Health & Fitness

PUMPKIN SPICE PANTRY COOKIES

I name these ‘pantry’ cookies because I determined their ingredients by what I had left in my pantry 🙂 resourceful and delicious! 

 

 


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These are derived from my love for peanut butter, pumpkin spice, fall, and well… cookies, duh! Disclaimer: these are not “healthy healthy”. Meaning they are vegan, etc. but they still have a solid amount of sugar. So, maintain self control when they come out of the oven. Just a little. 

The only peanut butter product that I use in my baking is Nuts ‘N More, because of their high protein, low sugar and fat. I know, it’s not natural, etc. but if you knew how much peanut butter I eat and cook with, well then it’s worth it! I’m not kidding. I think I lost one or two pounds just by switching out peanut butter products. Hmmm, is that too much pb? 

 

 


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You can mix up the goodies in these as you please! If you don’t care for vegan chocolate or carob or cacao, you can mix in other types of chocolate. Same with the dried fruit. Don’t care for dates? Maybe try raisins! 

 

 


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PUMPKIN SPICE PANTRY COOKIES

// makes 18 – 20 medium cookies//

1 cup sugar 

1 cup Nuts N More Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 1/3 cup oat flour 

1/3 c rolled oats

1 1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chunks 

1/4 cup sliced almonds 

1/4 cup pitted and chopped medjool dates (about 3)

 

Preheat the oven to 350º and prepare two baking sheets. Either with parchment paper or baking spray. 

Cream together the peanut butter and the sugar in a stand mixer until well combined. Add in the vanilla extract while it’s mixing. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. 

Fold the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture until completely combined. Wet your hands to spoon about 20 balls of dough. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown on top.

*They do not fall like normal cookies, so don’t bak too far. The longer they bake the harder they get because of their sugar-consistency. They may feel soft, but as they cool they will continue to cook and harden. 


Health & Fitness

MORNING OATMEAL CUPS

I cannot count the number of times I have made this recipe

 

 


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Because it would be… well, a lot. 

And for good reason! This recipe is very healthy, and most importantly? It’s a great on-the-go option for your busy morning. But my favorite part has to be how it is so easy to pair with your favorite yogurt! It serves as the perfect little cup to turn your boring breakfast into a delicious and healthy on-the-go parfait! 

 

 


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Parfait’s usually are not as healthy as you think! Those cups full of yogurt and topped with some type of fruit goo that you find at airports, cafe’s, sometimes even the grocery stores? STAY AWAY! Please!! Those things ruin the concept of the parfait! Seriously. 

Not only is the serving WAY too big, but the yogurt is likely not the healthiest choice; chalk-full of sugar, and very little protein. And the fruit goo? Well, does the word ‘goo’ not say it all? Top this dish with some fresh blueberries and you’re done! Don’t even get me started on the granola. Again, so much sugar!

By eating this first thing in the morning you are setting your taste-buds up for a sweet disaster for the rest of the day. These morning cups have so little sugar, and all natural from honey and banana. Nothing else added! 

 

 


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My favorite yogurt to add to this delicious meal? Siggi’s!! I’m sure you’ve seen them in the grocery store, as they are getting more and more popular by the day. But this yogurt is the one you want! No, it’s not vegan, not made of almonds or coconuts. It’s yogurt! Just yogurt! 

Do me a favor and pick up your usual Chobani flavor-of-choice, pick up a similar flavor of the Siggi’s in the fridge section of the grocery store. Compare the sugar, compare the protein, compare the carbs. You’ll be stunned. 

Everyone thinks that grabbing that greek yogurt on their way out of the gym is the right choice. Trotting down the sidewalk thinking that they are putting the perfect thing into their body to replenish their work out. Welllllllll….. unless you’ve got a Siggi’s in your hand? I hate to tell you that you are sadly mistaken. 

So make these cups! Try this yogurt! See what a filling, healthy, and satisfying breakfast looks ike! 


MORNING OATMEAL CUPS

// makes 12 cups //

Dry ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats, gluten free if you want 

2 tablespoons ground flax meal

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup honey

 

Wet ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1 ripe banana, mashed

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 overflowing cup of raisins

 

PCombine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, and set aside. 

In a glass bowl, combine the honey, peanut butter and coconut oil together. Microwave in increments of 30 seconds until completely melted. In between those increments mix well. *I usually only have to microwave a total of 1 minute. 

Mix the banana and vanilla extract into the melted wet ingredients 

Mix in all wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Freeze for 10 – 15 minutes, and start the oven to preheat to 350 degrees. After batter is done cooling, add in the raisins before baking. 

Using wet hands, fold a handful of oat mixture into muffin cups. Keep wetting your hands to keep the oats from sticking, and use your fingers to push the batter down and to the sides to form cups around the muffin cup shape. 

Once all muffin cups are full, and shaped, bake for 12-15 minutes. Until the top edges are lightly brown, as well as the bottom of the cup. You don’t want them to fall apart as you remove them. 

It is very important to allow these cups to cool completely. And I mean completely! Otherwise the finished product will for sure fall apart. After you remove them from the oven, wait 15 minutes before running a knife very carefully around the edge of the cups to separate them from the pan. This will help them through the cooling process. 

After they have cooled and removed from the muffin pan, enjoy! I tend to have them with siggi’s yogurt and berries. The siggi’s adds a great hit of protein for your meal.