Pumpkin Recipes

I made these Iced Pumpkin Cookies this weekend and YUM! (Sorry I didn't have my camera with me to take "live" pictures). :-) Even my friends who aren't crazy about pumpkin really liked them. They are very moist and soft...right up my alley! I am definitely bringing them to our Thanksgiving.

Also, here is the recipe for the Crustless Pumpkin Pie that my mom always makes for our Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, this girl likes her crust, but it is so good that I don't even miss it!

A Few of my Favorite Things

So I know many of us are in the same (gravy) boat here….but with the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to ask:

What is your favorite Thanksgiving/Fall dish? (Healthy and unhealthy?)

My favorite (unhealthy) Thanksgiving dish would have to be stuffing, probably because I know I'll only eat it once a year. My grandma makes the MOST DELISH stuffing ever….I don't think I could ever replicate it. My favorite HEALTHY Turkey Day dish is (diabetic friendly) crustless pumpkin pie my mom makes. YUM! Now, I'm a girl who likes her crust, but this is good stuff.

Ya'll always have great ideas, so I'm hoping to steal some from you!

And now, a song my friend's preschooler learned at school (picture a reallllly cute kid singing it): :-)


I'm a Little Turkey (I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little turkey, Turkey Ted.
Here are my feathers, here is my head.
"Gobble, gobble, gobble," is what I say,
"Hurry! Run! It's Thanksgiving Day!"

Baby Steps

As a part of me trying to eat healthier and get back into working out regularly, I’ve decided to set some goals for myself to ease back into things. I think trying to jump back into working out an hour and a half each day and eating "perfectly" (for me that means no binges!) would be too overwhelming. So I’m going to set these goals for myself now. After Christmas (only 5.5 weeks away – yay!!!!) I will re-evaluate them and set additional goals that are more challenging:

1. Drink at least 125 ounces of water a day – NOT including the water I drink before/during/after a workout.*
2. Avoid diet sodas at night.
3. Do cardio 4-5 times a week, for 30-60 minutes.
4. Start strength training. Period!
5. Eat at least 2-3 servings of fruit/veggies a day (that is not a lot, I know…baby steps!)

(*Does anyone know how much water you are “supposed” to have each day? I heard the 8 glasses of water thing is inaccurate….but I also heard too much water can be bad!)

Have you ever had to ease yourself into something by taking baby steps?

Take it on the Run

Taking a cue from Heather at HangryPants the other day, I decided to think about this whole hip thing differently. I am a worrier at heart – I swear, my parents said as a baby I had a definite “worried” look. When it comes to running injuries, my fingers always race to the keyboard to jump on Google to research my symptoms. I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve probably spent over 100 hours researching what the heck is wrong with me in the past 14 months. Shouldn't 100 hours qualify me for having completed an internship or certification of some type? Hmmm. Anyway, since the most recent doctor has given me a new prognosis, it’s (knock on wood!) feeling better. Not everyday, but I’d say about 75% of the time, I’m pain free!!

My company sponsors the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon every year, and yesterday when our Community Relations person asked me if I wanted a free entry for next year, I blurted out “yes!” before I could really think about it. It is 169 days from today, or a little less than 6 months away.

I’m going to approach the next 169 days in a positive way as I attempt to lace up my running shoes again. Yesterday morning, for example, I set my alarm for 5:45 a.m. and hopped out of bed (I was so excited!) to try and run. I walked/ran 2 miles, with NO PAIN while I was running! I’m hoping that thinking happy thoughts about this whole thing will benefit me in getting better. And if I end up not being able to run the Mini, that's okay, too. :-)

What about you? Have you ever gotten through something (injury, heartache, your heat being broken in your house 2 times in a month, etc.) because you were thinking optimistically? Do you agree that positive thinking has an effect on how you can heal?

Me, my dad, and some friends at the 2005 Mini

Drink of Choice

In becoming more acquainted with the food bloggy world, I’ve noticed that many bloggers do not drink diet sodas or drinks with artificial sweeteners. So I really feel like I have to “fess up” to my addiction.

My name is Holly. And I’m addicted to Diet Cokes from McDonald’s. (See previous post re: loving the golden arches.)

Really. I get one every morning before work, and usually one at lunch. I also drink a Caffeine Free Diet Coke from a can at night.

Now, before you ask me my address to send me bottles of Fiji water by the pallet, I DO drink a lot of water. It’s the first thing and last thing I drink everyday, and I drink it with ALL of my meals. I drink more than 100 ounces depending on if I am working out and how much (when I was training for marathons, I guzzled about a gizzillion ounces a day).

To be honest, the idea of giving up DCs forever scares me. I know the artificial sweeteners are bad. I know they say diet sodas cause weight gain, although I don’t think this is the case with me. But it is my ONE vice, and it’s what gets me through the day.

So I’m going to start with giving up my can of diet soda at night. I know this might not seem like a big sacrifice, but it really is for me. I am hoping that slowly I can get down to one DC a day. Then, maybe I’ll get down to a few times a week.

What about you? What do you drink on a normal day? Any ideas for good, low-cal drinks?

A-PEAR-antly...I Love Muffins

First off...some Halloween pictures!! My niece, Reese, was a princess. A very original idea, I know. But, seriously...super cute!



So I used to think Johnny Depp was the cutest pirate, but....

I think I was wrong.

And how cute are my nieces?!!!

So on with the show....I stayed with my niece and nephew last night since my sister and her hubs left for Arizona super early this morning. I decided to make Pear Muffins, at the the wonderful suggestion of Erica (*thanks, Erica!) and my sweet teeth was demanding it.

Ingredients

1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tablespoons baking soda

1/4 tspn. salt

1 diced pear

Mix together yogurt, oil, and egg, and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl, and slowly add in the yogurt mixture. Add in diced pear. Spray muffin tins with Pam (or use liners....we were out, and I was scurred to take these 2 to the grocery by myself at 8 a.m.!), and bake 12/-14 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

They were so soft and I had to have one fresh out of the oven. So yummy! The actual muffin tasted a little corn breadish (which I LOVE), and the pears were a great compliment.

The food critic: Reese can be a pretty picky eater. I didn't think she liked pears, but I was hoping she....um....wouldn't notice. ;-)

Unfortunately, when I got her bowl, she told me she "picked out all the apples. I like apples, Aunt Holly, but not in muffins." Um...okay. Good to know. :-) Oh, well...maybe next time I'll puree the pears?!