Turkey Time

  ——————Canada Turkey Weekend is here!
And almost over for that matter since it?s already Monday (no idea where the weekend went) but it?s been a good one. I love Thanksgiving. And long weekends. And October. And the Fall season in general.

The long weekend started off well in that my one Friday class was cancelled. YES. So I had a very lazy day in that I didn?t leave the house for nearly any of it.

I ate Weetabix with apples and yogurt in the morning.

Eventually I got my butt in gear and did a long run on the treadmill while watching Dawson?s Creek reruns. I had done a couple hard runs this week though so this one I just wasn?t feeling. It was a toughie. It didn?t help that I was low on fuel by the time I actually got around to running so I had to break halfway for some eats, eats like a chunk of a Chocolate Chip Clif bar, a chunk of a banana and a date (the whole one, not just a chunk).

After I finally finished up the slight grueller of a run I made the same salad that I had been making and loving this week. It involved whatever veggies I could find (spinach, slaw, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, steamed broccoli), leftover egg noodles, cottage cheese, Sabra hummus, baba + balsamic vinaigrette and honey mustard as the dressings. So many good things going on in this bowl, it almost felt like a crime eating it.

I finished off some plain yogurt with seeds and raisins too.

During my lunchtime fridge digging adventures I happened upon a random container with some cream cheese in it that wanted to be used up in an unconventional way. During my internet digging adventures I happened upon a random recipe for pumpkin cream cheese.

There was only one thing left to do?

I followed the recipe loosely, meaning I measured nothing, used sugar free maple syrup instead of agave and used cinnamon and nutmeg as my spices since I have no pumpkin pie spice.

And it was incredible.

Especially when eaten in the form of pumpkin cream cheese-stuffed dates.

To continue on with my pumpkin kick, I roasted up a squash pan for dinner.

This squash sesh was not nearly as delicious as my last but squash is squash and I still enjoyed it. Some are just way tastier than others! 

Post dinner my mom and I ventured out into the dark and rainy night to pick up my Oktoberfest ticket for Saturday night. I kind of put it off since the Hans Haus (the official store for all things Oktoberfest) where you have to pick up tickets is waaay downtown and out of the way but manoeuvring through the darkness, rain and closed off roads was no child?s play. Don?t put things off til the last minute!

The rest of Friday night involved me, my laptop and my textbooks surrounding me. That?s about all they did, surround me. I intended to make some headway on note-taking but instead I sorted pictures on my computer. Hah. Productive.

I was pretty excited for this breakfast: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oatmeal
I made a standard bowl of oats with water, almond milk, cinnamon and pumpkin. Then? topped it with the pumpkin cream cheese! Okay, okay so that?s hardly thrilling but it tasted pretty good. I wanted to swirl the cream cheese on but it didn?t melt like I hoped it would so I got blobs instead.

I worked Saturday, breaking part way for this glorified candy bar Fibre 1 granola bar.

Lunch involved an unappealing but not unappetizing (double negative?) salad and unpictured but not uneaten apple.

Dinner involved me running home and throwing together the quickest thing I could find, which ended up being a bit of leftover Amy?s Black Bean Soup and an english muffin with egg whites, salsa and Sabra hummus.

I was still hungry though so I ate pumpkin, yogurt, Puffins and whatever else I could quickly grab. 

And then I rush rushed to get ready so I could head off to Oktoberfest!

Which was? meh to be honest. Overpriced entry, overpriced beer and TOO MUCH CHICKEN DANCE.  I never thought I would get sick of the chicken dance but seriously, I could not quack, flap, wiggle and clap any more by the end of the night. Polka music needs some innovation. Plus I didn?t bring my hat, which just kills half the fun right off the bat.

Needless to say the night ended pretty early for me. It was okay while it lasted but I had a slightly better time last year and it?s a toss up if I?ll be joining the festivities on a yearly basis from here one out. 

Morning time was pumpkin time. Though come October it?s always pumpkin time. This pumpkin time included yogurt, flax and powered PB2.
Not pictured was the cereal feast I took part in prior to the pumpkin. Those darn Peanut Butter Puffins?

Once pumpkin time ended, baking time began!

Instead of opting for the typical store bought pumpkin pie that comes with the typical Thanksgiving dinner, I was much more enthused with the idea of giving these Pumpkin Pie Bars a try. Pumpkin Pie. In bar form. Why not?

Ours was made with fat free cream cheese, pecans instead of walnuts and no bourbon.  These were very tasty. I thought they could have used a wee bit more sweet or nutmeg but then again I had no allspice which could have been the lacking factor. Didn?t stop me from devouring a large amount though and my mom loves them so they?re a win in my books.

I managed to snack my way through the rest of the day. I tried to keep it tame though, and snacked mostly on veggies and leftover squash soup. Had to keep the appetite in tact for dinner time!

And then finally it arrived. Turkey time!

Honestly I?m not even much of a turkey fan but it?s more the premise of turkey dinner in general that I like. And the stuffing. It?s all about the stuffing.

The greens were a last minute thought, just there to make me feel slightly healthy. Around the plate: Spinach with balsamic dressing, stuffing(!), mashed cauliflower, turkey, splash of homemade gravy.

There were obviously seconds. Mainly of the stuffing. There were like fifths of the stuffing. Shhh.

And then there were stomach pains.

And then there was a wee bit of eating break for digestion purposes.

And then there was dessert.
Pumpkin pie bars + maple fro yo = bliss.

And then there was Retro. Long weekend Sunday at the bar means busy. We went at 10, drank, danced and had a good time. Early arrival time + very cheap drinks = lost count as to how many drinks were had. Luckily I had a belly packed full of turkey dinner to significantly downplay the liquourious effects and I woke up feeling just fine this morning.

Well except for stuffing and pumpkin pie bar brick that I just ingested. Not feeling so good about that one.

Since it?s officially Thanksgiving today, there is another turkey dinner to be had tonight. Oh boy. Can I stomach it? Is that even a question?

——-Happy Long Weekend/Canadian Thanksgiving/New Week! ——-