Tunisian Pumpkin Soup

I know that I posted a recipe last week, and I don't typically like to post two recipes in a row, but this soup is utterly fantastic!! A couple weekends ago my parents were out of town, so I was cooking dinner for myself, and one of the nights I decided to just open up a boxed soup because I wasn't in a big cooking mood. The soup was really just very sad: it was supposed to be butternut squash soup, and yet it tasted like chicken broth with a ever-so-slight squash flavor. Oh no. In my book, any sort of squash or pumpkin soup should be thick, creamy, and above all else, bursting with the signature flavors of fall. So I decided the next weekend to make the soup myself... you know what they say: if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.

Wholesome, Healthy Granola Bars

With fall fully upon us I have truly settled into a routine, which has become quite comforting. Getting up at 6:15 AM for school can seem brutal in the moment when you have to tear yourself away from the warm covers of your bed, but going to school to learn new things each day, keeping up with going to the gym, and taking the time each day to appreciate the seasonal changes makes for a very productive and exciting time of year. Besides, after having a long (and yes, often quite tiring) school week, the weekends are so much more relaxing! Sleeping in, making nice breakfasts, and getting together with friends or chilling out at home all make for a revitalizing time to recharge for the upcoming week.

Although good for any season, granola bars are especially good in the fall time: the toasted hearty oats, buttery sweet honey, and the wholesome flavor of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Because it's already becoming quite chilly in PA, coming home from school I always immediately turn on the kettle for some tea. While my tea is steeping, I always like to have a little snack, and something about the autumn weather makes me want a hearty snack in the afternoon. Granola bars are lovely for just that because they provide a great wholesome flavor, are healthy, and will fill you up. They're also tasty as a quick, but fully nutritional breakfast if you add in  a glass of milk and an apple or banana (breakfast of champs for when you're in a pinch, if you ask me).

The Best Feelings in Autumn

I am currently sitting at my kitchen table, with my brother is just starting to cook dinner (it's just the two of us tonight, because my parents are out of town). I have had quite a laid back day, but in a wonderfully relaxing way: I did some reading for English, made a quick shopping trip for groceries, I'm wearing one of my dad's big, worn T-shirts, and the best part: I made my first pumpkin bread of the season!! I figured that it was the perfect day to make a post celebrating the wonderful season of autumn. The past week has been quite cold and rainy and completely gray everyday, and while I definitely appreciate cloudy fall days where it's cozy to hide inside, I have started to miss the beautiful clear days of autumn.  This afternoon, right as I finished washing up, I looked outside and realized that it was suddenly completely clear; the sun was already starting to descend on the horizon, but the sky was a beautiful hue of light blue... barely a cloud in the sky. Anyway, I though I would share what I think are the most wonderful feelings of Autumn and share some photos of what I've been up to!