth, Waterton has got you covered! Welch's Chocolate Shop is a candy store in the front and a pie and sweets store in the back. Before I headed home, I stopped in a grabbed two pieces of pie to take home with me. Buying a whole pie is much more value for your buck, but I knew my waistline didn't need it. And it's a good thing I demonstrated self-control, because the same cannot be said for when I got home - those two pieces of pie were devoured by Jim and I!

The Big Scoop Ice Cream Parlour was a necessary stop after dinner both nights for the kiddos with us. The scoop servings are very generous and while the ice cream is just Nestle's, there are lots of flavours to pick from and the waffle cones are handmade. You can also purchase homemade fudge there if your sweet tooth is really screaming! After grabbing a cone (and/or some fudge, you can cross the street and walk along the shore of Waterton Lake which is exactly what we did both nights.

*****

So there you have it! There's lots of options for grabbing something to eat while you visit Waterton, but remember, you didn't go to Waterton for the food (except for maybe Wieners!). Eating all your meals out will definitely get pricey and there's no grocery store, save for a small convenience store with some basic necessities. It's probably a good idea to pack some of your own food, especially if you have a fridge and a microwave in your hotel room (ours did!). Some of the suites at the Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort even come with a full kitchenette, so it's possible to make all your meals while there if you arrive prepared! And in case you're wondering…there's also a liquor store in town!

**The #ABBloggersRetreat was funded and sponsored by Chinook Country Tourism in partnership with the town of Waterton and Travel Alberta in exchange for posts sharing our stories. Accommodations, food, and actives were provided to the bloggers. A huge thank-you to Kris and Candace for organizing the trip! All opinions and writing are my own.

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