Pumpkin Popcorn

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup popping corn kernels (yields about 10 cups popped)
• 2 tbs. melted coconut oil or butter
• 2 tbs. maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbs. pumpkin puree
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Pop the popcorn using an air popper or other method. We use this hot air popper.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the oil, syrup, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and salt. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two, stirring until all the ingredients are combined.
4. Measure two cups of plain popcorn and set aside.
5. Put the remaining popcorn in a roasting pan. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the popcorn and stir until evenly covered.
6. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
7. Let the popcorn mixture cool. The glazed pieces of popcorn will harden as they cool.
8. Stir the plain popcorn into the pumpkin-glazed popcorn mixture and serve.

Pumpkin Popcorn Price Breakdown

This recipe yields about 8 cups, and the total cost is $.85 or $.21 per serving (and that’s using organic popcorn kernels).  Perfect after school treat anytime of the year.

Microwave Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1/3 cup plain pumpkin
1/2 scoop about time Pumpkin Spice protein powder
1/2 scoop Vanilla protein powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp DaVinci sf pumpkin spice syrup (optional: replace with vanilla stevia and pumpkin pie spice)
cinnamon
mix together
Cook in microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds at a time. Cook 2-3min. Let it cool and then top with frosting.

Frosting
1/4 cup 0% Fage yogurt
1/2 scoop  Vanilla Shakeology (or protein powder of choice)
mix together with vanilla stevia and cinnamon

Ground Turkey or Chicken Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients: 2 lbs ground turkey or chicken 3 egg whites 1 cup  oats (quick cooking) 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp dried thyme 2 tsp dry yellow mustard 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp garlic powder or 2 cloves minced 1  onion finely chopped 2 celery stalks finely chopped Black pepper to season Directions: 1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2.  Spray muffin pan with  olive oil. 3.  Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl. 4.  Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan.  5.   Bake for 40 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Top with Stubbs BBQ sauce and enjoy

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Bites

Day 12: 2 Great Recipes from Lori Harder's cook book. Perfect for any party

Cheesy Bacon Endive Boats
Makes about 32 endive boats

Ingredients:
• 1 c. chopped purple onion (can use regular onion)
• 5-6 slices turkey bacon (natural, nitrate free)
• 1 can peas
• 1 c. low-fat or fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 heads of Belgian (yellow) or Belgian Red endive (red)

Directions:
Spray a frying pan lightly with olive oil. Add turkey bacon and red onion, and cook on low for 10 to 12 minutes until onions are soft and bacon is lightly browned. Set cooked bacon and onion aside. Next, take the can of peas and blend in a food processor or Magic Bullet® until smooth. Add a tablespoon or two of water if needed to make smooth. In a bowl, combine blended peas, turkey, bacon, ricotta and salt. Mix until smooth. Take your endive and cut off the end and rinse leaves. Take a teaspoon and fill each endive cup with a heaping scoop of the mix. Chop the cherry tomatoes and place a few on top of each endive bite for a light garnish. Arrange on a serving plate and enjoy!
 
No-Bake PB Pumpkin Balls
Makes about 28-32 mini balls.

Ingredients:
• 3/4 c. Quaker® Oats or quick oats
• 1/2 c. oat flour (or make your own by blending oats in Magic Bullet or food processor)
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3 Tbsp. Truvia (10 packets) or you can substitute with 1/4 c. brown sugar or 1/4 c. honey
• 3 Tbsp. PB2 powder peanut butter (This can be found in some stores or online. You may also leave this out and the result will be more pumpkin flavored.)
• 1/3 c. canned pumpkin
• 1-2 Tbsp. of water if needed
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or try adding your favorite nut oil such as hazelnut, walnut, etc.
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Use two separate bowls for dry and wet ingredients. Make sure you stir the dry ingredients in one bowl and mix well. In the other bowl, be sure to mix all wet ingredients well. Next, add wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. You will need to refrigerate about 5 to 10 minutes before forming into mini balls. Once mixture is cold, take out and hand roll into balls. Place back in refrigerator until ready to serve. These are fabulous frozen treats as well! 

12 Days of Healthy Holiday Bites

Day 11: Grilled Bananas with Nuts and more

Grilled Bananas

2 bananas, quartered LEAVE PEELS ON

Cinnamon

Coconut oil (if desired)

Brush the open side of the banana with coconut oil if desired then sprinkle on cinnamon to taste.  Grill open side down (peel up) for 2-4 minutes, flip and grill peel down for another 2-4 minutes or until the peel starts to separate from the fruit.  Remove from the grill and serve.  It’s fun to eat it right out of the peel.

Add 1-2 Tbs of your favorite nut butter to half a banana and enjoy on a plain rice cake or small ezikel wrap. Check out your local health store for nuts 'n more