Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my fall staples is pumpkin, pumpkin everything! I've been pretty naughty this fall as the pumpkin obsession has spread to the majority of restaurants and fast food places. Some of my guilty pleasures are Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, Culver's salted caramel concrete mixer & Einstein Bagels pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, oh and don't forget their pumpkin bagel clusters and frozen pumpkin pie drink. No judgments please. My pumpkin obsession may have lead me to some very bad food choices, but sometimes the devil on my shoulder wins the battle and I indulge myself. So when I found this yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe I was immediately drawn it. To my surprise it was paleo and a much better alternative to some of my past pumpkin choices. 

I found the recipe at Purely Twins, which is an amazing blog by two (twin obviously) sisters. They post the most delicious recipes + workouts. Definitely a great blog to check out!! I didn't change the recipe at all, except for my own mistake. Please note above the vanilla extract I did not use. At times I can be the most frantic baker, so as I'm cleaning up while they are in the oven I notice "oh hey, I forgot to put in the vanilla extra - dang-it!" They still tasted great, but if your following their recipe they don't mention it again in the directions, so if your like me it could be easily missed. I made mine pretty big and if (ok, not if but when) I make these again I will flatten them out more. They were delicious!! But be careful though, it's hard to just eat a few ;)
Let me know what your favorite pumpkin recipes are! I'm dying to try more before fall is over!!



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Sunday, November 3, 2013

Saturday Afternoon Adventure

"I'm king of the world"
Spending the day with my best friend, yes he may be a little hairy but no judgments please, is my favorite. My little mutt, he's a mix of border collie and golden retriever, has more personality than Honey Boo-Boo after eating all her Halloween candy. After he had stolen the third pair of socks from my room I decided that was it, we need to get out of this house! Our normal walks usually consist of walking around the neighborhood or a small field close to home, so I thought this little rascal needed a changed. I packed him in the car and drove to a dog park just out of town. This was his first time at a new park and he was in a craze. I was excited to do some hiking and see all the changing leaves, he was excited to be at a no-lease dog park where he could meet a ton of new friends. We had a blast, we even went around the path twice because he was still a maniac at the end. 
I wasn't completely convinced I had worn him out, but after I started getting weird looks from people as I passed them a few times, usually the last time they were on their way home and we were going around again, I decided he had to be tired. We were then off to run a few errands. I made a quick stop at TJMaxx and bought a few new workout pants. I'm so picky, but I'm starting to get to the point were half of my wardrobe is workout clothes. Is this normal? Fit girl problems right?! My next stop was Whole Foods. I love that store, but it's on the other side of town so I only get there every so often. I really didn't need much, but I still walked out the door spending more than I had planned. Story of my life! 
The items I picked up were ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, which is my favorite coconut water. I use this everyday for my green smoothies. I wanted more, but this was the last one! Brad's Raw Chips were sitting on an end cap and I just couldn't resist. I had never tried them before so I thought why not? I bought the kale flavor and tried some once I got home. Let's just say YUM! Plus they are organic, raw, gluten free, non GMO, and vegan so I call that a score for me! I got two supplements; Chlorella and Spirulina powder as I was just about running out of the ones I had at home. I use these in my smoothies for extra vitamins and protein. After reading Easy, Sexy, Raw by Carol Alt, I have been curious on the taste of Kefir. Although, I eat mainly a Paleo diet I was willing to break my dairy is "no-no" to give this a shot. I bought the brand from Redwood Hill Farm, as they use goat milk. Goat milk is suppose to be easier on the digestive system than cow's so I thought this was a better alternative. Since eliminating dairy, when I do have a cheat meal I feel it way more than I did before, so I tend to avoid dairy anyhow now. I must say this is an acquired taste. I had it with my Saturday supper. It has the consistency of drinkable yogurt, which could be a turn off I suppose. It has a creamy taste and I enjoyed the after taste almost better. I had no tummy troubles after drinking it either. It may be a new staple in my diet, we will see. I impulsively bought some sushi because I almost never get to have it since no one in my family enjoys it, but I could eat it all the time!! The last thing I bought was some Aura Cacia Jojoba Oil, which was actually the main reason I had went to Whole Foods for. I have been changing up my facial routine and decided to add in jojoba oil. I'm not sure if this a great brand, but there weren't many choices. Anyone else use jojoba oil? What brand do you use? I also bought a salad for supper which isn't shown. I wish I would have taken a picture of it now, because it was absolutely delicious. Everyone go to your local Whole Foods and get the seasonal salad with dried cranberries, onions, walnuts and butternut squash, because it is like heaven in your mouth. I finished the night cuddling with my baby dog and catching up on my favorite shows on Demand. Hope everyone had a great weekend!! Let me know what your favorite items from Whole Foods are!!



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