Free Jewelry Friday!

Let’s start this Friday post out with the Jules Jewelry giveaway winner, shall we?!  Incase you’ve forgotten, this lucky girl will win one of Jules BEAUTIFUL Sweet Pearl Bracelets!

Anddddd the winnnner isssssss…..

Missy!  From the Beautiful Struggle.

Missy, please email me your address (freckledfoodielove@gmail.com) so I can get your prize shipped to you asap!

Since I’ve been insanely busy as late, I wanted to let you all know, I’m alive and well!  Very occupied, but still truckin’!  I see that most of you are really taking advantage of the new FALL season and incorporation lots of yummy treats like apples, pumpkin, and squash into your daily meals! 

As I lurk, I bookmark pages of recipes that I cannot WAIT to try on my own by my beloved blog friends…some of the chart toppers these days include

Anne’s Sweet Potato Whole Wheat Bread Pudding

[source]

Ingredients:

1.5 C skim milk
3/4 C canned pureed sweet potato (pumpkin would also work)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
5 slices 100% whole wheat Nature?s Pride bread, toasted and cubed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

1) Whisk all ingredients except the bread together in a large bowl.

2) Toast the 5 slices of bread. This will make it hold it?s shape when it bakes (when I dream up a new recipe, there?s no way my excitement will allow me to wait for bread to go stale!).

3) Cut the toasted bread into cubes and add into a deep pan. Pour the sweet potato liquid mixture evenly on top of the bread.

4) Pop the pan into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Your kitchen will shortly smell amazing.

Caitlin’s Autumn Grilled Banana Sandwich

[source]

Autumn Grilled Banana Sandwich

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

1 banana
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
Drizzle of honey
Dash of cinnamon
Sprinkle of crushed pecans

Directions:

Grease and heat frying pan.
Make basic French bread by dredging the toast in eggs and placing on grilled.
Meanwhile, slice the banana and place on griddle to cook.
While the toast and banana cooks, mix pumpkin, chia seeds, honey, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Once toast has finished cooking, remove from heat and put bananas in between slices.  Top with pumpkin mix and pecans.

Katie’s Pumpkin Pie Milkshake 

[source]

Ingredients

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese (or LF greek yogurt, or you could replace the water with milk and nix the cottage cheese)
1-2 scoops vanilla or plain protein powder (1-2 depending on if it?s a meal or snack)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/8 tsp of nutmeg)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs splenda/stevia/sweetener of choice (more or less to achieve desired sweetness)
2 tbs cool whip
1/2 cup water
1 full tray of ice cubes
optional topping: crushed honey teddy grahams

(*Optional- 1/2 tsp Xanthax gum (you can get this from meijer in the gluten free section, or whole foods, or health food stores, just a pinch of it makes your shake sooo thick and creamy!)

Method

ONE SIMPLE STEP!  Put all the base ingredients in the blender PLUS the ingredients listed under the shake of your choice, and blend away until desired consistency! Top with crushed teddy grams if desired?and enjoy!!!!

Chocolate Covered Katie’s Raw Sneaky Veggie Cheesecake

[source]

Raw ?Sneaky Veggie? Cheesecake

1/2 cup cashew butter, such as Artisana (about 110g)
Heaping 1/2 cup raw zucchini (80g)
Heaping 1/8 tsp salt
Scant 2T lemon juice (20g)
1/2 T water (10g)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sweetener: I use 8 vanilla drops for me (almost 1/8 tsp), or 20ish for others. If you use a liquid sweetener, omit the water.

Add all the ingredients together and blend very well. If you?re using a Magic Bullet, you might want to blend the zucchini a little, first, so it doesn?t stay chunky. Transfer your mixture to a pie-crust or cheesecake mold (I actually use an empty soy cream- cheese container) and freeze. Thaw before eating. This makes a mini cheesecake. For a true-sized cheesecake, double or triple the recipe.

Aren’t these ladies’ concoctions amazing?! 

 

Another noteworthy fall food addition?  This one is especially for all you gluten-free readers out there!  Check out Kinnikinnick Foods’ Pumpkin Spice Gluten-free Donuts! They’ll only be available from now until November 30th, and they’re 20% off until October 8th!

In other news, I’ve got another Todd update for you all!

Weight ? 172.0.     Starting Weight ? 181.6

 

Body Fat% – 23.5%        Starting Body Fat% – 26.6%

He sent me an email this morning of his progress and I can say again, I’m QUITE proud.  His dedication and hard work are truly paying off and we’ve got numbers to prove it! He also mentioned that he doesn’t hate Shaun T quite as badly anymore   Hahaha.

What’s new and exciting in YOUR lives?! I’m trying to stay up to date with all your blogs, but right now things are pretty nuts! Even when you don’t hear from me, know that I love and am praying for you all!

XO.