Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

September 19, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Even though it’s not officially fall, let’s face it, it’s time for all things fall. I love everything about fall. The weather, the leaves, the football, but most of all, the pumpkins. Yes, everyone goes gaga over all things pumpkin and pumpkin flavored this time of year, but my love for pumpkin is year round. I have a stock of canned pumpkin in my closet and all my pumpkins on display all year long. Most of the candles I own are pumpkin scented and I may have 3 things of pumpkin hand wash stocked up. With this adoration of pumpkins, I thought it was time to put up a pumpkin cookie recipe. These are easy to put together and taste like fall in cookie form. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown rice flour (could also use coconut flour)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp coconut oil
heaping 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Mix together all the dry ingredients ad set aside. In a separate bowl. mix all the wet ingredients until well combined. Add the wet to the dry and use a spatula to combine.

3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat, drop a teaspoon of dough on the sheet and flatten lightly with your fingertips. The dough will be sticky so be gentle.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are brown around the edges. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes and then move to a cooling rack.

You’re about twenty minutes away from a delicious fall dessert! Feel free to add in raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, or even chocolate chips if you wanted. Just mix them in after the dough comes together. These could even constitute as a healthy breakfast cookie and who can say no to cookies for breakfast?

You thought I was kidding about the pumpkins

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

December 20, 2013 / ktbuchs87

I know, I know. The title of this post might be enough to make a lot of you turn right around and run away screaming. Brussels sprouts are not a very popular vegetable, but I think they get a bad rap because they aren’t prepared properly. I think that most of the people who don’t like brussels sprouts have been served bland, over-boiled, and mushy sprouts. Anyone would push that mess away from them. Enter my brussels sprouts. Now I’m not going to say that these will instantly convert you to a sprout lover, but it is a step in the right direction. By roasting these in the oven, you add a delicious flavor without overcooking them. The seasonings add even more flavor and can be customized to your tastes. This is a great side dish for any holiday meal, and a great way to get in a delicious serving of vegetables. So disregard your thoughts about stinky, gross brussels sprouts and give these a try. You might just find a new favorite!

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 lb brussels sprouts
Extra virgin Olive Oil
1-2 cloves garlic minced
fresh black pepper
1-2 tsp smoked paprika (I highly suggest smoked paprika instead of sweet. It adds an awesome smoky flavor to the sprouts)

1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Cut the ends off of the brussels sprouts and remove any loose or discolored leaves. If some of the greener leaves come off, that’s fine Keep those and you can roast those as well.

3. Place your brussels sprouts in a bowl and drizzle a little EVOO over them. Coat them and then spread them on the baking sheet. Add in your garlic cloves and sprinkle everything with the smoked paprika and pepper.

4. Place the sheet in the oven and roast for about 15 to 25 minutes. The sprouts will be done when they have a nice golden brown color.

That’s it! A very simple way to prepare a great dish. Like I said you can experiment with the seasonings and find one that is your favorite. Eat up and enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

December 6, 2013January 27, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Hello everyone! I know that I haven’t posted in awhile, but with the holiday season upon us, things get just a bit crazier. I also like to spend time with my friends and family, away from the computer and all other social media. It’s nice to unplug and enjoy the company of real humans! That being said, I do have a new recipe for you! One of my favorite meals as a kid was tomato soup and grilled cheese. I had a hankering for it the other day, but I wanted to make it in a healthier way (read: not from a can or with mounds of cheese). I used cashews to add the creaminess to the soup and I think that this meal was a winner in the Dawson house! Plus you can make it in the slow cooker, what’s better than that?

Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

2 cups raw cashews
2 cups water
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups diced tomatoes (about 2 cans worth)
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp curry powder, optional (but it adds a really nice flavor)
1 tbsp fresh parsley

1. Place cashews and water in a bowl and soak for at least an hour or overnight if you have the time. Using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor, blend the cashews and water until they are smooth. Set aside

2. Saute all your vegetables except for the tomatoes, for about 7-10 minutes. Place everything in your slow cooker and mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. If you would like a smooth soup, use your immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency. You can also leave it chunkier, totally up to you!

