Healthy Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Today marks the beginning of Dead Week.

Basically, we have a week of no lectures or labs (hence dead) which we are supposed to use to prepare for exams and finals (also an appropriate meaning for dead).

Stress levels are beginning to creep up.

Tensions are high.

Okay, so I'm being a little over dramatic, but you catch my drift.

In order to keep myself sane, I've been in "feel good mode." Which means 3 things:
- hanging with friends
- eating good food
- enjoying some gorgeous runs

Sundays are usually my long recovery runs -- which I've recently been splitting in to two parts, since I've now found some unfortunate souls who are too nice to reject me when I beg them to go running with me! I ended up doing an easy 12 miles and my legs felt great.

First of all, it's freezing so ignore a very attractive picture of me in my "snow gear."

I started off with an easy 6.5 miles on one of my regular never-fails-to-entertain-me routes, then met up with a coworker to do another 5.5 to this gorgeous look out point, where you can see the entire Bay Area.  We timed it perfectly so the sun was setting and we could still see the skyline... gorgeous.

I didn't mean to run that much, but what's a girl to do?  I had plans to meet up with my favorite ladies, and Annie's brothers who are visiting from Ohio, for dinner, so I headed home and completed one of my shower-in-under-3-minutes-and-throw-on-some-clothes routines.

Where did we go?

An old favorite: OUR MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT!

All of us ordered the Middle Eastern Sampler Plate: chicken pomegranate, spinach and feta filo roll, a lamb and cinnamon filo roll, a levant sandwich, hummus, and a side salad topped with feta and tomato vinaigrette. YUM.  Annie and I ordered double salad instead of rice -- good call, because that tomato vinaigrette is kind of my jam.

I think her brothers were happy with our choice, because we all finished our plates.
Yeah, never doubt the size of my stomach... Especially after a 12 mile run.

So... Annie's brother, Will, has a sweet tooth (I've asked him multiple times if we're related) soooo we started having the dessert conversation half way through our entrees.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a mug of hot vanilla tea on the side?

What? You mean people usually share their desserts?  I guess I missed that social norm...

I finished off my cake and nearly licked the plate clean.

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Okay, now we finally get to the Pumpkin Pie Pudding recipe!!

I just made you sit through insignificant details about my life first - I figured I'd put the recipe at the end so I'd trick you guys into reading about my day.  smart.

Anyways, I saw a recipe for no bake pumpkin pie and I definitely wanted to try it out!  Then, I saw a recipe for pumpkin pie mousse which also intrigued me...

So, after taste testing and messing around in the kitchen... I created a hybrid of the two:

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Pudding!

 source.

Ingredients:
- 1 can of pumpkin puree
- 1 package of sugar free butterscotch pudding
- 1/2 package of sugar free vanilla pudding
- a 1/2 cup of milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk) *
- 1 cup of plain yogurt *
- Cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste

* feel free to omit the yogurt (I was just trying it out but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't taste any different) Also, if you want to add more milk to thin it out, go ahead!

Instructions: mix it all together and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes!  You'll get a thick pudding that tastes great with toppings and whipped cream!

I've been topping mine with fat-free cool whip and some Fiber One honey grahams cereal (tastes exactly like pie crust!) genius.

This recipe is great for those of you who are looking for sugar-free dessert options!

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!

Back to Normal and a New Record

HAPPY SATURDAY!

I've been hearing some funny comments about my Napa recaps from you all --
The most common: "How did you manage to eat all of that?!?!"

and... "you're not 21...."
Guilty.

Well, I'd be lying to you if I said that I didn't walk away from this trip a few pounds heavier (true story), but more surprising has been the weird after-effects of all those desserts, the trays of pate and cheese... those glasses of wine.

I feel like I need to detox! like that'll ever happen. So, instead... This week has been spent eating what I usually eat: oatmeal, salads, rice pudding & froyo -- you were spared some pretty boring pictures, believe me!

However, since last night was FRIDAY NIGHT -- aka, the end of our lectures for the semester and the last chance to enjoy yourself before finals hell -- I decided to celebrate the only way I know how: with good food and great friends!

Lisa and I met up with Lee and begged him to take us to "Asian Heaven," which is basically some massive mall/complex that is made up of every kind of "Asian" restaurant, bakery, grocery store you could imagine....

Lisa & I were craving a huge bowl of soup, so Lee took us to his favorite noodle place!

We placed our orders and decided to expose Lisa to all the joys of Asian delicacies -- starting with an appetizer of fried fish cakes and picked cabbage
 

I don't know what it is about fried anything but I'm always a huge fan :)

Plus the words "fish cakes" just make you salivate on command - right?  Growing up in a half-asian household has made me immune to the weirdness of some delicious dishes!

Lee taught us all the tricks to sauce mixing.  Apparently, it's an art form.

