Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies

Last Thanksgiving I ran a Marathon and 

this Thanksgiving I ate Pumpkin Pie haha

Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts from Planet Organic Market's Bakery

Because it's Thanksgiving in Canada, our holiday is a

 month and a half earlier. Hey, we're an impatient bunch ;)

These were wonderfully delicious; The sweetness of

the creamy filling was well-balanced with the pastry

Screw the pie crust, I could eat buckets of this pumpkin filling all day :)

Not as cute as my pumpkin face pie tarts, although 

the edges of the crust reminds me of a fairytale castle 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Muffins

My first Muffins of the Fall Season are here!

Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Walnut Muffins 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Oil Free and High Fibre

ONEearth Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Muffin Mix

I followed the Baking Instructions on the back of

 the bag, making a few variations here and there ;)

Poured the entire contents of the bag in a mixing bowl

I see speckles of yummy orange Sweet Potato in there!!!

Inside I found these large clumps, which I thought were

 simple unmixed flour, but were actually Sweet Potato Pieces

The texture was a cross between a Doughnut and Weetabix

 Cereal. I was going to grind them up until I realized that they would 

probably add a wonderful texture to the muffins once they've baked

Island Gold Veggie Fed Eggs

Large, white

The recipe calls for 3 Large Eggs, beaten

Normally, this is where I would add 1/2 cup vegetable oil,

 but I wanted to lighten these muffins up by adding a substitute 

Farmer's Market Organic Butternut Squash Purée

I didn't have Canned Pumpkin on hand, but Butternut Squash works just as well

2/3 Cup butternut squash mixed in with the eggs

I felt these Muffins need some crunch, so I enlisted the

 help of chopped Walnuts I had leftover from this recipe

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Stirring everything together

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients

Gently folding together with a spatula

Lined Muffin Pan with Paper Cups before filling them with

 Batter and baking in a pre-heated 350 F oven for 20 min 

For show, I garnished the top of the muffin with 
cute little leaf from my walnut tree in the backyard

It reminded me of a butterfly :)

The recipe makes 7 Medium-Large Muffins (10 Regular-Medium Size) 

Everyone in the house commented right away upon entering the kitchen, 

"Mmm! What smells like Spiced Pie? Can I have whatever it is?"

...These muffins were a huge hit! They are incredibly moist, easy to make, 

healthy, and the taste reminds me a lot of Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving :)

Yam and Walnut Salad

I love subbing regular white potatoes for yams (ie. sweet potatoes) as a base for salads

Yam & Walnut Salads are perfect to pack for picnics 

and scooping into little containers for a midday snack

Yam & Walnut Salad

created by Snacking Squirrel

2 medium sweet potatoes 

3/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

2 Tbsp honey (or syrup) 

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/8 tsp cardamom (optional)

1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)

1 pinch cayenne or chili powder

Step One: cut sweet potatoes/ yams into cubes

Step Two: combine honey, vinegar and spices together

Step Three: pour mixture onto sweet potatoes and massage with hands

Step Four: place on baking sheet and bake for 

30 minutes in pre-heated oven @ 375 Fahrenheit

Step Five: chop red onion (or white/yellow/green onion)

Step Six: after 30 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle on chopped onion

Step Seven: place back in the oven and continue cooking for 30 more minutes

Step Eight: remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes

Step Nine: place back in bowl and add walnuts and raisins 

Step Ten: toss everything together and serve

Makes 4-5 servings