Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Soup:

I swear this will be the last post involving pumpkins! (I used up the last of my gigantic can for this recipe)

Also, I am aware that this is a blog about sugar and I am posting a recipe for soup... but the truth is the last couple recipes I have tried [and didn't post] were abysmal failures and I was starting to lose hope for making anything that tasted good and wasn't full of crap.

I still had some organic pumpkin puree left, two squashes my wonderful friends Ryan and Bridget passed along to me, and when I saw this recipe for soup my heart started to flutter. Since squash soup is generally a sweeter tasting soup I figured I could sneak it in.

I found the recipe on a blog called joy the baker. com which I think is pretty fitting, since she also decided to take a break from baking and throw a tasty soup recipe in.


Roasted Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium pumpkin (perhaps a sugar pumpkin) and 1 medium butternut squash
1 cup leeks
2 small cloves garlic  (I used 3)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
5-6 cups vegetable broth  (I used 5 cups)
1/4-1/2 cup cream  (I used 1/4)
2 teaspoons brown sugar (I did not add this)
a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg  (I used ground)salt and pepper to taste

Here's the two squash I used for the soup. Never mind the googly eyes. I get bored sometimes.

Unfortunately, I do not have a good sharp knife yet, so it took a while to hack them into chunks.

After I cut up the squash, I sliced up the leeks. I have never used leeks before. They smell and taste a lot like an onion. Only use the white/light green parts. The leaves are coarse and not useable for this recipe. Also, a tip I received from my friend, is to wash the leeks very thoroughly, or else they can taste sort of gritty.

Once the squash and leeks are cut (pumpkins too if you are using fresh) toss with oil, whole garlic, salt and pepper and spread out on a baking tray. Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes on 375 degrees F.

Check with a fork to see if the flesh is tender, and then scoop out the soft parts and put into a bowl to mix if you have a hand held blender. I only have a regular blender so I just added everything from the pan, the 5 cups of vegetable stock, and left over pumpkin puree into my blender.

After everything is blended smoothly and to the consistency of your liking, add it to a large stock pot and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, and add in the nutmeg and cream gradually (if you want.) It starts to smell really good as everything heats up and the squash breaks down even further.

This soup would go really great with some fresh bread and cheese or butter. It is warm and hearty and perfect for celebrating the nearing end of winter.

This soup is tops. I will definitely be making it again. Goodbye canned soup. Hello fresh and healthy!

Until next,
-k

Vegan Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal:

Boy, I am 3 days behind! Busy weekends leave little time for cooking/baking and blogging. I am starting to get an even bigger appreciation for daily bloggers everywhere.

I still had some pumpkin puree left over from my last snack, so I searched for a recipe with that in mind. It is crazy how many things you can put pumpkin into. Just plug it into Pinterest and be prepared to get lost in pumpkin recipe land!

I found today's low sugar treat on Chocolate Covered Katie- The Healthy Dessert Blog. 

(Stalk her blog if you have time, there are a ton of goodies in it! She is a total healthy-dessert genius.)

Vegan Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

-1/2 cup rolled oats (50g)

-1/4 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp cinnamon (and 1/8 tsp nutmeg, if making pumpkin version. Or just use pumpkin pie spice.)

sweetener, such as 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp maple syrup or 1 to 1 1/2 packs stevia

-1/4 cup canned pumpkin (or applesauce or banana)

-1/4 cup milk of choice, or nondairy creamer, or water (scale back by a tbsp if using liquid sweetener)

-1/8 tsp salt

-Optional: 1 to 2 tbsp oil or favorite nut butter (if oil, scale the milk back by a tbsp)

-Optional: raisins, walnuts, brown sugar to sprinkle on top, etc.

It's so easy! Pre-heat the oven to 350/380 degrees (I used 350 even though she suggests 380) Then mix all the ingredients together and spoon into a greased ramekin or mini loaf pan, then bake for about 20 minutes. Once it is done, Katie suggests setting the oven on high broil to get a crispy top- I kept mine in for an extra 5 minutes.

