*hey there, it's christa*

Pumpkin-y Goodness in Your Homemade Granola...

There's nothing better than when two of your favorite foods come together and make something even tastier. Case in point: this homemade pumpkin granola.

In what won't be a surprise to anyone who knows me well, I'm a pretty ardent pumpkin enthusiast. Whether it's in a pie, scone, latte, ravoli, whatever, I'm a happy girl. So naturally, when I found out that pumpkin puree is really delicious in a granola recipe, well, I had to make some.

For the record, the whole house smelled, well, heavenly.

Granola is ridiculously easy to make—and a whole lot healthier and cheaper when you whip it up at home. So with no further adieu, here's what I used for my pumpkin granola.

The great thing about granola, too, is that you can easily customize it to your preferences. But this is what I used for mine...and I wouldn't change a thing.

PUMPKIN-Y GRANOLA GOODNESS  (lasts two weeks in an air-tight container)

3 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. maple syrup (grade A or B)

1 T vanilla

1/2 stick unsalted butter (melted)

1/2 c. pumpkin puree (not the pumpkin pie filling)

1 T cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

zest of one lemon

pinch of salt

1/2 c. macadamia nuts

1/2 c. walnuts

1/2 c. pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. yellow raisins

Mix all of the ingredients together until the oats are well coated. Make sure you leave some of the clumps intact, as they are often the yummiest of granola pieces. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, give the granola a good toss with a spoon or spatula to ensure even browning. After the granola is toasted, light brown and delicious, stir in the dried cranberries and yellow raisins. After that step, I sprinkle a pinch more salt over the top while the granola is still warm to balance out the sweetness and bring all those delectable Fall flavors out.

Serve over ice cream (or Greek yogurt if you're being healthy), with milk for your morning cereal (that's how Will likes it) or eat it straight from the container like I do...whatever sounds best.

Rainy Days and Mondays? Sign Me Up...

Today I woke up to the most glorious of sights—delightfully overcast, rainy goodness in DFW. And on a holiday Monday, no less...

Lest you think I'm being sarcastic about rainy days and Mondays not getting me down, let me assure you, I was, indeed, very happy. See, we don't get too many of these sorts of days in the  oh-so-sunshine-y Metroplex, so when the rain does arrive, well, you want to take advantage of it. And make soup (or chili, in my case, the first big batch of the season).

Really, the only downside of this wet and cloudy Monday is that it's still pretty darn balmy and humid. But 75+ degrees or not, I decided to dress for the weather I wanted.

To cover up what's sure-to-be huge, Steel Magnolias hair, I'm sporting a green knit winter cap. Meanwhile, jeans, a black hoodie and furry boots officially complete the look, which for the record, was basically my uniform when I lived in St. Paul for four years. In Texas, however? Not so much.

Rainy days are also pretty great for writing, so that's what I'll probably spend the bulk of the day doing since my novel isn't going to write itself (incidentally, that doesn't mean I haven't imagined it doing just that...ha ha).

A Season of Celebration

In what's been a pretty welcome development for someone who stares at a computer screen as much as I do, I've been practically M.I.A. from blogging, Twitter, Facebook and the like lately.

Sure, I've still been writing, but it's also been a season of celebration where all sorts of exciting (read: non-work) happenings have been taking priority.

For one, I'm a proud, proud auntie once again. On September 19, my brave, brave sister welcomed this little sweetie into the world, Miss Emerie Violet. And while Lindsey and her hubby were at the hospital, I had the distinct pleasure of spending lots and lots of time with Emerie's big sister, Adelyn.

Whether whipping up a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (Adelyn dutifully cracked the eggs and added the vanilla), drawing rainbows and pumpkins with magic markers or playing board games (turns out, this kindergartener has quite an affinity for Monopoly, yes the grown-up version), it was such a wonderful time of making memories.

And when Emerie finally made her much-anticipated arrival, trust me, no one was more excited than Adelyn. I'll never forget when I showed her the first pic of her baby sister on my phone. She immediately squealed and started jumping up and down. Needless to say, she's a big fan—as if you couldn't tell from the picture on the left.

After sneaking in as many cuddles as I could with my two favorite girls, I made my way back to Texas where, surprise of all surprises, it was finally starting to cool down. Now when I say "cool down," we're not taking anything worthy of a jacket, mind you. But after months and months and months of triple-digit temps, the cool, fall-ish breeze felt outstanding. I think I may have even seen a couple of brown leaves on the lawn, too.

