Pumpkin Pie Brownies and other goodies

Happy November!  Wow, where has this year GONE???  My apologizes for my lack of posts lately.  Work and life has been busy and the last thing I've felt like doing here lately is blogging.  Lately I have more enjoyed reading all my favorite blogs than actually doing on myself. :)  Thankfully, the hubs and I are actually enjoying a weekend at home.  Ahhh, it feels so good.  I love traveling, but man, it is exhausting!

Last weekend I was in South Carolina with an old college friend at the AFPA personal trainer's conference.  It was amazing.  Seriously, the most fun and educational event I've ever been to.  I have always known that I am in the right profession, but after this conference I was even more convinced that I am where I'm supposed to be.  This is SUCH a great feeling.  The conference was at the beach and it went from 8 am to 5:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.  My friend Lindsey and I were wiped out at the end of those days.  She works for Verizon corporate in SC, so we enjoyed talking about corporate fitness and the perks of that.  Love, love, love my job.

The hubs has been a travelin' fool with work, so I haven't been doing as much cooking.  When it's just me for dinner I will eat leftovers or make eggs, a sandwich, a salad or some other weird concoction. haha.  We are going out to dinner with our neighbors tonight, but I had to work late last night, so I didn't want us to go out to eat when I got off work.  Therefore, yesterday morning before work I popped some chicken in the crock pot.  When I got home from work the hubs opened the vino (ahhh!), I made a side salad for us and voile...dinner was served.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion 
• 4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 lb.) 
• 2 cups baby carrots 
• 1/4 cup chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided 
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 6 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs

Preparation

• 1. Halve onion lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place onion in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker; top with potatoes and carrots.
• 2. Combine broth, next 3 ingredients, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Pour over vegetables.
• 3. Combine paprika and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; rub over chicken. Arrange chicken on top of vegetables.
• 4. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

 *Sprinkle Garlic Salt and any other spices/herbs to your desire once served.

Also before I left work yesterday I made these amazing Pumpkin Pie Brownie 'Cupcakes' from a blog I love, "Oh She Glows."  I wanted something sweet for us to eat this weekend, yet didn't want it to be totally unhealthy.  At least these are a little better for you than the typical brownie. ;)  Plus, obvi. they have pumpkin in them....my little obsession.

Want to know my other latest obsession?  My new iPhone 4s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Totally LOVE this phone.  And, to make things even better, I just discovered Instagram.  If you have an iPhone and don't have this app GET IT NOW.  So amazing.  Both of these photos came from my phone.  Love it!  

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  

*Do you use a Crock Pot?  I LOVE Crock Pots but don't use it enough.  If you have any favorite Crock Pot recipes, please send them my way.  

**Do you have an iPhone?  Let me know what your favorite app's are!