I followed the recipe exactly (I used soy milk instead of regular/ no brown sugar at the end) and am extremely impressed with the results. The consistency is perfect, the pumpkin flavor is light and not overwhelming, and most importantly it is sweet and surprisingly filling!

I will definitely make this again SOON.

Oh, and special thanks to my friend Heather who got me the heart ramekin for Christmas this year! Eating a single serving never tasted so adorable.

<3's,

-k

Pumpkin Energy Bites:

^^Here is a photo of the Pumpkin Balls from GimmeSomeOven's website^^

Since I have made some really great snacks from the website gimmesomeoven.com (which is a fantastic website full of awesome recipes- check it out right now!) I thought why not try another! These no bake pumpkin energy bites did not disappoint!

Ingredients

• 8 oz. (about 1 packed cup) chopped dates
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flax seeds
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (dry, not cooked)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

First, I put the dry ingredients in the bowl I would be mixing everything up in.

[quick oats & pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)]

Next, I combined all the "wet" ingredients in the food processor until it became all mushy.
[dates, honey, pumpkin puree, flax seed, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg- I also added a handful of walnuts]

While pulsing the processor I had my coconut flakes in the toaster oven at 250, checking often to make sure they didn't burn.

Once the coconut flakes and the mush were done, I folded everything in the mixing bowl until wet and dry ingredients were thoroughly combined. Then I put the bowl in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour to chill.

Once the mixture is chilled it is easy to scoop it up and roll into small snack bites!

Even though my pumpkin bites sort of look like weirdo meat-balls, they are deliciously sweet and incredibly healthy for on the go snacking!

I definitely suggest trying these out sometime. If you don't like pumpkin, GimmeSomeOven has another rockin' recipe for peanut butter balls- they are my all time favorite. Here's a link: no bake energy bites

Later days,
-k

Pumpkin Smoothie:

*Since I completely forgot to post yesterday-  I will make this yesterday's, and later I will post today's!

Today's theme is pumpkin because 1) pumpkin is awesome and 2) it is crazy good for you.

according to Livestrong.com,

"Canned Pumpkin Nutrition

A 1/2-cup serving of canned pumpkin provides 40 calories, 4 g of fiber and 1 g of protein. It doesn't contain fat, and only has 5 mg of sodium. It is filled with vitamins and minerals, including 540 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and iron, 8 percent of the daily value for magnesium, 4 percent of the daily value for phosphorus, folate, vitamin B6, riboflavin and calcium and 2 percent of the daily value for thiamine and niacin. Canned pumpkin also provides a good amount of potassium."

Fresh pumpkin is the best. But, when it comes to time and season, pure canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie) is a pretty good alternative.

Since I have a fruit/veggie smoothie almost everyday, I thought adding pumpkin might be an interesting twist for today!

The ingredients I used :

(give or take- I don't always measure)

Pure pumpkin puree- 1 cup

Plain non-fat yogurt- 1 cup

Banana- 1-2 very ripe

Ice cubes- 3-4 cubes

Organic apple juice- 1/2 cup

Flaxseed- 1/4 cup

Cinnamon- 1 teaspoon

Ground ginger- 1 teaspoon

Nutmeg- 1 teaspoon

Agave/Honey- to taste

Just blend on high until creamy and fluffy! It turned out delicious and just sweet enough to curb my cravings for sugar! It also makes plenty enough for two tall glasses. So store it in the refrigerator for later, or share it with a friend.

Here is my finished brunch for the day:

Pumpkin smoothie and an egg/spinach/swiss cheese/toast sandwich! 

Not only is it delicious and healthy,  it isn't the pop-tart or sugary cereal I normally reach for!

Until later,
-k

Soda will make you POP:

Today my sister and I met up for lunch at House of Hunan in Fairlawn. From time to time we like to catch up over a flight of sushi and today was no different than any other sushi-gorge-fest.

