Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

If you're a regular PB&P reader, you know how much I love pumpkin flavored things!  I especially love using pumpkin when baking because A. I'm obsessed with pumpkin and B. it's a low fat, low calorie, low salt and high fiber food.  It can be used to replace eggs and/or oil in many recipes and creates a really moist product.  So by popular request, I'm sharing my recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a tasty seasonal treat for only about 110 calories each!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2 cups flour (I use half whole-wheat flour)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil & egg together in one bowl.  

3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and milk.  

4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and combine well.  Add vanilla and chocolate chips.

5. Spoon dough onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 1/2 doz cookies.  The final product is a little fluffier than a typical cookie, but I promise they're delicious and always a big hit! 

Happy (& healthy) Eating! :)

Thankful Thursday--Winter & Wedding Time!

This week I'm thankful...

...that I waited only 20 minutes in line for my now full tank of gas.  This is a rare thing in these crazy times.

...for the NYC ASP twitter account. So helpful! Also thankful that alternate side parking has pretty much been suspended since Sandy hit. 

...for the running community.  Runners are amazing people and have huge hearts.  Period.

...for chocolate chip cookies. Yes, I'm a dietitian. And I bake & eat cookies.  And then I share them with friends so they don't sit around to tempt me! ;)

...that it's snowy & wintery outside! 

Just kidding!  But I am thankful that it's officially time for scarves & (Curly Hair Conspiracy) winter hats! 

...that the Curly Hair Conspirator herself is getting married this weekend! Woohoo! Congrats Lar & Foti!  I'm so ready to dance and drink and celebrate with my NJ loves.

Okay. You go! What are you thankful for this week?!

September Foodie Pen Pal Reveal

So this month I participated in a fantastic program hosted by Linsday (a soon-to-be RD!) over at The Lean Green Bean.  She created Foodie Pen Pals, which allows people from all over to get a taste of new, interesting, sometimes healthy, sometimes indulgent foods! This was my first time participating and I can't believe I haven't signed up before!  It's an awesome way to try new products, share recipes and get inspired in your own kitchen.

Here's what the program is all about...

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 

-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

To get more info on Foodie Pen Pals or to join for October, visit The Lean Green Bean or click the icon below. 

So...since this was my first time participating in FPP, who better to get matched up with than the mastermind herself? A big thank you to Lindsay for sending me a fabulous package!!!

Inside the package, Lindsay included her super cute business card and a letter explaining the contents of the box.  She also included a Cooking Light magazine, which I think is a really smart foodie-friendly way to recycle! :)  In terms of preferences, I told Lindsay that I love both sweet & spicy things...and that's exactly what I got! 

First up: Lindsay included a sampling of her own vegan cookies! Of course I snacked on one of those as soon as I opened my package. As much as I love to bake, I've never tried a vegan recipe and after trying these I think I'll have to give it a shot!

A few items I really want to highlight...

Key Lime Avocado Salsa. I love avocados, so I was very excited to give this a try! The key lime flavor is really strong and I kept saying I felt like I was drinking a margarita! Unfortunately the avocado flavor didn't come through for me.  I also wish it had been a little chunkier like traditional salsa.  It's pretty thin but I bet it will be great to use on enchiladas or tacos!

Raspberry Habanero Preserves. Wow.  As I said, I'm a big fan of both sweet & hot and this stuff is just that.  The sweetness of the raspberry is immediate and the habanero gives a lasting spicy kick.  I put this on a piece of whole wheat toast and it was definitely a wake-up call to my tastebuds!

TJ's Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds!  One of my favorite things to do at breakfast is to mix a 1-2 Tbsp nut butter and 2 Tbsp of Roasted Flaxseeds into my oatmeal, so this product is perfect for that! :)  Unfortunately, this is one of many products on the FDA Recall List...but once I know it's Salmonella-free, I'll be snatching this up from Trader Joe's!

Also in my package: Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (yum!), Sweet & Spicy Pecans, Red Lentils, and TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute, and Chia Seeds.

Thanks again, Lindsay! :)

I'm really looking forward to using all of this stuff in all sorts of ways over the next month! Now it's time for you to head over to The Lean Green Bean to check out what other Foodie Pen Pals got this month and to sign yourself up!

Super Simple Apple Crisp

One of my very favorite things to bake (especially in the fall) is apple crisp.  I have lots of childhood memories of my mom and I going apple picking and then heading home to make homemade applesauce and apple crisp.  Typically I tweak my recipes to make them healthier, but I'm not messing with this family recipe!  Be sure to enjoy this sweet fall treat, but remember--everything in moderation! :)

Apple Crisp

-Apples (We love & use Macs but you can use Cortland, Fuji or Jonamacs too!)

