Fall Favorites!

What's not to love about fall? The leaves change colors, we get to bust out our favorite cozy sweaters, and there is a crispness to the air that is positively intoxicating. As it is my favorite season, I have decided to share some of my favorites with you, be it clothing, drinks, foods,  places to go, and things to do! Let me know what you love about fall in the comments! 

1. The J.Crew Downtown Field Jacket; this thing is so versatile! And amazingly it's pretty warm. The moment it's chilly enough to wear this, I know fall has begun! You can find it in store and online, though it is a bit pricey at $148, the quality is unbeatable. 

2. Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix; I don't have enough words to describe how good this stuff is. Seriously my family and I discovered it last year and are absolutely addicted. With a little whipped cream and cinnamon, they are the perfect Sunday morning breakfast! 

3. Harbes Farm; Located on the east end of Long Island, Harbes Family Farms are the epitome of Fall. They have the best apple cider donuts, a massive corn maze, a beautiful farm stand with fresh vegetables, and of course pumpkins as far as the eye can see. It has become a family tradition to spend the day out east taking tons of pictures and eating roasted corn until we explode.

4. Sperry Duck Boots; while we all know about the classic L.L. Bean Duck Boots, did y'all know Sperry makes almost the exact same shoe?? And it's cheaper?? Hello! Get with it folks! Sperry has adorable color options and the fleece lining keeps your toes toasty! 

5. Cozy Crewnecks; I have a crewneck from college that has been through the wash more times than I could possibly count, leaving it soft as hell. It is my favorite thing to throw on with leggings and converse when I'm heading out to do some shopping! 

6. Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha Latte; I will drink this hot or cold, in fact I would inject it if I could. The PSL is garbage and we all know it. SCM is WHERE IT'S AT. 

7. American Eagle Flannels; They are truly the softest thing in the world. If you hold out for Black Friday, they usually have them for only $20 each, which is more than half off. They are well worth the wait and can be dressed up or down! Pair with boyfriend jeans for an effortless look, or wear with a leather mini skirt and tights to spice things up! 

8. J.Crew Camp Socks; these are so cozy!! (Can you sense how much I love cozy things?) And they look great peaking out of duck boots or a good old pair of combat boots. J.Crew always has a ton of colors and patterns. At $16 a pair, they will honestly last forever. 

9. Mums; Mums mean fall, they are vibrant and hearty, I buy as many pots as I can and decorate indoors and outdoors. Plus they make a great background for instas! 

10. Apple Crisp; I don't know how to explain to you why you should be eating apple crisp 24/7. It is perfect. Warm it up and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top- HEAVEN. And truly what is Thanksgiving without Apple Crisp? 

Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

In my quest to be basic on a budget, I felt it imperative that I find a way to make my own smoothie bowls. 
I spent a good part of my day yesterday watching Youtube tutorials, trying to figure out how to get the perfect consistency. Now, you might like yours a bit thinner than I do, but I went for a thick and creamy banana smoothie bowl with some fun goodies on top.

You will need:
1/2 Cup Almond Milk (or any milk you prefer, really doesn't make a difference!)
1 Oikos Banana Cream Greek Yogurt
1 Frozen Banana
1 Scoop of Vanilla Vega Protein Powder
1/4 Cup of Crushed Ice 

Toppings:
This is up to you! Fresh fruit, Coconut Flakes, Seeds, Nuts, Granola, Chocolate Chips, go crazy! 
I topped my bowl with Kind Banana Nut Clusters, Chia Seeds, and Strawberries


Now that you have all the ingredients together, all you have to do is throw it in a blender! Yea... it's that easy! I have a Magic Bullet (Thanks to my awesome brother) and I think it works perfectly for something like this, because it's so easy to measure out how much you're making! 
If, while you're blending, you find that it is too thick, feel free to add a splash more milk and continue to blend until you get the consistency you want!  

Now decorate it, pour yourself a delicious cup of coffee, and take a cute pic for Instagram! Tag me @MessyAndThriving and let me know how you made it your own! Get creative! 
   

Healthy Dinner Idea!

Just yesterday my mom announced we would be having turkey tenderloin for dinner- a favorite in my house- and I knew there had to be some way to use the left overs! Well here it is! And so simple to make! Ugh I love food that loves your body back. 