Now it doesn't exactly take much encouragement for me to embrace all things Fall. For starters, it means my Packers are playing again and my trademark spicy chili will be regularly served on Sunday afternoons. It also allows me to trade in my flip-flops and capri pants for my preferred fashion choices, namely scarves, boots and hoodies. If that wasn't enough to make me smile,  there's probably nothing better than the smell of an apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice dessert emerging in the oven.

Yes, these are the little things in life that make me profoundly happy.

October is particularly spectacular, what can I say? Not only is it my Mom and my friend Krista and Sassy Jane's birthdays, but I also get to celebrate my wedding anniversary and one of my all-time favorite holidays, Will's birthday.

Of all the incredible restaurants there are in DFW (and trust me, there's no shortage since eating and shopping is what the locals seem to like best), Will always opts for a meal at home. So in addition to his favorite cupcakes (yellow cake with chocolate ganache frosting and studded with M&Ms), I make him whatever he wants, which usually involves pasta. And bread.

This year, he requested the humblest of dishes, spaghetti carbonara, which features three of his favorite things—eggs, bacon and yep, pasta. No doubt, a plate of bruschetta will accompany the meal, too. In the words of Ina Garten (a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa), how bad can that be?

All that considered, let's just say I haven't been missing social media all that much. But for those who do follow my work (and I'm soooo grateful for that), stay tuned for a few actual updates. In the meantime, though, I'm deciding which wine goes best with spaghetti carbonara. Got any recommendations? Anyone? Anyone?

Gut Reaction: "Go On"

Now that MasterChef's a wrap (and what a finale it was!), there's a spot open on the ol' DVR for something else, so I decided to give Matthew Perry's new sitcom "Go On" a try.

Considering I was always Team Chandler on "Friends" because his particular brand of humor (read: snarky) totally appealed to me, watching "Go On" was a pretty logical choice.

In fact, whenever I've seen him on some other show (and he's been on quite a few over the years) or the big screen in something like Fools Rush In (a total guilty pleasure), he's still always been Chandler Bing to me.

Anyway, Perry's career has definitely had its fair share of stops and starts recently, but for some reason, I really think "Go On" will stick around for a while. Not only does the funny, madcap writing totally play to his strengths, but there's enough fascinating supporting characters that will keep him from having to carry the show alone.

For the unacquainted, the premise is a pretty simple one. After the death of his wife, Matthew Perry's character, Ryan King, is eager to get back to work as a sportscaster. Naturally, it doesn't take long for his co-workers to see that he doesn't have any business being back yet (a funny encounter with real-life football player Terrell Owens seals the deal), so his boss insists that he go to therapy. 

Of course, Ryan thinks therapy is the last thing he needs and is basically just there to get the necessary signatures so he can get back to real life. But as you've probably already guessed by now, things don't exactly turn out as planned.

I'm only one episode in, but I gotta say I'm intrigued and am already looking forward to seeing what happens next, which is always a good sign, right?

At Long Last, It's September...

It's probably still a little too early for all my Fall decorations to be out, but see, I simply couldn't wait...

As soon as I flipped my calendar from August to September, I immediately changed the runner on the dining room table (see left) and started burning my favorite golden apple candles. After a long, long summer, I couldn't wait for Fall.

Trouble is, it's still in the triple digits here in DFW, and the air conditioner is running at full blast.

But even if it doesn't feel like Fall outside yet, at least it can inside, right? Before I started the whole clean diet thing, a couple of pumpkin spice lattes officially sealed the deal (in my mind, anyway).

Before long, I'm sure I'll be sporting a hoodie. But in the meantime, I've got chili simmering on the stove and the first NFL game on TV tonight to remind me that Fall isn't too far away.

Well, fingers crossed, anyway...

An October to Remember

I can hardly believe there's only two more days in my favorite month of the year, but my, what a fun month it's been! :) So as we bid farewell to this illustrious 10th month, here are a few of my favorite memories...

A pilgrimage to Austin: On October 8, Will and I celebrated six (!!!) years of wedded bliss, so we decided a roadtrip was in order. And since Nashville is just a little too far away for a weekend, we decided that Austin might be perfect, especially with some killer mixtapes playing in the background. It was a little rainy and overcast, a rarity in sun-drenched Texas, but we had such a wonderful time nonetheless. Not only did we stay at a hotel that's supposedly haunted by friendly ghosts, but we sampled some great eats at Bess Bistro, not to mention the life-changing beignets (seriously, they were heavenly bites of sheer deliciousness) at Annie's Café. I'm pretty sure I could've eaten 40 of them...

