MMM Smells Like Pumpkin….

The weather in Las Vegas has been fabulous. I think 100 degrees is long gone. I’m already putting away my summer clothes and getting my fall/winter clothes ready to go. I’ve been on a mad shopping spree lately to get some new items to wear this season. I even picked up a can of pumpkin to make these delicious muffins!

I found the recipe from the Paleo Plan. Their recipe for Paleo Pumpkin Muffins is so simple and delicious. My house smells so good right now, I can’t wait to dig into a muffin after I click publish. This will now help when I drink my afternoon cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop. The cream cheese pumpkin muffins and pumpkin breads will not mesmerize me as much. Now I can enjoy my pumpkin muffins at just 166 calories per serving and not get that sugar crash.

Happy Pumpkin Eating!!

Fallon

The Secret Recipe Club: Almond Butter Pretzel Truffles

September is here and there is a new installment of recipes this month for The Secret Recipe Club. Today is Group B’s reveal date and I had the lovely blog called Amy’s Cooking Adventures. She has a really fun blog and a lot of variety when it comes to recipes. She will share weekly photos of her family and the new adventures they are up too.

Out of all her delicious looking recipes her Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles intrigued me. I love chocolate and I love peanut butter. Well I use too but now I’m trying to make some changes to my diet. Having some issues (which I will not go into) and I’m trying to eliminate certain foods from my diet. I still included a little chocolate in my truffles because then they wouldn’t be truffles! I swapped out the peanut butter for almond butter instead. I tried to find gluten free pretzels but I sacrificed these truffles with some fun thin pretzels I found at Trader Joe’s.

I did have some issues getting the almond butter mixture to come together. I added a little raw honey to help bring it together because I kept adding more almond butter. Eventually I was getting annoyed that my jar of almond butter was almost finished and decided I probably should have measured out the pretzels. Oops. I spilt the mixture in half, added another spoon of almond butter and finally the mixture did not fall apart when I rolled them into balls. I used unsweetened shredded coconut instead of dipping into chocolate, to make it more healthier. With the rest of the mixture I had some leftover chocolate chips that I melted and added a little coconut butter to get a sheen. Added that mixture to the rest of my dry mixture and rolled that into balls as well and into coconut.

The end result of my changes were quite good. I ate a few but I know I can’t be eating them all the time. Even though I made some healthy changes, these are still delicious. Pretzels are great to mix with nuts and chocolate. It helps satisfy the salty and sweet combo, just like these truffles do!

My recipe below has both versions I made. Click Amy’s Cooking Adventures to get her original recipe.

Almond Butter Pretzel Truffles
Adapted from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Ingredients:
4 cups thin pretzels
1 cup smooth almond butter and sea salt (save 1/4 cup for chocolate almond truffles), you may need additional spoonful's if mixture is crumbly
3 teaspoons raw honey
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil/butter
Unsweetened shredded coconut

Pour pretzels into a food processor and grind down to coarse crumbs. You could also put them in a zip lock bag and smash with a rolling pin.

Divide pretzel crumbs into 2 bowls and set one aside. Stir in almond butter, 1/4 cup at a time until it is evenly blended. Drizzle in honey and mix. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let the almond butter firm up. If you need it to firm up quicker, place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of almond butter and honey to the bowl of crushed pretzels, mix and set aside.

This mixture was crumbly and addicting. I loved the clusters!

Line a 2 cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Using a small cookie scoop or melon baller, scoop small balls of almond butter mixture and roll into shredded coconut. Place onto prepared cookie sheet and place into freezer to harden up.

In a small glass bowl, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the microwave, 20 second intervals till chocolate is smooth. Add coconut oil/butter to make chocolate shiny. Set aside.

With the second mixture that has 1/4 cup almond butter, add most of the melted chocolate and combine. Save some chocolate if you’d like to drizzle on the truffles. Using a small cookie scoop or melon baller, scoop small balls of chocolate almond butter mixture and roll into shredded coconut. Place onto prepared cookie sheet and place into freezer to harden up.

Almond Butter Pretzel Truffles

Chocolate Almond Butter Pretzel Truffles

Remove truffles from freezer after 5 minutes. If you have some leftover chocolate drizzle over truffles. These are best kept in the fridge and enjoyed right away!

