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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Oh look.  More pumpkin!  But this time in the form of a pumpkin pie smoothie.

Now I know I’m not reinventing the wheel here since there are pumpkin pie smoothie recipes all over the internet.  And they all call for the same basic ingredients: pumpkin, almond milk, ice, and usually cinnamon and maple syrup.  So that’s what I did.

At first sip I found it to be alright, but a little on the bland side.  I really wanted to up the protein content a bit so I added a tablespoon of almond butter, and that did the trick.

Super easy smoothie for the win.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (makes 1 serving)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup crushed ice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon smooth almond butter (I’m sure peanut butter would be just as delicious)

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a blender.  Blend until the smoothie is nice and creamy.

pumpkin pie smoothie close upDrink and enjoy.  And if you are feeling really fancy maybe add some whipped cream on top.  Or chocolate sprinkles.

Since I recently discovered pumpkin cider I think I’m going to need to make a boozy pumpkin drink next.

What’s your favorite pumpkin beverage?

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Cereal

When I was in college my roommate and I always had boxes of cereal in our dorm room.  It was economical and a nice alternative from the breakfast fare served in the dining hall.  Since we were both cereal aficionados, the kinds of cereal we had was always rotating.  Some weeks it was Quaker Ohs (so good), other weeks included Honey Bunches of Oats and Rice Krispies, and sometimes we would go out on a limb and get Captain Crunch or Lucky Charms.  Looking back on it, those were definitely not the healthiest selections, but they were oh so delicious.

Then I found out about my food allergies and my cereal eating habit came to a screeching halt.  Pretty much every cereal out there had some form of food starch or corn syrup (I’m looking at you Cherrios) so my options were limited to puffed rice, shredded wheat, and Whole Foods’ Organic O’s.  Eventually I got off the cereal train all together and started making oatmeal for breakfast every morning.  If only I had known that I could make my own cereal from scratch!

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Cereal Close UpLately I’ve been craving cereal so I began to look up recipes online and found one for Paleo Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Minimal ingredients?  Check.  Easy to make?  Check.  I decided to give it a whirl and put my own spin on it by making Paleo Pumpkin Spice Cereal (since it is the season and all).

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Cereal PinThe great thing about this cereal is that it is grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free so it’s perfect for a wide variety of diets.  And while the texture might be slightly different than your traditional cereal, the taste is so much better.  Who needs artificial ingredients anyway?

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Cereal (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1 cup tapioca starch

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

3 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp almond milk

For the Topping:

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375F.  Place your dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine until the mixture is slightly sticky (you might need to add more almond milk).  Divide your dough into two balls.

Place each ball on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper.  Slowly roll each dough ball out until the dough is nice and thin.  You should try to make the dough as thin as possible.

Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and place each sheet of dough on baking trays and sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice/cinnamon and brown sugar on top.

Using a pizza cutter or a knife, gently create horizontal and vertical lines in the dough to create small squares.  My squares were definitely not symmetrical and they still came out fine.

Place your baking trays in the oven and bake for 8-9 minutes.  Be sure to watch your dough to make sure the outsides do not burn.

Remove your cereal from the oven and let cool.  Gently break apart your cereal into small squares and enjoy with some milk.

paleo pumpkin cereal with milkWhat is your favorite cereal?  Before I knew about my food allergies I loved Honey Nut Cheerios and of course Quaker Ohs.

Gluten-Free Pineapple Coconut Muffins

The other day I had a mad craving for pineapple muffins.  Well, I wanted this pineapple upside-down cake to be exact, but I was missing all the necessary ingredients (like the rum), and didn’t feel like running to the store.  I found an open package of gluten-free flour from Trader Joe’s and decided I would make gluten-free pineapple coconut muffins instead.

gluten-free pineapple coconut muffinsI find gluten-free baking to be a bit tricky.  Many of my recipes have not turned out because they were too dense, or too much flour, or just not rigjht.  I also don’t like to use xanthan gum which is found in many gluten-free recipes.