Plus you can't help loving a city when their motto is all about keeping things weird. And considering we live in the oh-so-corporate DFW, the wide array of truly unique shopping and dining was definitely a nice change from the norm. Yay, Austin!

Celebrating another year of Will: Will has the distinct pleasure of having a birthday and our anniversary in a five-day span, so we always make the most of it (and probably gain a good five pounds in the process). I spent hours and hours slaving in front of a hot stove to whip up an Italian feast of grandeur, namely homemade penne alla vodka, caprese bruschetta and per the birthday boy's request, the decidedly non-Italian dessert of homemade yellow cupcakes with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. Will liked the cupcakes so much that he ate 14 of them (I'm so jealous of his enviable metabolism!). Adding to the meal's overall deliciousness was some incredibly potent prosecco that's apparently one of Mario Batali's favorites. So thank you, Central Market for that.

Remembering why I loved baseball: Little known fact about one Christa Banister: I used to travel with my high school's baseball team as the official statician and absolutely loved every second. Yes, at one time, I actually knew a lot about baseball—the numbers that corresponded with the various positions, all the weirdo terminology like what a sac fly is, not to mention the  difference between a change-up, a slider and a screwball (apparently, it has nothing to do with vodka and orange juice).

I wasn't the best history student on the planet (I thought it was basically b-o-r-i-n-g with a capital "b"), so I needed the extra credit, and since my history teacher was the coach, well, it was a pretty great trade-off. He got his stats, I got a decent grade. Plus, being the boy-crazy girl that I was, I thought the guys were pretty cute in those uniforms (even if they were always spitting sunflower seeds...gross).

Unfortunately, my love of professional baseball has always been pretty non-existent...well, until I started watching the Rangers with Will. Growing up in Texas, he's been a lifelong fan of the team, so the fact they've been to the World Series two years in a row is pretty incredible for him. And seeing a game in Arlington was so much better than watching on TV—well, except for when fly balls headed in our direction. That freaked me out a little—as has the Rangers' World Series run. I wish they'd go ahead and close the deal because games like last night's are incredibly stressful. Guess we'll see what happens tonight since it's Game 7. Chances are, I'll be biting my cuticles.

The return of Coldplay, Feist and Beavis and Butt-head: All worth the wait—especially Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto 

Enjoying a weekend of firsts with my Mom: My Mom and I have actually spent her last two birthdays together, and it's a tradition I'm really digging. This time around, she decided to see what DFW was all about and (gasp!) hopped on a plane to see us. In case you're wondering what the "gasp" is about, it's because she loathes flying, let alone by herself. But I had to give her major kudos,  she put her big-girl pants on and found out it wasn't quite as bad as she thought.

After picking her up from Love Field, we embarked on a weekend filled with firsts. In addition to her first solo flight to Texas, she had her first pedicure, tried her first Thai food and was the first person to sleep in our brand-new bed in the guest room. We also introduced us to the glories of Tex-Mex (Mi Cocina all the way), made sure she saw the Packer game in the land of Cowboy fans, checked out the many culinary treasures of Central Market (guess they get two shout-outs in this post) and introduced her to our favorite preacher, Matt Chandler, at the Village Church.

It was definitely an ambitious way to start her 59th year, but I was so thankful for the time we had. :)

Last but not least: I can't wait for all the cute little Trick or Treaters to stop by on October 31. Wish my darling niece Miss Adelyn Grace (that's her in her much-beloved Cinderella costume) was stopping on by, I'd make sure she got lots and lots of candy.

 

 

 

Gut Reaction: "New Girl," "Whitney" and "Two Broke Girls"

I've never been much of a TV watcher (save for my favorite Food Network shows), but when I find something I like, I'm fiercely loyal.

In fact, in the absence of anything new that's really commanded my attention, I'll often revisit my tried-and-true standbys like "Gilmore Girls," "Alias," "Friends" and "Felicity," not to mention Will and I's recent find, the hilarious adventures of Bret and Jemaine on "Flight of the Conchords."

For the record, we know "Concords" was shown on HBO ages ago, but it's still new to us, so there. :)

But after a while, even your favorite shows need to be retired (at least, temporarily), so I decided to DVR some potentially promising options that debuted last week—"New Girl," starring the always-adorable Zooey Deschanel, "Whitney," starring Chelsea Handler's snarky sidekick and "Two Broke Girls" with Kat Dennings because, well, sarcasm never goes out of the style, right?

