Red Lentil Cauliflower Masala

This recipe is a hearty indian dish that is simple to make, saves very well, and packs a ton of vegan protein from the lentils and nutrients from the veggies. You can mix and match what kind of veggies to include depending on what you have on or what you like best. We were running out of food so I made this recipe was born out of necessity, using the lentils and tomato paste in the cupboard, the lonely cauliflower in the fridge, and the frozen spinach brought it all together. Always have frozen spinach on hand. :) 

Inspired by the Red Lentil & Spinach Masala recipe here.


Ingredients:
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled & minced
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. paprika or red pepper

1 head organic cauliflower, chopped.
1 8 oz. can organic tomato paste
~32 oz. organic vegetable broth, less if you want a thicker consistency
1 15 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
2 cups red lentils (uncooked)
1 medium package frozen spinach
cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

• In a large pot heat the oil on medium heat and add the chopped red onion.
• Saute for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
• Stir in the spices and cook about 2 minutes until very fragrant.
• Add the chopped cauliflower, tomato paste and vegetable broth and cook to boiling over medium high heat, about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is about "al dente", getting softer but not all the way cooked yet.
• Stir in the coconut milk and red lentils.
• Once boiling again reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the lentils and cauliflower are soft, about 23-25 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach, adjust seasonings to taste, and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!
This recipe makes really good leftovers! We enjoyed them later in the week with green beans sautéed in a bit of coconut oil & Trader Joe's Every Day Seasoning. 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (with Quinoa Flour)

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Vegan

Adapted from the recipe for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins made with Quinoa Flour over at KeepItSweetDesserts.com. (The author writes that she slightly adapted from Espresso and Cream who had adapted from With Style & Grace.) the recipe looks great, and I adapted it with the ingredients I had on hand. I substituted chia seeds for the eggs, and added a bit of coconut oil to give it some healthy fats. The resulting muffins are moist, fluffy and light, all without eggs or gluten!

Ingredients: 
Dry
1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Wet
1 cup canned pumpkin 
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbs. chia seeds + 1/3 cup water
1 cup erythritol (or sweetener of choice, more if you like sweeter muffins)
pinch of stevia
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tray or mini muffin tray with coconut oil. 
2. Stir the chia seeds and water together in a small cup, and let sit for about 5 minutes until the chia seeds absorb most of the water. Mix the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl, and add the chia seeds in once they are gelled. 
3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a measuring cup. 
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. 
5. Fill the muffin tins to the top.
6. Add chocolate chips or any toppings you would like (raspberries, blueberries, raisins, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Store sealed in air-tight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the freezer. 
This recipe filled a mini muffin tray and half of a regular-sized muffin tray. 

Healthy Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Nut-Free, can be vegan

These cinnamon rolls are delicious and full of warm sweet cinnamon flavor! These do not rise much or get very fluffy, but even with the denser texture these cinnabons hit the spot. They have more gooey cinnamon sugar filling than many recipes call for, but since that is one of the best parts about this dessert I increased, and might experiment with increasing it even more. The icing recipe also makes extra, but since the icing is my favorite part about any dessert, I increased it to really make sure these were well-frosted and not skimping with thin drizzly stuff like many other recipes out there. 

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #1: 
Adapted from the Grain Free Table's recipe over at Foodbabe.com, here.

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #1

With this recipe the dough seemed really dry and crumbly and would not mix in a good part of the remaining dry ingredients. To fix this I decided to add in 1 egg. It turns out that was a bad idea, as the dough became too wet/sticky and wouldn't roll properly when I attempted to roll them into a log. It just kept sticking to the pan and breaking. I tried to roll as much of it as I could, and arranged them in make-shift half-bun, half-pieces in the pan. It ended up being more like a monkey bread kind of dessert than actual cinnabons, and it was still delicious! This goes to show if you have problems along the way, don't give up, and even if the end result is different than what you planned it can still be a success. We made these to celebrate Christmas, and a wonderful Christmas it was indeed. 

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #2: 
Adapted from the recipe at Detoxinista.com here. 

