Welcome to the April Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop! The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen! So this month, I chose to make Easy Sugar Cookie Bars! 

 

To join next month's #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ May Pinterest Challenge

 

Sugar Cookie Bars

My daughter had sent me a pin last year to make sugar cookie bars for when she came to visit. I didn't get the chance then so I made them for her when she came home for Easter a few weeks ago. The recipe made a 13 x 9 pan so I cut the recipe in half because I was also making an Oreo cheesecake for my son and didn't want a bunch of leftovers since I don't eat sugar. I made them in a 8 x 8 pan and the cookie bars came out fairly thin. I suppose I should have made the whole recipe and just put some in the freezer. But with the icing added on top she said they were really good so I guess all in all it was a success! 

INGREDIENTS:

For the cookie:

1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

For the frosting:

3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
sprinkles

Here is the link the the pin where the original recipe is found. You can find the directions there.

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Now let's see what other things Pinterest inspired! Head over and visit the other hosts to see what they crafted, cooked, built, or tried!

Participants:

Erlene - My Pinterventures • Lauren - Mom Home Guide
Debbee - Debbee's Buzz • Laurie - My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies
Marie - DIY Adulation • Julie - Sum of their Stories
Marie - The Inspiration Vault • T'onna - Sew Crafty Crochet
Pili - My Sweet Things • Debra - Shoppe No. 5
Roseann - This Autoimmune Life • Terri - Our Good Life
Lisa - Blogghetti • Marci - Stone Cottage Adventures
Leslie - Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Rebecca - Simple Practical Beautiful • Cherryl - Farm Girl Reformed
Kelley - Simply Inspired Meals • Joanne - Our Unschooling Journey
Jenny - Cookies Coffee and Crafts • Gail - Purple Hues and Me
Sam - Raggedy Bits
Beverly - Across the Boulevard • Samantha - Little Bits of Home
Kristie - Teadoddles • Shirley - Intelligent Domestications
Kelli - Olympic Nest • Chelsea - Making Manzanita
Cherryl - Farm Girl Reformed • Ola - J'adore Le Decor

An InLinkz Link-up

Are you looking for something a little healthier for breakfast this holiday season? Well look no further. These Healthy Gingerbread Donuts made in non-stick donut pans from Zulay Kitchen will certainly hit the spot!

Healthy Gingerbread Donuts

**This is a sponsored post and also includes affiliate links. I received the donut pans from Zulay Kitchens. All opinions are my own.

Ingredients for 9 donuts:

1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup gluten free flour blend
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp gingerbread spice
1/3 cup xylitol
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup molasses

Directions:

First of all, thanks so much to Zulay Kitchen for providing these donut pans. I have been wanting to get some donut pans so I was really excited to receive these. These pans are reasonably priced and the no-stick feature makes it so easy to get the donuts out of the pan! They have a store on their website but they also have an Amazon store where you can find these donut pans. Zulay is also one of the sponsors for our giveaway so be sure to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Add the lemon juice to the almond milk and stir. Let it sit while you are mixing the other ingredients. (You are making "buttermilk")

Mix all of the dry ingredients (almond flour through xylitol) in a large bowl. 

 

In a small bowl slightly beat the egg. Then add the vanilla, honey and molasses. Stir to mix well. Then add the milk and stir to mix.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Use a ladle or fill a measuring cup to add the batter to the pan. Fill about ¾ of the way for each donut. Place pans in oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the donuts cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Gluten Free Autumn Apple Spice Cake

One of my favorite things about the fall season is all of the delicious flavors! This recipe for Gluten Free Autumn Apple Spice Cake includes many of those fall flavors - apples, cinnamon and pumpkin spice! It would certainly make a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. In addition to being full of flavor it is also gluten, dairy and refined sugar free! 

 

Ingredients for cake:

3/4 cup almond flour

1/2 cup gluten free flour blend

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon xantham gum

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 small apple chopped

For the "icing":

2 tablespoons softened coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease an 8" x 8" pan.

Mix all dry ingredients (from almond flour to xantham gum) in a medium size bowl.

In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup of honey, egg, applesauce and coconut oil. 

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well blended. Then stir in the apples.

Pour batter into greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Once cake has cooled, pour the icing over the cake right before serving.

 

Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

If you are trying to find Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes, look no further! These side dishes will help you cut the calories without sacrificing flavor on your Thanksgiving table! 