I am happy to say that this recipe is xanthan gum free and came out delicious!  These muffins are made with pineapple Chobani (my current fave), coconut oil and have toasted coconut on top.  If you are a bit afraid of gluten-free baking like I am was, then this is the recipe for you.

Sure, these muffins may not be exactly the same as pineapple upside down cake, but they are tasty!

glutenfree pineapple coconut muffinsGluten-Free Pineapple Muffins (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free flour of your choice
6 oz pineapple Chobani yogurt
2 eggs (I used egg whites and they turned out fine)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2.5 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a muffin tin or insert paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl add your flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt and brown sugar.  Mix until well blended.

In a smaller bowl blend your yogurt, eggs, almond milk, coconut oil and water until the mixture is nice and creamy.  Fold your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and continue to mix until well blended.

Gently spoon your muffin batter into the muffin tin (be sure to fill each muffin only halfway).  Sprinkle the coconut on top and place in the oven.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

glutenfree pineapple chobani muffins

Remove from the oven, cool, and enjoy!

 

 

The Crow Bar and Kitchen

Since starting Sweet Potato Bites I have had the opportunity to review some awesome restaurants, and some not so awesome ones.  I always like to keep it real around here, and review the good with the bad.  Unfortunately for The Crow Bar and Kitchen, it falls into the not so awesome camp.

I have been wanting to try The Crow Bar and Kitchen for a long time now, and their menu looked really promising.  Duck Fat Fries!  Grilled Cheese Specials! Lots of Beers on Tap!  The restaurant definitely had all the makings of a nice gastropub.  So when a friend suggested that we check it out, the Englishman and I were game.

When we arrived at The Crow Bar and Kitchen the place was already pretty packed.  People were mingling at the bar and the hostess sat us immediately.  After perusing the menu, the Englishman and I decided we would split the Crow Burger and get a side order of Sweet Potato Fries.  My friend decided to get the Halibut Burger and a side order of Duck Fat Fries (that they are “famous” for), and we got some green bean fries and salt and vinegar chips to share amongst the table.

One thing I should note is that fries and sides do NOT come with the entrees.  You have to pay extra $$ for them which is a bit annoying.  The fries came out before our burgers, piping hot and ready to eat.

I think it’s pretty obvious that I love sweet potatoes, so I thought the Sweet Potato Fries were delicious.  Some blue cheese aioli was served on the side which was a nice complement to the salty fries.

the crow bar and kitchen sweet potato friesThe Duck Fat Fries were also good, but I honestly didn’t find them particularly remarkable.  To be honest, they just tasted like regular fries, so I’m not sure what all the hype is.

the crow bar and kitchen duck fat friesThen the burgers emerged.  Since the Englishman and I had run 13 miles that day (in preparation for our half marathon), we were pretty hungry and looking forward to devouring a delicious burger.

Much like the Duck Fat Fries, the Crow Burger was pretty underwhelming.  It didn’t have much seasoning or flavor to it, and just came with some cheese and arugula (where was the homemade ketchup?).  The rosemary bun was nice, but I could’ve easily made a better burger at home.

the crow bar and kitchen burgerMy friend’s Halibut Burger was another disappointment.  Her burger came out cold and undercooked.  And nobody wants an undercooked halibut burger.

the crow bar and kitchen halibut burger

The green bean fries had potential, but instead came out a bit greasy and lacking in flavor.  Definitely not worth the price.

the crow bar and kitchen green bean friesAnd the salt and vinegar chips?  They were quite tasty, but not sure if they were worth the money either.

the crow bar and kitchen salt and vinegar chipsI would definitely rate The Crow Bar and Kitchen as average, and a bit overpriced.  The ambiance is decent, it seems like a nice spot for a happy hour or late night drink, but this restaurant/bar is definitely not the place to be sitting down to a full meal.  Not sure if I’ll be back.