This recipe turned out really well and tasted just like a glutenous cinnabon! The use of arrowroot starch and coconut flour made for a lighter texture, less heavy than the previous version, so this is what we'll use going forward. I modified it by adding more of cinnamon/coconut sugar filling, and adding a decadent cream cheese frosting! If you can't tell from the pictures, cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite things ever, which I'll only have on special occasions, if I make it myself with safe ingredients and without refined sugar. The end result tasted so good and decadent I think my husband may ask for it too frequently!

Ingredients

Dough

Dry: 

• 1 1/2 cups arrowroot starch/flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

Wet: 

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs (for vegan version replace with 3 tbsp. chia or flax seeds + water to form a gel)

Spice Swirl

• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or coconut oil)

Frosting

• 8 oz. organic cream cheese (or greek yogurt, or dairy-free cream cheese, try to avoid soy still)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon erythritol, or pinch of stevia (or coconut sugar)
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• squeeze of lemon juice
• Thin to desired thickness with non-dairy milk 

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl mix together the dough dry ingredients.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Stir together the wet ingredients in the cup. 
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry making sure there are no lumps. 
4. Chill the dough for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
5. Stir together the the cinnamon/coconut sugar filling ingredients and set aside. 
6. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out onto a tray lined with parchment paper and greased with coconut oil (we don't want the dough to stick!). 
7. Sprinkle the filling onto the rolled out dough. If you like the gooey cinnamon filling as much as I do, sprinkle more cinnamon and coconut sugar on top. 
8. Roll the dough into a log, folding each section over at a time by carefully rolling up the parchment paper. 
9. Cut the log into sections and place in a greased 8x8 dish. 
10. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cover the dish with foil so they don't get brown.  
11. Make the frosting by heating the cream cheese gently in the microwave or stove-top. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and adjust the taste/sweetness to your liking. 
12. After 25 minutes, take off the foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes until lightly browned. 

Dollop on the frosting and Enjoy! 

There will be extra icing, and you can use that as a dip for fruit or the other rolls.

I happen to LOVE cream cheese frosting, so we used it all. no regrets. ;)

Cinnamon Rolls Attempt #1 - so much gooey, cinnamony, cream cheesy goodness!

Thai Pumpkin Curry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan-optional

At my favorite Thai restaurant the dish I get every time is, Pumpkin Chicken Curry! It is is creamy with a luscious coconut milk curry sauce, lightly sweet with buttery chunks of freshly cooked pumpkin, and pretty much divine! Kabocha squash, which looks like a small pumpkin, went on sale at the commissary, so I decided to buy and try and recreate the Pumpkin Curry recipe myself. The following recipe is the happy result from this experiment. 

Adapted from the recipe here. 
Makes 5-8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 small pumpkin (kabocha, sugar pie) - approximately 1lb
• 1 small red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1lb boneless and skinless chicken, cubed in to 1"piece (organic, hormone-free, etc.)
• 1 package frozen spinach
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil (julienned, thinly cut)
• Salt
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)
• 
  

*use as many organic ingredients as possible

**can substitute chickpeas for the chicken to make vegan

Directions

Prepare the Pumpkin: 

- Bring a large pot of water to a boil

- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pumpkin into quarters and scoop out the seeds. (leave the skin on, it's really hard to cut into chunks while still raw.)

- Boil the pumpkin quarters for at 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender. 

- Drain the water and let the pumpkin cool until you can handle it. 

- Cut the pumpkin into bite-size cubes and cut off the rind of the pumpkin from each piece. 

Prepare the Curry: 

- Blend the red curry paste, garlic and onions together (I used a Nutribullet). 

- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan, and saute the mixture over medium heat until the paste smells aromatic. 

- Stir in the can of coconut milk and teaspoon of coconut sugar. Once the oil begins to separate from the mixture, or the sauce begins to simmer, add in the chicken pieces (or chickpeas) and do not disturb the chicken for about 7 minutes. Carefully handle the chicken without stirring much and allow to fully cook in the coconut milk. 

(To better monitor the chicken's doneness, you can cook it only half the can of coconut milk and add the other half with the veggies. I just added the milk all at once though.)

