Friday Favorites

We had the tiniest bit of a cool down this week (sadly, it didn't last because temperatures are expected to reach the low 90s today), and we actually had to wear sweaters in the morning. It's not exactly the fall I've been looking forward to--cozied up on the sofa in scarves and socks with mugs of hot chocolate--but I'll take what I can get. It's going to stay warm over the weekend, so I'm considering pulling out the ice cream maker to whip up some treats for my daughters and niece. Have yourself an amazing weekend, and please don't forget to pray for the states that are expected to be hit by Hurricane Matthew, as well as the nations (Haiti, Bahamas, and Cuba) that have already been devastated by the storm. God bless!

Zoe Saldana as Prince for The Edit magazine.

German chocolate bomb.

A sweet welcome mat for the front door.

Pretty pumpkins.

This swoon-worthy mid-century modern living room. 

Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Bread

Even though I didn't grow up eating any pumpkin goodies like a lot of my friends (my mom doesn't care for it, so she never fed it to us), I am a huge fan of pretty much anything pumpkin, and a good pumpkin loaf, fresh from the oven and full of warm spices is definitely a favorite. This recipe, which I found on Pinterest and tweaked a little, takes the pumpkin bread I love to the next level with a thick swirl of chocolatey Nutella. It's the perfect breakfast or snack for those brisk autumn days, especially with a steamy cup of coffee. And since I can find any excuse to buy a jar of Nutella, I'm sure I'll be making this new favorite again and again this season.

Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Bread
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
⅓ cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cups Nutella

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then make a well in the center. Pour in eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and pumpkin puree, then gently whisk together the wet ingredients for about 30 seconds before folding them into the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined. Pour half the batter into the pan. 

Heat the Nutella in the microwave for 15 seconds, drizzle half over the batter in the pan, then swirl the Nutella into the batter with a knife. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin batter and warm Nutella. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

NOTE: Don't be disappointed if you find it hard to swirl the Nutella; it's pretty thick stuff, so most of it will remain on top. And it will still taste amazing!

Wordsmith Wednesday: Macabre

Here's where I share my favorite words with you. Because savvy girls have impressive vocabularies.

Get Gorgeous With Pumpkin

Pumpkin is plentiful this time of year, and it's popping up everywhere from your coffee cup (because PSL, baby!) to the huge bins in front of Trader Joe's. But besides baking muffins and pies, pumpkin can also be a fantastic natural beauty product. It's rich in vitamins A and C, plus betacarotene, potassium, zinc, and antioxidants--all this adds up to one exfoliating, hydrating, wrinkle reducing, glow inducing orange machine. Once you discover the beautifying benefits of this fruit, you'll want to slather it all over your body. 

1. For a simple yet effective mask that works wonders on your hair and body, combine ¼ cup pumpkin puree with 1 teaspoon each of olive oil and raw honey.
2. Whip up a DIY lip scrub for a soft, smooth pucker: mix ½ teaspoon fine sugar with ¼ teaspoon each of pumpkin puree and coconut oil.
3. Drink pumpkin juice for healthy skin and hair.
4. DIY a hair conditioner by blending 1 cup of pumpkin puree with ½ cup of plain yogurt and 1 tablespoon of honey. Pack it onto your hair, paying close attention to your ends, and leave on for 30 minutes before rinsing.
5. Add a few drops of pumpkin seed oil to your bath for soft, supple skin.
6. Snack on pumpkin seeds--they're a skin superfood that contain a ton of zinc, the mineral that promotes cell renewal and helps maintain collagen (in other words, you'll look years younger).
7. After spending the summer in sandals (which is surprisingly hard on feet and is the cause of dry, cracked heels), treat them to a foot rub with a pumpkin salt scrub. Make a paste with ½ cup pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons of olive or coconut oil, and enough salt to make a paste.
8. Whip up a moisturizing hair mask that will help keep frizz at bay. Mix a cup of pumpkin puree with 2 tablespoons of raw honey and apply liberally to your tresses, cover with a shower cap and let it do its thing for 15 to 20 minutes. 
9. To make a pumpkin pie face mask, mix together 2 teaspoons of pumpkin puree and ½ teaspoon each of raw honey, milk, and cinnamon. It'll smell just like the real thing and leave your skin looking and feeling all kinds of yummy.
10. Here's a recipe for a mani/pedi treatment that could rival any nail salon: combine ½ cup pumpkin puree with one whole egg and a teaspoon each of honey and almond or olive oil; slather on feet and hands; stick your hands and feet into plastic grocery bags and relax for 20 minutes; rinse.




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Monday

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