Pumpkin Oatmeal Cacao Cookies

My sister, Julie, gave me this incredible recipe for trail cookies a couple weeks ago, which I hope to share with you soon! But first I wanted to modify it to incorporate pumpkin, since I'll be the first to admit that is about all I can think about in the kitchen these days. That and cinnamon. I love fall and it's perfect for baking. These are so delicious and the plate of cookies was gone in less than a day at our house. They're only about 50 calories a cookie, and they are the perfect mix of what fall should taste like. It's like a fall party in your mouth!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cacao Cookies
24 SERVINGS 
PREP: 8 minutes           COOK: 12 minutes            READY IN: 20 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/8 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur's white whole wheat)
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup cacao chocolate chips, chopped

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 325º.
2. In a large bowl (or mixer), combine the first 5 ingredients (applesauce, honey, pumkin puree, egg, and vanilla).
3. Add all the dry ingredients and mix together.
4. Hand mix in cacao chips.
5. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottoms.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cookie serving    51 calories   .5g fat   10.5g carbs    1.6g protein    3.7g sugar   

Enjoy!
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Healthy Chicken Chili

I'm originally from Nebraska and one of the traditions we had growing up was to serve chili with cinnamon rolls. I didn't think it was weird until I lived somewhere else. When living elsewhere, I would always see chili served with cornbread. The minute I would mention cinnamon rolls, people thought it was a very strange combination. Whenever I serve chili at home, I still want to pair it with cinnamon rolls. I love the pairing of salty with sweet, and when I was back in Nebraska after college, I even converted a few non-native friends to the tradition. I pictured this bowl of chili with cornbread, however, because I'm still on the hunt for a halfway healthy cinnamon roll recipe. If you have any tips to share, please do so in the comments below.

Healthy Chicken Chili
8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 quart canned tomatoes (or 28 ounce canned stewed tomatoes)
• 1 cup water
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a large pot, combine shredded chicken, onion, green pepper, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Serve (with cornbread ... or a cinnamon roll) and enjoy.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    391 calories   5.5g fat   54.7g carbs    32.8g protein    5.4g sugar   

If you feel so inclined, top with a little sour cream and cilantro. I don't know what it is about chili, but I have a hard time giving up the sour cream.

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Snixy Kitchen
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