Creamy Basil Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

I have been on the lookout for polenta based recipes and having been pinning and saving them left and right.  This one touted its ease and deliciousness and I thought I would give it a try on this perfect fall day in Chicago.  The roasted garlic and tomatoes have filled my house with amazing smells in addition to the combination of polenta, parmesan cheese and basil simmering on the stove top.  Today marks the first day of “going dark” with my nail polish for the season…bring on the dark reds, greys, deep purples and blacks!  Gotta love fall!

Roasted & Stuffed Acorn Squash

Columbus Day = no work!!  With this great gift of a three day weekend after coming off a month of travel,  I am putting it to great use…cooking, exercising, cleaning, prepping for fall, and yes, catching up on all the fall shows I keep missing during the week (gotta love Scandal and Quantico!).  After a 6 mile walk through Chicago and along the waterfront this morning, I decided to keep up the clean and healthy eating by making this acorn squash recipe I stumbled upon.  I loved that it was a full meal, vs just eating the squash as a side dish.  It is very filling and scrumptious!

Lemony Kale & White Bean Soup

Ten states, one month = exhausted!  After a whirlwind month of traveling for both work and pleasure, I am worn out, home sick, and wanting to get back into my normal eating routine.  Traveling can definitely expose you to amazing food, but after a month straight it takes a toll.  One of the few days I was in Chicago, I picked up some soup at Hannah’s Bretzel and was inspired to make it.  I stumbled onto this recipe on a blog that I have made many dishes from.  It is amazing how cathartic a perfect fall day in Chicago can be…picking up mums, pumpkins and squash to get in the fall spirit and doing some good old home cooking.  This soup has a scrumptious blend of flavors that are perfect for a fall day.

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake

62 degrees and sunny…Chicagoans have their fingers and toes crossed that spring is here to stay!  After a long walk this morning (who am I kidding…probably another one this afternoon because it's so nice) I got an itch to make something I have been waiting for warmer weather to make…for some reason blueberries aren’t very ‘wintery’ to me. This is super easy to whip up…a GREAT idea for an Easter brunch or baby/bridal shower! 

Pumpkin Donut Muffins

Two years, sixty three recipes, ~12,000 page views from 10 different countries and 46 of the 50 states…not too shabby!  I hope you all are enjoying the recipes as much as I am.  This blog is something I look forward to writing (and eating) the recipes that inspire me.  Feel free to send me ideas or family recipes…I am always looking for something new. 

With this marking my two year anniversary (well two years and six days), I thought I would come full circle and post another fall/Halloween inspired dish…pumpkin donut muffins.  Seeing that I work in marketing research I read a lot about consumer trends, specifically related to food. I came across an article that said pumpkin spiced/flavored foods have increased 234% since 2008…a huge increase!  Here is one more to add to the list…enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 I have been on a wild rice kick lately (this is just one of the few recipes I have cooked) and having a great fall!  My house is feeling more and more like a home, especially with the new additions of fall mums, Halloween décor and birch wood logs.  My mom came up and visited a few weekends ago and we had a blast visiting an apple farm.  I keep trying to make apple recipes, but I really don’t like hot cooked apples, so instead of posting recipes I don't like, I decided to post this one - much better!

Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa, Corn, and Green Chiles

65 degrees, sunny, and an early morning trip to the farmers market…a perfect fall day in my book!  One of the best parts of living in Old Town is the huge open air farmers market a block away.  With 20 bucks in my wallet and my reusable grocery bag I headed out this morning with a coffee in hand to pick up the ingredients I needed.  I was so excited to get everything on my list for this dish (excluding the quinoa and dried spices I had at home).  Since it was from Cooking Light I knew this was going to be a great dish – healthy and flavorful (farmers market veggies are the best!).  Even though this is a great veggie dish, I also think you could add in some turkey sausage into the mixture if you wanted a little meat in there.  It does take a little while to prepare everything, so it probably isn’t the best weeknight meal if you are looking for something fast.  It is well worth the prep time though! Enjoy!