Fall Recap & Playlist

(Pretty pumpkins galore at the Central Market & Whole Foods in Austin last month.)

I can’t believe that tomorrow is already December 1st! So crazy how fast fall came & went, isn’t it? While I’m so ready to start decking the halls and enjoy my favorite holiday, I must admit I’m a little sad to see fall go. So I thought before I officially go Christmas crazy I would recap some of the lovely & fun moments of the season.

And in true me fashion… below is a very late, totally last minute fall playlist lol. I couldn’t help myself… so just indulge me, okay? ;) These songs were my fall in music form.

In October my family and I took a trip to Le Cordon Bleu in Austin (where God willing, I will be attending in the very near future). They were having a fall cooking demo & open house. We got to watch the chefs make food, hear them talk about cooking & the school, ask questions, and sample the food! Then afterwards take a tour of the school. This was so fun for a foodie like me!

The first chef made breaded & fried goat cheese with fig preserves… which I ate every bite of before I even thought about taking a picture lol. But trust me, it was delish! The next chef made the soup pictured above. I honestly do not remember the name of it lol, but it had butternut squash in it and cilantro… it was really good! The food was great and everybody there, the chefs included, were so friendly. I loved just walking around & looking at the awesome Halloween cakes the students made! I kinda love this place!

Also from our trip to Austin: a guy outside the Central Market carving these crazy awesome pumpkins (very impressive). Pretty & yummy pumpkin spice cupcake from the Central Market. Dinner at Magnolia Café (really liked this place, will do a review soon). And owl cookies from Whole Foods (how cute are they?!).

Lots of fall baking (pumpkin rolls, pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes), fall crafts (wreath, glitter pumpkins, & painted pumpkins), way too many pumpkin spice lattes, and our Halloween spread (chicken salad sandwiches, dip, my dad’s traditional green punch, popcorn balls, cupcakes, and turtle apples).

My sister just got to come visit all the way from GA! We were over the moon happy she got to come, we miss that girl like cray! She stayed for 6  days, which went by way too fast, but somehow we managed to fit in just about all the things we had planned. We celebrated my birthday with lunch at The Cheesecake Factory (tamale corn cakes… amazing!) and cupcakes & macarons at The Sweet Boutique (my favorite bakery) in Sugarland.  We watched tons of Gilmore Girls, did some crafting, baking, cooking, shopping, and smashbooking.

The Christmas bulbs my sister, my mom, and I painted and decorated! Such masterpieces, aren’t they? lol They were a lot of fun to make… mostly cause we made them together.

So yes, ladies and gentleman, they laughed, they scoffed, they said it couldn’t be done… but we did it! We made tamales!! My family (namely my sister & dad) have been talking about making tamales for at least a couple years now, but everyone we would talk to would try to talk us out of it. Telling us how hard & awful the whole process was. My grandma & aunts used to make them all the time on New Years Eve when we were growing up. It was a family tradition. Now that my grandma is gone we usually just order them. But using an amazing recipe from my aunt, we decided to give it a shot while my sister was here.

It was a family affair. My sister and I were spreading the masa on the corn shucks while our parents filled them with the meat and rolled them up. We were nervous about the outcome but they could not have turned out better! They were so flavorful and delish! And... easy! I honestly don’t understand what all the fuss is about. They were a little time consuming but one of the simplest things I’ve ever made. Will definitely be making them this New Years Eve instead of ordering them!

My sister and I may be half breeds but we felt like true Mexican's that day (or Latinas :D)... but then we made Creme Bruelee for dessert (yep, now that's our white side coming out ;)).

Family photos! Some of my sister and I, a family photo outside the mall in Sugarland, my sister, my mom, and I in our front yard, and one of my favorite photos of us with our cousin Pam and her adorable son, Elijah! 

And last but not least, our Thanksgiving spread! My mom and I cooked the feast… we were so tired, but it all turned out amazing… so I guess it was worth it.

Turkey, my grandma’s recipe for dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rice & broccoli, and homemade cranberry sauce! And my dad made his traditional dessert… it’s his creation he’s been making since I was a kid. There’s no name for it but it has strawberries, Chips Ahoy Cookie crumbs, cream cheese, whipped cream, and marshmallow cream. It’s no bake and really good!

This fall season was not without its stresses and anxieties but there were also so many good moments that made up for it. All in all, it was a time of making a lot of happy and fun memories. Hope you all had a really lovely fall season as well! Now may the Christmasing commence! :D