High Protein, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

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On our way home from Northern Michigan, I was starting to feel that good old fall nostalgia. The trees are starting to turn, I'm having to check the weather and actually think about how to dress myself, and my instagram feed is being taken over by #PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte - I stay away, but here's a skinny copycat I made three years ago).

We stopped at Martha's Vineyard for a little DIY charcuterie action and a can of organic pumpkin caught my eye. I threw it in the basket and immediately started taking mental inventory of what else we had at home that I could combine it with.

And then this little ditty came to life. But I wasn't sure what to call it. Easy? Gluten free? High protein?

^^^^ALL. OF. THE. ABOVE.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

High Protein, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients for pie filling:

• 1 can organic pumpkin
• 1/2 tbsp half and half or heavy cream
• 1 tbsp coconut milk
• Egg whites from 3 eggs
• 1 whole egg
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• Vanilla/Sweetener - Use any of these combinations: [1 tbsp liquid stevia + 1 tsp vanilla extract] [1 tbsp liquid stevia + 1 tbsp liquid vanilla stevia] [2 tbsp stevia powder + 1 tsp vanilla extract] [2 tbsp white sugar + 1 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tsp vanilla extract]
• Optional: 4 tbsp unflavored protein powder (I used Great Lakes Gelatin and highly recommend it - this ended up with 10g of protein per slice by incorporating it!)

Ingredients for pie topping:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Sweetener - Use any of the following: [1/2 tbsp liquid stevia] [1/2 tbsp maple syrup] [1/2 tbsp agave nectar]
• 1/2 cup pecans, crumbled or chopped into smaller pieces 
• 1/2 cup oats
• WHIPPED CREAM! Gotta have it.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine ingredients for pie filling and mix until well combined. 
3. Spray a baking dish (I used a 10 inch round dish) and then place the mixture inside evenly. 
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine pie topping ingredients (except for whipped cream) in a pan on medium heat. Sautee together until the aroma is powerfully fall!
6. Once you take the pie out of the oven, sprinkle topping over it. 
7. Top each individual piece with whipped cream and serve!

P.S. If you've been following me since the beginning, you know I've got a plethora of pumpkin recipes on this site. A few years ago, I did a "Twelve Days of Pumpkin" series and basically turned my entire kitchen (and fingers?) orange. But, it taught me how many different food items you can incorporate pumpkin into. Looking for a little (or a lot) pumpkin in your life? Check these out!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• What's your favorite fall-themed recipe? 
• Are there any fall recipes you love but want to see "healthified?"

16 Holiday Recipes You'll Die For & A Thanksgiving Menu

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It's not just about the turkey, folks. It's about giving thanks and loving each other... and the appetizers, side dishes, and desserts, of course. Here's a Thanksgiving Menu filled with delicious, creative dishes. Pick your favorites and find the recipe links at the bottom.

I know, you're drooling right now. And you're also thinking, "How on earth could I even eat all of those things in one sitting?" The answer is two-fold: Tiny bites, big pants.

Here are the recipes:

Appetizers:
Baked Honey and Basil Brie Pastry with Reduced Kahlua
Pretzel Rolls with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce
Baked Apples with Savory Pork Stuffing
Spicy Curry Pumpkin Fries

Sides:
Skinny Vegetarian Stuffing
Roasted Cranberry Sauce (Here are 7 more Cranberry Sauce recipes)
Kahlua Brown Sugar and Walnut Whipped Sweet Potato 
Thai-Style Brussels Sprouts

Main:
Roasted Turkey

Dessert:
Dark Chocolate Cheesecake With Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Sea Salt
Cherry Pomegranate Mini Pies
Homemade Peppermint Patties

Cocktails:
Whiskey Sweet N Sour Cocktail
Vodka Cake Cocktail
Whiskey Apple Cider
Rumon Ale Cocktail

Enjoy!

Halloween Round Up

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In the spirit of Halloween, I figured I'd round up a few of my favorite Halloweenie links for you today. Everything from food to decor to costumes. Ready, set, go!

Clockwise from top left:
Halloween Eyeball Appetizers.
Halloween Web Cookies (because even lazy people deserve festive food!).
Effie Trinket and Seneca Crane costumes and props.
Pumpkin Scones
Halloween Cupcakes from Bright Bazaar (also known as, drizzle caramel in a web formation).
Candy Corn Candle DIYs

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe (Save 200 Calories Per Drink!)

