Mini Pumpkin Pies

Tonight I hosted a Stella & Dot jewelry party at the house.  I decided to create a festive fall menu of heavy appetizers for the guests and my favorite item were the mini pumpkin pies! 

The mini pies can be as easy or difficult as you choose... store bought pie dough vs homemade.  Canned pumpkin pie filling or roast pumpkins and mix your own filling in your kitchen.

You'll need:
- Mini muffin tins

- Unbaked pie dough, enough for a two crust pie.
- Pumpkin pie filling, enough for two pies.
- A circle cookie cutter or even use a glass or small bowl as a cutter.  You may need to play around with the sizing depending on your muffin tin size.  You want cut dough to stick up a bit out of the tins, like below.

Cut as many circles as you can from the dough.  You should get anywhere between 22-30 discs of dough. Place dough inside ungreased muffin tins and prick bottom of each mini pie shell with a fork one time.  Bake the empty shells for about 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  They may puff up a bit so use your fingers or some foil to press the shells back down a bit.

Pour the prepared pumpkin mix in to the semi baked shells.  I fill mine just below the edge of the crust.  Bake anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on tin size.  You'll know the pies are done when they puff up a bit, may have a crack on the surface, and the filling isn't jiggly and is firm to the touch.  Let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes and carefully remove.

Pretty little pies!

And why not get festive with your bottles of wine?  I used a shipping label and printed "Witches Brew" on them with a skull graphic. 

Just a fraction of the beautiful jewelry that was on display tonight!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies?!

I've seen a chocolate chip cookie recipe floating around pinterest for weeks.  The photos of the fresh from the oven cookies were mouth watering.  And then I read the recipe.  How could a cookie taste good without any flour and be mostly made of beans?  Yeah, beans.  Garbanzo beans to be exact.  Or chickpeas.  They're the same thing but some people only know them by one name or the other.  Don't gag, just keep reading....

A friend posted on facebook that she tried the recipe and that the cookies were not only good, but she and her children couldn't eat them fast enough.  It was right then and there that I printed out the recipe and made a batch.  Hard to believe, but these cookies are fantastic!  Okay, so they don't have the same taste as a knock your socks of traditional cookie, but the peanut butter and chocolate give great flavor!

Blending the ingredients...

Mixing the chocolate chips in to the bean and peanut butter mixture...

The cookies taste best when they're warm.  If you are eating the cookies after they have completely cooled, I recommend zapping them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Do not judge these cookies until you try one!  Plus, there is no oil, no butter, no flour, no white sugar, so they are semi healthy.  And gluten free and grain free! And mighty tasty.

1 1/4 c. canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), well-rinsed and patted dry
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 c. honey 
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine first six ingredients (exclude chocolate chips) in a food processor and process until very smooth. Scrape the sides and the top to make sure all the garbanzo beans are accounted for.  Continue to process until all combined.


Put in the chocolate chips and stir. The cookie mixture will be thick and sticky.

With damp hands, form into 1 1/2" balls and place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. These cookies won't change shape much as they bake so don't worry. Bake for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

Sushi

I couldn't resist posting these photos from a birthday dinner my sister-in-law and brother-in-law hosted for my husband today.  They made an incredible amount of sushi and it was all amazing!

Making Machine

Blake likes to tell me that I'm a 'maker'.  I make, bake, cook, create all sort of things in all sorts of mediums.  So I guess he is right!  Today I put my 'maker' skills to action and made a batch of pumpkin butter (my kids are addicted - on toast and waffles it can't be beat), a huge batch of gingered carrot soup and a week's worth of muesli.  The latter two recipes are part of my 28 to Great challenge.   I wish the pumpkin butter was part of the healthy menu suggestions... I could eat a whole jar!  Click here for my pumpkin butter recipe.

I'll be honest, I wasn't very excited to try the muesli because it seems a little like 'horse food'.  But, when you add the suggested plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt, nonfat milk or almond milk with about a half cup of berries and a splash of honey, you have got a pretty tasty breakfast!

And the gingered carrot soup is fantastic.  The flavor is really kicked up a notch when you serve it with chopped cilantro!  Give these recipes a try - they are all perfect for the fall.

