So yeah……….PUMPKIN!!!!!!!! 
I think like 750 of you love, love, love pumpkin the fall and that’s totally awesome. I am just loving reading all your responses for the giveaway! Remember, you have two more hours (or actually, a little less!) so leave me a message on my morning post with your favorite fall/winter veggie and you will be entered to win a copy of Clean Food. I’ll announce the winner in my breakfast post tomorrow!
I hope y’all have had great days. I’ve sort of been up and down…going to my brother’s school was difficult….for me, grief comes in waves and I heard some news I didn’t really want to hear, which was difficult. However, a pumpkin spice latte (and new library book!) was exactly what the doctor ordered!
This is The Tsarina’s Daughter by Carolly Erickson. Call me crazy, but I have this weird fascination with the Russian Revolution. I wrote a really long term paper on it in college and read about it like its going out of style. Strange, but true. I hold this insane theory that the royal family never really all died and that there’s some mystery still out there to be discovered. I’m a total history nerd like that though. Don’t get me started on the World Wars….I’ll talk your ear off for hours.
Anyways! When I got home from running errands I made some 100 cal kettle corn
I was so excited to break into THIS for dinner!
Yes, I ate potatoes from a bag and totally loved them. The lovely Lia sent me these “Swiss hash browns” straight from the Alps and, as we all know, everything is better in Europe so of course these potatoes rocked my socks off!!!!!! We also had that delish maple blueberry chicken I told you about and a small salad with hummus and hot sauce!
I know y’all want the recipe but unfortunately it’s straight out of The Maple Syrup Cookbook!!!! I can’t reproduce it on the blog because of copyright issues but know that it is awesome and utilizes tons of pure maple syrup, a pint of fresh blueberries and a whole CUP of red wine! So, so, so good….I stuffed myself silly with goodness and washed it all down with MORE red wine!
Dessert was an unphotographed amount of Swiss dark chocolate. Wow, I’ve totally had a Swiss night! Thank you so much, Lia!!
Bubble bath + book + my bed
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Hooray for Pumpkin!!
When are you going to tell us that you’re moving to California (3,000 miles from FL)?
Go Pumpkin!! Your dinner looks so delicious-I love blueberries in all forms that I’ve tried them in – they’re little spheres of delight.
I am officially on a mission to track down a copy of The Maple Syrup Cookbook!
Please let us (or just me, if no one else cares!) know how that book turns out, I too have a strange fascination with the Russian Revolution.
Are the lattes really that good? Maybe I should venture into trying to make my own, though I don’t know how to go about that
Wow… that looks SO GOOD!!!
pumpkin spice latte’s ROCK… I think they may be a weekly “treat” for me for fall
Hope you have a great night!
I also have a strange fascination with the last Czar and his family, I remember watching shows about it on the Discovery Channel when I was 8. I must have been a strange kid
okay, I’m really glad I’m not the only one secretly obsessed with Russian history or have seen the movie Rasputin like 10 times….normal??!
Wowee that chicken looks good!
Yay pumpkin
I had a pumpkin spice latte today too…and it was joyful!! Oh my gosh, that maple blueberry chicken looks SO yummy. Enjoy your night, love!
kettle corn sounds so good right now, 2 bad all we have is light butter flavor. boo! haaha.
Hope your enjoyin the evening!
Jenna, you are amazing, and I hope you know that! With all that you have been through, you still maintain a positive attitude and drive for life. Something that I can assume all of us readers admire about you and keep us coming back for more
Enjoy your evening!
-Jenna
I looove blueberries. That chicken looks fantastic! I think I’m the only one that doesn’t like pumpkin and fall spices though…blech to Pumpkin Spice Lattes!
Aw I hope your day got better =[ We’re all here for you if you ever need anything!
that kettle corn sounds divine right now:) That’s way better than the buttery kind! PS I think I could have Pumpkin Spice IV in me throughout the entire Fall season lol. MMM it is just so dang good!
I may treat myself to another pumpkin spice latte tommorow as my friday treat..hmm…
I also want to say I admire you Jenna for you courage and your positiveness throughout everything. You really are an ecouragement and an inspiration to me.
That chicken looks amazing, and ahhh I’m craving a Pumpkin Spiced Latte! Now!!!
xo
K
Oh my, everything looks fabulous! I am looking forward to trying my first pumpkin latte of the year too
OMG blueberry maple chicken??? Sounds fabulous!! It’s okay that you’re so into that history because I too am a huge history fanatic. Nothing wrong with knowing a bit of our past, right?!
That pumpkin spice latte is making my mouth water! If it wasn’t so late at night, I would be tempted to run out and get one right now!
I’m sorry to hear you had an up and down day but I think that’s natural. You have had a very emotional spring/summer…
blueberry chicken sounds so weird, but in a good way :]
i always like hearing about blogger’s little quirks!
Potatoes out of a bag- looks great! I actually want to try some! Dont knock it til you try it, right?
pumpkin spice latte!!!! I had one this morning, so so good!
Ahhhh I want that chicken recipe so bad…. it looks awesomely deelish!! Hmmm I may have to try a little recreation adventure of some sort
Fab dinner girl!
russian history is crazy interesting! i took two classes on it (one hs, one in college) and loveddd it
That maple blueberry chicken looks so great!