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Around 8:52 (approximately), I get the urge. The Starbucks urge. And so I make the trek downstairs for my delicious latte. Now that it's fall, I hear the same thing over and over again: "Grande Pumpkin Spiced Latte!"

And I cringe. I cringe, I tell you! Because I know the truth! The truth that just one Grande Pumpkin Spiced Latte has 310 calories in it and 50 carbohydrates! It's bordering on putting you into a coma. That, my friends, is why you're tired all fall.

Let's take a look at Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte vs my DIY Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte... Here is the comparison. Roll your mouse over the image to find out the winner (as though you need help!).

(Img Credit for Starbucks Drink)

Quite a big difference, isn't it? By taking 5 minutes to make your drink before leaving the house, you're going from 310 calories and ~49 carbs to 110 calories and ~15 carbs. This will leave you happier, healthier, and more full of energy. Oh, and you might notice your waistline shrinking. Side effect of healthy eating. :) So are you convinced? Good. Here's the recipe.

It's set for one serving, but keep in mind that you can make a large batch and refrigerate it for a week. Similarly, for those of you who are coffee drinkers instead of espresso drinkers, feel free to make a large batch and use in place of milk or coffee creamer! Healthier and delicious!

Nuts and Seeds Part Five: Sunflower Seeds

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Nuts and seeds. They're good for you. But there are so many to choose from... what the heck is the difference? What's the big deal??

To catch up on what the big deal is and read tips for nut use, take a look at this post. If you missed it, here's the brief version: Protein (YES! Muscle repair!), Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Skin! Nails! Hair!), Fibers (Fitness! Digestion! Filling!), and Lignans (Disease-preventing!). All good things and ALL found in nuts and seeds!

The Nuts And Seeds Gang:
Over the next few weeks, stop by for eight posts about nuts and seeds, how to incorporate them into your diet, which ones are best, and recipes for use...

1. Flax Seeds
2. Chia Seeds
3. Pumpkin Seeds
4. Sesame Seeds
5. Sunflower Seeds
6. Walnuts
7. Pistachios
8. Almonds

Sunflower Seeds: Here Comes The Sun...

• WHAT'S GOOD:
  Great source of Vitamin E, anti-inflammatory, and a great source of essential fatty acids. High fiber, high protein.
• THE SUMMARY:
  A delicious addition to salads and trail mix, Sunflower Seeds neutralize free radicals and alleviate the symptoms of asthma, arthritis, and any conditions where inflammation is part of the issue. Sunflower seeds are also known to decrease the incidences of hot flashes in women.
• CAUTION:As with any nut, be careful! Don't eat too many. They're high in calories!
• CALORIES IN 1/4 CUP: 186
• HOW TO EAT IT:
  Some sunflower seeds are sold unshelled (aka with the shell still on). Don't forget to remove it! To remove shells, grind them slightly (enough to break them out of their shells) and then dump them into a bowl of water, where the shells will float and the seeds ill sink. If purchasing shelled seeds, avoid yellowish seeds (which may have "gone rancid").
• Sprinkle on salads
• Add to salad dressings
• Use in meat marinades
• Add to stir fry dishes
• Add Sunflower Seeds to These Recipes: Trail Mix /  Balsamic Glazed Prunes with Feta and Basil / Pumpkin & Pine Nut Sage Orzo Risotto /  Garlic Chicken Greek Salad

CREDITS:
Image Sunflower Seeds

Nuts and Seeds Part Three: Pumpkin Seeds

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As you may recall, my lovely friend Jordan over at Exclusively Chic asked me about nuts and seeds. Why are nuts and seeds so good for you? What's the big deal??

To catch up on what the big deal is and read tips for nut use, take a look at this post. If you missed it, here's the brief version: Protein, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fibers, and Lignans. All good things and ALL found in nuts and seeds!

The Nuts And Seeds Gang:
Over the next few weeks, stop by for eight posts about nuts and seeds, how to incorporate them into your diet, which ones are best, and recipes for use...