Fallon

The insides……

Homemade Almond Butter with Sunflower Seeds

I’m on the homemade nut butter kick. I’ve made many attempts at making my own nut butters and just never getting the right consistency. I think this happens to a lot of us. Too dry, not creamy, hard to spread, such a mess! I just finished off a jar of almond butter with sunflower seeds mixed in as the crunchy part. This was of course a chocolate almond butter and didn’t last very long for me. It was delicious.

I was then inspired to try to make my own, once again and this time I was going to process the nuts until they were creamy and the blade was finally warm to bring everything together. 1/2 teaspoon olive oil was used to give it that extra smooth consistency. This is by far my favorite nut butter. I know that I only used 1/2 teaspoon of oil, I added my own sea salt and no sugar added.

This nut butter goes in tortillas, in a mug of bananas, spoonful's into my mouth, scooped on top of oatmeal and even in the vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream I purchased. You could even get some good quality dark chocolate and enjoy it that way as well.

Homemade Almond Butter with Sunflower Seeds
By Fallon

-2.5 cups of toasted whole almonds
- 1/2 toasted sunflower seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Start with making sure all nuts are roasted, 350 degrees for about 7 minutes or until you smell their aroma. You could also buy these pre-toasted at the store, just make sure they are fresh.

With your heavy duty food processor, add almonds and whirl for about 8-10 minutes. Use a spoon to scrape the sides every so often. Eventually it will smooth out and will form a ball. This is when I added my oil and continue to pulse. The ball will break and it will become a creamier consistency. Continue to whirl in the food processor and you will feel the blades doing their magic. They are very warm and it is helping to bring out all the natural oils in the almonds. Add salt and cinnamon to taste. Once you find that smooth and creamy consistency, pulse in the sunflower seeds. Don’t pulse too much because you want them to stay crunchy.

That is all. Super toasty, nutty and delicious. I make a new jar every weekend!

I’m also SO glad it is the weekend. That is the best thing about a Monday-Friday job.. Weekends off are so rewarding and refreshing. I get in my workouts early in the morning and then I can do whatever I want afterwards! I think my highlight for this weekend will be cheese,wine and crackers. Oh so relaxing.

Fallon

Sunday 8.12.12

Dead camera battery, thank goodness for smart phones!

Check out these gorgeous organic pink lady apples I picked up today. I’m so glad apple season is here, this was perfectly sweet and tart, with the right crunch.

Pizza Fusion… so good!

Come back this week for the Salted Almond Butter Sunflower Seed Butter recipe I whipped up. You will need almonds, sunflower seeds, olive oil, cinnamon and sea salt (optional).

I’d say this was a successful Sunday once again. Morning spin class check, Pizza check, movies check, almond butter check, super full check!
Fallon

Rice Krispy Treats with Almond Butter and White Chocolate M&M’s

 
Dangerous. White chocolate M&M’s are dangerous! These M&M’s have been popping up all over the blog world lately since Easter is right around the corner and all the holiday candy is out. They are too good to be true and I had to pick up a bag. What also is too good to be true is I also been craving rice krispy treats. Random right? My best friend makes the best kind that are super gooey. I wanted to make my treats a little different. I figured peanut butter and chocolate is always my favorite combo. With the white chocolate, almond butter sounded like the right pair for these treats. I cut back on the butter and added more almond butter when I was melting the marshmallows. Mix in the white chocolate M&M’s and you have a perfectly delicious treat. Great for Easter or just because they sound so darn good right about now!

Rice Krispy Treats with Almond Butter and White Chocolate M&M’s
By Fallon

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup creamy almond butter with sea salt
3 cups miniature marshmallows
3 cups crispy rice cereal
2-3 handfuls of white chocolate M&M’s

Directions:
Spray a 9 inch square glass baking pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large pot melt butter over low heat, stirring until butter is melted and brown. Stir in almond butter quickly, then add marshmallows stirring until melted and combined. Remove from heat and mix in crispy rice cereal until all combined and cereal is coated. Add a few handfuls of M&M’s and mix quickly to combine. Pour into a square baking pan and spread evenly. Cool completely and cut into 16 squares.

Even though you should let them cool completely, you should try them after about 10 minutes. The white chocolate M&M’s will melt in your mouth, since they are still a bit warm.