- When the chicken is fully cooked, add the pumpkin and thawed spinach. Simmer until all the pumpkin is fork tender and parts cohesive. 

- Add the lime juice and season with salt to taste. 

- Take off the heat, add the julienned Thai basil, and adjust to taste. 

Serve over brown rice, greens, with Pad Thai, or on it's own. Enjoy!

• 
  

Thai Green Curry

Easy, Paleo, Gluten-Free, One Pan Wonder

Makes 2 large servings

While in Thailand, my husband had the opportunity to attend a Thai Cooking class. We LOVE Thai food, especially curries and pad thai, so he jumped at the chance to learn how to make it from scratch. In the class they learned how to make Pad Thai, Green Curry, Pad Kra Pow (sliced chili and Thai Basil) and Som Tam (papaya salad) from scratch. The teacher provided the recipes and instructions for everything, and when he finally returned from deployment we set out to make the recipes ourselves! We ended up not being able to find some of the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce and curry paste, so we had to just buy the packaged sauces. The recipe turned out really well, and this is definitely a satisfying comfort food. The brown rice provides a better source of protein, and while the sauce does have sugar making it not the healthiest thing in the world, this version is healthier and cheaper then what we would buy at a restaurant. 
This recipe is straight from Thailand, and we didn't have to spend $9+ per serving! :) 

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 tbs. coconut oil 
• 2 tbs. Green Curry paste (we used Thai Kitchen brand)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 lb chopped chicken, beef, seafood (optional, to make vegan you can use chickpeas as the protein source, or serve over quinoa)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1.5 cups chopped vegetables: Thai eggplant, Pea eggplant
• 1/2 cup Thai Basil (find at farmer's market, looks more pointed and purplish than regular basil)
• 1 tbs. Fish Sauce

Steps: 
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry paste. Stir until you smell the curry (20 seconds). 

- Add 1/4 can of the coconut milk to the pan and dissolve the paste. Let it boil for 1 minute. 
Add another 1/4 can and wait until it's boiling. Repeat until the measured coconut milk is emptied. 

- Add the meat and wait until it's cooked. Do not stir until chicken is 80% cooked. Wait until everything is boiled evenly, and add water if the coconut milk is too thick. 

- Add vegetables (Thai eggplant and Thai basil), and stir occasionally until they are cooked. The Thai eggplant should have the consistency of a cooked potato once it is ready. 

- When the vegetables are cooked, stir in the brown sugar and fish sauce. Serve garnished with red chili and Thai basil leave. 
Enjoy!

Green Curry & Pad Thai!

Vegan Beet Brownies

Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

When traveling I like to bring my own healthy foods so I don't have to pay for or depend on what's available at the airport. I experimented with making bars that have vegetables, protein, fiber, and that taste good, and these were the result! Beets are packed with nutrients, the chickpeas and quinoa flour provide a great protein source, cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar, and I even added a zucchini for good measure. These will be a good breakfast, snack, dessert, or mini travel meal. 

Health Benefits of Beets:

• Beets are packed with vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; and folic acid.
• Beets help detoxify the body by boosting liver function, purifying the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer.
• Beets help mental health and can also lower blood pressure.
• Beets are full of fiber, contain only 60 calories per cup, and have potent anti-inflammatory effects.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas:

• Plant protein source containing 15 grams of protein per cup
• Rich in soluble and insoluble fiber
• Rich in vitamins and minerals: A one-cup serving of chickpeas provides 50% of daily potassium needs, 2% vitamin A, 21% calcium, 13% vitamin C, 69% iron, 2% sodium, 55% vitamin B-6 and 57% magnesium. They also contain vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline and selenium.
• Low glycemic index of 28, providing slow burning energy and not spiking blood sugar.
• Much more! Reference the sources below for the full articles

Raspberries & Blueberries sprinkled on top

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup quinoa flour (or gf flour of choice)
• 1 ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup erythritol or sweetener of choice
• 1 tablespoon (or less) stevia powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon mineral salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 steamed beets
• 1 raw zucchini
• 1 can organic chickpeas
• 3 tbs. chia seeds mixed with 6 tbs. water
• ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used flax milk)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  Berries (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 355 degrees.
2. While the beats are steaming, measure out and stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Blend together the wet ingredients in a food processor until totally smooth.
4. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
5. Smooth out into 2 9x13 inch pans. Top with berries, chocolate chips or any other toppings.
6. Bake at 355 for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.

