Tag Archives: pumpkin

Raw Pumpkin Spice Treats

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Happy Happy Halloween Sweets!

I have a sweet treat to share with you all today!  I rolled these babies up last night to share with my brothers and boys at work today.  I wanted everyone to have a little something sweet, but wasn’t about to supply this place with crappy, sugary candy.  We have work to do, can’t have any sugar high crashes.  Plus, these treats are packed with lots of good-for-you stuff, hello pumpkin, chia seed, flax-seed, almonds.  They are vegan, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free (if made with GF oats).  Oh, and toss in the oats, could possibly be a sweet breakfast, right?!

So roll some of these up today, or whenever ;-)  They are super yummy and easy.  And it’s always nice to have some healthy treats around (since we all indulge a little, which isn’t wrong) during these Holiday times.

You will need:

  • 3/4 cup pitted dates, about 8
  • 1/2 cup raw or slightly roasted almonds, unsalted
  • 1 tbsp agave
  • 1 tbsp flax-seed
  • 1 tbsp chia seed
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup GF rolled oats
  • 1/4-1/2 cup oat flour.  Start with 1/4 and add more if needed

In a food processor, pulse the dates until very well chopped.  Add the almonds and pulse a few more times.  Toss in the rest of the ingredients and pulse a few times.  Do not over pulse!  Just a few will do.  Remove and place in medium bowl.  Hand mix until combined.  Refrigerate for about a half hour, it’s easier to roll after refrigeration.  Remove and roll into little balls and enjoy a couple.  Keep refrigerated if not eaten!

What are your favorite Halloween treats?

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

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Hopefully after this post,  I will lay off the pumpkin for a little…hopefully.  I make no promises though.  Pumpkin everything is so darn yummy!  

So let’s talk about this pumpkin smoothie.  It should be dessert, well it can be dessert.  But it can also be breakfast, as in what I had today, or a snack, or a give-me-something-sweet-and-stillSOgood-for me.  Yeah, that too.  This smoothie has a ton of vitamins (hello pumpkin!), will boost energy (all about the maca), and keep you nice and full for a long time.  And did I mention how goooood it is?

So again, if you are looking for a way to use up some extra pumpkin puree, try out this smoothie.

All you need to do is toss the following in a blender:

  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 large frozen banana
  • about 3 heaping tablespoons of pumpkin puree
  • 1 large tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 small nub of ginger, skin cut off
  • 2 pitted dates
  • 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
  • a few ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!!!

What are your favorite pumpkin treats?

Pumpkin Facial Scrub

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Hello there beautiful pumpkins!!!

How were your weekends?  It was a beautiful one here!!  We headed out to Pasadena to watch the Utah Utes play the UCLA Bruins.  Pasadena is absolutely beautiful this time of the year and we had such a great time catching up with Erik’s friends who were visiting from Utah.  Other than that, lots of sports, watching my 49er’s and my Giants baseball.  Woo woo, let’s hear it for play-offs!!!  BTW, you like how they are my teams.  Yeah, because I have so much to do with the organizations, decisions, successes…

{ tailgating }

Anyway, back to the pumpkins!  Did ya’ll try out those baked pumpkin doughnut holes?  I sure hope so, those babies were muy delicioso!  Well if you did try them, or maybe another pumpkin recipe,  you might have some left over pumpkin.  What to do, what to do??  How about you try slathering it on your face?!  Ya heard me, make a yummy pumpkin face scrub!  

All you need is anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin, mixed with a few tablespoons of organic, raw sugar.  Drop in a couple drops of flax or grape seed oil, and you’ve got yourself a powerful scrub right there!  Add sugar a tablespoon at a time.  Since this is a face scrub, you do not want too much sugar exfoliating, we need to be gentle with the facial skin :-)  Use your judgement, you’re smart cookies, errrr pumpkins ;-) .  I would recommend scrubbing it on at the beginning of your shower, letting it sit several minutes, then gently removing with a warm wash cloth.

So what is this mask doing for you?  Well lots, especially if you took in a good amount of sun this summer.   Here are a few reasons to try this mask:

  • Pumpkins are rich in vitamins and nutrients
  • Pumpkin helps ease and repair environmental and sun damage
  • Pumpkin is rich in antioxidants
  • The pumpkin will help moisturiize while the sugar will rid your skin of dead skin cells
  • Pumpkin vitamins fight acne and blemishes
  • Pumpkin can ease redness and inflammation

Hope this gives you a little help using any extra pumpkin you have around :-)  Enjoy your yummy mask Pumpkins!

Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Holes

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When I was younger, my dad would go out and bring home fresh doughnuts almost every Saturday.  It was the best way to start the weekend.  As much as I loved my Saturday morning doughnuts as a kid, my kind of grown up self is thankful those bad boys are a thing of the past.

I have been seeing all kinds of yummy looking doughnuts pop up on blogs and Pinterest, so I finally decided to give it a go.  There is no frying here though, I made sure to keep them on the healthier side with baking.  Oh, and since they were baked in a mini muffin tin, you shouldn’t feel too guilty about popping a few in your mouth for breakfast this weekend huh?  Suuure ;-)

Anyway, a little side note:  I used applesauce (needed to use some up) which made them more muffin like.  Feel free to sub in coconut oil instead if you’d like…

Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Holes – Vegan

In one small bowl, whisk together:

  • 1 3/4 all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice <I made my own following Shelly’s recipe>

In a larger bowl, combine:

  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1/3 cup organic raw brown sugar
  • 1 flax egg <1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water, let set for a few minutes>
  • 3/4 cup organic pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup almond milk

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Add flour mixture to liquid pumpkin bowl, and mix until just combined.  Spoon dough into greased mini muffin tin.  When oven is warmed, bake for about 18 minutes < +/- >.

When doughnuts are almost done baking, melt a few tablespoons of vegan buttery spread <Earth Balance> and a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil.  Remove from heat and pour in small bowl.  In another small bowl mix about 1/2 cup raw organic sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon.

When doughnuts are done baking, remove and cool for several minutes, but not completely.  while still warm, take one by one and dip first in “butter” then roll in sugar.

Yes, your hands will get messy.  You will want to lick that buttery, sugary mess off your fingers, but keep going.  Roll all those bad boys (maybe pop a couple in your mouth) and enjoy!!