   

These are definitely going into work tomorrow!

Always,
Fallon

Seedy Energy Bar with Almond Butter, Dried Fruit and Dark Chocolate Chips

This wonderful energy bar was inspired by a past granola bar I’ve made and blogged about. That was a REALLY good granola bar and somehow I haven’t made it since. I am now determined to continue making my own homemade granola bars. I love how versatile they are because I can add the ingredients I really like. Dried apricots are one of my favorite dried fruits. They aren’t super sweet and they make for a great snack. I only enjoy the organic Turkish variety because the un-organic kind doesn’t taste as good. Other ingredients like almond butter and dark chocolate are items in my daily diet. My inspiration for my seedy energy bar were adding in flavors and tastes I enjoy. This is a great pre or post-workout bar that offers protein and healthy fats to fuel your body in a healthy way. These bars are also 100% gluten free because I purchased the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free rolled oats for all my bar making. No tummy aches for me!

Seedy Energy Bar with Almond Butter, Dried Fruit and Dark Chocolate Chips

By Fallon

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup raw pepita seeds

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon whole golden flaxseeds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/3 cup Thompson seedless raisins

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup creamy almond butter

1/4 cup stevia

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Direction

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8- inch or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray OR line with parchment paper with a slight overhang for easy removal.

Spread oats, pepita seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds on a large baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, about 8-9 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add raisins and apricots, toss to combine. (You could add the chocolate chips now but they will melt, I’d recommend waiting to mix them in at the very end.)

Combine almond butter, stevia, brown rice syrup, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 3-4 minutes.

Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until no dry spots remain. Quickly add and mix in the chocolate chips, if you haven’t already done so. Transfer to the prepared pan. Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer. Refrigerate until firm for 30 minutes, cut into 8 bars.

Crunchy, nutty, seedy, chewy, chocolaty and perfectly sweet. This was my first time using brown rice syrup and I love this sweetener. A little goes a long way. I tried the syrup when it was melted into the almond butter.. ummm that tasted fabulous like a healthy caramel if that is even possible!

I also added a new category on my recipe page called Healthy Snacks. I added all my healthy baked good items under the category because I’m anticipating on adding a lot more healthful items to my blog.

They hold their shape very well.

    

I’d love to know what the nutritional stats are for these bars but the website I use isn’t very good anymore. Do you know where I could calculate the stats online?

Fallon

Are you this dedicated…

…that you’d have a separate shelf for all your nut butters and nuts? It wasn’t something I really thought about but once I started organizing my new kitchen I realized that I had way too many nut butters. I also had way to many bags of nuts (to make nut butters). So I dedicated 2 shelves for these items. Oh don’t worry, chocolate has its own shelf as well. It is above the bag of nuts. ;)

Peanut flour, white chocolate PB, creamy PB, dark chocolate AB, Barney butter packets..

More PB and AB. Coconut butter decided to join the party too!

I’m hoarding 2 bags of hazelnuts up there because they are VERY hard to find. Basically I’m saving them and I don’t know when I’ll eat them! I’m so silly ;)

This one is currently my favorite. That clearance sticker sure is tacky but they are crazy for discontinuing this cashew butter. The best store brand by far and it was the last jar. You know me I would of stocked up for my collection.

So dreamy.. I mean creamy!

So amazing?

MMM HMMM!! Come back tomorrow and I’ll share my flavor of amazing!

Fallon

Cantaloupe Bowl

Here is something fun and healthy to eat in the morning when you really don't want to fuss much! I had several of these when our kitchen was under construction. I halved a cantaloupe and scooped out the seeds. Then I scooped into the hole plain Greek yogurt, hemp plus granola and an almond butter drizzle.


It was pretty amazing!

Always, Fallon  

PS: Stay tune for an upcoming giveaway I'll be having on my blog! You don't want to miss out.

MMM Pancakes

Here is another Kodiak cake creation I have made. I added flax to the pancake mix and topped with vanilla almond butter and a fresh strawberry sauce. Nothing like ONE huge, fluffy pancake! I've been on a pancake kick lately and these totally hit the spot for that craving! The sauce is easy. Basically I took some fruit syrup that came with my Kodiak cakes, added fresh strawberries and heated it up on the stove. Easy! Here is to a GREAT start to the week. Fallon

My favorite meal is Breakfast!

