Autumn Harvest Spinach Salad with Pears, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Seeds

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This week's theme in the 'I Heart Cooking Clubs' food blogging group is "Autumn Harvest" with Nigella Lawson's recipes. I selected her Spinach Salad with Pumpkin Seeds and Avocados because I just LOVE spinach salad and always serve it for special occasions and holidays. However, I've never made this particular recipe. So I decided to give it a go. And as usual, I made some changes for my own creativity by ADDING sliced pears, dried cranberries, and a cranberry balsamic vinaigrette instead of using Nigella's dressing. These additions truly made this salad more representative of autumn fare!

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Spinach Salad with Pears, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Seeds

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Here's what you need for the salad:

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2 packages of baby spinach leaves

pumpkin seeds

2 sliced pears with peels (my addition)

2 avocados, peeled and cubed

dried cranberries (my addition)
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Here's what you need for the Vinaigrette:

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Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (my substitution for her dressing)

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2 - 3 Tbsp cranberries
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt

fresh ground black pepper to taste
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Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. Adjust ingredients by adding what you prefer.

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Here's what you need to do to prepare the salad:

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Gently wash the spinach leaves with water and gently pat dry with a towel.

Add the avocado to the spinach.

Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds in the spinach.Add dried cranberries to your desired amounts.

Gently toss together well.

Place on individual salad plates and place several slices of the pears on top.

Add more cranberries or pumpkin seeds if desired.

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Either add the vinaigrette and toss lightly all of the ingredients again or pass the vinaigrette around in a pretty bowl or small pitcher for your guests to add their own dressing.

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Pumpkin Brownies That Are Simply Sinful !

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Happy November everyone!
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I want to thank all of you who wrote to me in the last few days. I missed each of YOU TOO! I just read on another blog that the author was 'missing in action' for awhile as she was also unable to post on her blog either . . . I thought that was humorous! Life does get busier at times, doesn't it?
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Well, before you know it, the holidays will be here. So I wanted to share a superb, incredibly cinnamon-y dessert recipe with all of you. I have never given this recipe away to anyone but my kids. I literally had to PRY it out of a friend when I lived in Scottsdale, Arizona back in the '80s.
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My mother says that these pumpkin brownies are simply sinful and that she just can't stop eating them! Personally, I think these are even better than pumpkin pie. These little delights have 3 layers of yumminess: a soft cake-y crust, a very pumpkin pie-like center, and and oh-so-cinnamony-crumb topping. And oh, yes, your kitchen smells better than any of those expensive scented candles! You be the judge if you decide to make them.
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Pumpkin Brownies
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What you'll need for the brownies:
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1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 jumbo egg, beaten
1 small can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 jumbo eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk (I use whole or 2% milk)
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
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Here's what you need to do to make the brownies:
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In an ungreased square baking pan, combine the following:
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the yellow cake mix --- SAVE one (1) cup and set aside for the brownie topping!
1/2 cup melted butter
1 beaten egg
Blend these together and PRESS into the baking pan to form the 'crust' of the brownies.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the following:

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the can of pumpkin

pumpkin pie spice

2 beaten jumbo eggs

the milk

Blend well and pour over the 'crust' layer

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In a small bowl, combine the following:
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the cup of cake mix that was previously set aside

1/4 cup sugar

1 -1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

This is very gum-my, so break it up and sprinkle this on the top of the pumpkin layer.

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Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Serve alone, with vanilla ice cream, or caramel sauce drizzled on top

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I hope that you try this sweet little recipe . . . and if you do, please let me know what you think! And now, I'm going to go and visit your blogs to do some catching up with you!

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Autumn Color on La Bella Vita!

Oh my gosh, October has just been a crazy, busy month for me . . . on top of it being the time of the year when I advise students for spring semester, my parents have been settling into their apartment upstairs where they will begin spending more time with us away from the blistery winters of Iowa. It is wonderful to have them here and to help them in their 'golden years'.
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My mother has been doing alot of the cooking due to my very late days and nights at work, so I have no updates on 'la cucina' (the kitchen) or cooking!
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However, I DO have a few photos that I snapped lately that I just had to share with my nature lovin' friends. Aren't you just loving the eye-popping color that is such a FREE gift and natural treasure to enjoy during autumn?? To be able to capture these fleeting moments of beauty is just a delight!
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So grab a cup of cinnamon tea and take a walk with me around the acreage!

Yesterday, I woke up to this! It was truly a "grab my camera" moment!

My roses are still perfectly in bloom and will be until a hard freeze comes our way.

But, how can you celebrate fall without some happy, cheerful mums?

A close-up of a lovely pink rose bud! Luscious, huh?



When the sun sets, it shines through the leaves of the dogwoods and the reds are so vivid!



This is our Tigger, a 14 year-old grey Tabby, that we took in as a stray about 10 years ago.

He truly does sleep on his back. We have very entertaining pets!



Here's another shot of roses growing through a pergola that hubbie built for my garden.
This was taken just today, yup, October 30th!

Intense color from our young Maple tree (Autumn Blaze).

All of our friends come in the BACK DOOR . . . my parents balcony of their apartment is above the garage. We completed it this spring. It's just so cozy and sweet!

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I just think that this is such a sweet autumn arrangement to greet us

when we come home each day . . .

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I picked it up at a local Hobby Lobby . . .

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I stopped along the Interstate on my commute home to snap this picture.

It is a bit blurry, cuz I took it very quickly while standing on the side of the freeway!

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And lastly, one more view of yesterday's sunrise.

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I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE REMAINING DAYS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SEASON!!!

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