DIY Pumpkin Spice
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1.5 teaspoons ground clove
1.5 teaspoons ground all spice
Mix all the spices together in a small bowl… smells like heaven doesn’t it? Store this delicious mixture in a clean small jar or spice container.
9 ways to incorporate pumpkin spice into your everyday life.
1. Add it to popcorn.
2. Sprinkle it over sweet potatoes.
3. Mix it into muffin, cookie or cake mix.
4. Gives peanut butter a fun seasonal twist.
5. Sprinkle it over squash.
6. Add it to the top of whipped cream.
7. Use it with Chex mix, for a sweet snack.
8. Mix it with whipped butter and serve it with dinner rolls.
9. Amp up your breakfast by adding it to oatmeal, pancakes, french toast or waffles.
Buddy\’s Pizza
Buddy’s is the creator of Detroit’s original square pizza, and is celebrating it’s 70th anniversary this year. As a metro Detroiter I am slightly ashamed to admit that this was my FIRST time at Buddy’s. The names of the signature pizzas all have to with places around Michigan. Since Lake Superior is my favorite Great Lake I decided to see how the pizza measured up and ordered the Lake Superior from the Great Lakes collection portion of the menu – it featured: Motor City cheese blend, fresh basil, pine nuts, pepperoni, tomato basil sauce and Buddy’s Sicilian spice blend, and was delicious. I’m not a huge fan of square pizza, but really enjoyed the Lake Superior pizza (especially the pine nuts on it). Note if you do go to Buddy’s it’s pretty pricey.
What\’s Poppin?
One of my favorite healthy snacks is a bowl of popcorn. Popcorn is a natural, whole grain food that is low in calories and fat – which makes it perfect for a healthy lifestyle. JOLLY TIME Pop Corn has a variety of ‘Healthy Pop’ flavors (mine is kettle corn), that are not only fiber-filled, but low in calories too.
Get physical while you pop! With a busy day anytime I can squeeze in a few reps I do (I usually do sit-ups while I brush my teeth). When you cook popcorn you only have 3-5 minutes so here is what you can do:
1. Arm Circles
2. Squats
3. Jumping Jacks
4. Lunges
5. Jump Rope
6. Shadow Box
7. Sit-ups
Now let’s talk about mix-ins. Do you ever add anything to your popcorn?
Here are some of my favorites that help me stay fuller longer:
1. Cacao nibs and graham crackers.
2. Cacao nibs and lightly salted peanuts
3. Cinnamon, dried apples and walnuts
4. Oregano, lemon zest and parmesan cheese.
5. Toasted coconut and cacao nibs.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of JOLLY TIME Pop Corn. The opinions and text are all mine.
Giddy Up – Horse Racing
1. They are nothing like what you see at the Kentucky Derby – everyone wears jeans.
2. It’s an awesome place to hang out with friends, have a date night or host a birthday party.
3. Straight wagers are the easiest. Win (the horse that will come in first), Place (horse that will come in first OR second – payout is less), Show (horse that will come in first, second OR third – payout is substantially less).
4. What to say to the teller:
• racetrack & race number
• amount of your bet
• type of bet you’re placing
• horse’s number (do not say the name, they will get MAD)
example: Hazel Park Raceway, race two, $2 to win on #6
5. How to pick the winner – you will get a program and it will tell you where they think the horse will place. I’ll be honest I picked based on how cute a horses name was and/or if it had a girl jockey.
6. You don’t have to bet on every race.
7. Set a budget and bring cash in that amount.
Caramel Apple Lollipop
Ingredients:
Apples
Lollipop sticks
Melting chocolate
Caramel
Directions:
1. Wash your apple.
2. Slice you apple to ¾ inch thick to make sure the stick will securely stay in place.
3. Pat the apple dry to soak up access juice (this will prevent the chocolate and caramel from sliding off).
4. Cover each apple slice with melted chocolate (allow some chocolate to hit the stick to act as a glue to hold the stick securely in place).
5. Allow to cool and harden.
6. Drizzle with slightly cooled caramel so it does not melt the chocolate.
7. Let harden, before you enjoy.
Fashion meets Food 