I love waking up in the morning and heading straight to the kitchen to whip up some breakfast! My stomach is already grumbling by the time I jump out of bed. I've learned to enjoy breakfast because almost 4 years ago my personal trainer told me I need to start eating breakfast. I use to NEVER eat breakfast. My excuses were it made me nausea and I wasn't hungry. I started slow with doing toast and eggs or toast and peanut butter. Then I gradually started to make my breakfast more fun, and now has become my favorite meal. Some mornings I get fancy and some mornings I make sure it's a nutritious breakfast and quick to put together.

As the weather is starting to warm in Las Vegas I need to find new ways to eat oatmeal. A warm bowl of oats is great during the colder months, but when it's already 80 degrees in the morning at 7am, warm oatmeal is too HOT! You may have seen this technique for oats on other blogs called overnight oats. It is very similar to muesli cereal that is soaked overnight in yogurt and is enjoyed with dried fruits and nuts the next day. I took that technique and kicked it up a notch. It is satisfying, nutritious, and has absolutely zero prep time in the kitchen. Toppings take a few seconds to put together, and in minutes you are enjoying a wonderful jar of oatmeal ready to fuel your day. These past few months with blogging has not only inspired me to be better in the kitchen, but has also helped me make new friends.

When I first started blogging I contacted Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. I asked for advice and what is ethical when it comes to blogging. Little did I know but we ended up getting closer through commenting on each other blogs and exchanging emails! What I love about her blog is she strives to stay healthy, but also to make sure who she cooks for is happy and healthy as well. I think we all know who that person may be ;). She makes a ton of meals using Cooking Light recipes and shows they are actually really good tasting and are good for you in a lighter way! I should know because I tried a few and loved every single one. She has recently started up an E-Recipe Club and has already completed her first baking contest involving chocolate. She is already planning on doing her next cooking contest, and I'm actually going to be helping her out with it! I'm truly excited that she thought about me and asked if I would be interested! I didn't think twice about it, and look forward to being part of this contest. You should check it out and join her E-Recipe Club! The next contest is going to be a lot of fun, and the more recipes we have submitted the better the competition will be! The contest is a surprise so stay tuned! Make sure to subscribe by Sunday the 21st to receive the newsletter with the contest information. To join Shelby's E-Recipe Club simply head on over to The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and join to the right of her blog.  

Fallon's Overnight Oats  
Ingredients
2 oz plain Greek yogurt (any flavor yogurt will work)
3-4 oz of liquid (I use unsweetened almond milk and a little water)
1 teaspoon chia seeds (click here for their amazing benefits and nutrition)
1/2 banana, sliced (save the other half to top oats in the morning)
1/3 cup or 40g old fashion oats
 Optional: dash of stevia (any sweetener of choice works)  
Toppings: almond butter, other 1/2 of banana.  
Other toppings I've used: dried cherries or cranberries, fresh berries, cinnamon apples, pumpkin butter, ground flax, or raw nuts. Are there oatmeal toppings I didn't list that you use? Leave me a comment telling me what they are! 
 The night before you will want to make this. I find they turn out the best this way because they are moist, creamy and the flavor of everything has married together. In a jar (I like to reuse jars for my overnight oats, makes for easy traveling.) measure out the first 3 ingredients and mix well to combine. Add in slices of banana and mix well. This is used as a natural sweetener and the bananas help make it extra creamy. (That is why the sweetener is optional. If you are using plain yogurt, a little stevia won't hurt. When I use a flavored yogurt, you really don't need sweetener.) Once all the wet is combined, add in the dry oats and mix well. Cover with lid and set in the fridge overnight.

Once the lid was twisted off, you could smell the aroma of the banana.
The chia seeds help with the creaminess and thickness.

In the morning slice the other half of the banana and add a blob of almond butter. Enjoy!

Perfect

Messy

Have a great morning! Fallon

My favorite way to eat oatmeal

I love nuts but I love nut butters even more. It is always my go to for a quick snack or a quick dessert! It kills any craving I may be experiencing. I have tons of jars in my pantry/fridge, all kinds of brands, some flavored and some plain. I think my parents "think" I'm a bit crazy when it comes to nut butters! I keep ordering them online because the deals have been really good and I can't pass it up! Every day a new package is at my door. LOL. If I had to choose my favorite brand it is a toss up between Barney Butter and this new almond butter from Trader Joe's. Although Naturally Nutty has some really good butters too!