Based on what I read in Entertainment Weekly's annual TV preview, I fully expected that "New Girl" would be my new favorite, hands down. Crowned the "best new comedy" of the fall by countless critics I respect, I was actually puzzled by my lack of enthusiasm once the closing credits rolled.

There was something about it that just rang hollow, and trust me, I wasn't exactly expecting War and Peace. Not only was it impossible to buy the impossibly cute Deschanel as this total dork (sorry, but oversized glasses and dated denim overalls isn't enough to scream "undatable doofus"), but the brand of zany they're selling (her character, Jess, not only reverts to watching Dirty Dancing whenever she's sad, but she randomly sings nonsensical lyrics whenever the mood strikes, too) is actually far more cloying than endearing. And considering Jess is who we're supposed to care the most about, that's not a good thing.

Meanwhile, don't even get me started on those roommates of hers... Sure, they're textbook attractive, but there's not much else going on there, definitely nothing resembling actual personalities. Even the characters from  TBS's My Boys (which had a similar premise) made a more memorable impression the first time I watched it. Nonetheless, I'm still hoping there's just something I didn't "get" the first time around and that the second episode will be better. Fingers crossed, anyway.

As for "Whitney," I wasn't really expecting much, and I was mildly amused by her antics. Like the TV spots I saw again and again during NBC's Sunday night football, she's like the best friend in your average rom-com—kooky, full of zingy one-liners and lacking any real sense of decorum in meaningful social occasions like weddings. If anything, you're left wondering if her staunch, non-comfortist shtick can be entertaining for the long haul. Only time will tell, I guess, but I'm still willing to give Whitney a shot.

Last but not least, "Two Broke Girls" was probably the biggest surprise of them all. Funny from beginning to end with a storyline that actually seemed to be going somewhere (yes, the aforementioned shows had that whimiscal, make-it-up-as-we-go quality), I was charmed by the tale of two girls who share very, very little in common but are forced to work together anyway.

Now as far as sitcoms storylines go, the show's decidedly modern "Laverne and Shirley" approach, where Brooklyn stands in for Milwaukee,  isn't exactly new. But "Two Broke Girls" still held my attention, made me laugh and left me wondering what's going to happen next, which is precisely what every story worth its salt will do.

Plus, the fact that it's served with a heaping side of sarcasm definitely doesn't hurt the cause either. If someone told me that Diablo Cody wrote the teleplay, I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised. Imagine Juno as a waitress with Blake Lively's snobbish "Gossip Girl" character (on a newly strict budget)  as her uppity sidekick, and you've pretty much got "Two Broke Girls." It doesn't reinvent the proverbial wheel, but it sure is fun...or at least, the first episode was, anyway...

All the Fall Flavors, No Cooking Required

Our entire house smells like this wonderful mix of fall honeycrisp apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, and I didn't have to bake a thing...

Thank you, Pier 1 Golden Apple candles.

After finishing a slew of writing deadlines yesterday, I suddenly found myself wanting to dust (and yeah, I totally know that's weird). So after going over every possible surface with Pledge, I wanted to vacuum. And then vacuuming led to Windexing, and Windexing led to Pier 1.

Yep, I decided I wanted to make our home a little more Fall-like, and since Pier 1 is about five minutes from our house, well...

Every time I go into Pier 1, I always see something I like, and yesterday was no exception.

In addition to the aforementioned candles of yumminess, I found the pretty, sparkly bowl displayed in the picture, a lovely autumn-colored runner for our dining room table, adorable sparkly pumpkins to set around the house and even a new print to match the new comforter and sheets in our bedroom.

All in all, I'd say my random need to clean turned into a fun little decorating project. Gotta love those, right?

It's 67 in DFW, and I Want to Wear...

My new gray UGG sweater boots.

When I lived in St. Paul, I always wanted these boots but didn't think they'd be all that practical considering how much snowfall is involved.

And if you haven't experienced the joy sheer disgustingness (yeah, I just made that up) of having your feet ensconced in a soggy, wet boot, well, let me tell ya, you're aren't missing a thing.

So needless to say, I think these boots will be perfect for the South's version of a cold day—maybe even today—we'll see. :)

One of These Things Is Not Like The Other...

Yes, imagine that classic tune from "Sesame Street" (preferably with the Cookie Monster singing) and tell me...which one of these things doesn't go with September 1...

A) Pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. Mmm.

B) Aaron Rodgers dropping back in the pocket and throwing what's bound to be a touchdown pass.

C) A couple of cute kids heading back to school.

D) People sweating to death from triple-digit Texas heat. Ick.