Cleaned Up Pumpkin Spice Latte - Recipe

You know it is officially fall when everything is all about pumpkins, pumpkin pie and especially the PSL (pumpkin spice latte)

Personally, I don’t see this as a bad thing ! Pumpkins are delicious and what is referred to as pumpkin spice is made up of some of my favourite spices (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg!)

Pumpkins are a really great source of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamin C and loads of gut friendly fibre. The spices are equally as good for you with cinnamon being helpful for regulating blood sugar and ginger has anti-inflammatory benefits.

However, most of the pumpkin spiced goodies we get this time of year contain way too much added sugar (as much as 50 grams of sugar in a 16oz pumpkin spice beverage - that is a lot!)

We figured we would help you out with your pumpkin spice addiction and give you a healthy, cleaned up version of the traditional pumpkin spice latte (trust me, you won’t want to go back!)

Check it out and let us know if you give it a try!

CLEANED UP PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic coffee

2tbsp pumpkin puree (organic if canned OR homemade - see instructions below) *

1.5 tbsp pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice **

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk ***

Directions:

1. Brew coffee and set aside

2. in a sauce pan over med. heat, combine pumpkin puree, spice, and maple syrup. Once combined, add in almond milk and simmer until heated.

3. Transfer to a blender, pulse until frothy (you can use a hand held blender also)

4. Add milk mixture to hot coffee. Use a spoon to hold back froth then top latte with froth.

5. Optional - top with whipped cream or coconut whip, sprinkle with additional pumpkin spice

   Enjoy!

NOTES

* Homemade Pumpkin Puree - cut 1 small pumpkin into large chunks - bake in baking dish with lid on and 1/4” water in bottom of dish in oven at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Blend/puree in food processor until smooth. Using fresh pumpkin will provide more nutrients and also taste better!

** DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice - 1/4 cup ground cinnamon, 4 tsp ground ginger, 1Tbsp allspice - when buying spices try to purchase organic, these have gone through less processing and are much more fresh than highly processed versions.

*** No almond milk ? use coconut milk (or any milk of your liking!)

-caffeine free? use extra milk!

-no blender? whisk everything together in sauce pan - this will not be as frothy but will still taste delicious!

Not into pumpkin? Check out these Gingerbread inspired recipes HERE

Happy (almost) Fall!

All summer long on Friday’s I have been posting some of my favourite recipes. So this week I thought I would do something a little bit different.

With a new season upon us and because it also happens to be one of my favourite times of year for cooking and using all the great local ingredients we have at our fingertips here on the east coast, I thought I would put together a free downloadable e-book with some fall inspired recipes!

The e-book also comes with some informational pages about immune boosting foods and also what it means to “eat in season”. The recipes have modifications in the notes if you are looking for Gluten free, vegetarian or vegan options as well.

I hope you get to try some of the recipes out and if you do, be sure to let me know! Download the book, print it off, share with your family and friends, and Enjoy!

~ Allyson

Slow Cooker Sausage and Kale Soup - Recipe

I always love a good bowl of soup, but it seems like during the fall and winter it is a “go-to” for those extra chilly days. Not that I am wishing away what we have left of summer…but I do enjoy cozying up with a nice homemade bowl of soup during fall!

The main reason I wanted to share this recipe is because I was at the Farmers Market last weekend and picked up some fresh sausages from Thyme For Ewe Farm and they were so delicious and I think they would be perfect for this recipe! There was also a lot of other farmers there as well with tons of fresh produce, you could pick up everything there to make this recipe which is a bonus because not only is everything extremely fresh but you are also supporting local as well.

Check out the recipe below and let us know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz pork sausages, cut into chunks

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 8 cups kale

• 8 cups water or broth

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 3/4 cup long-grain brown rice or quinoa (optional)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on high for 4 at least 4 hours or 8-12 hours on low.

