All things pumpkin

So clearly I love pumpkin. I just can't get enough of the stuff! Autumn is in the air, and so is the smell of pumpkin spice lattes, cookies, and pies! I often have to dilute my enthusiasm when my eyes come across canned Pumpkin on grocery store shelves. Today was one of those days. I was minding my own business, walking through the isles of Trader Joe's, when a huge orange display caught my eye. Could it be true? Could all of this Pumpkiny goodness exist in one store? The answer was Yes my friends, the answer was Yes. 

The friendly cashier even commented on my purchases, remarking that she could tell I was a Pumpkin fan... duh.

So now, as I type, I sit here sipping a steaming mug of pumpkin spice tea. I am a happy girl :). Whenever I drink tea, it makes me want cookies. I luckily baked these yummy little morsels on Sunday!

(the brownies are black bean brownies...)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 can Pumpkin (Not pumpkin pie!)

4-6 packets stevia

2 tbs apple sauce

2 egg whites 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 Rice flour (I used this because I'm gluten free, you can use any flour)

1/4 cup carob chips (or any chocolate)

1/2 cup gluten free oats

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup dried cranberries

(Three cookies= 3 points plus)

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl combine ingredients until they create an even mixture. Spoon (1 tbs per cookie) onto a cookie sheet...remember to spray it with cooking spray!  Cook for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool, and indulge!

Rehearsals have been a lot of work... I'll elaborate more on that another time...

(this is a picture of a bus in NYC! I'm the third from the left :) 

Until then!

-HHD

Fall is here!

Right now, I am rehearsing for the upcoming Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York. I am, and have been a Rockette for the last five years! I left my apartment at the 9am and was greeted by the crisp, cool air of Autumn! It is a welcome season change, especially after enduring the overwhelming heat that is a New York City Summer! 

Now I don't know about you, but as soon as the weather start to change, my taste buds start screaming for all things pumpkin! It may have a lot to do with the fact that these bright colored gourds are nothing short of fantastic. I mean you can make just about anything out of them! Roast them, steam them, put em' in a soup, or put em' in a pie. YUMMMM PIE.....

I must admit, it doesn't have to be fall for me to crave anything and everything pumpkin, but now is the time when the canned stuff is readily available to buy in stores! Available for a hungry dancer like me to buy in bulk (I may or may not have left Trader Joe's with 6 cans of the stuff!)

Tonight after rehearsal I decided to make one of my favorite concoctions...

Funfetti Pumpkin Pie Pudding!

Hey I said it was a conction....

Funfetti Pumpkin Pie Pudding 

Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 packet Stevia

1/8 tspn coconut extract (optional)

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Cinnamon

2 tbs rainbow sprinkles (NOT OPTIONAL!)

1 tbs Cao cao Nibs

fruit (I used 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries, and 5 black berries)

(Points+   3-4 points)

just mix it all together!

I love the crunch of the cao cao and sprinkles. You really don't have to add it, but they make me happy so I always do! It would still taste amazing with just the pudding, pumpkin, stevia and spices :)

It truly tastes like pumpkin pie...I promise... I DARE YOU to try it!

Well It's time for bed... I have a long day of rehearsals tomorrow!

Until Next time!

-HHD

Hungry Hungry Dancer

Well here I am!

My name is Synthia, and I am constantly hungry. I mean hey, what girl isn't? For as long as I can remember, my dreams were filled with visions of chocolate chip cookies, gooey fudgy ice cream and melty cheese pizza.  As a young, physically active girl, I even indulged in these worldly foods! Then...DUN DUN DUN....puberty hit. What do you mean that french fries will make my thighs big?! Who decided that pumpkin pie would make my arms giggle and that Doritos could make my jeans not fit. It just wasn't fair! To top it all off, I was a dancer. I prided myself on my ability to move with grace, and twirl with ease. I needed to be fit, fierce, and fabulous!  It was time to take drastic action.

It took a number of years, tons of diets, and lots of tears (common, we've all done it), but I think I've finally started to get a handle on things. At 26 years old, I am starting to discover how my body works, and what foods are the most effictive (and tasty) to enhance my active lifestyle.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'm Allergic to EVERYTHING! Ok, that's an overstatement, but I am seriously allergic to legumes (that includes PEANUTS, nuts, soy, peas, chic peas etc.) I'm also super sensitive to gluten, so I am 97% gluten free. To make things harder for myself, I also am a vegeterian (on occasion I eat fish.)

So what does a super hungry, super health conscious, and super allergic girl eat you ask? Well, just about anything I want!  Luckily, my food cravings are not what they used to be (I gave up dreams of being a junk food junkie long ago), yet I still want to live a little!

I have discovered awesome ways of making "bad foods" healthy with substitution. I am also really interested in making healthy food taste great!

This blog will be dedicated to the person in search of ice cream that wont make their chins double. Pizza that is not only piled high with toppings, but is also piled high with nutrients. Cookies that will leave your taste buds fooled, and Pastas that will change your life.

Stay tuned :)

-HHD