Pumpkin Cookie Recipe

I think it's safe to say I'm slightly pumpkin obsessed!  But with good reason, it's delicious in more than just pie.  It goes great in various baked goods and smoothies. (See my take on a pumpkin smoothie in the "Pumpkin Smoothie" post.) Not to mention they have great health benefits too, rich in antioxidants and vitamins.  So today I figured I'd share one of my kitchen experiments that turned out pretty scrumptious.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. 

I mixed the wet ingredients first and then mixed in the dry.  Then I baked them for about 10-12 minutes at 350. They're really fluffy, kind of like pumpkin pancakes (another one of my pumpkin favorites) in cookie form.  To see if they're finished I poke them with a toothpick in the center until the toothpick is clean.  They're a healthy sweet snack at 2 ww points a piece or taste really delicious with chocolate frosting on top if you want to make them more of a treat.  The recipe only makes about 16 cookies, so if you're making them for a crowd you may want to consider doubling the recipe.  I like to make them just to have around the house because I have such a bad sweet tooth!  Hope you enjoy!

Update: I baked this recipe in a shallow polish pottery dish and it made a delicious pumpkin dessert bread! The texture is closer to bread than cookies and I think I prefer it in loaf form! :) 

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Why do I feel so alone when my husband's out of town? I'm not exactly by myself while he's gone. I have our son and our brittany spaniel to keep me company (and busy), and I can see friends and family during the day. But despite the company they provide, there's a special connection between spouses that can't be fulfilled by anyone else. He's my best friend, my support, my parter, my joy, my vocation, my true love and my son's father. Without him coming home after work, the day seems to blur into a never ending time continuum. Ok that may be dramatic, but taking care of an 8 month old all by yourself for 24 hours and on can be a tedious task that could drive even the sanest of minds a little crazy.  Of course I love staying home with him, but a big part of that lifestyle is being able to cook my husband his meals, welcome him home and help him take a load off.   And in turn, he is able to help me by simply playing with our son while I get a few things done and also delighting me with a little adult conversation.  Our family dynamic and rituals are so precious to me and give me such a sense of wholeness and joy, so I guess it's only natural that things feel off-balanced when he's not around for a few days. In a way I'm glad to have him go away, so I can remind myself how good and complete my life is when he is home. 

My Little Papoose

Before I had my son I never imagined that I would one day become a baby-wearin' fool. It's something I hadn't experienced in my past and for the most part it seemed to only belong to people in foreign countries or hippies.  I had this image in my head of a primitive sack thrown over someone's back, with a tiny face sticking out.  Adorable, but still foreign to myself. Come to find out these "hippies" are basically geniuses! I can't count how many times baby-wearing has saved us from missing out on parties and family get togethers, not to mention that we get to take our 9 month old out on hikes! Since toting around a baby can often feel like an endless journey, with lots of suitcases, it's nice to have a hands-free option. Our son also loves to nap while in our Moby and backpack, so we kill two birds with one stone.  In fact, sometimes we put him in specifically to put him to sleep. I'm a little shocked that baby-wearing has taken so long to become so widely used. Or is it just that I never noticed before I had a kid? Either way, it's obviously brilliant.  Aside from it allowing us to socialize more, I also use it at home when I'm desperate to get things done but baby doesn't want to be put down. If I ever get the money I think I'll spring for the high end baby pack, it's well worth the investment.  If you're considering getting a pack for your baby I obviously strongly recommend! You won't regret it! 

And what's sexier than a baby-wearing Dad? Am I right ladies? 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Smoothie

1/4 cup raw whole grain oats

1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée 

1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tablespoons brown sugar (or less if you prefer) 

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon 

They're only 5 ww points and it's delicious and filling! 

I love to drink them in the morning with my coffee, but I also use them as a meal replacement for lunch sometimes. 

I usually put the oats in first to grind them up a bit before adding the rest of the ingredients. I make mine in my super sweet Ninja, but I'm sure any blender will do. Enjoy! 

Shout out to my Hubby for giving me the Ninja for my birthday this year! ;) 

Fishing For Common Ground

One of my husbands favorite pastimes is fishing. The patience he has to stand on a bank for hours with hopes of catching something is beyond my comprehension. Nonetheless, I've been working on taking an interest in his hobbies. (And dang he has a few! As my friends and family can attest to.) The reason being, that in the past few months I realized how much I really wanted him to be interested in the things I enjoy doing for fun. I thought maybe if I was interested in his hobbies, it would make him as happy as it would have made me.  And in a more selfish sense, maybe one day he'd be willing to invest a little more time doing what I love. So I gave it a whirl and decided to ask him to go fishing one Monday night after he got home from work. (He usually has to beg me go.) He was stoked! And now it's become a Monday night ritual to meet my brother and his girlfriend for some after work fishing at some ponds not too far from home.  It works perfectly because I am able to get out of the house and my hubby gets to do what he loves once a week! Funny thing is, I'm starting to enjoy it. Will I ever have the stamina to fish for countless hours on end in my free time? Probably not, but we'll leave it at "to be determined." After all, I married into a fishing family, I might as well enjoy the ride.