2. Divide and Enjoy !

Notes:

• Refrigerate for up to 3 days

• Can be kept in the freezer as well, the grains will thicken so if you plan on freezing you may want to omit the grains and cook in when you plan on having it

• Use a homemade bone broth for liquid (you can do half broth half water as well…play around with it!)

• No slow cooker ? No problem! If cooking on a stove top, brown sausage and onions first then, add in carrots, celery, water/broth and salt. Bring to a boil, add in grains if using them. Simmer until grain is cooked and veggies are tender. Stir in kale until it wilts just before serving

DO you love soup? Check out the “Lobster Coconut Noodle Soup” recipe by clicking HERE.

Avocado Brownies - Recipe

Have you ever added avocados to your baking? You should really give it a try, these brownies are delicious and you would never know that there is avocado in them (great for picky eaters!)

Adding avocado not only adds in a good amount of healthy fat to your baking, but also makes the texture of these brownies very soft and fluffy.

Check out the recipe below and if you give it a try, let us know what you think!

Serving = 12 brownies, (9x9in. pan)

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar

• 3 Tbsp coconut oil or coconut butter (melted)

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup cacao power (or cocoa powder)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/3 cup organic dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Add first 5 ingredients into food processor & blend

3. Add in remaining ingredients (excluding chocolate chips) and blend until smooth

4. Stir in chocolate chips, leaving some for topping

5. Line pan with parchment paper

6. Pour batter in pan and smooth - top with remaining chocolate chips

7. Bake 18-20 minutes

8. Remove & let cool before cutting

9. Enjoy !

Love pancakes? Check out our most popular recipe “Pancakes with Protein” by clicking HERE.

Homemade Ice Cream - Recipe

Did you know that you can make ice cream at home without having to use an ice cream maker! Not only is it a healthier way to have ice cream (some call it “nice cream”) but you can also make what ever flavour you want, save money and involve the kids in the making process!

The base of this ice cream is made with bananas (no dairy here!). You can actually just make banana ice cream by chopping up a banana or two (or more depending on how many servings you want) freezing them and blending in a blender or food processor until it takes on the consistency of ice cream (approximately 3-5 minutes).

I have to admit, plain bananas is kind of boring (but good in a pinch when you don’t have much to add in), so here are a couple of options to make different flavours….

Mint-Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Ice Cream (a favourite of mine!)

• 2 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen

• 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)

• 1/4 cup chopped organic dark chocolate

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

• 2 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen

• 2 Tbsp organic cocoa powder

(optional - add in chopped chocolate or chopped nuts)

The directions are simple, make sure the banana is frozen, place all ingredients into food processor and blend (3-5 mins until smooth) If you want a more chunky texture add in half the ingredients and blend to get the flavour and then quickly blend the rest of the ingredients in to finish.

You can also store these in a glass storage container or a loaf pan. This is a great option if you are making a bigger batch and want to have some ready to go. Just store in the freezer and scoop out when needed.

Some other add-ins could be, any type of fruit, nuts, honey, spices (cinnamon, cardamom, etc) , any type of nut butter would work too (chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream sounds delicious!)

Give it a try and let us know what ice cream creations you came up with.

Enjoy !

Check out our recipe for the “perfect summer dip” HERE

Strawberry Chia Jam

Looking for a healthier version of strawberry jam for all of those fresh local strawberries you have waiting to be used?

Check out this recipe for a refined sugar free, gelatin free & vegetarian (or vegan) friendly!

Strawberry Chia Jam:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Strawberries

• 1 Tbsp Raw Honey (use maple syrup for vegan option)

• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds

Directions:

1. Remove stems & wash strawberries

2. Place all ingredients into blender/food processor. Pulse until you reach the desired consistency for your jam

3. Put in sauce pan over medium heat until bubbling, reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until it begins to thicken

4. Remove from heat, pour into mason jar & let cool. Store in fridge for up to 7 days, if using later you can freeze it, just be sure to leave room at the top of the jar for expansion

5. Enjoy !

Check out our Dairy Free, Gluten free “Cheesecake” recipe by clicking HERE.