All packed and ready for traveling!

Recipe revised from: http://www.theroastedroot.net/fudgy-paleo-beetroot-brownies/

Sources:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-beet-benefits-aphrodisiac-brain-booster-more.html/2

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx

http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/10/6-health-benefits-of-eating-beets/

http://www.naturalfoodbenefits.com/display.asp?CAT=2&ID=86

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280244.php

Blueberry Vanilla Pumpkin Cookies

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Oil-Free

Wet Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened) 
• 3/4 cup erythritol (or sweetener of choice)
• 2-3 pinches stevia (depending on how sweet you like them)
• 2 chia/flax seed 'eggs' (mix 2 tbsp. chia seeds, 1 tbsp. ground flax seed, and 4-5 tbsp. water)
• 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries 

Dry Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Quinoa Flour or Brown Rice flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 3 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• pinch sea salt

*As many ingredients as possible should be Organic and trustworthy.

-Mix together the chia seeds, flax seeds, and filtered water in a cup and leave for about 5 minutes in the fridge to set up.

- Stir the wet ingredients together in a bowl (minus the blueberries). 
- Mix the dry ingredients together making sure there are no lumps in the flours. 
- Stir the chia/flax seeds that have set up (formed a thick gel) into the wet ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, then fold in the blueberries. 
          If the mixture looks a little too wet, then add in extra quinoa flour, and if it's too dry add in pumpkin or applesauce or almond milk. It might look kind of wet, but that is okay and they should still turn out into solid cookies. You might get good results by putting the dough in the fridge for a while to firm up, but it's not really necessary and I didn't do it. 

- Form the cookies into your desired cookie shape on a foil-lined/coconut oil - greased pan. The cookies don't rise much , so form them into the shape you want now - bite-sized, big fluffy pillow-cookies, whatever!

- Bake at 350 degrees for 16-19 minutes, or until golden brown/darker and the inside is mostly cooked through. You can still take them out if they are still pretty soft on the inside, since they will continue to cook on the pan, and they will just be softer and chewier. 
Enjoy!

These cookies have a crisp outside and super soft, chewy inside. The union of blueberries, vanilla and pumpkin is just SO good!
Chocolate is kind of addictive for me, so I wanted to make these bars to have around for breakfast, but without the chocolate to tempt me to have too many. The dark blueberries kind of look like chocolate chips so they're aesthetically pleasing, while being filled with all the amazing nutrients that are in blueberries! 

Dark Chocolate Mousse Cakes

Vegan, Gluten-Free, No Sugar Added, Nut-Free, Oil-Free

This recipe was adapted from the Molten Lava Cakes over at veggiegrettie.com. After searching for a vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free chocolate melting cake recipe to make for Kenny, I finally settled on that recipe. I didn't have all the ingredients and wanted to tweak a few things, so this recipe is the product of my experiment, and what happened to be in the pantry tonight. Although it didn't turn out as anticipated (with a gooey center), we both thought they tasted really good!! :) They weren't exactly Melting Cakes with the gooey center and cakey outside, but they had more of a mousse consistency throughout with a rich dark chocolaty flavor. I baked them for 13 minutes, so they might have came out a bit more cakey if I had baked them longer. Either way, this was my first time trying this recipe, and since we liked it so much I'm documenting exactly what I used and the result. 

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
• 6 tbs. unsweetened Almond Milk
• 4 tbs. unsweetened Applesauce
• 3 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp. Chia Seeds

Dry Ingredients: 

• 9 tbs. Quinoa Flour
• 2 tbs. Cacao Powder (or cocoa powder)
• 6 Stevia packets
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum
• Pinch Sea Salt

- Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, or in the microwave. If using the microwave stir every 30 seconds, and it should be done after about 90 seconds. 

