Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back with another iteration of my favorite treat - cookies! This time I took a seasonal approach to the classic chocolate chip cookie by browning the butter and adding pumpkin puree & pumpkin pie spice. They turned out delicious! The browned butter adds a depth of flavor and richness to every bite. I leaned into the fall season with the pumpkin pie spice, which is subtle but perfectly compliments the chocolate.

ingredients

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg white
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chocolate chips (I used minis)

directions

{1}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small sauce pan, add the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Continue stirring as the butter foams and crackles. When the foaming stops, transfer the butter to a mixing bowl, making sure to scrape all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan to get all of the flavors. Set aside to cool to room temperature (~30 mins). 

{2}

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. On a plate, spread the pumpkin puree and blot with a clean paper towel to remove excess moisture.

{3}

When the butter has cooled, add brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg white, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Whisk until smooth. 

{4}

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

{5}

Gently fold in the chocolate chips, careful not to overmix the dough.

{6}

Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough into balls and place on a baking sheet at least 1-inch apart.

{7}

Bake for 9-10 minutes until the edges are set and golden brown. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these cookies warm :)

Outfits of the Month

 October's outfits featured lots of denim. We got our first cold front mid-month which gave me a chance to pull out some fall pieces.

boho vibes

{embroidered blouse - free people // flare jeans - abercrombie // sandals - dolce vita // denim bag - rebecca minkoff}

fall in florida

{sweater tank - abercrombie // jeans - vici // studded sandals - zara // color block bag - coach}

happy hour

{open back embroidered top - zara // denim shorts - levi's // block sandals - target // bag - coach // sunglasses - free people}

jeans & a tee

{the rolling stones x FSU tee - bows & arrows boutique // jeans - levi's // sandals - target // bag - dooney & bourke}

tweed jacket + flares

{tweed jacket - t.j. maxx // white tee - nordstrom // black flare jeans - abercrombie // black boots - target // cognac bag - dooney & bourke}

colorful crochet

{crochet sweater - vici // jeans - madewell // suede loafers - lucky brand // red bag - tory burch}

cords & chambray

{chambray shirt - cloth & stone // cream corduroy pants - gap // cognac sandals - steve madden // leather hobo bag - zara}

vest with fringe and leopard accents

{vest - cider // ripped jeans - target // leopard mules - target // fringe suede bag - milly}

Kitchen

The kitchen is often referred to as the "heart of the home," and it could not be more true of our house. Not only is it physically in the middle of the floorplan, but it's where I love to be: cooking dinner for my family, dancing with Jack before bed when he was toddler, baking my grammy's cookies, pouring coffee for my husband, mixing up cocktails for a party with friends.

My top priority when we were house hunting, was that I wanted an open floorplan in terms of the kitchen overlooking the living room. I envisioned prepping a meal and being able to keep an eye on Jack playing. I love that our kitchen and living room are adjacent, and it opens up seamlessly to the porch and pool - which is ideal for entertaining!

We have a builder grade home and while I loved the white kitchen and grey herringbone backsplash, I really disliked the hardware when we moved in. A simple and inexpensive swap to matte black cabinet knobs changed the entire feel of the space.

We have a coffee bar on one end of the kitchen with a colorful rug, woven light fixture and oversized clock that ties in the boho touches we have throughout the house, especially in the dining room and den, which are both visible from this nook. 

The rest of the kitchen is neutral with black, white, grey and wood accents. My favorite kitchen hack for an instant upgrade: swap your dish soap and hand soap bottles for beautiful dispensers. I chose amber glass jars from etsy.  Also, the neutral sponge is much more aesthetically pleasing that the traditional green and yellow - and it's sustainable!

Stools at the peninsula are a must. They are the perfect spot for someone keeping me company while cooking or washing dishes, and since they are between the kitchen & living room, it provides extra seating when we have a large group over to watch a football game.

Tallahassee Weekend

Last weekend Jack, Greg, myself and my parents drove up to Tallahassee for a Florida State football game. We camped in my parents RV just 15 minutes away from campus at a beautiful campground on a lake. It was so fun to show Jack where Mom & Dad used to live, including some of our favorite places (Gordo's, Tom Brown Park, Lake Ella).

Our first stop after setting up camp on Friday was dinner at Gordo's. Laidback Cuban food with the BEST fries on the planet. We snagged a picnic table outside on the deck and kept Jack entertained with rounds of tic-tac-toe on the chalk-covered fence.

We got tickets for the FSU vs. Syracuse game on Saturday afternoon. Taking Jack to his first football game at my alma mater was definitely a highlight of my weekend, month, year, and motherhood as a whole! The weather was beautiful and the Noles had a big win! 

On Sunday, the five of us hiked a few miles at Tom Brown and let Jack run around the playground before stopping for lunch. We took a lap around Lake Ella, which was super special, as Greg and I went there on our first date back in 2009! Before heading back to the camper, we swung by Wescott Fountain on campus to snap a picture of Jack at one of the most iconic photo-ops. Back at the campground, we sat around the fire as the sun went down and played eye-spy. 

It was so nostalgic to walk around campus and drive around town and see places Greg and I had lived and visited, as well as the new spots that have popped up in the last decade since I graduated. Reflecting back on when my parents helped me get settled into my dorm room as a freshman, and seeing where my life is now really got me in my feels. Extra grateful for the most amazing parents that guided me, challenged me, and supported me every step of the way on my journey.

One of my favorite traditions is sharing the best part of our day with Jack every night, whether we go around the dinner table or while we're snuggling in bed after a story. We did this each night of the trip, and on the drive back home all five of us picked our favorite part of the weekend. We all said more than one, which proved how much fun we all had, and decided we need to make this an annual trip!

{dinner at Gordo's}

{tic-tac-toe}

{campground dock on Lake Talquin}

{helping Poppy start a fire}

{glamping with patron by the fire // Carl (aka "Clufford") the campground rooster that woke us up every morning}

{little seminole}

{unconquered statue outside Doak Campbell stadium}

{best parents!}

{Jack's first football game!}

{Mom & Dad}

{exploring the trails at Tom Brown park}

{family}

{Jack was such a trooper on our 4 mile hike, especially with some assistance}

{that mischievous grin}

{how cute are they?!}

{mamas with their babies}

{The Buckmans}

{piggy back nap}

{Jack ordered his very first soda at lunch - Shirley Temple!}

{Lake Ella}

{back where it all began}

{Future Nole}

Crockpot Taco Chicken

This is the easiest & tastiest shredded chicken recipe and it only requires 3 ingredients!

It's great to use for:

- taco salad with lots of greens -

- burrito bowls with rice, sour cream, salsa & avocado -

- soft or hard shell taco with all the toppings you love, like lettuce, tomato and guacamole -

ingredients

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 packet of taco seasoning

1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

directions

{1}

Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in the crockpot.

{2}

Sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken breasts.

{3}

Add slices of butter on top.

{4}

Cover and cook on Low (5-7 hours) or on High (3-4 hours).

{5}

Using two forks, shred chicken and serve warm.