Healthy Honey Pumpkin Pie

Sometimes, I go running.

By running I mean that I make quite a deal of stretching, and clipping/tying/headbanding my hair back, and stretching again, and then begrudgingly huffing around my neighborhood for a little while. I'm still waiting to get addicted to exercise like I hear is allegedly possible.

But even after only a few embarrassing low-key workouts I already find myself wanting lots of vegetables and water. It's weird. I start trolling Pinterest for brussel sprout recipes.

So then what, I go and screw everything up by baking a pumpkin pie? But wait, listen! This pumpkin pie filling is almost completely made up of good stuff! No cream, cream cheese, whole milk. Barely any butter. Mostly pure pumpkin, yogurt and whipped egg whites.

As usual, greek yogurt, my favorite faux fat ever, makes an appearance. It lends a rich, fat-free creaminess with a ton of protein to boot. [I still don't understand how they do it.] Whipping the egg whites separately then folding them in makes the pie light, airy and fluffy. The tang of the yogurt is tempered by the sweetness of the honey. You could use agave syrup instead of the honey if you want, or even all the sugar, but I just didn't have any on hand. I'd eliminate the milk if you do all agave.

Now I'm not going to go crazy and say this tastes exactly like a no-holds-barred full fat pumpkin pie. [If you're looking for that, check out my Guinness Pumpkin Pie recipe.] But it's pretty darn close, and SO much of the bad stuff is gone. It would be even better for you if you didn't eat the crust, but I wouldn't dare blaspheme to that extent. Just letting you know it's an option. [We all have our limits.]

**NOTE:: My pie recipes are for a 9.5" pie dish, which is slightly bigger than average. If you're using an 8" or 9" pie plate, you'll have a little filling left over, which I would highly recommend pouring into a ramekin and baking along with the pie [it'll probably be done in half the time]. That way you can taste test your filling without cutting into the real deal. Plus why wouldn't you want a little pre-pie?

Healthy Honey Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 28oz can pumpkin

1 c nonfat plain greek yogurt

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c honey

2 tsp cinammon

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk

1/2 c lowfat milk

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp kosher salt

pinch nutmeg [or up to 1/4 tsp if you like nutmeg, I don't really]

3 egg whites

1 unbaked pastry pie crust

1. In a large bowl beat pumpkin and yogurt until well combined. Add the rest of the filling ingredients EXCEPT the egg whites and beat until well combined.
2. Rinse your beaters. In a medium bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
3. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the pumpkin mixture until well distributed.
4. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional  hour to an hour and 10 minutes until filling is just set. [It definitely took longer than a regular pumpkin pie.]
5. Turn oven off and leave oven door cracked. After half an hour remove pie and cool completely.

Nutella White Russian

I have a confession to make. There was a time in my life when I did not like Nutella.

To me, the chocolate and hazelnut spread that drives everyone into frenzied exuberance just tasted like frosting that someone ruined by adding nuts to it.

But then on a whim, I mixed it with peanut butter on my morning toast. And I saw the light. I will now admit to having eaten Nutella straight from the jar with a spoon. I am not ashamed.

This drink is like chocolate milk for grownups. There isn't any actual Nutella in it [I thought that would turn into a chunky sludgy mess] but all the flavors are there. The hazelnut Frangelico, chocolate sauce and half & half form a most deliciously creamy Nutella flavored libation.

I cut my half & half with milk because I wasn't into the idea of just sitting down and drinking a glass of half & half. But feel free to go with a higher half & half to milk ratio if that's your style. It would also be easy to make dairy free with soymilk or - I bet even yummier - almond milk!

Nutella White Russian

Ingredients:

1.5 shots Frangelico

.5 shot vodka

.5 shot chocolate syrup

1 shot half & half

ice

milk

hazelnut pirouette cookies [optional]

1. Mix the Frangelico, vodka, chocolate syrup and half & half in a tumbler. Add a few ice cubes and top off with milk. Stir thoroughly and garnish with a cookie.

Blue Moon Grand Cru

A little while ago I got the most amazing email.

It was from Blue Moon. A very nice lady there had seen my Blue Moon Cupcakes post and really liked it. So they wanted to send me some special edition holiday beer. ["!!!!!!!!!" was my approximate reaction.]

A few weeks later I got a box with a beautiful bottle of Blue Moon Grand Cru and a short stemmed glass in a blue velvet bag. I didn't know what Grand Cru meant, so I looked it up. A grand cru is a small batch Belgian ale brewed for special occasions.

The beer itself was a vibrant hazy orange. It was citrusy, spicy and rich, in the same flavor family as the usual Blue Moon but with more punch. Mmm!

Thank you Blue Moon! :]

Ohio Quilt

Hooray! I finished a quilt!

I first blogged about finishing this Ohio quilt top back in September [oh my]. I quilted it right after but ever since it's been sitting in a depressing little heap on the floor. I finally buckled down and finished the binding.

To make the Ohio pattern [the state I'm from!] I used the same Photoshop method I used to make the Rush quilt. You can find a full tutorial here. I like that the different fabrics mimic a bunch of different farm fields, which is what a lot of Ohio looks like from a plane.

Instead of surrounding the state with one solid color I opted for a patchwork of similar tones. A little extra work but I really like how it looks.

The back is a bright bubblegum pink. Why? Whelp, because that's what I had. Note that there is no picture.

I think I'm going to hang this in my room. Next up: California quilt!

Cotton Schoolgirl Skirts

Whew! It's been a busy week or so. I finally found the time to post a little about what I've been up to.

I just finished a batch of these gathered waist little girls' skirts. They are cute and flouncy and ever-so-slightly bell shaped. They've all been listed in my etsy shop - Christmas ones too!

I think I would really like one. As in, for me. Grownups can be cute and flouncy too, right??