Eat Clean Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies Recipe

EDIT as of 11/17, I changed the recipe some to add healthy flax seed into the mix! 

One of my most favorites about Fall is pumpkin, specifically pumpkin cookies! My mom has a great recipe that I haven't seen elsewhere (though I haven't looked too hard), it's for roll out pumpkin cookies. I love it because the taste is not too sweet, with a great pumpkin taste. Oh, and if you don't feel like rolling them out, just make little balls :-)

Pumpkin!

Here, I've cleaned it up for you!

Clean Eating Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies

1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup softened butter
1/4 ground flax seeds (use a coffee grinder to freshly grind whole flax)
1 cup agave nectar (or honey)
2 tbsp molasses (not necessary, but gives it a good flavor)
1 egg
4-4.5 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
extra cinnamon to taste
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter, flax, and honey/agave. Add pumpkin, mix well. Add egg. In a separate bowl, combine 4 cups of white whole wheat flour, salt, soda. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients. Add more flour if needed to stiffen the dough (I usually close 4.75 cups). Let it chill in the fridge for about 2-3 hours. Dust counter with flour as needed to roll dough out to 1/3" to 3/8" thickness. Cut out shapes. Bake on ungreased sheets for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

It's Halloween! Why not have pumpkin cookies for breakfast?

Goal achieved!

Today I stepped on the scale to have reached my goal number. No, a number doesn't define us, but let's be real ladies, it sure is nice to see the one we want. I never gave up chocolate and I had dessert a few times a week. I drank wine. I ate all the food groups. I ran, a good amount and I didn't eat many packaged foods and barely used processed items. I had a few days here or there on trips where I didn't even do that though.

I was smart about food choices & didn't let them consume my life. And that was my biggest goal; to feel good about what went into my body so that I could feel good about my body.

I still have tons of stretch marks, I still have a pudgy mommy tummy, I'm still a nursing mom. I am not super small, I am average...and that is perfectly perfect to me. I'm in pants I wore before the kids and I ran a half marathon in 2:07. I could not be more pleased with where I'm at, physically, as a mom (recovering c-section one at that). 

I hope this post motivates someone struggling with body acceptance to do something positive. Make a change for the better & love the skin you're in! I highly recommend starting with eating mostly clean, it'll prove to do wonders for you. :)

As for me, my new goal is  -7 pounds, which was what I typically hovered around before we got married. We are also toying with maybe training for a full marathon?!? If not, another half in the spring. I also really want to tone up my abs better. I will say though, if I maintain this weight thru winter I'll be fine!

Ps. The kids are great! G seems to want to give up her nap, which is not okay. J isn't sleeping well either. But they are both super fun. J is pointing and vocalizing now, also working on shape sorter. G is saying the funniest things and acting like she's 5.

13.1

Today my awesome husband and I ran our first half marathon. We've been training for 5 months & we rocked it today!

It was so perfect & awesome & I was really happy the whole time. I am just a runner. It's my thing.

If you don't love running and you sign up for and do a race.. Maybe you don't fully enjoy it... I did. 

My mom asked how it was & my first response was, "perfect."

I'm excited to do it again :) 

Our training paid off because we weren't dead at the end or walking funny ( well my husband claimed he was about to throw up because I pushed us for a fast last mile ) AND we beat our 2:10 goal! We finished in 2:07:20. That's a 9:44 minute mile pace, for 13.1 miles

I know that's far from "fast," but it was personally fantastic!

The couple that sweat together, stays together...which is what I've been saying since we got married ;)

The mind of my 2.5 year old

So there's countless adorable things G does on a daily basis, in addition to the whining, screaming, crying.

I really wish I did a better job documenting them...so here's one from after lunch today.

We were in the play room & she takes two markers and starts beating on the table in fairly good rhythm.

Then she says, "I'm playing the drums!"..."like at church!" ..."but just pretend, because I don't have drums at home" .... "These markers are my sticks!"

Cracks me up.

And yes our catholic church sometimes utilizes drums... I'm on the fence about it. 

A busy October and a lot of photos

Last October was super busy for us, moving cross country, buying our first house, and everything that goes with that....

I don't know how, but this October is even busier!

First of all, if you didn't know, I have a work from home part-time job with a super awesome organic food company. So that's about 12 hours a week plus events (of which I have two BIG events this month). I do grassroots marketing and it's pretty much the perfect job for me. I get to interact with moms like me, manage myself (yes, I do have a real manager, but day-to-day I'm fairly independent), use social media, find events and groups to have a vendor table at, and best of all...still be a SAHM.

Secondly, our half marathon is FINALLY here. It's next weekend. We've been training for 20 weeks (21 by race day) for this. That's half a pregnancy. A tad shy of half a year....you catch my drift. A long time to train for something. There's only been one injury scare and I'm hoping we both stay healthy through the race. The kids have gone along for many rids in the Chariot, though not longer than 6 miles because they get antsy. Training plus eating (mostly) clean has helped us both lose some weight. I was hoping to be about 5 pounds lighter by the race, but I'm close enough for me to be happy.

Third, family has been visiting us...which is my favorite. I love having them come see us. I love having a home to host in. I love having kids to share.

This season of life is pretty awesome right now....much more than last year at this time when I was stressed out, worried beyond words, and relying heavily on my faith. Currently, I thank God daily for my blessings and don't have too much to ask for....well, nothing really. I feel like I have it all....and that's scary because when will we go speeding down toward another life "valley" if you will... Life is like a roller coaster, I'm sure you're aware.

Randoms-
We are moving toward a substantially less-gluten diet...mostly at my husband's pushing. We'll never be GF though.
I am perfecting my time management skills. I think it's safe to say I am a full fledged momager now that this job is picking up. Cleaning / Cooking / Kid Activities / Mom Activities / Work ..... never ending cycle, and it's a good thing I don't need a lot of sleep (though I'd like it)
We've been to two pumpkin patches. I love fall. I've had 4 Pumpkin Spice Lattes-not clean I know. I've made clean pumpkin scones. Halloween is decorated for, and costumes are arranged (J was easy, since he's going as the same MU Tiger G did at his age).
We are going to a BYOB paint date next month & I'm sooooo looking forward to it.
My sister and I are going to Justin Timberlake's concert next month.... again, stoked.
I'm the co-president of my mom's group next year....love this bunch of ladies!
J and G are just getting along so well...and he's getting so big and she's getting so "old"
-I could write so many blogs about all the funny things that happen around here but there's not enough time in the day and I forget.... just trust me, life is never dull around here.

photo bombs below--

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Quotes of the day

So we tried to go to a local petting farm today but the weather kind of toyed with hour emotions.... Typical. We left 40 minutes in, thinking it was going to storm, but it barely rained at all. Oh well, we'll try again next week.

Today G said the following things that made me crack up inside.

 I did something silly to which she laughed and said, "I'm laughing at you!!"

Grrrreeeeaaaaat, how kind ;)

I was changing J's diaper and she was going to go get something for me & said, "I'll be right back!"

First time she's ever used that expression.

Getting so big!

Wordless Wednesday

 Mischief maker