Surprisingly though, my sister who although a decent eater- but by no means a health nut- told me that she realized recently that her headaches and neck pain may be a result of her diet Coke addiction. She has at least two cans a day to "keep her going" but always ends up feeling worse and tired later.

This made my day. My little sister is actually considering cutting out soda-pop! Being a former Pepsi addict myself I know how hard this can be, so I thought maybe a list of how to cope with out your go-to beverage would be a good idea for todays post!


^^this is an image I found that makes me giggle so hard because now I will never not see this again.^^
In case you are interested it came from a 2 week soda free challenge and a lot of the testimonials are very inspirational! check it out here.

My Tips For Weaning Off of Soda-Pop

1) Decide whether or not this is something you are serious about. If you aren't serious about changing, chances are the changes aren't going to be so serious about you. Inform yourself about how much sugar and artificial flavors are in the liquid of your choice.

2) Access the situation. How much soda are you consuming on a daily basis?

3) Don't worry about cutting it out completely at first! It will lead to you feeling stressed out and more likely to reach for the soda-pop you want to cut out in the first place.

4) Find a balance between cutting back, but not feeling like you are missing out. Do you drink 3 cans of soda a day? (I know 3 sounds like a lot, but one of my best friends has at least that much or more a day!) Consider just removing one of those cans a day for a week. Think of the difference even one would make. When that starts to get easier cut back another until you are down to zero!

5) Search for replacements to drink. Of course water would be ideal, but at first you are craving the sweetness and the rush that it gives you. So why not get some organic apple, grape, orange, cranberry juice without added sugar in it? It will be high in sugar because of the fruit, but it won't have all of the crappy weirdo ingredients. You could even dilute the juices with water/coconut water when you start to  completely get rid of your cravings for soda-pop, that way it will be an easier transition to water!

Hopefully this helps out! Good luck in your food adventures, whatever they may be.

Always,
-k

Ice Cream Dreams:

Last night I went to the Brite Winter Festival in Cleveland. It was incredible. Tons of bands, lots of people, and a butt-load of snow.

The coolest part was the free food/ free drink lounge for the musicians. I fortunately was able to get access to since my talented boyfriend's band played that evening.

Unfortunately, along with the amazing free pizza, pasta, and veggies, there was also free ice cream from Mitchell's Ice Cream Cleveland.

^^^ Here is a photo straight from their webpage ^^^

Does that not look just to die for? The options they had were:

1) BLACK RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHUNK

Oregon black raspberries, Swiss dark chocolate

2) TOASTED PISTACHIOHomemade pistachio butter, pistachio extract, sea salt
My boyfriend, being the sneak that he is, got a bowl with both flavors and tempted me to try a bite of each kind.

I refused. I said no. I shook my head vigorously.

I. gave. in.

THEY WERE AMAZING!!! (Toasted Pistachio was unbelievably yummy)

You would think that this would be something to be upset over- I caved and ate something sugary and delicious- but, I am not looking at it that way. I stopped at one small taste of each. I didn't get my own bowl of ice cream and inhale it like I would have liked to. I may have broke my fast, but I was able to exercise self control to some extent, and reminded myself that it is possible to enjoy something with out gorging.

until tomorrow,
-k

Sugar Research:

I decided today I would find a credible article online that was recent and well researched.

This was one that was recent (2011) and caught my interest:
Is Sugar Toxic?- NYTimes.com

There is no definitive answer to the question of "whether or not sugar is toxic," as there is no "hard evidence" yet pinpointing sugar as the main culprit to obesity and disease. It does however make some very well researched claims and presents very moving evidence that it is highly likely that sugar is a main cause for obesity and many diseases, and that it is something that should be lowered for optimal health.

Reading this article re-affirmed my decision to cut back/cut out refined sugars from my diet and be more conscious of the foods that enter my body because of the consequences that could come along with it.

Does this mean that after Lent is over I'm not going to eat chocolate ever again?

Heck no. Of course I am going to eat chocolate.

Just probably not the whole bag any more.

