Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

Who doesn't love a good cookie? In an attempt to make a healthier version of a whoopie pie, I ended up creating what Nate called a sandwich cookie. He was the first to tell me that "these are not whoopie pies, but they're delicious." So, sandwich cookie it is! I like to think of this as a happy accident. I love the texture, especially with the oats and chopped pecans. YUM! They're also a cookie you can feel a little less guilty about having as a treat. Without further ado, here's the recipe!

Ingredients for Cookies:

• 1 cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil 
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 large egg 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar 
• 1 pinch sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions for Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350º F
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly coat with cooking spray 
• Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; mix well, set aside
• Combine oil and sugar in a mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes) 
• Add egg and extract; beat until well blended 
• Gently fold in oat mixture using a spoon (or clean hands); mix until just blended

• Fold in walnuts
• Spread 16 round Tbsp of dough onto prepared baking sheet, lightly press down for a flatter cookie shape 
• Bake 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, cookies should be a golden brown when done. 
• Cool cookies completely before filling (you don't want the hot cookie to melt the delicious filling!!) 

Instructions for Pumpkin Filling

• While your cookies are baking, combine cream and gelatin in a large mixing bowl, whisk to blend. Let stand for 5 minutes
• Add pumpkin, coconut sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and extract to cream mixture; whisk to blend. 
• Add pumpkin mixture to a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly
• Reduce heat to medium-low; continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly (stirring constantly) 

• Place pumpkin mixture in a heat-proof bowl (I used my Pyrex!), then place bowl in an ice bath. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes, or until pumpkin mixture has set to a pudding-like consistency 
• Transfer pumpkin filling to a piping bag (or a large plastic bag). Refrigerate until it's time to fill the cookies.

Instructions for the Sandwich Cookies

• Pipe approximately 1 Tbsp of filling on flat bottom of a cookie 

• Press another cookie on top to form a sandwich 
• Continue with the remaining cookies 
• Store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days

I hope you all enjoy these sandwich cookies as much as we do! They may not be whoopie pies, but they are definitely a delicious treat! They come in at only 220 calories and only have 9g of sugar so they're able to be enjoyed with a lot less guilt.

As always, let me know if you try them!

Transformation Journey: T25

I want to take you on my transformation journey. This is the first post in a series that will be coming out each week on Tuesday. You'll get to learn a little more about me and why I fell in love with health and fitness. 

I started my health and fitness routine a LONG time ago. These pictures were taken before I got pregnancy with Gabe. They are from January, February, and March 2014. 

You see, I was never comfortable in the gym. I didn't know what to do. Weights? Heck no. Treadmill and ellipticals were the only thing I could muster up the courage to do. I used to call myself a treadmill rat. While I was still burning calories, my body wasn't changing and toning how I wanted it to. Not to mention, unless I had a groupon for a deeply discounted month at the gym, I couldn't afford it. It was EXPENSIVE to be a gym member in Chicago. 

This is when I reached out to a friend and joined an online community. I completed my very first at-home workout program from start to finish. I cleaned up my eating and found a love of cooking and healthy foods. Nate was there with me every step of the way. Sometimes he takes an extra gentle push to get going, but as soon as he jumps in he's ready to go and crush it right along with me.

We were busy teachers with a puppy and a busy social life at the time. We didn't want to spend an hour working out. It just didn't fit well with our schedule. In reality, it was an excuse. But when this program was brought to our attention, we knew we had no more excuses. The program we chose to start our journey with was Focus T25 by Shaun T and Beachbody. The workouts are only 25 minutes a day. They were perfect for our schedule.
Focus T25 is a ten week program split into two cycles. Each cycle lasts five weeks. In 25 minutes you get everything you need for a transformation and nothing you don't. If you focus your intensity for 25 minutes, and you complete the program as it is laid out (5 days per week), you WILL get results. Our photos are proof of that.

30-40 minute workouts are our sweet spot. When we found out we could workout in under 30 minutes and get insane results it was hard to say no. Major studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise can be just as effective at burning fat and even MORE efficient than 60 minutes of exercise. The fast-paced workouts of T25 are jam-packed with dynamic, high-intensity moves that are designed for maximum effectiveness. Every minute of this workout counts! This workout is perfect for busy people who want to work out for less time but still get in the best shape of their lives.

Shaun T will be your trainer for this program. I'm sure you've all heard of Insanity. Shaun T is my FAVORITE. He's tough, but it's tough love. He is so motivating and inspirational, that you'll be happy to crush the workout like he expects you to. 

This program changed our lives. It changed how we view at-home fitness programs. It made me a believer and we have never looked back. This is how I do what I do. It's how I've learned to LOVE health and fitness and it's why I love to pay it forward to others. 