Both recipes are courtesy of barre3 and Julia Sarver of Glow Health Coaching.

Morning MÜESLI
4 servings
1/2 c. rolled oats
1-2 tablespoons raw walnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1/2 c. organic berries
Sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg for flavor (optional)
Top with a little milk (organic dairy or unsweetened coconut, almond or hemp milk)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
Top with coconut or almond milk and enjoy.

You can also pour 4 ounces of boiling water over the meal if you want to create a semi-oatmeal type breakfast.



Gingered Carrot SoupServes 8

This is a perfect light soup for lunchtime. Be sure to use the regular coconut milk, not the Lite version, to get the full benefits of the milk.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced gingerroot
4 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
3 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground ginger
sea salt to taste
1 can coconut milk (Native Forest, full-fat)

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and gingerroot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown—about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and carrots and stir to cook for about 1 minute.

Add the broth, ground ginger, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a moderate simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots are tender— about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches and bring back to pot. Add coconut milk and stir.

Return the soup to a clean pot and reheat briefly. Do not let soup boil. Add additional coconut milk if desired. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

A Healthy Breakfast Option

I'm participating in a '28 to Great' challenge with barre3.  The amazing owner, Sadie Lincoln, asked for volunteers to participate in a trial of a new workout program she is putting together.  I jumped at the chance to work closely with her while getting fit with other women around the country.

Turns out this trial is 28 days of specific workouts (via an online library of barre3 workouts) as well as a new look at the way I eat.  Included in the program are lots of healthy meal options and suggestions of what to eat and avoid.  I'm three days in and feeling great but really missing flour and sugar! I think my body was meant to survive only on those two items...  I also see no mention of wine or coffee in the food list - we'll see how this goes!

One of the breakfast suggestions is an egg scramble with sauteed onions and parsley.  I added a clove of garlic too. Eggs are a great source of protien and help keep you full longer than many of my usual breakfast choices.  It was excellent and I recommend giving it a try... just dice up some onion and garlic and saute for a couple minutes.  Add in some parsley then add two eggs that you've beaten lightly. Stir to cook and enjoy!

Zucchini Galore!

Our garden is still exploding with zucchini.  So in my quest to eat it all I have found some great recipes - try them out!
This chocolate chip zucchini bread is very tasty and my kids loved it!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/chocolate-chip-zucchini-bread-recipe/index.html


This recipe knocked my socks off. I loved it so much I've made 4 batches and have five loaves in the freezer! The kids couldn't get enough of it (and neither could the adults!).
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/poppy-seed-zucchini-bread-50400000122595/

These are a tater tot knock off. My kids actually scarfed these down and dipped in a bit of ketchup. I couldn't believe it! 
http://thetwobiteclub.blogspot.com/2012/04/zucchini-tots.html

Mexican Fiesta!

Tonight I'm having some girlfriends over for a mexican fiesta!  Our group used to get together almost once a month, but once kids arrived it made our gatherings hard to coordinate.  So tonight will be a fun night of laughs and catching up.

The menu:Pink Cadillac Margaritas and Iced Mango Sweet Tea

Chili Lime Mixed Nuts

Three Sisters Salad

Spanish Rice

Chicken Enchiladas

and Sopapilla Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ice Creams

I like putting menus in frames - it makes the event seem more formal and is a fun touch. 

Each place setting had a dark chocolate bar with the name of each guest.

And where there is mexican food, there is tequila!

The enchiladas can be made in advance and refrigerated. I made mine yesterday - just take them out of the fridge for a bit before putting in oven.  

Three Sisters Salad - perfect dish for a dinner of sorority sisters!  Corn, butternut squash and beans make up the sisters.  I snuck a taste and it is delicious!

And to give the party another fun touch... premixed margs in mason jars and labeled with guest names.  Just add some ice and shake!

I have to thank Southern Comfort magazine (August 2012 issue) for this great menu.  And also want to thank Trader Joe's for their amazing (and super spicy) chile lime mixed nuts.  Addicting.

Click on the image below to enlarge the recipes.