Healthier Mini Pumpkin Pies KIDS Approved!

Mini Pumpkin Pies! A Healthy Alternative

Who says we can't eat the dessert for the holidays.. or ever? 

The holiday season is here and with it you are probably thinking, "I'll just starve myself all week so I can eat all the delicious food at the Christmas party."🙋🏼‍♀️. Ya that used to be me...OR, if there was 1.. ok maybe 2.. fine, half a pie left I would be down there eating it before anyone else got to it... #guilty? 

Here is the deal. When we make little tweaks and eat fairly good 80-85% of the time, there is no reason why we can't indulge just a little. Plus, these individual cups are PERFECT with their no-traditional wonton wrapper crusts that is much lighter than pie crusts.

These Mini Pumpkin Pies fit into the portion fix, for all you fixers out there as a yellow container. 

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Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg , lightly beaten
• ½ tsp . pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp . pure maple syrup (or raw honey)
• ¼ tsp . ground cinnamon
• 1 dash ground ginger
• 1 dash ground cloves
• ¼ tsp . fine sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 12 wonton wrappers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 325° F.
2. Lightly coat a mini muffin pan with spray. Set aside.
3. Combine pumpkin, egg, extract, and maple syrup in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
4. Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and almond milk; mix until just blended. Set aside.
5. Place a wrapper in each muffin cup. Press down so that wrapper fits snugly and forms a cup shape.
6. Pour approx. 2 Tbsp. pumpkin mixture into each cup (or fill each cup about ¾ full).
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center of one cup comes out almost clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
8. Serve with some whipped cream or better yet, dairy-free coconut whipped cream! Made by whipping the cream not the liquidy milk with a little coconut sugar and pure vanilla! It is now my go to.

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Cinnamon Buns

DAIRY FREE CINNAMON BUNS

I was in this weird funk lately craving all the food and knowing that I shouldn't indulge lots in dairy, I was anyways. The way my sensitivity works is I look 6 months pregnant from bloat, I break out, I experience killer headaches and stomach pain, and I am super cranky. Sensitivities look different on everyone and can be different with different types of sensitivities.

I became lactose intolerant in grade 7 along with a gluten intolerance but that is a story for another time as it was one of the worst few months of my entire life. It wasn't until I started breastfeeding my 2nd son that he became super sensitive to milk protein through breastmilk, so I quit all dairy for nearly a year. 

After he had been weaned I was pumped for all the cheese and immediately my body rejected it which really sucked! I have been trying so hard to stay away from dairy but I will NEVER find a dairy free cheese that I will enjoy BUT I am starting to realize I can create delicious dairy free desserts and recipes.. You know so I can enjoy cheese here and there :p. 

Here is my recipe for the cinnamon buns I made and EVERYONE (hubs included) enjoyed them.

Tip-If you are trying to change your diet to "Clean'ish' " Clean meaning non processed, whole foods, it is a good idea to slowly make the change to get your family used to it. In these buns I use half white flour and half whole wheat. It is better than nothing right! 

Ingredients:
1C Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Eggs
1/3C Earth Balance Vegan Spread
2 1/4C White Flour
2 1/4C Whole Wheat Flour
1t sea salt
1/4C Sugar or Honey
2 1/2t dry Active Yeast

Filling:
1C Brown Sugar
3T Cinnamon
1/3C Earth Balance Vegan Spread (or vegan butter of choice)

Caramel Sauce:
2/3C Brown Sugar
1/3C Earth Balance Vegan Spread (or vegan butter of choice)
1T Coconut Cream
1/2C crushed pecans (optional)

Directions:
-Grease 9x13 baking pan (I just use spray coconut or olive oil) and set aside
-In stand mixer combine your flour, yeast, salt and sugar (if using sugar) and mix together using dough hook.
-Next combine hot milk, melted butter,honey(if you didn't use white sugar) and eggs and add to the mixture. Mix until combine.
-If you are using the dough hook and stand mixer knead dough for 5 mins. If you are using a regular bowl, remove dough and knead of a floured surface for 5 mins.
-Place in a greased bowl and cover with tea towel and let rise about 30 mins or until it has doubled in size. If you have a bread proof button on your oven you can use that as well and place your bowl in the oven.
-While your dough is rising, you can make the caramel sauce. Add butter, cream and brown sugar into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it is all boiled together, remove from heat and add to the bottom of the baking pan. If you are using nuts sprinkle them on top of the sauce.
-Once your dough has risen, turn out onto a floured surface and knead a couple times before splitting into two parts. 

