My new favorite ingredient...pumpkin!

Happy Fall everyone! What an appropriate subject to be posting about today...pumpkin! Pumpkin is incredibly rich in vital anti-oxidants and vitamins. Luckily, it is very low in calories and a good source of vitamin A, flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants like leutin, xanthins and carotenes. I have been making a lot of pumpkin mash (warm up 1/2 cup organic pumpkin, 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, then sprinkle with coconut and almond slivers). This is a delicious and healthy side dish or main meal. This morning I had left-over coffee smoothie and wanted to use it post-workout. I combined that with 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, cinnamon to taste, and 1/2 + 1 tbsp vanilla soy milk.  I blended it with some ice cubes and had a protein-packed snack! I didn't get to take a picture because I gobbled it up before I thought of it! Can't wait to make it again. 

Mmmm cinnamon and apples

Kasey over at Powercakes inspires me and many others to eat healthy each week. I have learned a lot about eating clean and fueling up from her recipes and through others on Pinterest. I actually got my husband to share the dark chocolate powercake with me and he goes "is this one of those powercake thingies?" I have slowly, but surely, pulled him over to the healthy side. He even said that he could go "raw", but I'm not going that far. I think vegetarian is a far as I would take it. Any way, I am also looking for and trying out healthy desserts. Tonight, I was really craving apples and cinnamon, so I came up with: Warm apples and Yogurt. I clearly did not invent this, but it's so delicious I have to share it.

I heated up a small skillet on low-medium with 1 tsp coconut oil and cinnamon and threw in chopped up apples. I sprinkled cinnamon on top and pushed them around until they were warm and I couldn't take it anymore! I took about 1/3 cup plain Greek Yogurt and mixed it with the apples. So YUM even the cat wanted some! Go make it for an easy and healthy snack or dessert!