Pumpkin SURPRISE

I write a lot about fitness and running. 

But I strongly believe in balance and enjoying life.

Such as holidays.  They should be enjoyed.  With good food.

For the past few years, I have a tradition of burning a lot of calories on Thanksgiving morning.  It started sisters extended, with a homemade Turkey Trot we called the "Pie k".  You ran as many "k" as you could for the sake of eating pie later!  We even had tank tops we wrote our favorite foods on.  The next year it poured rain and our Pie k got moved to the gym.

I haven't quite decided what calorie burn I'll have on Thursday, but one of the reasons is this.

Pumpkin SURPRISE

It's a different take on pumpkin pie and it's so yummy.

1 lb can of pumpkin
1 12-oz can of evaporated milk
cinnamon
clove
ginger
(in whatever amount you like.  you can use the amounts on the can of pumpkin for pie--or use pumpkin pie spice)
1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs

Mix together and smooth into a 9x11 pan

On the top of the pie mix sprinkle 1 yellow cake mix
Melt 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) and pour evenly over the cake mix.
Top with pecans.

You can use whole pecans and lay them across the entire pan or you can chop them up as chunky or as fine as you like.  Or you can do half and half.  Or you can skip the pecans.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Skeptical?  Give it a try early this week.  Bring it to work.  Send it with your husband to work.  Or you may just keep it for yourself.

Happy pre-Thanksgiving weekend!

Yummy Healthier Banana Bread

I love to bake and even more than that I love to eat baked items.  Anytime I can tweak a recipe to be a bit healthier, I’m all for it.  I am actually one who is willing to sacrifice a bit of flavor or texture in the name of less calories or fat, from time to time (defininately not all of the time). 

Bean, not so willing to make those same sacrifices.  He’d rather go without than eat less than satisfactory foods.  I’m all for a No Pudge Brownie when need be, but Bean will pass.

So when I come across a recipe that is healthy, but doesn’t taste like it-it’s a huge win!

I don’t exactly know which website I found this recipe on.  If I did, I would totally credit it.  It’s written on a tiny piece of notebook paper without a title.  Clearly I was multi-tasking.

There are even further adjustments you can make if you so desire, which I’ve included in parenthesis.

1.5 cups flour (I may try it with whole wheat flour next time I make it)
¾ cup of sugar (I may experiment with less sugar)
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
1 cup mashed bananas (the riper the better)
¼ - 1/3 cup applesauce (I use the unsweetened variety)

Mix the dry ingredients.  Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine the mixtures. 


Spoon into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 55min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes up clean.

Other variations:
Add chopped nuts, whatever variety and amount you like.
Add a few handfuls of chocolate chips

Of course, if you want to kick it up another notch you want (not as healthy though) with a crumble topping of brown sugar, butter & flour.

Bean has declared this the best banana bread he’s ever had and I’ve ever made.  It’s very moist and very sweet (which is why I may try less sugar next time).  I also may experiment with adding some ground flaxseed for added nutrients.  I also wonder if oatmeal would be another possible addition or partial substitution.

Did you notice that there is NO oil and NO butter in the recipe?  That’s one of the things I love most about it.  But I promise, you will never know the difference.  I haven't tried the recipe as muffins, but I'm certain they'd be good also.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

I'm on the hunt for a good fat-free (or almost) oatmeal raisin cookie.  Those are my absolute favorite.  I'll let you know when I find one!