wheat free

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

November 22, 2015 By Courtney West 3 Comments

The colder weather has finally arrived in Houston ya’ll! Hooray!! I feel like frolicking through the crisp air while the sun warms the tip of my nose and a mug of tea warms my hands. This is the weather that makes me giddy with excitement and gives me an excuse to wear all of my cozy sweaters, socks, and scarves. And as if the weather weren’t exciting enough, I’m sharing one of my favorite pies with you today! It’s Pie Sunday ya’ll!!

My love for pumpkins is no secret here on the blog. In fact, I’ve probably pined about it many times on the blog over the years every time fall rolls around. That being said, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that my favorite pie is pumpkin. Even though I love a good apple pie, I’ll pick pumpkin over it every day of the week. I love the spices and the custardy goodness that happens in the oven. And I love how well it goes with coconut whipped cream (in case I needed yet another excuse to eat coconut whipped cream).

Considering my love for pumpkin, and in particular pumpkin pie, I knew I had to share one with you this year. I had the idea to change it up a little by using some gingersnaps as the crust. I absolutely love the spicy and snappy contrast it provides and am thinking that it might be one of the best decisions I’ve made lately. Since it worked out so well, I decided to share this new and improved version of pumpkin pie with you just in time for Thanksgiving and the holiday season! If you are still looking for more Thanksgiving meal inspiration, stick around tomorrow when I’ll be posting a gluten free/vegan recipe guide 🙂

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Sweet Potato & Sage Corn Muffins

November 18, 2015 By Courtney West 6 Comments

November is fleeting, though I guess that’s the way time is. Always moving forward, never back. I’ve been trying to enjoy this time of the year while it is here instead of worrying about when it’s over. I’ll admit that living in the moment can be challenging for me but I’m making a real go of it. One way I’ve been doing this is to try to slow down and chew my food. I know that sounds funny, but I think most of us habitually shovel food down our mouths quickly in order to move on to the next thing. This ends up causing digestive upset and doesn’t really make eating the wonderful sensory experience that it should be. So, chew your food! Appreciate the flavors, textures, and origins of what you are eating. Imagine the hands that grew and nurtured it. Try this next time you eat and notice what changes for you.

Speaking of food, Thanksgiving is swiftly approaching! I thought it would be apropos to share some gluten free/vegan dishes perfect for your holiday table. They are all simple to follow without laborious ingredient lists. Each one has a little somethin’ somethin’ that sets it apart from the more traditional Thanksgiving dishes, in addition to being completely vegan and gluten free. All of these recipes will culminate in a little Thanksgiving menu guide at the beginning of next week to help you in your menu planning.

These muffins are my take on cornbread. They have sweet potato puree in them to add a little natural sweetness and some sage to make them fragrant and earthy. You can serve these up on their own or dry them out a bit and use them to make stuffing or croutons. I recommend serving them with coconut butter and cranberry sauce, but they are perfectly capable of standing on their own 🙂

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