-Butter (about 4 Tbsp)

-2 eggs

-1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups flour (I use half whole wheat to add a healthy boost)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Cinnamon to taste

1. Cover a 13x9 pan with cooking spray.

2. Cut apples (I keep the skin on for added fiber!) and fill pan 3/4 full.

3. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and ~1 Tbsp sugar.

4.  Slice butter into small pads and spread over top of apples.

5. Prepare the crumble: Mix sugar into 2 eggs (beaten).  Add flour, baking powder and salt.

6.  Get your hands dirty and crumble dough evenly over apples.  

7.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

9. Enjoy!

Did you know I'm an RD? And I'm thankful too!

Hey friends.  First, let me apologize for skipping the last TWO weeks of Thankful Thursday.  It's not that I wasn't feeling thankful, but more that I was feeling overwhelmed with working and studying for my R.D. exam.  Now that that's over, I can get back to enjoying my life! Woo!

So let's get down to it.  This week (month?) I'm feeling thankful...

...that I passed my RD exam!!! I've been a Registered Dietitian for 5 whole days and I'm still not over it.  Although I know that I know my stuff, I finally feel like a credible professional. So listen to me darnit! :)

...for my incredible friends! They are so sneaky and surprised me last night with a Wednesday wine party to celebrate my big accomplishment! Since we already celebrated when I got my job, this was totally not necessary...but much appreciated!

...that those friends I mentioned really know how to party.  And by party, I obviously mean play Outburst and Charades.  Isn't that how everyone spends Wednesday nights?  Oh..and there was lots of wine & cheese! Yum.

...that my absolute favorite season is officially here! Fall=apples, cool weather, pumpkins and comfy sweaters.  What could be better?

Apple crisp = love.

...for my beautiful hometown.  I don't know that I appreciated the beauty of the Hudson Valley until I moved away and I love going back to visit! On Sunday, my mom and I had a really nice walk on the Walkway over the Hudson and took in some incredible views!

...for my Foodie Pen Pal package! Check back on Monday for the big reveal! In the meantime, head over to The Lean Green Bean Blog to sign up for October yourself! 

Okay. Now your turn! What are you thankful for? Do you have the best friends in the world? (Hint: you don't...I do.) Are you psyched for fall? TELL ME.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fact: I love to bake.  Since I've been getting hyped about fall and all things pumpkin, I was planning on making pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip muffins (my fave!).  Then my cousin came back from upstate with all this deliciousness from my uncle's garden:

Photo credit to Steph :)

See that big ole zucchini right there?  I snatched that up and decided to switch to Zucchini bread.  Or muffins rather, to make them easier to share!

The end result:

So stinkin good, if I do say so myself.  Of course, to make it a tad bit healthier I tweaked a basic zucchini bread recipe, incorporating whole wheat flour and swapping whole eggs for whites.

You should definitely make these babies yourself and here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 egg whites

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup zucchini (shredded)

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl.

3.  In a separate bowl, mix egg whites, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.

4.  Add wet ingredients to dry until combined.  (Don't worry-the mix will look a little too dry to be bread/muffin mix at this point)

 5.  Add shredded zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

And last but not least...

ENJOY! :)

Let's Be Thankful (Thursday)

Well, hello there.  How was your week? Super? Mine too, thanks for asking.  Let me tell you all of the fabulous things I'm feeling happy & thankful for!

I'm feeling thankful...

...that I am officially employed as a dietitian! :) 

...for rainy runs.  When I left my apartment at 6am Wednesday morning for my run, it was so disgustingly humid outside.  I saw some dark clouds over the Manhattan skyline and crossed my fingers that they'd come my way.  Aaaaaaand 3 miles later, they found their way over to me and opened right up!  I know some people hate running in the rain, but I love it.  Especially when it's hot out.

...for the man in our apartment complex who refers to me as "princess".  Don't worry, it's in a genuine, totally not creepy way.  I mean I'm not really a princess, but he brightens my day everyday I see him!

...that I made these Margarita Cupcakes for the roommates birthday.  They're definitely among the best cupcakes I've ever made. YUM.

...for the Thursday night line-up.  Summer isn't the best time for TV, but Thursdays are currently my favorite TV night with shows like Big Brother, Project Runway and The Real L Word.  

On that note, I'm off to cook up some dinner and settle into the couch for TV night!

Tell me what you're thankful for this week! Please?! 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids & Banana Muffins

This week I gave a presentation on omega-3 fatty acids for my dietetic internship.  Research has shown omega-3 fatty acids promote heart health by lowering blood pressure, decreasing triglycerides and slowing the buildup of plaque in the arteries.  Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, which improve symptoms of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.  My presentation focused on the role omega-3 fatty acids play in treating and preventing psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.  