Step One: Quinoa
       -Prepare one cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, covered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water

Step Two: Brussels Sprouts 
       -Measure out a cup or so of whole, frozen brussels sprouts and add them to a small pan with olive oil, a pinch of salt & pepper, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Toss in pan until fully thawed and cooked. Should be crisp around edges. Optional: Slice sprouts in half and let cook face down in pan for a crispier taste 

Step Three: Potatoes
       -I had these left in my fridge from the previous evening, but all I did was cut small yellow potatoes in half and place them on a baking sheet. They were drizzled with olive oil and a little bit of sea salt before they went into the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Once they are done cooking, sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese while the potatoes are still hot, it gets a little crispy and tastes delicious. 

Step Four: Dressing
       -This was so easy, and I made it up in the moment. All it is is, 2 tablespoons of fat free mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, and a splash of Franks Hot Sauce. I stirred it until I got the consistency I wanted. If you would like your dressing a little thinner add a bit more warm water and stir. 

Step 5: Turkey Tenderloin
       -I try to stick with white meat and this is one of my favorites. It is a Shadybrook Farms Turkey Breast Tenderloin. We've been able to find it at Stop & Shop and Target. I rinsed off some of the marinade they put it in, to cut down on salt, then wrap it in tinfoil and place it on a baking sheet. It cooks in the oven for approximately 30 minutes at 400 degrees which is perfect because you can cook the potatoes and turkey at the same time! Once done I sliced it and served. For this meal, I diced some of the left over slices and warmed them in the microwave before adding them

Step 6: Greens
       -Go ahead and throw in whatever greens you want. I only added romaine to the bowl because it's what we had in the house, but I bet it would be great with spinach, or a spring mix! 

Now that all your ingredients are prepped, go ahead and assemble your bowl! Be sure to get creative, change up ingredients and make it the best fit for you. Send me pictures on instagram if you try it out! 

Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes

Hey Y'all! 
When we get close to the holidays, I absolutely love to bake. Something about warm cookies in the cold weather puts an instant smile on my face! I have celiac disease, so these recipes are modified to fit a gluten free diet, but feel free to use regular flour if necessary! 
I hope you enjoy! 

Snowball Cookies

Ingredients:

              1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, lightly softened

              5 tablespoons granulated sugar

              2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

              1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

              2 cups all-purpose Red Mill Gluten-Free flour

              2 cups finely chopped walnuts (Optional)

              1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar for dusting 

Prep:

1. Cream together butter and sugar, beat in the vanilla and salt

2, Gradually add gluten free flour; beating after each addition

3. Stir in the nuts; mix until fully incorporated (optional)

4. Divide dough in half and refrigerate in plastic wrap for approximately 45 minutes

5. Arrange oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl; set aside

6, Measure dough using a small, 1-inch spring-loaded scoop making sure each scoopful is level

7. Roll dough between palms of hands to achieve a small rounded ball

8. Place dough balls 1½ inches apart on prepared baking sheets

9. Bake in preheated oven until the cookies are just beginning to brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. The underside of the cookies should be only lightly browned

10. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks for approximately 2 minutes

11. While cookies are still warm, gently roll them in the confectioners’ sugar. Place the sugar-coated cookies on wire racks to cool completely. 

12. Roll cookies once again in the confectioners’ sugar.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Ingredients:

                1/2 cup Butter

                1/2 cup Peanut Butter

                1/2 cup Sugar

                1/2 cup Brown Sugar

                1 tsp Vanilla

                1 Egg

                1 1/3 cup Gluten-Free Flour

                1 tsp Baking Soda

                1/2 tsp Salt

                24 Hershey Kisses (unwrapped)

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

3. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

4. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating until incorporated.

6. Roll into 1″ balls and place on cookie sheet several inches apart.

7. Gently make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

8. Bake 12-14 minutes.

9. Place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie.

Monster Cookies

Ingredients: 

                 1/2 cup softened butter, margarine or coconut oil

                 1 cup packed brown sugar

                 1 cup sugar

                 1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I prefer using creamy, but you can use crunchy)

                 3 eggs

                 2 tsp. baking soda

                 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

                 4 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats or instant oats

                 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

                 1 cup plain M&M's

Prep: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, cream together butter, sugars, peanut butter and eggs until light.

3. Add baking soda, vanilla extract, and gluten-free oats and mix on low speed until well mixed.

4. Stir in chocolate chips and plain M&M's.

5. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop rounded balls of dough and place on lined cookie sheets, leaving space between them for them to spread. I only do 12 per cookie sheet, less if using a smaller sized sheet.

6. Bake at 350° for 10-15 or until they don't look gooey in the center. These are better slightly under-cooked than overcooked.

7. Remove from oven and leave on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before moving cookies to wire racks to cool.