Spiced Nuts

Talk about taking raw nuts to another level. Sweet, spicy, and slightly salty. This is a party-worthy snack. I prepared these spiced nuts for my family on Christmas to enjoy before the meal was ready. You can use just one type of nut or a mix like I did. The aroma of these baking in the oven will fill your house and scream the holiday is here!

These spiced nuts would make for a perfect gift idea after you pack them into decorative tins.

Spiced Nuts

Makes 8 oz

Stars of the Show:

• 8 oz raw nuts - I used peanuts, hazelnuts, and cashews.
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the nuts in a bowl and add the egg white. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. 

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Scrape the nuts onto the baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Bake, stirring often to break up any clumps, until the nuts are lightly toasted, 15 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate and spread them in a single layer to allow them cool. Personally, I prefer them warm from the oven. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Living in Texas the weather does not cool off until the end of Octoberish but I'm so ready for Fall. It's the time of the year I can't get enough of the seasonal treats, especially pumpkin and especially pumpkin pie! I also love this time of year because it brings about the best holidays... speaking of which... I need to start decorating for Halloween and on a more exciting note Starbucks welcomes back their seasonal favorites too.

Ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks is saved for special occasions since I can't bring myself to spend $5 on a coffee and with the weather still in the 90s it's hard to justify that price. Starbucks is something I rarely treat myself to so I'm grateful I have a very generous boss who often treats us to Starbucks and I can indulge without the guilt. Of course when I say indulge I mean order a grande nonfat and no whip. Still not the best nutritionally speaking.

Pumpkins are filled with complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and Vitamin A.

Whip up this pumpkin pie smoothie and enjoy a guilt free treat for breakfast like I did or a grab and go treat. Tastes like the pumpkin pie filling without the crust. Just a heads up I did not add the 1 tsp cinnamon since I did not have it on hand and it ended up being perfectly spiced from the pumpkin pie spice and ginger. The recipe below produces a thick shake, like I'm talking stick to your ribs thick. I prefer a smoothie that I don't have to work so hard to get through a straw looking like a fish. Next time I'll thin it out by adding more almond milk. The best thing about smoothies is that they can be adapted to suit your tastes.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

PopSugar Fitness

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin, canned or freshly cooked
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 3/4 -1 cup almond milk, depending on how thick you like it.
• 1/2 scoop (approximately 2 tsp) vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon, optional
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• pinch of ground ginger

And Action:

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Blueberry Spice Muffins

Checking the mail is a household "to do" I enjoy doing. It's like opening a present every time I walk out to the mailbox. "What's going to be in there today?" I'll ask myself.
It's normally the usual... a bill or two, junk mail, the grocery ads, magazines, and the unexpected Penzeys Spices catalog. Whenever this arrives in the mail I race home to flip through and begin wish listing for spices I'd love to have and marking recipes I want to try.

Needing a breakfast idea I found a recipe for Blueberry Spice Muffins. I knew I needed to make these right then. These muffins are so delicious and packed with blueberries. I used whole wheat flour and decided that next time I needed to double the amount of cinnamon. As usual I messed up and forgot to add the nutmeg. It wasn't missed but I'd like to give them a try with the nutmeg and more cinnamon next time. The tops of these muffins have a cinnamon sugar coating. They are repeat worthy muffins. Possibly the best muffin recipe I've tried. It's a recipe worth keeping.

Blueberry Spice Muffins

Penzeys Spices, Back To School Catalog 2011

Makes 12 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 3/4 cup flour - I used whole wheat flour.
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup milk - I used skim milk.
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tbsp sugar, for the topping
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, for the topping

And Action:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the muffins combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the egg and milk and then add to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter. Stir just until moistened and then fold in the blueberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until browned and a toothpick that doesn't hit a blueberry comes out clean. Cool a few minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 150

Calories from fat: 45

Total fat: 5g

Cholesterol: 25mg

Sodium: 200mg

Carbohydrates: 23g

Dietary Fiber: <1g

Protein: 3g

I will be adding this recipe to my "Stir The Pot" page to join my Blueberry Muffins. 4 down, 21 to go.





Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

So long packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal. This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is part of the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart . I'm not following this diet but have it bookmarked because I read that with trying to lose the last 10 pounds my body is holding onto I need to switch up my eating and try a more vegetarian approach. Mr. Sideline Chef only eats Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and remembering that this recipe was on that diet meal plan I decided to give it a try. It was a nice change to plain oatmeal for breakfast. Nice to know that this bowl of oatmeal was creamy and delicious and will be satisfying when I do commit to the eating plan.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

21 Day Vegan Kickstart

Makes 2 Servings (Serving size = 1 cup)

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
• 2/3 cup apple juice concentrate - I used Mott's for Tots Apple Juice with 40% Less Sugar.
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants (optional) - Raisins are a cringe worthy food to me. I left them out.

And Action:

Combine oats, apple juice concentrate, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins, if desired. Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information: Per 1 cup serving

Calories: 312

Fat: 2.9 g
Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Calories from Fat: 8.4%
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 66 g
Sugar: 32.9 g
Fiber: 4.7 g
Sodium: 29 mg
Calcium: 51 mg
Iron: 2.8 mg
Vitamin C: 2.1 mg
Beta Carotene: 0 mcg
Vitamin E: 0.3 mg



Apple Cinnamon Granola

My breakfast rotation has just received a shake up. Welcoming to the lineup Apple Cinnamon Granola served over a big bowl of plain yogurt. We all know plain yogurt is crap healthy for us and this just adds a whole other layer of healthiness and makes choking down eating plain yogurt that much more rewarding to your waist line and your taste buds.

If you want to torture yourself you can do what I did. I had this toasting up in the oven while I broke a sweat on the treadmill jumping off only long enough to wash my hands and stir the granola every half hour. The aroma of cinnamon filled the air and the oven warmed our tiny apartment making the aroma that much more intense. I planned my workout and shower to end right about the time the granola finally had a chance to fully cool down so I could eat it afterward. Such a rewarding treat!

This was my first time making granola and this came out perfectly crunchy and sweet. The best part were the walnuts with some of the oats stuck to the outside from the applesauce and brown sugar. For this being my first granola recipe I can happily say I'd be happy if this becomes the only one I make. Sure, that would be boring so I could see how swapping the applesauce for other fruit purees could work and switching up the dried fruits as well would prevent this granola rotation from becoming tiresome. Whatever floats your boat! Make yourself and your taste buds happy. It's such a versatile recipe so make it your own.

Making homemade granola is much lighter on the budget than purchasing premade mixes. It is also simple to prepare with easy cleanup. What more could you ask for in a recipe? The fact that it is a Cooking Light recipe should be a perk as well.

Apples and cinnamon are a winning combination and you can't beat that nutty-apple cinnamon taste on a cold winter's day.

Apple Cinnamon Granola

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, November 2005

Makes 6 cups (Serving size = 1/2 cup)



Stars of the Show:

• 3 cups regular oats
• 1 cup Cheerios
• 1/3 cup oat bran cereal
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped dried apples

And Action:

Preheat the oven to 250°.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the applesauce, honey, and brown sugar to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute stirrinf frequently. Pour the applesauce mixture over the oat mixture stirring to coat. Spread mixture evenly over a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 250° for 1 1/2 hours stirring every 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Stir in the chopped dried apples.

Store the Apple Cinnamon Granola in an airtight container for up to one week.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 196 (27% from fat)

Fat: 5.8g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.6g,poly 2.2g)

Protein: 4.4g

Carbohydrate: 35g

Fiber: 4g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Iron: 2.2mg

Sodium: 128mg

Calcium: 28mg