 

1. Cranberry Sauce from Alton Brown uses honey and fresh cranberries.

2. Garlic Roasted Butternut Squash from Eat Well 101 gets its flavor 

from garlic sauce and Cajun seasonings.

3. Thanksgiving Slaw from The Kitchn include almonds and

cranberries and will last up to 2 hours on the buffet without wilting.

4. Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad from Julia's Album combines

spinach, fruits, nuts and avocados served with a vinaigrette dressing.

5. Baked Carrots from This Autoimmune Life uses a small

amount of olive oil with Montreal steak seasoning for a burst of flavor.

 

6. Nanou's Garlic Green Beans from The Life Jolie combines fresh 

green beans, garlic and a brown butter sauce.

7. Cauliflower Stuffing from Delish offers a great alternative

for your gluten-free or low-carb friends.

8. Roasted Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts from Moms Without Answers are

roasted with a small amount of Parmesan cheese until crispy.

9. Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries offers a sugar-free sweet potato option

National Pumpkin Day

Nothing says fall like pumpkin!  National Pumpkin Day is celebrated on Thursday October 26 this year. And it seems that you can get just about anything in pumpkin spice flavor.  From cookies, cakes and coffee to chips and salsa, pumpkin spice is everywhere!  I've even seen pumpkin spice dog bones! To help celebrate here are a few delicious pumpkin desserts and snacks to make. There are a few Paleo recipes included as well.

 

1. Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

2. Pumpkin Spice Caramel Rice Krispies from Coco and Ash

Rice Krispie Treats with Pumpkin and Caramel

3. Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting from Nancy Creative

Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

4. Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies

Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Snickerdoodles

5. Pumpkin Spice Coconut Macaroons from Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Pumpkin Spice Coconut Macaroons

6. Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars from A Treat's Affair

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

7. Three Layer Pumpkin Brownies from Wholefully

Pumpkin Brownies

8. Pumpkin Spice Smoothie from Lemon Tree Dwelling

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

9. Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake from Jay's Baking Me Crazy

Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake

10. Paleo Pumpkin Bars from What Molly Made

Paleo Pumpkin Bars

Whatever recipe you decide to try, Happy National Pumpkin Day!

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Welcome to the September Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop!  The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month, I chose to make a Healthy Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. My inspiration came from this pin from The Minimalist Baker.



I love fall and pumpkin spice. But when it is still in the upper 90's outside it is really hard to think about drinking a hot coffee! So I thought I would make a pumpkin spice frappuccino instead. **This requires freezing so be sure to prepare ahead of time!

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

Ingredients:

1 cup strong coffee (I used pumpkin spice flavor)
1 cup almond milk
¼ cup pumpkin puree
¼ teaspoon liquid stevia
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

Directions:

Make coffee and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
Mix the almond milk, pumpkin puree, stevia and pumpkin spice in a bowl. Stir until well blended. 
Pour mixture into an ice cube tray and place in freezer until frozen.
Place coffee and 8-10 pumpkin cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth. 
Top with a dash of cinnamon and enjoy!

 

**Note: I used 8 pumpkin spice cubes but I have an old blender and it had a hard time blending. The taste is great but it turned out a little icy. This will work best with a newer model blender.

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Are you craving something pumpkin flavored?  This Chocolate Pumpkin Bread will hit the spot. It is moist and delicious with a hint of pumpkin spice!  And it is not only gluten free but sugar free and dairy free as well.

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

1 cup almond flour
1 cup gluten free flour blend
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup xylitol
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
15 oz can pumpkin puree
¹⁄3 cup sugar free brown sugar*
2 eggs at room temperature
¹⁄3 cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar free chocolate chips (if you are not worried about dairy)

*To make sugar free brown sugar, mix 1/3 cup of xylitol with 1 teaspoon of molasses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Then spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients from almond flour to pumpkin pie spice so they are well blended. 

In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients from pumpkin puree to vanilla.

Pour wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and mix until well combined. If using the chocolate chips, stir them in at this point.

Add batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan.

As with most gluten free products, this is best served the first few days. If you will not be eating it right away, cut into slices and freeze. Then you can defrost 1 or 2 pieces at a time to eat.

Looking for other gluten free pumpkin recipes? Check out these pumpkin spice raisin muffins. 



Recipe is a modified version of Pumpkin Bread from What the Fork.