For the grilled cheese, my husband Adam made me some gluten free bread and I used my “cheese” sauce from the taco casserole. I just omitted the chili powder. You can make your grilled cheese however you like it best, but this was actually REALLY good and totally filled my craving.

In the next few weeks, I will try to regularly post on the blog, but there may be some days when I don’t. Think of it as a winter vacation! Go and enjoy the Christmas spirit and this soup!

Not Your Typical Thanksgiving

November 25, 2013 / ktbuchs87

Thanksgiving. Not counting Halloween, this is pretty much the beginning of the holiday season. Soon you will be surrounded by friends, family, and of course food. This is also the time of year that everyone is offering their best “how to avoid holiday weight gain” tips and millions of different ways to make your favorite holiday meals healthy. I thought about writing a post like that, because you don’t have to enter the holiday season throwing all healthy habits to the wind, but I felt like what I had to say would be just repeating a lot of what you already know or will read in the coming days. Honestly, most of you know that eating fifteen pieces of pumpkin pie isn’t doing you or your health any good no matter how delicious it may be.

I know that a lot of you might be anxious about the upcoming smorgasbord that is Thanksgiving, especially if you just started to eat better or adopt healthier habits. Many of you might be worried about undoing all the hard work that you have put into your health journey and you’re thinking of how you are going to navigate your way through the sea of food that is about to come your way. I know exactly how you feel, I’ve been there too. I’ve stressed over how to eat well during the holidays. I’ve fretted about family asking questions about my weight and why I won’t eat this or that. I’ve felt hopeless and alone and not exactly sure how to deal with it all. It has taken me awhile to get to this realization: don’t let food control your life. Food has so much power over many of us so that we let it ruin or dictate our holidays. A time where we should be visiting friends, spending quality time with family, decking the halls and singing fa la la la la, we spend stressing over food.

Yes, food is important. It fuels us, nourishes us, and (sometimes) tastes amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I love food and I truly believe that it is a key factor in a healthy life. But it isn’t everything. I’ve wasted too many holiday gatherings focusing on food and missing out on all the other things that go on. The inside jokes between cousins or finding the best spot to hang my favorite ornament or the quality time that I get to spend with my mom talking about our lives while we make the ever famous pumpkin muffins (blue wrappers have nuts!). I’m sad to say I’ve probably missed some really great moments because I was worrying about what I would eat or that other people were worrying about what I would eat.

Don’t let food take over your life this holiday season. There are other things that are so much better than thinking about how many potatoes you can eat without feeling guilty. It will be difficult for some of you to totally let go of your food worry, me included, but by holding on to all that stress, you’re letting something silly like food take control of your life and happiness. So do me a favor this Thanksgiving. Take a deep breath, release all your anxiety over food, and throw yourself fully into all the other much more fun things about the day. Enjoy the parade, play a game of football in your backyard, give Grandma a big hug, and be thankful for all of the amazing things you have in your life. I promise you, that is a much better way to spend your holiday! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Healthy Brownie Bites

November 8, 2013January 27, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Sometimes, you just need some chocolate. Sometimes, that chocolate needs to come in the form of a brownie. We all know that brownies are not the healthiest of treats, but they are delicious. Have no worries though because the brownie bites will satisfy your chocolate/brownie craving without making all the not so good for you ingredients. Plus they are the perfect snacking size! With the holidays right around the corner, these are a quick and easy way to have tasty dessert on hand!

Healthy Brownie Bites

1 cup tahini, ground sesame seeds (you could also use almond butter, but the tahini really enhances the chocolate flavor)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg or 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal and 3 tbsp water mixed together)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the wet ingredients together and then whisk in the dry. Make sure your batter is smooth with no lumps.

2. In a mini muffin tin drop in about 1 tbsp of the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the middle of the bites are set. Remove from oven and let cool before you pop them out of the tins.

See? Super quick and easy way to get a brownie in your belly! You could also make extra because these freeze really well. Just pull them out of the freezer a few minutes before you want to eat them. Eat, enjoy, and if you try them out let me know what you think!