Author Archives: laceymaiman

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies {Gluten Free}

Posted in Recipes by

This recipe was adapted from one of my favorite bloggers, The Sunday Baker, she is always posting some delicious recipes so definitely check her out! I came across this one and modified it a bit but either way you make them, they are delicious! You can also add in cranberries for an added bonus. 

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White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies {Gluten Free}
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup of oats (certified gluten free)
  • 1 cup oat flour (I used the same oats as above and place in the blender and blend until flour like consistency – works great!)
  • ¼ cup ground cashews (can use blender or food processor)
  • ¾ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • dash of salt
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/8 cup raw organic honey
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg white
  • ½ tsp. vanilla
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • ½ cup of dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats, oat flour, cashews, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda, powder, and salt).  In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients (syrup, honey, pumpkin puree, egg white, vanilla) and mix well.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.   Add in white chocolate chips and cranberries and mix well. 

Line a cookie sheet with wax/parchment paper and using a large spoon, place scoopful of batter onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for approximately 7 minutes (half-way through) and remove cookies and flatten with the back of a spoon, continue backing for another 7-8 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.  Let cool and enjoy!

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What to Avoid in Beauty and Skincare Products

Posted in DIY, Health, Lifestyle by

With my interest growing in DIY all-natural skincare products, I thought this was a great illustration showing us what specifically we should be avoiding and why. Hope you find it helpful and keep an eye out for my new DIY Beauty and Skincare page coming soon!

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Healthier Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted in Recipes by

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I was looking for a healthier version of pumpkin cupcakes with a lighter cream cheese frosting to take to a Halloween party and found this recipe that I adapted from Gina’s Skinny Recipes .  I modified it a bit for taste but overall they were delicious and super easy to make!  I loved that there was no eggs or oil in this recipe to save on the saturated fat most recipes like this call for.

Servings: 16 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

  •  1 Box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix  (15.25 oz)*
  • ¾ cup of canned pumpkin
  • 2  tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ¾ cup of water

Cream cheese frosting

  • 8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cupcake tin with 16 cupcake wrappers.

Combine cake mix and pumpkin spice in a large bowl. Add pumpkin puree and water, mix about 2 minutes.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar until smooth. You can use a spatula to ice the cupcakes or pipe them which may require making more frosting.  If you do not pipe them then there will be a ton of icing left over.  Use the left overs as pumpkin cream cheese on your bagel in the morning – makes a delicious seasonal treat!!

*Gluten Free option can be done by substituting the Betty Crocker cake mix with a Vanilla Gluten-Free cake mix.

Nutritional Facts:
Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Weight Watcher’s Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 121.1 • Fat: 2.8 g • Protein: 1.4 g • Carb: 23.5 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Sugar: 14.2 g Sodium: 142.3 mg

Beauty is all around us

Posted in Lifestyle, Motivation by

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When I come home from NYC to visit my parents in Chicago my mom always leaves me flowers next to my bed. It’s such a sweet and kind gesture that means so much to me. It’s the little things like this that really make you stop and think and be thankful for the beautiful things in life.

Always remember to be grateful!

When Life Throws You Lemons…

Posted in Lifestyle, Motivation by

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Breaking Bad: How Walter White’s Motive Continues to Replay in My Head…

Posted in Health, Motivation by

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I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for some time now, since the final episode of Breaking Bad was aired. I, myself, have not been a Breaking Bad fanatic like many of you but I did see several episodes including the grand finale that sparked my interest.  This post will not be about the morality of the show but rather a quote that was said by Walter White in the final episode that spoke to me on a deeper level that continues to replay in my head.

Walter White lied, broke the law and killed, all for his family {so we thought} up until the very end when he confessed his true motive. It was near the end of the episode when Walt said to his wife, Skyler…”I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really … alive.”

Nothing too dramatic but yet so powerful – it’s brilliant! Not the lying, cheating, or killing of course but the mere fact that Walter White did something he liked, he was good at and something that made him feel ALIVE.

What makes you feel alive? Often times I think we go through our day to day life feeling monotonous with very little room for highs and lows. I mention lows here because I feel that you can’t get to an extraordinary high or feeling of liveliness unless you’ve struggled with a few lows. But how often do we really feel ourselves feeling alive, amazing and purposeful? If you experience this often and have found your true passion, what an amazing success!

Like many of us, I have yet to capitalize on what makes me feel alive but I can tell you one thing, I am in the process of making my passion a reality. I look at the contestants on The Voice and see the passion and excitement in their eyes as they get up there on stage and sing their hearts out. It’s so touching to me because I can see in their expression how amazing they feel. Or I experience yoga instructors who seem so at peace with life and purpose that they want to share their practice with others.

It’s an amazing feeling when you walk away from a situation or an event that leaves you feeling alive. I truly believe that we all have a purpose in life and should have the opportunity to chase our passion. If financial issues get in the way or motivation is a road block for you, get back on your horse and give it another shot. See how it makes you feel, follow your passion in your free time and see what comes of it. You never know, you may be surprised to see what it can do in your life and your overall happiness.

Follow your dreams…come alive!

It’s Just Another Manic Monday – Time to Detox!

Posted in Hashimoto's, Health, Lifestyle, Motivation by

Please allow me to proclaim my love for the NutriBullet!nutribullet

For the longest time I’ve been saving up to get a really fancy blender (ie. Vitamix, Ninja, etc.) but as many of us know they are quite expensive. I recently became aware of the NutriBullet from reading reviews and hearing others talk about it so I decided to cave and buy it. So happy I did! It’s super easy to use, quick to clean and most importantly it does the job while also being quiet while the rest of the family sleeps in the morning! I couldn’t ask for a better product for the low price of $80 (when you buy from bed bath and beyond and use a 20% off coupon). I’ve been using it almost every morning to make delicious green smoothies! I typically throw in either spinach or kale, carrots, frozen fruit such as blueberries and a few strawberries, 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt for the protein, acai powder and flax seed for the added nutritional benefits. It’s delicious, keeps me full and is an excellent way to get your fruits and vegetables in in the morning! When you buy your NutriBullet it will come with an excellent resource guide with smoothie/drink recipes for you to reference as well.

It’s an awesome investment for your health!

For additional information regarding juicing vs. blending, please see this post here.

Cheers to Mindful, Healthy Living!

Cheers to Friday – Let’s Drink Wine!

Posted in Health, Lifestyle, Motivation by

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In light of it being the end of the work week and red wine being a favorite drink of choice for me, I thought I would share some of the health benefits so we can feel great while we enjoy a glass or two tonight!

Besides for the relaxation factor, many of us know that red wine can provide us with great health benefits but let’s break it down and take a look as to why it is known as a “healthy” adult beverage.

Red wine contains antioxidants which are believed to fight infection and protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which may play role in preventing and fighting cancer and other diseases.  Red wine specifically contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. A polyphenol called resveratrol is one substance in red wine that’s gotten much attention.  Resveratrol has been shown to reducing the risk of heart disease by preventing damage to blood vessels, reducing “bad” cholesterol, inflammation and blood clotting. Additionally, researchers suspect that resveratrol may help stimulate insulin secretion or activate a protein that helps regulate glucose and insulin sensitivity – which may actually help diabetics regulate their blood sugar.

Overall, red wine in moderation (average of two drinks for men and one drink a day for women) can have a significant impact on your health.  This is not to say that you should start drinking alcohol if you presently do not.  So please consult a physician if you have any health concerns before considering incorporating a glass of red wine to your daily diet.

For those of us who have that evening glass of red wine to “relax and unwind” it very well can be justified due to the excellent health benefits we’ve seen!

Cheers to Mindful, Healthy Living!