1. Flax Seeds
2. Chia Seeds
3. Pumpkin Seeds
4. Sesame Seeds
5. Sunflower Seeds
6. Walnuts
7. Pistachios
8. Almonds

Pumpkin Seeds: The "Low Dose" Seed

• WHAT'S GOOD: 
  Good source of essential fatty acids and vitamins/nutrients like potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper, protein, and vitamin K.
• THE SUMMARY:
  Pumpkin seeds contain a lot of "random" essential nutrients that your body needs, like the three "P"s (protein, potassium, phosphorous), the two "M"s (magnesium, manganese), and zinc, iron, copper, etc... A small handful of these seeds will reinvigorate you with a healthy dose of vitamins. Because they're not particularly flavorful on their own, they can be made to taste like just about anything... from sweet to salty, oriental to cajun, and so on. P.S. I'm looking forward to trying these with a cinnamon and truvia outer shell!
• CAUTION: 
  These seeds have tryptophan, the nasty little thing in Turkey that makes you so tired after turkey dinner. Watch out when eating these before a big race! That said, remember that seeds, in general, provide an excellent source of energy, so they're not likely to change the course of your day in any negative way.
  
• CALORIES IN 1/4 CUP: 200
• HOW TO EAT IT:
  In general, baking/roasting nuts and seeds is discouraged... but Pumpkin seeds can be hard to eat otherwise, so go ahead! They're freshest in the fall, so focus on adding them to your diet during that time!
• Bake seeds with spices for a healthy and delicious "bar snack" (like these)
• Add to sauteed vegetables
• Add to trail mix
• Add to salads
• Add to oatmeal or granola based cookies
• Try These Recipes Including Pumpkin Seeds:  Wasabi Flavored Pumpkin Seeds /  Cajun Barbecue Pumpkin Seeds
• Add Pumpkin Seeds to These Recipes: Trail Mix / Healthy Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie /  Pumpkin & Pine Nut Sage Orzo Risotto

Credits: Image Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

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Like this recipe? Be kind to me and show some love:  Pin It

I'm a huge fan of Oreo Truffles but, unfortunately, they're not the healthiest dessert (hello, Oreos!). That said, ever since the first batch of Oreo Truffles, my friends and family have asked begged for more. After my 12 Days of Pumpkin project, with my pumpkin obsession still lingering, I finally obliged them -- sort of -- by making Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles. 

These treats are rich, creamy, and moist, but are surprisingly low calorie (YES, can we get a round of applause for the low-cal element?!). The base, a pumpkin cake, uses no eggs, no oil, and no butter -- just vanilla cake mix (you can use sugar free if you would like to make it even lower in calories) and either canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree. By mixing in low fat cream cheese, we end up with a flavor akin to pumpkin cheesecake, without the fat-saturated ingredients. A delicious but very thin outer layer of vanilla candy coating tops off these delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles. I brought them into work and they were gone within minutes! :) Enjoy!

Bake time: 25 minutes 
Total time: 1 hour (this number will vary, depending on how long you let your cake cool for)

Calories per serving: 80-100 Calories (depends on which cream cheese is used, which cake mix is used, and whether pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin is used as the butter/oil substitute)

Ingredients:

• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 can Canned Pumpkin (or 8 oz Pumpkin Puree)
• 8 oz Low Fat Cream Cheese
• 1 package Almond Bark (Vanilla)
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1. Peaheat oven to 350.
2. Combine cake mix and pumpkin and beat on medium until well mixed.
3. Pour into greased glass dish and bake for 20-24 minutes (if cake box says otherwise, follow those instructions), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Set the cake aside to cool (I covered mine and set it out overnight so that it was cooled the following day).
5. "Mash" the cake. Using clean hands or a fork, break the cake into crumbly pieces and add the cream cheese, mixing well with clean hands.
6. Once the cake and cream cheese are mixed well enough that no white cream cheese is visible, roll into small balls with your hands (about 1 inch in diameter). Set aside.
7. Melt almond bark in a deep bowl (this will make it easier to coat the truffles). Begin by heating for 90 seconds, then stir. Heat at 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
   (If you would like to drizzle an additional colorful layer of coating at the end, set aside 1/8 of the candy coating).*
8. Add 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil and mix well.
9. Using two large spoons, carefully drop each truffle into the melted coating and toss around. Remove and place on parchment paper to dry. Continue this process with the rest of the truffle balls.
   *If you set aside candy coating for drizzling, melt the leftover coating after the initial coat has dried. Once it has melted, add a few drops of Vegetable Oil and stir in a few drops of coloring. I used Wilton's icing coloring, so I swirled 3 toothpicks in the coloring and then the icing. Once this is well stirred, either drizzle using a fork or use a piping bag (or plastic bag) with a very thin opening.

