Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats

You guys might think I'm pumpkin spice crazy, but, be honest, you like it! I got a few requests for instructions on how to make this so here you go! [youtube=http://youtu.be/ZRsyn8Dh674]

Ingredients

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1-2 tablespoon apple butter

1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

1/16 teaspoon ground ginger*

1/32 teaspoon ground nutmeg*

1/32 teaspoon ground clove*

1/32 teaspoon ground cardamom*

Almonds and raisins to taste

*This is more to show how little I use rather than as a true measurement. I never actually measure the spices. Basically, I do a little sprinkle, especially with the ginger, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom. You just don't want to overdo it.

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Today's post is in keeping with the typical fall theme of pumpkin spice.  When making these cookies, I made sure to work with real ingredients, as usual. One thing I can't stand is those recipes (that you often see on Pinterest) where the image says something like "Easy Recipe With Only 2 Ingredients." It sounds interesting until you click and realize that one of the "ingredients" is a box of cake mix. Cake mix is not an ingredient people! I mean, it actually confuses me a bit. How hard is it to measure out flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices? The boxed stuff just doesn't seem that much more convenient to me, especially when you consider the quality of ingredients that are typically used.

Now that that's out of the way, on to the good stuff! These cookies are almost like baby cakes, as they have a delicate, fluffy texture. They're like soft, pillow-y clouds of pumpkin spice goodness. They're dessert, but not sickly sweet, and they are going fast at our house. :)

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

2.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 cup butter

1.25 cups unrefined can sugar, such as Sucanat

1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream together butter and sugar with a mixer.
4. Add maple syrup to butter and sugar mixture and mix until incorporated. Then add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until fully incorporated.
6. Drop batter in heaping tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Baked for 15-18 minutes, or until done.

What kind of cookies do you prefer? Soft, chewy, or crunchy? Share in the comments below!

Easy and Healthy Pumpkin Spiced Coffee

You know it's fall when people start going gah-gah over pumpkin spice flavored coffee drinks. Now I'm not going to say that I've never bought a fancy-pants coffee, but, for me, it's more of a special occasion than an every day ritual (for the health of my body and my wallet). Making your coffee at home will save you some cash and also give you complete control over what's going into your drink. Now there are recipes out there that use a homemade syrup or some other mix-in, but today I wanted to share another alternative that involves brewing the spices right along with your grounds. It's easy and can be whipped up quickly. Perfect for those of you who need instant gratification.

After several batches, this has been our favorite variation. As with any recipe, feel free to make adjustments to suit your individual preferences. I like to sweeten mine with maple syrup.

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Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Ingredients

1/2 cup coffee grounds

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly until all of the spices are completely dispersed throughout the grounds.
2. Brew your coffee as normal.