Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

I absolutely love food, especially all the warm soups and goodies that come along with the Autumn season. I know that I will never be on the same level as my mother or sister when it comes to chef-ing it up, but I am actually a pretty good cook. That being said, I also try and make the healthiest possible versions of things. I got into the fall spirit this weekend, so I present to you, Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes. The serving size was more than enough for Anthony and I with a couple of pancakes to spare.

What you will need  

Batter
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch salt
1/2 cup Truvia & Sugar blend
2/3 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup fat free milk 

Toppings 
Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt
Maple Syrup
Chopped Walnuts
Apple Pie Spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice)

I love that you can by Truvia already blended and ready for baking!

Preheat your oven to 350 in preparation for toasting the walnuts. Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl so they are well blended. Then add the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and milk. The batter will be kind of an intimidating orange! I also used fresh eggs from my mother's chickens......I haven't purchased eggs from a store in forever because they just do not compare! Plus, they are colorful and gorgeous :)

Heat a skillet or large pan with oil of your choice over medium heat. Spoon the batter into the pan spreading to your desired size and shape. These cook a little bit differently than regular pancakes as they don't start to bubble when they are ready to flip. Keep a close eye on them and when they begin to brown on one side, give them a careful flip because the batter on top will still be a little loose. 

While they are cooking, coarsely chop your walnuts. I didn't have a quantity here because it's really a preference. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet, sprinkle with apple pie spice, and place in the oven. I didn't time them, I just monitored them since I was standing in front of the oven flipping the pancakes. You will know they are done when they're aroma starts to fill the room and they begin to brown. 

Finally, plate up your pancakes and add your desired toppings. I went with some vanilla honey greek yogurt and walnuts, while Anthony chose some maple syrup and walnuts. The pumpkin puree kept them so moist and the texture was fluffy. I will definitely be making these again before the fall season is over. 

Enjoy!

E.

October Shopping List

Hey Everybody! In an effort to save even more money to buy my dream car (haven't figured out exactly what that is yet), I have given myself a monthly shopping budget. This includes both
fashion and interior purchases. My budget is $350 and these, or versions of these, are the
things I have decided that I just cannot live without. I try and buy things that can all somehow
coordinate with each other so they go a lot further in my wardrobe.

Have a wonderful evening!

E.

October Shopping List by ebislee featuring a brown faux fur vest

Not your ordinary fall decor

Hey Guys! Short little share about my autumn decor style.I am not really into the traditional fall/Halloween decor with the leaves scattered, and pumpkins with faces. I have little bit of a different take, as I do with all things, and gave it my own style.

I picked up a few mercury glass pieces on sale at Hobby Lobby as well as this sweet little owl. I don't know why, but I have a thing for owls.

I used a mirror we had lying around the house and painted the entire thing with chalkboard paint. Picked up some chalk, a candle and a little burlap  pumpkin from Hobby Lobby and went to town. I have this hanging in our entry, right by the front door to greet people as they come in. 

This not so little man thought that he needed to be in the photo shoot as well. He seriously loves having his picture taken! 'I pose'

More to come, dear friends! Until then, Happy Fall!

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Oh, Northern Michigan

Autumn is definitely one of favorite my times of year. I LOVE to make homemade soups, I am addicted to Pumpkin Spice coffee, well coffee in general.......and I guess anything pumpkin spice as well. Having Murphy around this year is even better because it forces me to take even more walks in the crisp fall air. 

So, this past weekend we attended an event hosted by a great local charity and Murphy go to go too! Feeding America West Michigan hosted the Million Meal March to raise money for the food bank. We hiked a 10K down the gorgeous White Pine Trail on one of the most beautiful fall mornings possible. 

Jacket and Pants -Lululemon Shoes - Nike 

Oh, my boys

After we finished up the hike, we made quick stop to Costco, then headed up North to my parent's house for the weekend. Cadillac was hosting a Craft Brew Festival and Car Show, which is right up my family's alley. My sister, Ginny, is also working at a new brew pub in Cadillac that just opened last week, so we wanted to check that out as well!

Murph was slightly exhausted have his 6 mile adventure 

My Parents, Anthony and I made our way to the craft beer festival and enjoyed some brews. My favorites were the oatmeal stout from New Holland Brewing and the Screamin Pumpkin Ale (of course) from Griffin Claw Brewing Co. 

Mother and I

Scarf - Meijer / Jacket - United Colors of Benetton / Black Maxi Dress - Forever 21 / Tote - Coach 

After a couple of beers, we were feeling great so decided to head across the street to visit Ginny and have her cook us some dinner! Clam Lake Beer Co. is a place that Cadillac needed desperately, and they have done a fantastic job! I had the Black and Blue Burger which was phenomenal. Ginny even cooked it well done for me! After a couple more beers, well not for Dad, he was the DD, we headed back to the house to hang with the dogs. 

