Are you ready for the holidays? I've seen some friends post Christmas shopping progress already...not over here.  Haven't started.  Haven't given it much thought.  And I don't do Black Friday....I know there are great deals but I am just not heading out at midnight on Thanksgiving for shopping.  I just can't get myself to do it...maybe one year. 

On the baking front, Thanksgiving meets Christmas with this week's recipe that combines the flavors of fall pumpkin and Christmas molasses and ginger.  These cookies are like soft version of ginger snaps with a pumpkin twist.  Perfect with tea!

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
(makes approximately 3 dozen)

Ingredients
-1/2 cup butter
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-3/4 cup white sugar
-2/3 cup pumpkin
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup molasses
-2 1/2 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tbs cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ginger
-1 tsp nutmeg
-more brown sugar for dusting

Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with a hand or stand mixer.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix together.  Add in the pumpkin, molasses and vanilla and mix together thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients until well mixed.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter completely comes together and the dry ingredients are full integrated.  

Using a small cookie scooper or spoon, scoop the batter onto the prepped baking sheet, leaving approximately 2 inches between cookies (I fit 12 cookies per sheet).  Sprinkle a touch of brown sugar on top of each unbaked cookie.  Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.  Allow to cool for  a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire baking rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday!

How is it Thanksgiving next week? These past 7-8 weeks have been a blur of newborn cuddles, feedings and changing diapers while staring at the cutest little face.  Immediately prior to having the little guy, I felt like I had an eternity at home with him, but now it feels like it's been the blink of an eye and we're almost 2/3 through my leave.  Time flies!

There is an understandable immense amount of focus on the turkey dinner recipes floating around out there with less than one week until the big day, but this week's recipe is more about breakfast on the day of or on the day after, which is even better, because who wants to cook on the morning after Thanksgiving?

I'm still learning more about using grain free flours, but these muffins came out soft and yummy with almond flour.  I've learned the hard way that it is essential to wait until they cool before removing them from the baking pan AND make sure that you generously prep said pan with non-stick cooking spray or your oil of choice to ensure these delicious muffins easily remove from the pan.

Give this recipe a try this weekend and freeze these muffins to be ready for Black Friday morning with a hot cup of coffee after your midnight shopping spree or a slower morning after the big turkey day.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Grain Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
(makes 1 dozen)

Ingredients
-3/4 cup applesauce
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 eggs
-2 1/2 cups almond flour (not almond meal)
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tbs cinnamon (or more/less if you prefer)
-1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
-1/2 cup-1 cup chocolate chips, depending on your preference

Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and generously use non-stick cooking spray to prepare your muffin tin.  Add muffin liners if you prefer in addition to prepping the muffin tin.  In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate chips.  Scoop the batter into the muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan completely- this is important.  Use a sharp knife to loosen the cooled muffins from the tin and enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

I've done it again and been MIA on the recipe front. I've got a good reason for it this time though...I promise! Bundle #3 arrived at the end of September and we've been in the blur and beauty of newborn care since then and I was simply cooked and over tired in the weeks leading up to his birth and I hit pause on recipe creation and food photography.  Although I have two other littles, it's amazing how quickly I forgot just how much sleep deprivation is involved in those first weeks of life. Somewhere in the hours of 11PM-3AM I think I will never sleep again and then sometime around 6AM I hit a second wind of energy and think "I've got this..." but then the cycle starts again soon thereafter. And this is why God makes babies cute.

Even though this recipe is finished and pictures edited, I'll be amazed if I finish this post in one sitting, but here goes! This recipe is a healthy, refined sugar free cookie recipe to support new mamas in their newborn weeks. They are loaded with healthy ingredients that support lactation, but I prefer to call these new mama cookies as these ingredients are nutrient dense and are healthy bites of nourishment to grab and go no matter how you choose to or need to feed your little one.  Momming is hard enough as it is...can we please just support moms to do the best they can regardless of feeding choices or needs (can you sense a little sensitivity in my tone? Feeding has been a little trying in these first weeks around here and I'm trying to stop beating myself up).

The key ingredients in these cookies include oatmeal, flax seed and brewer's yeast. All of these ingredients are easily found online if needed.  What did parents do before the invention of Amazon Prime? There are some complaints that Brewer's Yeast has a very bitter taste, but this is a particular rock star ingredient for boosting milk supply if needed.  I ordered this bag from Oat Mama and I don't notice the taste in the cookies (nope, not sponsored...I just found and like the product). Instead of oil/butter and sugar, the cookies are moistened and sweetened by ripe bananas and truvia.  These throw together quickly and easily, which is a necessity for mamas of wee ones or an easy little gift to throw together for an expecting friend or family member.  Throw them in the freezer before baby arrives- you'll be glad you did!

New Mama Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
(makes approximately 2 dozen cookies)

Ingredients
-2 eggs
-2 ripe bananas
-2 tbs ground flax seed
-2 tbs brewer's yeast
-2 tbs + 1 tsp truvia
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup spelt flour
-1 1/2 cups rolled oats
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, flax seed, brewer's yeast and truvia. Mix together.  Add spelt flour, oats, salt and baking powder.  Stir together.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out cookies using a small cookie scoop and space approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.  Enjoy at 3PM or 3AM...whenever baby is up for a feeding!