- Stir together all of the dry ingredients, making sure there are no lumps. 

- Stir the rest of the wet ingredients into the melted chocolate. 

- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. The batter will be quite thick like brownie batter. 

- Spray 4 ramekins with coconut oil and cocoa powder. 

- Fill the ramekins so they are half or 2/3s of the way full. Place the ramekins in a 9x13 inch pan, then fill with water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. (If you're short on time and don't want to bother with the water you don't have to - it just helps it cook better from all angles.)

- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and Enjoy! :) 
   

Measurements to Double the Recipe: 

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Applesauce
• 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 tsp. Chia Seeds

Dry Ingredients: 

• 1 cup + 1 tbs. Quinoa Flour
• 1/4 cup Cacao Powder (or cocoa powder)
• 9 Stevia packets
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
• Pinch Sea Salt

Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies ... or Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Fat Free, Nut Free, High Protein

Wouldn't it be great if you could have cookies that were packed with super-nutritious ingredients, so you could eat dessert totally guilt-free and still be happily nourishing your body? That's what I've wondered for a long time, and this recipe hits the spot in both regards! I stirred a few secret healthy ingredients in here that make these cookies high protein, low fat, low calories, but still really big and satisfying on taste! The special ingredients?  

• Quinoa Flour or Brown Rice Flour - works as the flour and provides a great source of protein
• Pumpkin - sweet vegetable that has a lower glycemic index, plenty of fiber, and is rich in important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It "is less in calories but contains vitamin A, and flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as leutin, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance" (see references below). 
• Chia Seeds - loaded with antioxidants, a great source of important omega 3 fatty acids, good source of fiber, and a high-quality protein source. These are very important to add in one's diet, and they can even replace the eggs in baking!
• Cinnamon - proven to help stabilize blood sugar, boosts cognitive function, improves insulin production, and can even reduce cancer cells. 

Wet Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin
• 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened) 
• 3/4 cup erithrytol (or sweetener of choice)
• 2-3 pinches stevia
• 2 chia seed eggs (2 tbsp. chia seeds + 4-5 tbsp. water)
• 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. imitation butter flavor (optional, if you want to keep it really pure leave out)

Dry Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Quinoa Flour or Brown Rice flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 3 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• pinch sea salt
• 3/4 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips, or any other add-ins you'd like! (raisins, nuts, etc.)

*As many ingredients as possible should be Organic and trustworthy.

Stir the wet ingredients together, then mix into the dry ingredients. If the mixture looks a little too wet, then add in extra quinoa flour, and if it's too dry add in pumpkin or applesauce or even almond milk. It might look kind of wet, but that is okay and they should still turn out into solid cookies. You might get good results by putting the dough in the fridge for a while to firm up, but it's not really necessary and I didn't do it. 

Form the cookies into your desired cookie shape on a foil-lined pan. The cookies don't rise much at all, so form them into the shape you want now - bite-sized, or big cookies, whatever!
By using the dough as is, you will make Pumpkin Spice Chia Cookies (great for breakfast!), OR you can add in chocolate chips to make a gooey chocolatey dessert! Sprinkle the plain Pumpkin Spice cookies with cinnamon before baking, and they'll even look like snickerdoodles.

      Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Version: 
Stir 6+ tbsp. of natural peanut butter into the finished dough. The peanut butter taste of the final product will depend on the kind of peanut butter you're using, so use more or less than that amount depending on how strong you'd like the flavor to be. I used about 6 tbsp. of PB2 mixed with water, and the peanut taste was not too strong. Then stir in your chocolate chips and form the cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 16-19 minutes, or until golden brown/darker and the inside is mostly cooked through. You can still take them out if they are still pretty soft on the inside, since they will continue to cook on the pan, and they will just be softer and chewier. 













I obviously chose to make a lot more Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies today, as that is Kenny's ultimate favorite flavor combination. He really liked the cookies, and I really liked their taste, soft chewy texture, AND that they are so healthy, will not spike our blood sugar, and have only ingredients that are GOOD for our bodies! :)

Reference: 
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/11-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html