-Roll into a rectangle and then using a pastry brush, brush half of the melted butter all over the dough followed by sprinkling half of the brown sugar and cinnamon on top as well. 
-Roll up the long side and then using a serrated knife, cut into sections and place into the baking dish on top of the sauce and repeat with the rest of the dough. 
-Cover and let rise until nearly doubled in size I place mine on the oven while I am preheating it and it helps for about 30 mins.
-Once ready place in your 400F preheated oven and bake for 14-18 mins until golden brown. Immediately turn pan upside down onto platter or parchment paper and enjoy! 

Remember, I love to hear when you make any of these recipes so be sure to tag me on social @KristieSeredaWellness IG or just Kristie Sereda on FB and use the tag #KSwellnessEats 

Don't forget to share this post to your social and pin it if you enjoy it!! #Sharingiscaring

XO Kristie 

Healthy Fudgy Brownies *Fix Approved*

These were a go to for me for my refeed days last year when I was following the 80 Day Obsession timed nutrition and fitness program. They are the perfect sweetness for me and there is no guilt what so ever. There shouldn't be any guilt when enjoying your food to begin with but that is a whole other topic :p 

I have this love hate relationship with dairy. I love it but it hates me ... anyone else? I lost so much weight when I was living daily free after we found out my son was having problems with dairy through my breastmilk and now that he can have it again I was pumped to eat all the cheese again but my body keeps rejecting it. So here I am trying my dangedest to stick to a dairy free plan. 

Ingredients:

1 15oz can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1/4c Earth Balance Vegan butter 

2 Large Eggs

1/2C Coconut sugar 

2tsp pure vanilla 

1/2C unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2t baking powder

dash sea salt

1/3C dairy free dark chocolate chips/chunks

Directions: 

Add everything to a blender (except chocolate chips) and blend about 3 mins until smooth. 

Add chocolate into the batter after or place on top.

Transfer batter to a greased 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and bake at 350 for 28 mins or until tooth pick comes out clean.

If you melted your chocolate chips on top once it comes out of the oven you can spread the chocolate out to almost make an icing . (Thats how I do it )

 Cut into 16 squares . 1 square = 1Yellow 

Let me know if you try them by tagging me on social media and using the hashtag #KristieSeredaFitFood

Be sure to click the pic and pin the recipe to share! Sharing is caring right? 

Sheet Pan Eggs

Ok you guys this was game changing for me. I love to have loaded omelets and scrambled eggs for breakfast but lately (especially in the summer) I do not want to cook or spend time in the kitchen. You feel me? 

I was watching some videos on TASTY, because I have all this free time right? (not) and came across this Time Saving Sheet Pan Egg recipe. 

I thought I could totally make that into a new breakfast for 80 Day Obsession! 

So here it is! 

Enjoy! 

SHEET PAN EGGS
Serves 8
Portion Fix Count- 1R, 1G, .5t

Ingredients:
16 Eggs
8 Cups Veggies of your choice
1/2C Almond Milk or milk of choice
2-3T mixed spices if you choose or simply 
some salt and pepper
2T oil of choice ( coconut, olive oil) divided

My veggies I like:
3 Cups rough chopped Kale/Spinach
1 Cup diced bell pepper
1.5 Cups sliced mushrooms
1 Cup cauliflower
1 Cup broccoli 
.5 Cup shredded carrots 

Others to try are zucchini, onions, chard, eggplant, celery, tomatoes. 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Add 1T coconut oil to skillet and add veggies, saute until tender crisp approx 5 mins
While veggies are cooking whisk eggs together add almond milk and spices and whisk well
Line cookie sheet with foil** and spread other tablespoon of oil over it or use spray
Add eggs to sheet then evenly distribute veggies over top of the eggs. 

*Note- if you want to make sure that there are enough veggies per serving you can use 1/2C or 1/2 green portion container to measure out and place eggs in 8 sections of the pan. The veggies cook down so if you tried to use the full green you will not have enough. Still counts as 1 green though!

** Lining sheet with foil is optional, it works for me to lift out eggs so that I can add my sausage on the sheet and pop back in oven (less dishes and less clean up!)

Pop in oven and bake between 15-20 mins or until eggs are firm to touch and there is no more liquid
Let cool then slice into 8 sections.
These freeze very well or will last in the fridge for about 5-6 days when stored properly. 

I am eating on Plan D for my second round of 80 Day Obsession, so my post workout meal is 2R, 1G, 1Y, 1t. I pair these omelette with 4 turkey sausage links or turkey bacon slices and have either a piece of whole grain toast or oatmeal (that I also premake on sundays and portion out for easy grab and go during the weekdays!) 

I hope you find this helpful! I would love to hear if you make these and if you use different variations! Please tag me in your social media if you make them and use  #LYPEats! 
@LiveYourPassionKS or www.facebook.com/LiveYourPassionKS 

You can also share this recipe by clicking on the picture to PIN it! 


#SharingisCaring remember to stay awesome ALWAYS!!! 

Happy Monday everyone!