Interesting stuff, right?  Maybe just for us nutrition people.  So to make the presentation more interesting and add my special touch, I obviously decided to make baked goods! I whipped up a batch of healthy banana muffins to share with my audience!  They contain heart-healthy omega-3s in the form of flax seed and with my healthy modifications add up to only about 150 calories each!  

Flax Seed Banana Muffins

Ingredients

1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana

1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt

5 Tbsp Smart Balance, melted

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour 

¼ cup ground flaxseed

¾ tsp baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
2. Combine banana, yogurt, butter and eggs in a large bowl.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed.
3. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat until well combined.
4. Combine flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice in a separate bowl.
5. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and beat until blended.
6. Pour batter into muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Bake at  350 °F for 55 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
8. Enjoy!

Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Cake!

This may come as a surprise, but I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day this year.  However, I am always a fan of both baking and Pinterest...so I decided to use this "holiday" to combine those loves and try out my version of the Pinterest sensation Red Velvet cake balls.  

the final product. delish.

These certainly aren't the healthiest dessert I've made, but I still snuck in some healthy tweaks to the recipes I found.  I up-ed the egg white to egg ratio and decreased the amount of vegetable oil when making the cake mix.  If for no other reason than taste, I will definitely make my own red velvet cake batter next time.  Those box mixes just don't match up to the "real deal".  And if you decide to try these yourself, be prepared to get a little messy.  You really have to get your hands in the cake batter, which was kind of fun! 

cake crumbs

ready for the chocolate hot tub...

done and delicious.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix (prepared using 1 egg, 3 egg whites, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 1/4 cup water)

3/4 container of cream cheese frosting

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)

1. Combine cake mix, egg/egg whites, vegetable oil and water.  

2.  Bake according to box instructions.

3.  Once cooled, crumble finished cake into a bowl. 

4.  Stir in frosting until a smooth consistency is reached.  [This gets a little messy...but is easiest using your hands! :) ]

5.  Roll "dough" into 1" balls and keep on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Melt chocolate chips on VERY low heat.  Using two forks, roll each cake ball in chocolate to coat.  Cool on parchment paper and enjoy! 

Enjoy these with your valentine (or by yourself)...but remember, everything in moderation! :)

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip "Mookies"

It's no secret that I like to bake.  Most of the time I'm modifying regular recipes so they're more nutritious, but still delicious.  So when I noticed we had some overripe bananas, I knew it was time to get my bake on! I always make banana bread (which is delicious) but I wanted to switch it up! After a quick search on Allrecipes.com, I came across a few recipes for banana oatmeal cookies.  However, so many of them included things I didn't have on-hand and don't normally bake with...like buttermilk or shortening (gross).  

So I decided to wing it. 

This resulted in some absolutely delicious (and somewhat healthy) "mookies" (muffin-cookies).  They're shaped like cookies, and look like cookies, but have more of a muffin texture.  Whatever you want to call them, they're yummy.  

Mookie.

Here's my recipe:


1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking soda, ground cloves, cinnamon and oats.
3. In a separate bowl, combine butter and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and mashed banana.
4.  Add banana mixture to flour and oat combination.  Mix well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips (if desired).
6. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday: Gear & Goodies!

1. Having this week off. It couldn't have come at a better time. I'm LOVING waking up sans-alarm and enjoying my morning tea while watching the Today show.  And being able to run in the daylight.  Amazing.

2.  New running socks. 

Thanks, Secret Santa!

3. No Pudge Fudge Brownies. 2 Tbsp brownie mix with 1 Tbsp yogurt (I prefer Stonyfield Fat-Free French Vanilla), microwave for 1 min. DONE! Single serve, fat-free 120 calorie chocolate heaven.

4. Woolies. They keep my noggin warm, cover my messy hair & come in the cutest styles! While I like most any winter hat, I have an obsession with Curly Hair Conspiracy, made with love by my dear friend Lauren.  :)

5. My Moving Comfort sports bra.  A bad bra will very quickly ruin any run, so this quality sports bra is a staple for me.  It holds everything in, has adjustable straps & is super comfortable.  It's a little pricier than some sports bras, but trust me-it's totally worth every penny!

I'm also thankful for you readers, and encourage you to take a minute and think about what you're thankful for today! Cheers!

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

After noticing a few over-ripened bananas in our fruit bowl, I decided it was time for a new baking project.  I came across a recipe for banana muffins and after slightly modifying it (I used all whole-wheat flour instead of half), I must say I was pleasantly surprised!  They turned out to be delicious and at just about 180 calories per muffin (mine yielded 18 when the recipe called for 12), these make a great healthy snack or dessert!  Find the original recipe here.  Enjoy! :)