Fall is springing Up :)

When you live somewhere "fall" doesn't show its colorful beauty until months after the place your heart calls home--Oregon, then you've gotta smile and make it "fall" or drive north. We've been up to both.

A trek north to Oak Creek Canyon for the leaf of it:

Need I add a caption?!

Dog Boots--They rocked them. {left them alone}

Some fun decor in the house:

Corks in a Bottle+Fall Branch

Nuts in a Vase + Some *stuff* from other areas of the house

An amazing array of Butternut Squash recipes:

1. Butternut Squash and Kale Orzo with an Avocado Pesto Sauce

Ever put avocado in your food processor?! It isn't pretty, but combined with some pesto (even uglier) it tastes super yummy!! Add in some pepper to taste and dump in with whatever your lil heart desires. My choice was kale and butternut squash, but really the skies the limit--do keep in the mind it makes a rich sauce!

2. You Call It Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza

We LOVE Sunday night pizza night for two reasons, super yummy and the leftovers get Kurt through his 15 hour work/class Monday/Tuesdays. Every Sunday we make a different concoction. It's always Trader Joes whole wheat dough {can't beat their price} and almost always their pesto sauce, although we splurged and bought the Costco pesto jar this last week--pretty tasty.  We change our toppings based on available produce and what needs to be used in the fridge...

Tonight's-In Order of Appearance {bottom to top}
        -thin barely there pesto
        -sprinkled basil and parsley

--Right here I pop my pizza in the oven for 5 minutes to 

cook the crust a bit first, helps avoid soggy bottoms--

        -chicken almost entirely cooked before hand with a lil pesto and a handful of parsley and basil
        -chopped red pepper
        -chopped zucchini
        -baby kale
        -small dollops of pesto
        -pre-sauted butternut squash {in the same pan as the chicken}
        -cheese of your choice- {aim if your aim is healthy choose a lower fat cheese}

--BAKE 375 degrees-- {until golden brown generally 6 minsish after it starts smelling wonderful!}

        -THEN totally new to us brought to you by a local pizza place here in Phoenix add POTATO CHIPS on top!! No, not Lay's potato chips--homemade sweet potato chips. I made these while I prepped the pizza. Kurt sliced {perfectly} sweet potatoes..he's my chopper..I hate that job. Then I spread them on an olive oil clad broiler pan. Sprayed them with olive oil from our Misto, sprinkled on some sea salt and popped em in the oven at 375. Finished them off with the broiler. I don't do timers...SORRY no help with that part.

DELISH!

Do you have a favorite healthy *real food* fall meal?!

Happy Fall Ya'all!

<3 Melissa, ZZB

P.S. If you have leftovers I reheat on the stove with a lid to get the crunchy bottom back--I almost like it better the next day! I also reheated by sweet potato chips this same way-worked to get their crunch back :)