Christmas Is For Baking!

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!! I've been doing a log of baking to get ready for tomorrow. I decided to step out of my normal overnight oats for breakfast the other day and tried a new recipe: baked pumpking oatmeal....because I love anything with pumpkin

Recipe: from Chocolate Covered Katie

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp agave nectar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp almond butter

handfull of craisins

Combine all ingredients and pour into a 1 cup ramekin.  Preheat the oven to 380 degrees.  Cook for 20 minutes and then broil on high for 3 minutes

I really liked this version of oatmeal. I had mine with some peach greek yogurt on top.

I also baked some sugar cookies for Matt's parents for Christmas:

Healthier Sugar Cookies also from Chocolate Covered Katie

3/4 cup flour (I used 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose and 1/4 cup whole wheat)

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup sugar (I used sugar in the raw)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 tbsp milk

1/4 cup vegan sub butter (I didn't have this on hand so I used regular unsalted butter)

Combine dry ingredients and mix well and do the same with the wet ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.  Roll dough into 12 small balls and bake at 325 degrees for 9 minutes.  Take them out of the oven and let them sit 5 minutes before decorating and digging in.

And of course I had to make some more Peppermint Bark!!!

Wouldn't be Christmas without it!





Back To Rock Climbing

This morning Matt and I went rock climbing at the Delaware Rock Gym.  I hadn't been in a couple of months, but Matt has been going with a friend once a week for the past couple of weeks. I decided to give it a go again and see how it went.  I'm glad I made it to the gym yesterday and this was the perfect chance for me to mix things up and get a really good upper body workout. And it's pretty fun too.

Yea my eyes are closed...

My forearms are killing me now and my hands are super sensative, but it was worth it.  When we got back, I whipped up a salad real quick and we sat down to watch Love Actually, one of my favorite Christmas movies.  Then I started on dinner, homeade whole wheat pizza!!

As promised here are the recipes for the cookies that I made for the cookie exchange last night.

First I made Pumkin Cranberry Muffin Tops. I actually made these once previously and loved them so I decided to make them again.

Then I made my own peppermint bark (which I'm obsessed with).  I based my recipe off of the one I found at Peanut Butter Fingers.

Recipe:

8 ozs Bakers brand semisweet chocolate

8ozs white chocolate

1/2 tsp canola oil

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

3 crushed candy canes

First I melted the semisweet chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals mixing in between until it was all melted.  I then mixed in 1/4 tsp canola oil and spread the chocolate evenly on a baking sheet lined with tin foil that had been sprayed with Pam.  I then stuck this in the fridge until it hardened.  Then I did the same thing with the white chocolate adding 1/4 tsp canola oil and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and then spreading it over the dark chocolate.  Then I sprinkled the candy cane peices over it and stuck it back in the fridge and broke it into squares when it had hardened.