Hi all! Happy FRIDAY! Any fun plans this weekend? If you watch the Rachel Ray show, like I do when I can & want to go to one day, they’ve been doing a count down to Thankgiving and a checklist to start. Anyone out there hosting Thanksgiving this year? Do you create a list? I am totally interested! This year my sister-in-law is hosting Thanksgiving and I swear she was born to host parties – she thinks of EVERYTHING.

Last year I made my Apple Pie Chickpea Power Blondies and had everyone guess the secret ingredient (which was chickpeas). So now this year I am trying to think of a new recipe with an ingredient to have everyone guess.

Last night I enjoyed a Salmon Greek #POWERBOWL as I was writing up different combos for recipes I wanted to test out this Thanksgiving.

Tossed some greens in balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, liquid stevia, coconut aminos, & some avocado oil then topped with my new Sweet & Savory Roasted Carrots, onion, peppers, olives, & Garlic Dill Salmon.

I just covered the wild Salmon with some avocado oil (been loving it lately) topped with dill, old bay (DUH), & minced garlic. Put into a foil packet & baked at 375 for about 20 minutes or so until done but not too dry.

Also enjoyed some green tea that was ON SALE at Whole Foods! Love a good deal. Two big bottles for $4 – totally calling my name. I love some green tea hot or cold over ice with some lemon.

Once my stomach was full – I had energy to think up a new recipe. I was craving like a puffed rice type of bar that included pumpkin, raisins, & chocolate which are 3 of my favorite things.

So, instead of doing my laundry (oops!) a new pumpkin recipe was born in the kitchen! I made them single serve to test them out BUT you could easily double or triple the recipe if you’d like!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of Puffed Rice
• 1/2 Cup Dried Rolled Oats
• 1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 2 TB Chia Seeds
• 1 TB Molasses

(or sticky sweetener of choice –honey or coconut nectar would be great!)

• Cinnamon to taste
• All Spice to taste
• Splash of Vanilla Extract
• a big spoonful of Raisins
• 2 Squares of Chocolate for melting on top

(I used unsweet baking chocolate because I like bitter chocolate but feel free to use whatever you’d like!)

Directions:

1. Combine the above ingredients in a bowl (not the chocolate).
2. feel free to add a little more “sticky” sweetener if it needs to stick together a bit more.
3. Let sit for a few minutes until chia seeds gel up & mixture thickens.
4. Transfer onto wax paper and “smoosh” (I’m very technical) down with a spoon or your hand until a flat top forms.
5. Melt your chocolate whichever method you’d like and then spread onto the pumpkin mix.
6. Fold up your wax paper and mold the mix into one big square.

Pop into the freezer for about 1 hour until it hardens then take it out & cut into bars. Mine made 3 bars! Which made a perfect night snack (smothered in sunflower seed butter) or they could be saved (in the fridge) for the next day – if they make it that long but again, you could double/triple the recipe if you wanted to make more!

I’m off to get a workout in then meet my Pap for lunch! Then a dinner date night tonight with the boy & mamacakes! It defintiely will involve PIZZA. I have been craving it lately so we found a place that serves gluten free options so we are THERE. I will definitely be sharing all about it.

Enjoy your Friday & be true to you,

Kasey

Are you making anything for Thanksgiving? I’d love to hear about it!