I decided to satisfy my comfort food craving with a huge bowl of NOODLE SOUP!  Veggie noodle soup with added beef balls and rice noodles.  The soup was amazing.  Mine was filled with tofu, fresh broccoli, cabbage, and carrots!  Plus I loovvee Asian broths - so light and flavorful!

Lisa also ordered a massive bowl of soup! But she got the tender beef noodle soup with rice noodles and from what I hear, she enjoyed it immensely :)

I don't know how I forgot to snap a picture of Lee's meal!  It was yummmmy, although I'm still glad I ordered my "light soup twice the size of my head."  Lee got the stir-fried version of our meal -- rice noodles, some sort of sauce, and seafood!  I'm glad he shared, that's all I have to say.

SO, being a dessert fanatic, we made Lee point us in the direction of any dessert in Asian Heaven.  Um, I don't think I've ever felt more Asian in my life...

There was a menu with a million different desserts - half of which I couldn't figure out/pronounce.  Some with ingredients I doubt I would ever put in my mouth (tadpole...?) although, you never know.

We finally decided to order a "Vanilla parfait with brownie,"which sounded safe enough.  We weren't disappointed, we were just surprised by the creative add-ins.  We found ourselves digging into a sundae with cornflakes, chocolate syrup, jello, bananas, boba.... it was an adventure.

Then, we ordered chocolate ice with brownies, banana, red bean, and condensed milk.  Um... literally felt like we were eating chocolate air with a side of red beans and nanners?  GOOD but weird!!!!

I, once again, failed to take a picture of our last dessert --- Lee ordered the Mango GiGi with cold noodles.  First of all, what the heck is gigi? and second... there was a hay-like substance in the "gigi." Yeah.... we let Lee enjoy that one.

After we had a few good laughs, we drove around and enjoyed the Christmas decorations around our town while singing some classics. 

I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME!!!! And food... and friends... in that order (sorry, family, you're just not making the list this year ;) We came back to my apartment and laughed hysterically to Bridesmaids on DVD!!!!

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This morning, keeping up with my "getting back to normal" theme -- I was excited to lace up my sneakers for my weekly fun day, run day!!  Gotta love those long runs!

So, I started off my morning around 8:30 with my typical bowl of oats!
1/2 cup of oats, a handful of blueberries, some almond milk and a few crumbled walnuts

After finishing my oatmeal, drinking my amazing new Godiva Cinnamon Gingerbread Truffle coffee!! and catching up on some blogs, I was ready to go!

I had a goal of 15 miles in mind - my longest distance yet - and I was surprised when it was easy and enjoyable.  I've missed my usual long route through my favorite neighborhoods and up my never-ending hills! I literally don't think I stopped smiling the entire time...

Those endorphins must have kicked in after mile .2 

Confession: I really need to start fueling/hydrating properly, seeing as I still don't carry any water or fuel with me on my runs.  I finished 15.5 miles at around a 9 minute mile pace and then got ready for lunch!

SALAD BEAST: A whole heart of a Romaine lettuce head, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, sundried tomato and basil fat free feta, garlic salt, and a trader joes veggie masala burger! OH MY FIBER.  It was amazing.

I also made a batch of pumpkin mousse/filling/pudding...
I'll have to give you details later!!

Glad to be back to my usual routine :)

Final Napa Recap!

We have finally arrived at the last days of my Napa trip - recap!!
I know, it's basically old news.... but there are some seriously drool-worthy pics that you need to see.  Better late than never?

This whole "back to school, back to reality thing" has actually kept me busy :(
and rather depressed. 

I've been nursing my post-Napa, post-Momma homesickness with oreos, peanut butter, and pancakes (is there another cure out there?)

Okay.  Let's back track to Saturday night!!

After our longer-than-planned hike through God-knows-where... and some fabulous winery tours, we headed back to the B&B to rest up before dinner. 

Mom has a serious weakness for pizza, so we made sure to book reservations at Oenotri in Downtown Napa -- we heard they had great, thin crust pizza!

After reading some reviews, I was convinced we had to try out their homemade selection of "meats" -- there were blood sausages, pastrami, pate, pork belly.... I tried it all!! and I was impressed!

Then, we decided to indulge Mom's pizza tooth with an order of Spicy Sausage and Pepper thin crust pizza with fresh mozzarella.  Yum.  To be honest, I've had better pizza, but any carb is my friend.  So, who was I to complain?

We decided (with help from our server) to order two desserts and split:
Chocolate bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. 
 

Cannolis filled with orange blossom ricotta cheese and topped with golden raisins and honey. 
 

Want to hear something seriously depressing?  The desserts were NOT good.  Sure, they were sweet & yeah, maybe we ate them... but they were not up to our usual standard of excellence (hello, you're talking to the girl with the biggest sweet tooth known to man)

So, after paying and walking out....
We walked right next door to Normal Rose Tavern, right up to the server, and asked if they have desserts that would blow us away.  BOY, DID THEY EVER.

