I’m no chef. The extent of meals I can make successfully is frozen dishes from Trader Joe’s and the occasional grilled cheese. To give myself some credit, I can follow a recipe decently well. But finding recipes is a whole other dilemma.
Recently, however, I’ve been finding myself in a what you could call ~domestic~ mood that has called for me to be a responsible adult and get experimental in the kitchen. Now, we’re not talking about a full-blown meal kind of experimental, but I roasted pumpkin seeds today by myself and they were DELICIOUS. Given the only ingredients, I needed were pumpkin seeds, butter, and salt- it was still a rewarding experience.
I went to a farm in Gainesville, Georgia, with the intention of getting lost in a corn maze (which I did) and picking out a pumpkin for me and my friend to carve. The carving was a bit more difficult than expected, but we did have fun scooping out pumpkin seeds, chasing each other with our gooey, orange hands, and ultimately roasting the pumpkin seeds as the fruit of our hard, hard labor.
The point is: the process of making pumpkin seeds was not only fun but extremely easy and therapeutic. There’s a reason why people cook, and not to be dramatic (I’m dramatic), but I’ve just discovered it. FOOD THERAPY.
So without further ado, here’s a list of yummy fall (stay seasonal kiddies) snacks that will fill your stomach & give you a little break from the stress of midterm season :)
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Pumpkin seeds…need I explain? This is an extremely simple recipe of only three ingredients, but you can add anything from pepper to cinnamon and sugar to spice these bad boys up.
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Baked apples. I made these all the time growing up; this is the most simple, delicious, and natural dessert out there.
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Home-made granola is not only simple and delicious, but you can add nearly any of your favorite fruits to this dish and it will still taste good. I recommend apples & cinnamon because I’m obsessed with all things related to fall.
- Sticking with oats, pumpkin oatmeal cookies are to die for and a perfect treat to make with your friends. If you want easy, Trader Joe’s has a pumpkin chocolate chunk oatmeal cookie mix that I have tried (and approved) myself. But my mom made the most amazing three-ingredient pumpkin oatmeal cookies growing up, and you can’t go wrong with something this simple:
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Spiced nuts!!! My mom made these for me as a kid (can you see a trend here?) and there is truly nothing that brings me more joy. All you need are some nuts, your favorite spices, and a little love (or sugar either work), and you have a healthy, protein-rich snack to keep you full while you run back and forth to class.