If you think this program might be the right fit for you, you can grab the challenge pack here. The challenge pack comes with an insane value. With it you get one year of access to ALL of the programs ever created. So when you're done with T25 you can jump into another program. You also get a month of our superfood shake (I have it every day for breakfast and it has completely changed my digestion), as well as all of the materials you need to get your nutrition started off on the right foot (Hello, nutrition plan!). If you decide to join, you will also get access to all of my support and challenge groups for free for the year. I'd love to have you join! It's a wonderful community. 

If you're interested in joining a challenge group and starting or continuing your own health and fitness journey, but don't think T25 is the right program to start, fill out this form. I'll be in touch to chat with you so we can find the best program to fit your needs. 

Chicken and "Rice" Soup

With fall comes crisp weather and soup season! I LOVE making a huge batch of homemade soup. Soup is hearty and comforting and it warms your soul. In this recipe we swap brown rice or quinoa with organic cauli-rice. Extra veggies!!! And I promise, you won't even miss the rice. (But if you do, feel free to swap the cauli-rice out for 1c brown rice or quinoa.)

Chicken and "Rice" Soup 

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 3-4 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 3-4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced 
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 2 32oz cartons low-sodium, chicken broth 
• 1 bag frozen cauli-rice
• salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste

Instructions

• Thinly slice carrots and celery
  
• Dice onion
• Heat a large pot and 1 Tbsp EVOO over medium-high heat 
• Add garlic and diced vegetables, cook until soft, stirring occasionally (about 5-10 minutes) 
• Season with salt (minimal), pepper, and Italian Seasoning
  
• Add chicken broth, cooked chicken breast, and cauli-rice, bring to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
• Taste and add seasoning if desired 
• Dish and Serve
  
• Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days

This is our go-to recipe. It's as delicious to eat as simple as it is to make. Enjoy and stay warm!

Carrot Fries

When we go out to eat at a restaurant french fries are something I love to treat myself with. Admittedly, they're my weakness. I LOVE any type of fry but I especially love Sweet Potato Fries. I also love that they're somewhat of a healthy alternative to regular, deep-fried french fries. They were my go-to at restaurants and I was always on the hunt to find the best ones in town. They were also our go-to when we grilled burgers. Until I met the carrot fry. I tried a few recipes and finally tailored one to my liking. I don't even miss regular fries OR sweet potato fries now. These are so delicious that they hit the spot. They're crispy, have a punch of flavor, and come with a side of greek yogurt dipping sauce. Win, win, win! 

Carrot Fries (serves 2)

Ingredients: Carrot Fries:

4-6 Large Carrots

1 ½  Tbsp Olive Oil

2 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Dipping Sauce:

4 Tbsp Greek Yogurt (0% plain)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

½ tsp minced garlic

½ tsp pepper

Instructions Dipping Sauce:

• Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine

Instructions Carrot Fries:

• Preheat oven to 450°
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper
• Slice the top and bottom off of carrots then slice them in half, slice each half into thirds lengthwise.

• In large bowl mix together oil, garlic powder, pepper, and parmesan cheese with carrots

• Once thoroughly seasoned, move the carrots from the bowl to the parchment-lined baking sheet, place in the oven 

• Bake for 25-30 minutes (flipping/stirring at 15 minutes), depending on how crispy you want them.
• Serve with dipping sauce
  
  

These are honestly one of my favorite side dishes to serve when grilling food. We've shared the recipe with our families who also wholeheartedly approve. I can't wait for you to try them! 

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecakes

Peanut butter and chocolate. Honestly, is there a better combo? This is one of my biggest cravings, so I love to try to incorporate it when I can. I always tell Nate I have a peanut butter problem. If you love peanut butter and chocolate as much as me, you've got to try these vegan, raw cheesecakes!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw, unsalted peanuts
• 2/3 cup raw almonds 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 8 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

• Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners 
• For the crust
• pulse peanuts, almonds, coconut flakes, dates, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a food processor or blender until crumbly and it holds together when pressed. 
• **Do not over pulse or the crust will become too soft and chewy. Ideally you would like a bit of crunch for the texture. 
• Press tablespoons of this mixture into the bottom of the lined muffin tins. Place in the freezer and clean the blender.

• For the filling: 
• puree the soaked cashews, coconut oil, almond milk, and maple syrup until smooth. Remove muffin tin from the freezer Spoon half of this mixture onto the crusts. This is the peanut butter portion of your cheesecake
• Place back into the freezer (these will set quickly)
• Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the peanut butter mixture in the blender, and blend until combined. 
• Remove cheesecakes from the freezer and spoon and smooth the chocolate filling on top of the peanut butter layer. Decorate with halved peanuts (optional).

• Place back in the freezer until ready to eat. 

I recommend taking these out about 10 minutes before serving them. I also recommend using your fingers to eat them! They get a bit crumbly when serving with a fork. Although, if you want to eat them straight from the freezer they're like an ice cream treat!

These cheesecakes definitely a good way to treat yourself! They're rich and decadent without refined sugar and processed ingredients.

I think you'll love these!