x
Put away those beachy flip-flops and bring on the boots!
x
It’s time for apple picking and winery tours and scarves and blazers…
x
After all, it’s almost FALL 
x
Okay, okay. I know it’s technically still summer (and you can most certainly get in a few more beach weekends before it’s all said and done) but you have to admit… September snuck up on us just a tad quicker than usual this year.
x
And I’m going to be very honest.
x
I still don’t know quite how to handle the changing of the seasons without expecting some sort of major life transition to go right along with it. I mean, this will be my third fall not going back to college…
x
My third.
x
Holy smokes I am OLD.
x
And yet, three years later, I still feel like I should be making those infamous trips to Target, packing up the car with oversized storage bins, and buying fluffy pink decor to pretty-fy my generic, empty apartment shared by four 20-something year old girls.
x
Now, instead, I’m making weekly trips to the grocery store, packing a well-balanced lunch for work everyday, and running to Homegoods and Bed Bath and Beyond in an attempt to purchase sophisticated decor and grown-up-ify my simple, one bedroom apartment–which I now share with a boy.
x
Oh how the times have changed…(even though I do still miss those pink fluffy pillows )
x
Still, there’s something pretty darn nice about not having to spend the weekend in the library or pulling all-nighters studying for exams. That leaves me plenty of time for vegan recipe testing, tasting, and blogging.
x
Oh yeah…
And working full-time means I can now afford wine that comes in a bottle instead of a box 
x
Bonus!
Other fall traditions to look forward to?
- Football (GO PATS!)
- Cinnamon-inspired baking
- Nashoba Valley Blueberry wine (Seriously. This stuff is heavenly)
- A very hungry, football-watching boyfriend (aka professional taste-tester)
x
x
But the BEST part of all about the impending fall season…?
x
x
x
I can get a litttttle recipe crazy
x
x
x
And thank goodness I do.
Or I wouldn’t have whipped up these little buggers!
x
(Ahem. I mean…healthy, fiber-rich, protein-filled, and gluten-free little buggers at that!)
x
Soft & Chewy Cinnamon Spice Cookies
x
x
Ingredients:
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 cup of whole grain oats (blended to a powder)
- 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling…100% pumpkin!)
- 3 packets of stevia
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
- 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar (you could try to cut this amount in half and increase amount of stevia, or, omit altogether– just be sure to add 1-2 more tablespoons of almond milk or the batter will be too thick. You could probably use dates instead of sugar to make this 100% sugar-free, however, the consistency may be a bit chewy).
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- Slightly under 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- Dash of salt
x
Directions:
(Makes roughly 15-20 cookies depending upon whether you want baby cookies or bigger cookies…or eat half the batter like me )
**Be sure to use a VERY good food processor or a blender like a Magic Bullet or Nutribullet–you may have to split into batches if you choose the blender option, however**
x
x
x
- Preheat the oven to 350º
- Blend the garbanzo beans, pumpkin, milk, vanilla, and oil until smooth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bean mixture and blend VERY well (the mixture will be sticky)
- Spray a cookie sheet with all-natural, non-stick cooking spray and form the dough into balls.
- Cook for 16-18 minutes (or until tops start to brown).
x
x
And when they do…
x
they’ll look like THIS.
x
So soft and chewy on the inside…
x
x
I DARE you to not take a bite…
x
x
Healthfully yours,
x
Ashley Michelle
