In a Tizzy

Category: Uncategorized

  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 14

    My energy levels have been waxing and waning fairly rapidly in the last little while, and yesterday was much more of a “waning” day – so for the pumpkin challenge, I took to the Tassimo machine.


    I mixed up a combination of pumpkin, homemade pumpkin spice, and soy eggnog (‘TIS THE SEASON!) with half of an Americano to offer me a little bit of energy to power through a couple more hours of studying during the latter part of the day.

    These sorts of drinks will likely creep into more of my days as the rain continues to fall – I enjoy the gloomy weather, to a degree, as it allows me to indulge in those gloomy practices that are actually (for me) somewhat enjoyable. Things such as warm drinks, fuzzy socks, sitting by a window to watch the clouds roll around, and even taking a few moments to be melancholy every so often.

    Pumpkins seem destined to be made into warm treats, and I will use this to my advantage during these rainy October days.

  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 13

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    See previous post.





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  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 11

    Ahhhh, the long weekend has finally arrived.

    With haste, I made my way home today to take part in a bit of decompression and relaxation away from the bubble of school and work. I knew that pumpkin purée was at my disposal, but I was not sure what I would be making for the challenge today – in a lovely coincidence, someone allowed me to take a break from pumpkin-item creation by bringing over a Thanksgiving treat for my family.

    The surprise treat that took pumpkin responsibility off of my shoulders? 


    Pumpkin cake.

    Dairy-free!

    The experience of eating this cake can best be described, I believe, as what eating a fluffy pumpkin pie would be like. A fluffy pumpkin pie sprinkled with raisins and accents of citrus, as it was lightly flavoured with orange zest. An aroma of cinnamon and citrus notes emanated from the dish every time the lid was lifted off of it.

    This cake allowed for a little bit more relaxing, studying, and reflection to be done – and it also meant that there was a cake for me to eat. That alone makes it great – the flavours and time-saving aspects merely enhance the magic of it.

  • Pumpkin Challenge: Days 9 and 10

    The last couple of days have been demanding, so the Pumpkin Challenge was not updated accordingly – HOWEVER, I always make time to include pumpkin in my October days! Thusly, there is an update for each day.

    Thursday was a busy day, so I sought out an easy recipe that happened to coincide with my plain, leftover pasta – vegan. pumpkin. mac n’ cheese.

    What?

    I could not believe it, but it was delicious. As always, a thank-you to Chocolate-Covered Katie for this unique and healthy vegan twist on a classic snack/meal. It was very filling, but in the nutritious sort of way – have you experienced the difference I am speaking of here? There is a difference between filling = too much food, and filling = your body has taken in what it needs (in my experience, at least). This pasta did the latter sort of filling for me.





    Today – FRIDAY. It felt like one of the most necessary of Fridays this term so far, and my craving for a cookie-esque treat was piquing around 8PM. To satisfy this craving, I chose to go with a no-bake pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe. Quick, easy, and did not require the oven (which was occupied by a butternut squash being roasted with cinnamon!).



  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 8

    Halfway through the week, the sun out after a nice, cool morning, and hosting a music exchange event felt like a good day to share more than just good music – it felt like a day to share pumpkin muffins.


    In a Pumpkin Challenge plot twist, I did not use a CCK recipe today! I altered a “Skinny Pumpkin Muffin” recipe to make it vegan. I made a batch of mini muffins and used leftover batter to make two small pumpkin “loaves” (though they were not very bread-like in their density – much more like banana bread!).


    I quite enjoyed this recipe, and would likely return to it – the smell of pumpkin in the kitchen and the aroma that followed me and my freshly-baked goodies was enough to make me want to make it at least three more times.

  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 7

    A busy Tuesday called for a simple recipe for today – so simple, that it took about 2 minutes to create!

    Pumpkin cream cheese (vegan) was the chosen item, and upon sampling (yes, with a spoon), it will be a breakfast item for the next few days!

    Thank-you Daiya Foods for your contribution to today’s pumpkin piece.


  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 6

    Chocolate.

    Chocolate.

    CHOCOLATE.

    Chocolate.



    This is an approximation of my resting thought pattern throughout the day. Unable to neglect my craving any longer, I scoured Chocolate-Covered Katie for a recipe that would be both chocolaty and fairly healthy, so as not to leave me feeling empty even after consuming the chocolate.

     I found The One after a pumpkin-focused search: Vegan Pumpkin-Pie Brownies.

     These brownies are distinctly chocolaty and pumpkin-pie-esque at the same time, and the combination is oh-so beautiful. It makes me wonder if I could do some sort of pumpkin-spice mocha or a pumpkin-spice hot chocolate with successful (i.e., delicious) results.

    I went for the two-bite brownie style of snacking, rather than the more traditional square brownie – I wanted to easily share them with my advising team, and my mini-muffin pan has an almost-perfect amount of space for this purpose!


    Where might tomorrow take my taste buds?
    I suppose we shall have to wait…

  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 5

    For the last two weeks, I have found that no day feels like any particular day of the week. On a given day, I could wake up and easily believe it was Monday, Friday, or some time in the weekend. Today, however, was different – today felt like a Sunday! 

    With a sense of it being Sunday comes the feeling of flexible mornings and easy, productive afternoons (in my personal experience). In it being a Sunday, that meant that my October food challenges were pushed towards the afternoon and evening of today, resulting in a bit of a rush on my pumpkin item!


    It was about 9:45PM and I still didn’t have a pumpkin item made – and I had just played football and was already on my way back out the door! Protein was in order, but so was pumpkin. THUS, I took T.I. up on a pumpkin smoothie recipe tip, and took on the not-so-daunting task of blending up a protein smoothie before dashing out the door again.

    A few ingredients were left out of the smoothie, but it was deliciously smooth, creamy, and full of protein to help get my legs healed up after sprinting off and on for an hour!


    Another pumpkiny success – 1/6ish of the way through the challenge!

    Until next time…

  • Pumpkin Challenge: Day 4

    I encountered a dilemma today –

    I had not yet had my green smoothie for the Green Smoothie Challenge, nor had I had a pumpkin item for the Pumpkin Challenge… Yet I was too full to consume two things before I went to work, after which I would be unable to get creative with either of those demands.

    A handy Internet scouring led me to the very website where my green smoothie recipes come from – and they have a PUMPKIN GREEN SMOOTHIE! Perfect.

    A novelty red banana purchased to see if they differ
    from their more common yellow cousins (they do only
    ever-so slightly, a bit sweeter.)