-k

Sugar Free Valentines Day Cookies:

Today I decided to get with the Valentines spirit and attempt to make some low-sugar cookies.
Here's how it went:

Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies

1 ½ C. flour

¾ C. butter

¼ C. honey

* Combine flour and butter in food processor (or mixer) until fine. Drizzle in honey while pulsing until mixture pulls together. Roll out and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes. So good, you’ll never want to eat another cut-out cookie with sugar again! You can also add a flavor extract. Be creative! Almond extract, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon etc. found here
          *for the butter I substituted-"Smart Balance with Omega 3"
         I used "creamed cinnamon honey" from my aunt's friends bee farm in Mississippi.
         Also, I added about a 1/4 cup of flax seed and a couple drops of red food coloring.

This is the cutest heart cookie cutter my friend Heather got me for Christmas- I was so excited to finally get to use it!

Here's how the dough looks after mixing it up.

Here they are all lined up and ready to go in the oven!

End result= FAIL. My heart is almost as broken as these cookies are.

Even though the taste of them isn't unpleasant... it reminds me of flat biscuits more than cookies. It's highly possible my substitutions/ additions altered the recipe too much, so I'm not completely ruling this recipe out, just going to search for some different ones to try in the meantime!

Unfortunately, now I have no idea what to bring over to my boyfriend's (we are celebrating Valentine's day this evening) eeek!

until next,
-k

Sweet Doodles:

Today, I decided to get out the 'ol sketch book and watercolors and just doodle. This is what I came up with:

So... I might feel a little anxious.

Confession: I may or may not have seen a box of strawberry jello on the counter this morning and contemplated ripping open the box and inhaling the entire contents- sans cooking. (I'm not even a huge fan of jello.)

this is going to be harder than I thought.

Sugar Free- Day One:

Not sure if any one will be reading this. Or if any one who does even knows me. So I guess, a short bio is in order:

First, I am a female.
I am currently 25 years old.
Give me candy and I am your new best friend.
Make me a cake and we are going steady.
Bring me a brownie and we will probably get married.
I have a short attention span.
I hardly ever stick to anything I plan.
That wasn't supposed to rhyme.
Oh well.


Long story short:
Last weekend, after going to my boyfriend's father's birthday celebration, I found myself with a severe stomach ache and a pounding headache. Why? Probably because when faced with birthday cake and ice cream, it is somewhat like Superman and kryptonite; except in this case, Superman wants to eat all the kryptonite until he explodes.

I knew something had to change, not only because I wanted to barf, but because I couldn't stand to see the half sympathetic/ half "I told you so" looks coming from the loving gaze of my incredibly supportive boyfriend.

Today was the first day of being serious about cutting sugar out of my diet.

It started with washing dishes as most days normally do. Although, as I was putting the silverware into the sink, I noticed a knife with delicious pumpkin pie guts still mushy and clinging to the outside- begging me to lick it off- mind you, I don't know who cut the pumpkin pie, or even when it was left out, so let us realize together the extent of sickness it is that I wanted to, with all my being, lick that knife so clean I could have seen my smiling reflection in it.

But, I didn't.

Instead I exercised my first bit of will power and rubbed off the sugary goods on the inside of the trash can- cringing the whole time- trying to convince myself that throwing the crusty morsels away was a huge waste and that I am a terrible wasteful person. It's the weirdest thing, not even a few hours into my day, and my brain was already trying to get a sugar fix no matter what it had to say to me.

The rest of the day went pretty well. Not too irritable, but I also haven't seen many people and spent most of the day relaxing in between doing household chores.

I did watch a documentary today called "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead."I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a more healthy lifestyle. It starts off slow, but picks up speed about a third of the way in. Towards the end it had me practically in tears. It follows two guys who start juicing and their journey to good health. Also, it is on netflix- easy enough.

Here's a link to the main page incase you are interested.
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/

You can watch the trailer if you are bored. Chances are if you made it to the end of this long-winded post, you probably are. Thanks, by the way. Your support is more valuable to me than you will ever know.

Until tomorrow,

-k