[LINK UP] Friday, The Thirteenth... Day of Pumpkins!

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I know. I had you at "hello." Err -- I mean "link up." Got a Pumpkin recipe? Good. It's time for show and tell, my friends!

Today, instead of force feeding my family and coworkers more any more pumpkin (I suspect they'll be turning orange soon...), I've decided to hand it over to you. Submit your pumpkin related recipe to be chosen to be part of (and have your own page in) a cook book! If you've got a website, link up below. Otherwise, shoot me your recipe and a photo or two here. 

If you've been MIA for the past few weeks, you missed some pumpkin madness. We've been on The Kitchn, Aaplemint, The Daily Meal, The Frugal Girls, and Philadelphia Magazine. So here's my proposition to you: let's bundle up, put our walking boots on, and go for a stroll down memory lane... 


Without further ado, all together now! Seriously. Pretend you're Christmas caroling!  "On the first day of Pumpkins, my true love gave to me..." [and so on and so forth]

[Click on each dish for the recipe and more photos!]

And so, my friends, lettuce continue with the pumpkin madness for just one more day... because no one who was truly mad ever wanted to be sane, did they?  Here are a few of my favorites so far. Can't wait for you to blow my mind some more.

We've got low fat pumpkin muffins comin' in from Christi over at Love From The Oven (does that picture below make you salivate or what?!).

Tina from Mommy's Kitchen has 'whipped' up some Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cheesecake (which looks like I ordered it off of a menu at the kind of dinner I still need my parents to pay for...).

Seriously easy 2-ingredient muffins come over from Zoe at Scout's Stitches (how can you not love a recipe that only requires two things?!).

'Sweet Pea' from Newlyweds-Blog is pretty much blowing my mind by coming up with Pumpkin Enchiladas. Darn. Why didn't I think of that?! So creative!

Your turn!

Why should you link up?

Wait, you mean making me happy isn't enough for you? Darn. Well, fine. How about having your own page in a cook book? What about if, say, on that page, you get to put your website name and URL? And what about if that cook book started from a series enjoyed by and linked to by websites like The Kitchn, Aaplemint, The Daily Meal, The Frugal Girls, and Philadelphia Magazine? 

How do you get in the cookbook?

Send me an email here or add your link below (you do NOT have to be a blogger or have a website to participate). 

**If you are adding a link, please include the following code in your pumpkin-related post (it will show a button for this pumpkin project). If this button is not on your recipe page, your link might be deleted. 

<a href="http://www.createliveblog.com/search/label/pumpkin"> <img src="http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/6522/pumpkins12.png"> </a>

Healthy Upside Down Pumpkin Pie

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[Recipe 12 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

[Recipe 12 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

I've got a bone to pick with your regular pie. Yes, they are quites tasty, but for me it takes a whole lot of  taste to balance out the whole-lotta-calories.

This upside down pie is half the calories of your normal piece of pumpkin pie. By substituting a thin, whole wheat crumble instead of a fat-and-calorie-heavy crust, we are saving hundreds of calories here. Additionally, by using skim milk instead of heavy cream or half and half, we're saving hundreds more and also seriously cutting the fat content.

In short, here's my advice: Print this recipe and save it for Thanksgiving...

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1/2 cup Skim Milk
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons Oats
• 2 cups Pumpkin Puree
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 cup granulated Sugar
• 2 pinches Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 5 tablespoons Room temperature butter

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Soften cream cheese, then mix with pumpkin puree.
3. Add egg and melted butter, stir.
4. Add vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix, then add skim milk and continue to beat/whisk.
5. Pour into greased/buttered casserole dish. Put in the oven for 25 minutes.
6. In a new bowl, combine oats, flour, and brown sugar.
7. Add room temperature butter and work/knead into mixture using your hands.
8. Take casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle "crust" mixture on top. Put back in the oven for 30 minutes or until the center is hard.
9. Serve with whipped cream

[Recipe 12 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

**Got a recipe? Come back tomorrow, "Friday, The 13th Day of Pumpkins," with YOUR OWN pumpkin recipes for a link-up and a chance to have your own page in a pumpkin cookbook!**

[Recipe 12 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]