We got up the next morning and went on a long walk through the property which is my favorite part of home. Getting away from the city and just going for a walk in the woods is something my soul needs every once in a while. these photos just do not do it justice. 

 Frolicking with his cousin, Sheba.

He is definitely a water dog

He had a great time with his cousin dogs and slept the whole way back home

I always enjoy hanging out with my parents, I find them to be absolutely hilarious. This was a much needed getaway weekend from the craziness of Grand Rapids.

Thanks for stopping by!

E.

Andddddd I'm back

So I know that I have not posted in WAY too long, I apologize for my temporary hiatus! I have gone on so many little adventures since my last post, but I don't dare try and cover them all, so from now on I will be much consistent.... I am sure you were so very worried about my whereabouts. 

I will start with a wonderful weekend that Anthony, Murphy and I had a few weeks ago. Sometimes just hanging around your city and exploring some local places you have always said you wanted to go is all you need to make a normal, hang out weekend into something spectacular. I took my little Murphy man for a Friday evening walk around downtown and across the newly re-opened blue bridge. He is such a little investigator and LOVES going on adventures.

Murphy man will always pose for me. Such a ham.

The following morning I made some pretty delicious sweet potato hash, enjoyed a cuppa coffee and watched a few episodes of The Walking Dead to get ourselves caught up for the October 13 season premiere! We always have a show that we are watching from the beginning and the list currently includes, The Walking Dead (Duh), Heroes, and Glee. I have seen all of Glee but I am beyond stoked that Anthony has decided to join my 'Gleek' status. 

We left the house and headed to East Grand Rapids for a little antiquing! We took my truck on the off chance that I found a dresser or entry table (which are on my interior design needs list). We found that East Town was hosting an arts fair so we walked around for a bit and enjoyed the sunshine. Then we headed into East Town Antiques where I found a couple of FANTASTIC, heavy duty coffee mugs. They had an array of colors so made Anthony choose his favorite and I chose mine. Now our weekend mornings can be spent all cute with our matching mugs. Anthony is stoked I am sure.

We then walked over to Harmony Brewing company, another place I have been dying to go, to enjoy one of their in house brews. It was everything I thought it would be, and more! I enjoyed a Black Squirrel smokey porter. It was described to me as a bloody mary beer, and I was immediately sold. Anthony chose the Crossroads Rye which was very tasty as well. The icing on the cake was when I decided to order the Hot Bacon Nuts. Lord have mercy, that's all I have to say about that. 

Harmony Brewing Company

It was such a beautiful sunny day, and I couldn't help but bust out my plaid button up from The Gap. I mean it is fall now.....kind of. I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather spend the day with than Anthony. He's a gem! 

After leaving Harmony, we walked around a little more then headed to a couple more places I have been wanting to stop. Rowster Coffee and Wealthy Street Bakery. I will most definitely be stopping by these places again and can't believe how long it took me to check them out! 

I have lived all over the United States and the World for that matter, and I have been guilty of not taking full advantage of where I am living. I don't want to ever want to say something like this again, 'I lived in Florida but for some reason, we never made it down to Disney World'. I have my travel pants on and I am ready. Let's go!

Thanks for stopping by!  

E.

The Latest Additions to the O'Brien Clan

One of my very close friends, Liz, gave birth to her twin girls this past Saturday! I met her when I started working at MLive over a year and a half ago, and we have been the best of friends ever since. She is truly a great friend, and I am so thankful for her. She and her husband, Dave, have an amazing 2 year old son, Aidan. I still remember when he first learned to walk and was truly upset about his hands being covered in cake at his first birthday. Now he is a big brother and he is going to take such good care of his little sisters.

Meet Ainsley Quinn and Reagan Elizabeth

I have not had the pleasure of meeting them yet, but I am waiting on pins and needles. 

These ladies are going to be beyond spoiled! 

Please take a second to enjoy the cuteness, because I know I do! This little family is truly blessed and so am I to have them as a part of my life. 

Nicci's Bachelorette Party

So, this past weekend, my friend Nicci had her bachelorette party here in good ole' Grand Rapids. Nicci and I have been friends since we were Sophomores/Juniors High School, which I shamefully admit was 9 years ago. OUCH! Back to the point, she is getting MARRIED! We all met up at the Courtyard Marriott to engage in some drunken, bachelorette debauchery.

We had a BLAST and I definitely had more than my fair share of wine and champagne. Fortunately Sunday  didn't call for too much of a recovery day because of my secret weapons. What are those weapons, you ask? Chia seeds and coconut water! I take a tablespoon of chia seeds with water before I drink any alcohol. They keep you hydrated because they hold onto moisture. Then coconut water the next day because it is full of so many vitamins and minerals. I am not saying I felt 100% the next day, but I was completely functional, which I definitely wouldn't have been otherwise. 

