Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

I know I'll never be one of those hugely popular bloggers, mainly because I'm not a photographer.  Case in point:

Nothing fancy about my pictures, just a quick shot of what I happened to be making and consuming in my kitchen on a normal basis.  So, sorry no fancy pictures or props today, just a mug of hot chocolate.

But this mug of hot chocolate is divine.  I LOVE hot chocolate and I LOVE spices, so combining the two is something that happens quite often for me.  The pumpkin gives it a nice creaminess and compliments the spices without being overwhelming.  I added some essential oils into mine, it's totally optional, the hot chocolate is fantastic without them, but it does give the spices a different depth of flavor.  Please make sure you use oils that are safe to take internally if you do add the oils.

Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate for One

1 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1 oz Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (about 2 tablespoons+1 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 drop Protective Blend Essential Oil Blend (optional)

1 drop Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil (optional)

Directions
Heat almond milk over medium heat, until hot and steaming.  Stir in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and coconut sugar.  Mix well, then add in the chocolate chips and stir constantly until chips are melted and mixture is hot and steaming again.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add in the vanilla and essential oils.  Pour into a large mug and enjoy!

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Gluten Free Friday, Whole Food Friday, and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.

Weekly Menu (10/27/13-11/02/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got:

• romaine hearts
• yellow squash
• cucumbers
• onion
• fennel
• blackberries
• bananas
• kiwi
• persimmons
• apples
• watermelon
• pinapple (gave to my brother)

We also has pears, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and tomatoes

The kids are in school now so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:

• cereal
• muffins (banana chocolate chip, blueberry, pumpkin chocolate chip, or double chocolate zucchini muffins)
• scrambled eggs and toast
• hot cocoa
• etc.

 lunches will consist of:

• Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
• or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
• or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
• chips or crackers
• fruit (usually applesauce, mandarin oranges, or bananas)
• milk

Sunday: 

• breakfast:  smoothie (I'll be using bananas, kiwi, persimmons, and berries this week)
• lunch: sandwich, apple
• snack: cucumbers and hummus
• dinner:
• pizza
• green salad
• watermelon slices

Monday:

• breakfast:  pumpkin pie smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cucumbers and hummus
• dinner:
• bbq ribs
• baked potatoes
• salad
• watermelon slices

Tuesday:

• breakfast:  baked oatmeal and an apple
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: crackers and hummus
• dinner:
• navajo tacos
• green salad

Wednesday:

• breakfast: smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cucumber and hummus
• dinner:
• Chicken with Fennel and Rosemary
• mashed potatoes
• sauteed yellow squash

Thursday: 

• breakfast:  scrambled eggs and veggies
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: persimmon and cashews
• dinner:
• french toast
• hashbrowns
• apple slices

Friday:

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: crackers and hummus
• dinner:
• Juniper Takeout

Saturday: 

• breakfast:  scrambled eggs and veggies
• lunch: sandwiches
• snack: cucumbers and hummus
• dinner: (our church fall festival)
• chicken soup (expermenting)
• salad

Oven Baked Asparagus Fries

After sharing the Asparagus Fries recipe from The Veggie Book, I ended up switching it up a lot and making my own version of Asparagus Fries.  I used my flour mixture from my fried green beans, replacing the cornmeal with almond flour...holy cow, these are good! The cayenne pepper just brings it to a whole new level.

Oven Baked Asparagus Fries
1/2 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 egg, beaten
~1 tablespoon water
1 bunch of asparagus (try to have young, thinner asparagus if possible)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F and grease a large baking sheet.  In a medium bowl (or even a gallon sized ziploc bag), combine together the flour blend, almond flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a small bowl combine the beaten egg and the water.

Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut the stalks in half. Toss the asparagus in the egg, then coat them in the flour mixture.   Place them evenly on the baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425F, or until desired doneness is reached.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, and Whole Food Fridays.

Weekly Menu (10/20/13-10/26/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got:

• green apples
• bananas
• red pears
• persimmons
• pomegranates
• cucumbers
• yellow squash
• beet
• lettuce
• red onions

We also has green peppers, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and tomatoes

The kids are in school now so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:

• cereal
• muffins (banana chocolate chip, blueberry, pumpkin chocolate chip, or double chocolate zucchini muffins)
• scrambled eggs and toast
• hot cocoa
• etc.

 lunches will consist of:

• Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
• or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
• or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
• chips or crackers
• fruit (usually applesauce, mandarin oranges, or bananas)
• milk

Sunday: 

• breakfast:  muffins
• lunch: sandwich, apple
• snack: cucumbers and hummus
• dinner:
• spaghetti and meatballs
• green salad
• pear slices

Monday:

• breakfast:  grapefruit and scrambled eggs with veggies
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cucumber and hummus
• dinner:
• tacos with homemade tortillas
• apple slices

Tuesday:

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: kiwi and cashews
• dinner:
• pulled pork sandwiches with New Grains hamburger buns
• oven fries
• green salad

Wednesday:

• breakfast: smoothie
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: cucumber and hummus
• dinner:
• pork tamales
• beans and rice
• pear slices

Thursday: 

• breakfast:  scrambled eggs and veggies
• lunch: leftovers
• snack: persimmon and cashews
• dinner:
• one-eyed sandwiches
• bacon
• hash browns
• sliced apples

Friday:

• breakfast:  smoothie
• lunch: (having a work Halloween party) Zuppa Tuscana soup, veggies, and pumpkin bars for dessert
• snack: carrots and hummus
• dinner:
• pizza
• green salad
• apple slices

Saturday: 

• breakfast:  bananas and muffins (banana chocolate chip and double chocolate zucchini muffins)
• lunch: sandwiches
• snack: cashews and cranberries or enjoy life decadent bar
• dinner: (our church fall festival)
• chili and lentil chili
• salad
• pumpkin bars

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, I'm definitely on a pumpkin kick.  I love fall, I love the weather change, I love the holidays, I LOVE the food.  So, this week's recipe is another pumpkin one, cookies this time, though.  I realized I didn't have an pumpkin cookie recipes on here, so I needed to remedy that.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from here)

1 1/2 cups palm oil shortening
3 cups coconut sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3 cups gluten free flour blend
3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (10oz) package Enjoy Life dairy-free mini chocolate chips (~1 3/4 cups)

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and coconut sugar together.  Add in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin and mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Chill the cookie dough for aobut 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper (if desired).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets and bake at 375F for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top.

Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the pans, then remove and finish cooling on wire racks.

Yield: ~4 dozen cookies.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, and Whole Food Fridays.