Sour cherry bread pudding with a Guinness Anglaise. OH MY GOODNESS.  I dominated this baby... Maybe that Guinness made me drunk off its deliciousness?

We also ordered an Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter and Chocolate Blondie Sundae topped with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, and peanuts.  Um.  Need I say more?  I'm pretty sure Mom didn't talk to me for the entire 5 minutes it took her to destroy that dessert :)

Yeah, I told you -- when I'm on "vacation," my healthy living standards morph into eat-everything-in-sight standards.  Believe me, the only part of me that was complaining was my extremely full tummy!!

I woke up and went on another beautiful 10 miler around Napa before heading down for breakfast.
Can you believe I worked up an appetite after that dinner/dessert combo?

Well, I suppose 10 miles on an empty stomach will do that to you...
We split the B&B's brunch specialties, but only ate what we wanted -- gotta save room for lunch :)

Baked Apple with Fresh Cream and Strawberries. 
 

Blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup.
 

Heuvos Rancheros with fresh avocado and sour cream! 

Mom and I picked our way through breakfast -- and a few cups o' coffee -- before she unveiled our plans for the day. Two words that never fail to excited me (no, all-you-can-eat buffet exceeds the word count, people) --  OUTLET MALL.

We packed up, checked out, and headed to the Napa Valley Premium Outlets for some splurging and some Christmas shopping -- we managed to nab the Black Friday deals, too! SCORE.

Mom.  Dork.

Once 12:30 rolled around, we knew it was time for another reservation at another famous restaurant - I know, tough life.  We had reservations and high expectations for Ad Hoc in Yountsville!

"For temporary relief from hunger..."

It was a brunch prix-fix meal for two.
Starting with the Wedge Salad and warm, homemade raisin and nut bran muffins with honey butter. You can guess what I immediately reached for...

Next up was some classy Steak and Eggs -- tri tip with farm-fresh scrambled eggs, a side of delacata squash and swiss chard, and smashed fingerling potatoes.

To end our meal on a sweet note, we had grown up Cookies and Cream -- fresh chocolate chip cookies and coffee ice cream.  Oh yes.

I would sign up for Santa Claus if it guaranteed me cookies this good everytime I hauled my ass down a chimney... 

We strolled around one of the prettiest towns... and hopped back in the car for some more wine time!

It was Casey's nap time, so I snoozed for a quick 25 minutes, while Mom drove around and enjoyed the views.  Hello, food coma after food.. that's how it works.

Our first stop was Opus One.  Um, for all you wine-o's out there.  Be jealous.
Not only of that gorgeous view, but of that delicious glass of Cab Sav!

I think it was one of the prettiest views I've been blessed with (no, I'm not talking about my mom... although she's not too bad on the eyes either).

The wine might have helped things.

We drove to Caymus (unpictured) and Stag's Leap -- for my Grandpa.  It was his favorite wine!

I also declared that I will be getting married at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.... As soon as I find a husband.  Save the date.

Instead of heading back to my college town...
We decided to make the most of our last night of freedom, and made reservations at Brix!

Of course, their known for their gorgeous view of vineyards -- but since it was night time and all... I was left to appreciate the yummy food instead. Bummer.

We went with our usual plan of action: order a million appetizers and then a million desserts.

Tempura veggies: beans, squash, zucchini, and eggplant with a chipotle aioli.

Spicy tomato and sausage pizza on a thin crust, topped with carmelized onions and thinly-sliced yukon potatoes. Um, sorry Oenotri, you lose this battle.

A side order of Truffle and Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese.
HOLY MOLY.  This will be present at my last meal -- take note.

Just to give you an indication of our ridiculousness when it came to ordering desserts, at one point, the manager of the restaurant came over and told us that their pastry chef loves us because he got to try out almost all the dishes on the dessert menu.  great.  we're those people. 

First up: Warm Brioche Bread Pudding with apples, berries, almonds, and vanilla bean ice cream.   Yeah, no complaints there. Nailed it!

Panna cotta custard on a bed of chopped nuts and apples -- like fall was reincarnated in a dessert!

Our last minute addition: Chocolate duo -- warm, chocolate lava cake with chocolate gelato, espresso grounds, and vanilla creme. 
 

So, if you had to guess just how amazing our last day of Girl's Weekend was....

Could it have gotten any better??
I would say I'm still recovering from all those desserts and the sheer volume of food we consumed.  But that's a lie.  Now I'm recovering from a late-night diner trip with the girls!

It never ends.

Gotta love final's week -- it's an excuse to wear sweatpants for a week straight and eat anything you want because you're "stressed"

Well, I hope you guys get a chance to make it out to Napa -- It was one of the best times of my life!  And I got to share it with my mom and with you all!