This TJ's Almond butter is creamy and a great nutty taste/texture. Some almond butters get really hard to spread when kept in the fridge, but not this almond butter. It is perfect! What is more perfect is when the jar is almost EMPTY and all you could really do is scrap it with a spoon.. Well someone by the name of Heather (I think she is the one that came up with it!), came up with a clever idea to eat your warm oatmeal out of your almond butter jar. How smart is that? Everyone is doing it now! I fell in love when I first tried it and always look forward to that barely empty jar. Maybe that is why I buy so many jars of almond butter, so I can have a lot of oats in a jar!



My oatmeal recipe is pretty simple: 40g of old fashion oats, 2/3 of almond milk, 1/3 water, 1/2 a sliced banana, tablespoon of flaxseed, and a dash of cinnamon.

Cook on a medium- low heat and stir frequently. The oats will become creamy once the liquid has cooked off and you know they are ready!

Sometimes I change up my add-ins like adding in brown rice protein powder, cocoa powder, pureed pumpkin, chia seeds, and/or dried fruit etc. It depends on my mood. My topping is ALWAYS a scoop of some type of nut butter, I love how it melts into the oats and makes each spoonful rich and tasty. Once the oats are cooked, I thought a spoonful of some apricot all-fruit preserves would be a nice touch with the banana in the oats and almond butter. It was a good choice! Once I finished this I thought some shredded coconut would of been nice as well but it was already too late!


I can't wait for my next oats in a jar! If you haven't tried it yet, do it! Guess who is working 7 days straight with probably only 1 day off?

Have a great week,
Fallon

Happy New Years!!!

I love this day. The last day before a new year begins. It couldn't be any better. I hope that in 2010 it will be a MUCH better year for everyone. Let's just stay healthy and happy. I think that what helps the most to get through tough times. Regardless of the other problems we have going on in this world, I try not to let it get to me. I don't usually make resolutions but goals instead. I've always been a goal getter, even if it takes me a while to achieve it, at least I won't give up. Some goals I've thought about for the year 2010 are:

• Run a 5k
• Continue being happy with myself and life
• Figure out what I want to do in life
• Stay focused on whatever I put my heart into and not give up

I feel like 2010 will be a big year for me, not sure what it has in store but I'm feeling really good about it! Since today is the 31st, I should probably share my pancakes I made for Christmas Day! I had froze a few and pulled out two this morning to have after my run. Which reminded me I should probably get this posted today before tomorrow. ;)

Christmas Day I always make a yummy breakfast that we don't eat all the time. Sometimes it is waffles, crepes, or pancakes. I opted for pancakes this year because those IHOP commercials kill me with their pecan pie waffles and whatever concoctions they come up with! I made the pancakes a little more healthier then usual but I couldn't stray away too much from your normal pancake, or else my dad would flip. He doesn't like flaxseed or whole wheat flour. He can be very picky, BUT if I don't tell him, he doesn't know! I made an extra large pancake for myself with the extra batter. Topped with crunchy almond butter and pure maple syrup. It was divine! Which I had again for breakfast this morning, that how good it was!

 
Fallon's Special Pancakes  
Ingredients 

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1-1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup 1% milk (this is optional, I added a few splashes to thin out the batter)
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, melted butter, flaxseed, and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, thin it out with a few splashes of 1% milk or whatever you have on hand. Heat a griddle or frying pan with butter over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. When it is time to flip the pancake, the batter on top will start to bubble. I made my pancakes slightly smaller and had about 14 servings, and we each had about 3-4 pancakes.

The pancakes were a little denser then your typical fluffy pancake but they tasted delicious. The vanilla extract made a nice addition to the pancakes and gave it a slightly sweeter flavor. I was more satisfied off these pancakes because of the addition of some whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal, I didn't feel overly stuffed and just satisfied. Plus with the almond butter smeared on top for extra fat and protein, it was definitely a filling breakfast!

My extra big pancake, so good I had one more smaller pancake!

Why do I call these special? Well my dad never figured it out and loved every bite!

Happy New Years to everyone! I will see you in 2010!

Always,
Fallon