Fall Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Love me some slow cooker!! -- especially when things get busy and the weather starts to cool off. Here is what I call a "fall" chicken chili because it has some surprising fall ingredients, and it is the perfect comfort food (and pretty guilt-free comfort food at that!). It is also ridiculously easy: prep ingredients, throw in the slow cooker, do other stuff for 8 hours, and voila, comforting and tasty dinner right at ya! Hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as I do!! It makes quite a bit, so share with some friends or family and freeze the rest for later. Let's just get to it, shall we...

Pumpkin Smoothie

Lightened-Up Apple Muffins

Ladies and gentlemen, it officially feels like fall in Houston, Texas. On Monday, I opened the door to let my dog out (I adopted a dog!!), and as soon as I did, I felt the cool, brisk air, and I knew ahhh... it's here (at least for now). So naturally, I threw on some boots and a comfy top, ate one of these muffins for breakfast, and smiled the whole rest of the day! :)

Speaking of muffin, here we go with another Ellie Krieger-inspired recipe. I really love her stuff; I have learned a lot about how to make moist, delicious baked goods while substituting lighter ingredients. This muffin is perfect for a figure-friendly fall! It contains chunks of real apple and apple sauce (keep reading to see how lovely the inside is!), and uses ingredients such as buttermilk and whole wheat flour to keep it nice and healthy (while still tasting fantastic!). They are moist and flavorful, with a light touch of sweetness and crunch from the pecan/brown sugar/cinnamon topping. They are a wonderful breakfast or late night treat, AND they also freeze beautifully, which is my favorite part -- I can grab one in the morning, let it defrost for a couple minutes, and voila: a delicious, healthy fall breakfast in no time! And it keeps getting better...

Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese & Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Hello, fall! I have loved the feedback everyone gave me, and the excitement that was shared, for fall recipes. It was really fun learning what people were looking forward to -- I had already been plotting, pinning, and preparing, but it gave me even more ideas, so thank you for the inspiration! When I read that two of Ali's favorite fall foods are sweet potato and grapes, I thought how perfect, because my first fall food post, this dish, features both!!

I have always been preferred a simple sweet potato recipe, with one of my favorite's being Baked Sweet Potato Fries. I enjoy preparations of sweet potatoes with salt, because it balances the sweetness nicely, and was never fond of super-sweet Thanksgiving style sweet potatoes. However, this dish captures the perfect balance of flavors and textures for the sweet potato. I'm not kidding when I say this is by far the best sweet potato I've ever had! The roasted grapes are incredible -- they add a complex and richly sweet grape flavor that complements the sweet potato in the most unexpected way. I never would have thought of the two together, and have How Sweet It Is to thank for the idea! Then, the creamy goat cheese adds some tangy-ness, and the pecans are a welcome bit of nutty crunch. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and salt, and you're good to go! This dish truly is sweet meets savory at its finest. I didn't add any additional sweetener because I thought the grapes gave it the perfect amount, but if you like your sweet potatoes really sweet, just top of with some honey or agave syrup. 

I am extremely excited for y'all to try this!! It may look like a crazy combination, but believe me, you will be amazed at how well it all comes together. It is sure to be a healthy, delightful dish you will want to eat over and over (and over) again!

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Jessica at Creative Index!! Send me an email at foodforthefresh@gmail.com with your mailing address. And get excited, because there will be apple inspired treats and soup coming up soon!

And a BIG thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway, and for all of the support! If you like my posts or blog, continue to spread the food love.

Here's to a fresh & fantastic fall,
Leah

Triple Chocolate Cookies (w/ Pecans)

Before I get into the fall goodies (SO SOON!!), I wanted to post one of my favorite year-round treats. This is an intensely chocolatey cookie, and is actually a slightly healthier option than most cookies and desserts. Now don't get me wrong, I would never call a cookie healthy -- it's a cookie for Pete's sake -- but if you're not compromising flavor, you might as well help yourself out a little. :)

For all the chocolate lovers out there, this cookie has THREE kinds of chocolate: cocoa powder, dark chocolate chunks, AND milk chocolate chunks. The cookies explode with gooey chocolate and chewy pecans; they're soft on the inside, and slightly crunchy on the outside. A perfect treat for when you need some chocolate, and only chocolate will do...

~ AND DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE FALL GIVEAWAY ~

** Fall Giveaway **