Falling into Autumn

More than any season (even summer), I find I've been eating hot dogs like

crazy this Fall. Maybe it's just my way of preserving the summer nostalgia

Gluten free cheddar hot dogs with sauerkraut and the works, with a

 side of sweet potato fries, maple baked beans, and crunchy kale salad

And I can't forget the pumpkin pie that has been disappearing quickly around here

And as lame as I feel this post is, it's my first in awhile. I've got a new Nikon 

camera I want to start using with a micro lens and all, so you'll be seeing

 more of that to come. I'm slowly starting to feel ready to open up more

 about my mental health issues, my struggles, and my recovery

Question: What do you want to know about Snacking Squirrel. 

Do you have any questions about me and my journey you'd love 

for me to talk candidly about? Nothing is off limits

Love you all and miss you all immensely!

Holy Halloween Batman!

Happy Halloween lovely readers! 

Perhaps we have some catching up to do, but my absenteeism was merely

 due to focusing on my career. But I want Halloween to be a starting point

 and a new chapter, and I am coming back with new super strengths just like

Batman himself! (Basically got an iPhone and realize how fun mobile posts are) hehe.

I spent the day in Vancouver with my brother and 

sister-in-law carving pumpkins and decorating up a storm.

"Please do not wake the dead".

                       

Carving pumpkins is a tradition that cannot go missed, 

and I still swear by/ proclaim that scooping out the pumpkin

 guts and seeds is a job best done with one's bare hands!

Questions: Did you carve pumpkins 
this year? What did you carve?

Snacking Squirrel's 5th Blog Birthday

Can you believe today is Snacking Squirrels 5th Birthday!

Also my 26th Birthday, so its a special day!

Thanks for all the support along these 5 years, and many more to come :)

A drawing from a friend

Nutters! Mr. Squirrel looks so cute in his birthday hat!

Bear with my many "party" photos

We like to celebrate in the Snacking Squirrel household

And that also means...

We eat pie! 

Half Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie, Nutters' favorite!

Thanks for stopping by and celebrating with me

Have an awesome day. See you next Blogiversary :)

Carrot Millet Pumpkin Seed Muffin

My Saturday mornings are made for muffins

Wild Fire Bakery's Carrot Millet Pumpkinseed Muffin

A few years ago, I made these same muffins 

here using the basic ingredients listed above

They're so dense and hearty I always feel satiated

 after eating them, with an extra spring to my step

Reminds me I have to make them again. Nothing 

like stocking up on these bad boys in your freezer

Question: Have you ever re-created a recipe

 from your favourite bakery or restaurant?

Pumpkin Loaf with Espresso Chocolate Icing

Want to know what's better than cake? This

Pumpkin Loaf with Espresso Chocolate Icing!

Chocolate ooooozing over the edges

I wish I could take credit for making this but I

bought it from La Collina Fine European Bakery

Instead of celebrating with cake for my Mom's birthday, I

 thought she would enjoy this sumptuous dessert loaf instead 

I always see her eyeing it in the bakery's display case each time we

go in for tea, so of course she was thrilled to have it on her birthday :)

Cutting into the loaf

 I'm trying to think of some articulate phrasing to describe how good 

this tastes, but holy sh*t it's not even funny how delicious this tastes

You know that question people like to ask, "What's the last

 think you'd want to eat before you die?", well this might be it! 

Which brings me to an even better question...

Question: What would be the last food(s) 

or meal(s) you'd want to eat before you die?

Pumpkin Protein Fudge Bar Recipe

As promised yesterday, here is the deliciously

 healthy recipe for my Pumpkin Protein Fudge Bars

Pumpkin Protein Fudge Bars

created by Snacking Squirrel

1 can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 packet instant oatmeal

(or 1/2 cup dry oatmeal)

3 scoops protein powder

3 plain or unsalted rice cakes

1-2 packets stevia powder

1/4 cup unsweetened carob chips

(or dark chocolate chips)

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt

Directions: Step-by-step instructions below 

All the ingredients you'll need

Farmer's Market Organic Canned Pumpkin Puree

Step A: spoon the whole can pumpkin into a bowl

Step B: add a pinch of cinnamon on top 

Organic Rice Protein Powder, Cafe Caramel Flavoured

Any protein powder works: soy, rice, whey, etc. 

and any flavour works: plain, vanilla, chocolate etc.

Step C: add in 3 scoops of protein powder

(measures out to be approximately 1/2 cup)

Step D: sprinkle in 1-2 packets of stevia sweetener (or a

few drops of liquid stevia), depending on desired sweetness

Step E: add the peanut butter (or other nut butter) 

and a pinch of salt (unless using salted peanut butter)

Step F: vigorously mix together with a spoon for a couple minutes

Hey, it's pumpkin protein frosting!

Nature's Path Hemp Plus Instant Hot Oatmeal

Gluten Free: use un-contaminated oats instead

Sugar Free: stick to plain unsweetened oatmeal 

Step G: pour in the oats and blend together

Now is a good time to taste the batter to see if 

you need to add more stevia to make it sweeter

Plum-M-Good Organic Rice Cakes

Unsalted multigrain, brown or white rice works too

Step H: crush/crumble the cakes into the batter with your hands

Step I: mix well before adding the unsweetened carob or chocolate chips (optional)

Step J: continue stirring until blended together

Step K: use a non-stick pan or line a baking sheet with parchment 

paper and spoon batter (2-3 Tbsp) on top, forming into rectangular bars 

I like to add a little water on top of the pan before laying down the

 parchment paper; This helps the paper stick to the baking sheet better

Step L: pop them in the freezer for 30 min or 

let them sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours

After spending time in the freezer

Step M: peel one of the fudge bars off to eat 

and plate, refreezing the rest for future snacking

One of them looked lonely so I took two instead :)

View from underneath

Okay, so they may not be the typical butter and sugar fudge we're used to, 

but you can bet these are much more satisfying! And pretty damn good :)

High in Protein, Low in Fat, Diabetic-friendly, Unbaked, Gluten Free and Vegan

Makes 10 Bars