We had to play at least one penis game! 

Emily and I at Mojo's Dueling Piano Bar

Jess got a little fresh at dinner. 

Needless to say, we had an amazing time, and I absolutely cannot wait for Nicci's wedding!! 

My Murphy

I cannot believe I have had my little man for 8 weeks! He has more than doubled in size and personality. 

 Little man at 5 weeks! Such a little fur ball!

 Taking a little napski, which was a frequent occurrence as an 8 week old pup. I miss his extended naps!

Handsome muffin at 9 weeks!

'but momma, i wants to cuddle wif you. Don't put me in muh house'

Spent the day hanging out with my parents' labs up north at 11 weeks. The black lab is Hank and the chocolate lab is Zeke. I think they were happy to see the little tail biter leave.

Just chilling with Mom on a Sunday afternoon at 12 weeks. 'You crazy mom, you crazy'

It's a seal pup!

My cuddle buddy when I came down with the flu.
'I tink you would feel betters if you shared dose crackers'

Took a beautiful walk over the the Gerald R. Ford Museum. Mostly to wear him out, but he had a great time chasing leaving and trying to eat duck poop. Thanks to Audrey Lou for the thought of taking a family photo. I love my boys.

I am a crazy dog mom, so you can count on many posts like this one :)

A glimpse into my interior design addiction

As I previously stated, I am going to periodically posting my interior design projects because it is an extreme passion of mine. A few months ago, I moved into a downtown GR loft with my college roommate, Audrey. Let me just say, living with someone you previously lived with, harmoniously, is amazing! She has given me complete creative liberty with our interior decor, so here it goes!

Audrey Lou!

Any who, here are a couple of projects I have proudly accomplished so far. 

With as high as our ceilings are, I was able to fit this enormous framed photograph above our cabinets. It really draws the eye up toward the ceiling. Also with it being such a large space, I layered multiple pieces with different colors and patterns to give it some depth. I love that mine and Audrey's things coordinated so well!

With my Dad's help, we successfully built this headboard out of reclaimed barn wood we had laying around our property. I am absolutely in love with the contrast between it and my white bedding. I also purchased the Ralph Lauren throw pillows from Marshalls, and they add to the layered complexity! (this photo is from my old apartment,  but i loved the shot)

Here is the headboard in my new apartment, Even with the large scale of the headboard, the high ceilings make it look much smaller. I wanted to carry through the theme of rough sophistication, so I decided to cover multiple canvases in burlap and other patterns to fill in the blank space on my massive walls. 

I mixed patterns, shapes and sizes here and I am very happy with the end result. Obviously I ironed out the wrinkles in the burlap later. I just took the fabric and cut it to size, and attached it to the back of the wooden frame with a nail gun. Surprisingly, Murphy didn't even flinch at the loud, consistent pops of the nail gun. He's a stud.  

I absolutely love mason jars! So with the limited storage in our loft, I found this shelf (1 of 3 peices) and the matching coat rack to hang underneath. It makes for easy access to items we use everyday. Our loft is a handicapped unit so under the sink is open without a cabinet, so in an effort to keep things organized, I am coming up with creative ways to store things out in the open. 

Thanks for stopping by and there will be much more to come, so stay tuned!

Let's get this started.

For those who do not know me well, my mind is like a squirrel running on an ever-moving wheel. A squirrel is way cuter than a hamster, and also is much closer to my state of mind. Before you shy away, let me explain myself further. 

My name is Elizabeth, or Ebis (Ee-bis). Long story short, my older sister could not say 'Elizabeth' when I was born, so Ebis is what came out of her 2 year old mouth. Let's just say, it stuck. I still go by Elizabeth when interacting with clients in my professional life as an Advertising Account Executive, but my sales team has jumped on that Ebis train.

I am first and foremost, an Army Brat. The hardest question anyone can ask me is 'where are you from?' That right there is a loaded question my friend. My usual response is 'Well, my Dad was in the Army but we moved to McBain Michigan when I was in 10th grade.' I have lived all over the place but for the most part I grew up in the south. The most exciting of locations were being born in Honolulu, Hawaii and living in England for 2 years. I LOVE to travel; be it a 9 day trip with 17 friends to Costa Rica, a short trip to Disney world with my boyfriend, Anthony, or a weekend trip to see my beloved Atlanta Braves play at Turner Field with my friend Amber. 

My mother, Bonnie, is an extremely talented interior designer and I like to think I have inherited her keen eye for design. My father, Phillip, is a retired Army Lt. Colonel and is a sales executive. My sister, Virginia (Ginny), is a PHENOMENAL chef that I could never live up to, but I try! 

To sum things up, you can expect to see posts on interior design, fashion, working out, cooking, travel, friends, family, downtown living, Murphy (my 7 week yellow lab that I am picking up in 2 days) and the overall shenanigans. 

Enjoy!