Jenna I sssooo admire your courage, strength, and positive attitude!!! I can’t imagine how hard things have been for you the past several months and know it takes a lot of strength and courage to get through it all. I’ve been depressed lately and reading your blog every day and seeing you pick yourself up when you are feeling down makes me that more motivated to look on the bright side and to try and make the most of whatever is going on in life
I hope that didn’t sound too dramatic or anything 
I loooooooove brussel sprouts, as well as okra. I’m not sure if okra is a fall/winter veggie or not though because I can only find it frozen here
oops, commented on the wrong post
Rosti is so good! I’ve been to the Swiss Alps twice and I have to have it while I’m there. It’s particularly good with a mushroom gravy and some sausage.
You have no idea how much I love blueberries so that chicken makes me want to crawl through the computer screen and eat it! Yum! I had a pumpkin spice latte on Tuesday and it was wonderful!
I’ve never heard of a blueberry-maple combination but it sounds awesome!
I would never think to pair blueberries and chicken, but homegirl that looks gooooood!
((((jenna))))) Sorry the grief hit you hard today. I’m glad you have a plan to relax. Enjoy your evening.
I so want a pumpkin latte now! If I hadn’t had a glass of wine I would run out for a decaf
Hey girl, sorry you had a wave of grief, but glad that a pumpkin latte could help ya out
The chicken looks great!
LOVING that Pumpkin Spice. I’m totally wishing I had a Starbucks in my city (I know, it’s seriously a crime that I don’t) so I could grab one right now. And so neat with those “potatoes in a bag!”
one of my friends from college lives off of pumpkin spiced lattes ever since they came out for the season yesterday!
I’m have such a strange fascination with Russian history too! It led me to sign up for a language course my freshman year of college, and 3 years later, it’s worked its way into my life as a double major AND got me through a summer in St. Petersburg. I’ve always been interested in food and nutrition too, but for some reason I chose not to pursue a culinary career. Funny how the same interests can lead us down such different paths and how such seemingly small decisions can have such huge impacts on the rest of our lives!
I’m gonna HAVE to go get a pumpkin latte!! YUM!
Ok, I LOVE LOVE LOVE tomatoes. I can eat them just like an apple, or roasted, or sun-dried, or juiced, or.. the list goes on. Luckily, they are in season right now and delicious straight from my mom and dad’s garden!
Your dinner looked scrumptious. I can only imagine how good something would taste with maple syrup, blueberries, and red wine! I’m dizzy just thinking about it!
Have a great night!
That many people love pumpkin!? Crazy! The blueberry chicken looks soooo delish! You must have had some amazing dinners growing up.
Blueberry chicken, ow now that sounds good and it looks good. What does your Mother put in the bluberry sauce? Is it just blueberries!
I’m glad that your day got better. A good book and a latte can do that! I know this sounds awful with all the good coffee in Europe, but I actually miss Starbucks. I’m actually hoping that there is one in Koln this weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the milk coffees over here, but I just want a pumpkin latte!
Have you seen Dr. Zhivago? I was named after that movie and love it
i actually have the same weird fetish about the russian revolution!! thats so weird, i never knew we had that in common LOL. i love tzars!
I love reading about the Russian Revolution too! I’m an embellished Russian history junkie!
Also, pumpkin spice latte = FALL! love love love
Yum, pumpkin spice latte! I love history like that too! For me, it’s the Civil War since I grew up pretty close to Gettysburg & Antietam. Your dinner looks fab!
Unfortunately the nearest Starbucks is an hour away and I don’t think they do Pumpkin Spiced here! ALAS! That’s my favorite flavour as well. I’m going on a school trip to Milan, so maybe they have a Starbucks…..actually I may as well just get a real Italian coffee if I’m there…or both hmmmm.
I’m glad you enjoyed the Rosti, I too thought twice before sending potatoes in a bag, but after I tried them, and realized how fresh they stay and taste, I figured all would be well. And it was!
Your comment about the Russian royal family reminds me of the movie Anastasia! I am a WWII buff myself. Long story, but I have a copy of The Enola Gay autographed by Tom Ferebee, he died in March 2000. He and I share the same birthday, I never knew!
I am really into WWII, specifically the European front. I’ll read any book or see any movie about the topic!
But I also have the same crazy fascination with the Russian Revolution. I actually did a Power Point presentation on Princess Anastasia. I love the mystery surrounding her life. I like to think that she survived, more romantic and exciting that way!
You should read Steve Berry’s The Romanov Prophecy – a great (fictional) theory of how some of the family could have survived. Well written, and very entertaining.
Hi Jenna!
love your blog! i too love russian revolution / history books – have you ever read “the kitchen boy” by robert alexander? it’s historical fiction but a really good quick read – about the last days of the romanovs when they were in exile in siberia. he also wrote one called “rasputin’s daughter” but i liked “the kitchen boy” better. and i just saw that he has a new book out called “the romanov bride” so i’m totally going to the library to look for that (and the tsarina’s daughter!) today! have a great holiday weekend!
I have a similar fascination with the orginal 5 Families of the Italian Mafia. I could read about it all day!
Melissa: My Dad is a WWII vet and was stationed on the Maginot Line.:)
100 cal kettle corn- so good I lick the bag (ugh, what will it do to me 20 years from now?)
Deb
i saw this book the other day and totally want to read it… i love anything to do with the romanovs! my sister said i must have been a relative in a past life.