Everything But The Kitchen Sink, Pumpkin and Oat Cookies (Gluten Free)

I often wonder if Food Network (and other networks that have shows all about food!) has had an effect on our country's obesity epidemic. I mean, how many times have you watched the Food Network and started craving something...like cookies? Or pasta? Or a big juicy steak? You can't deny that it's happened at least once, maybe even without your awareness. This is exactly what happened to me the other day. I was sitting on the couch watching one of the shows on cake making, and I all of a sudden got the urge to make cookies. I remembered this recipe for Pumpkin-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, that Grace had posted back in October (ok, I had written it down, my memory isn't that good!) and I knew I just had to make them. My plan was to make them my own and add some new ingredients as a way to clean out the kitchen. Here is what I had;

Brown rice flour

A large canister of oats, with only a bit left

Random golden raisins

A bit of mini chocolate chips

Some carob chips

A few walnuts

So I did a bit of modification to Grace's recipe and came up with this;

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Pumpkin-Oat Cookies!
(Makes 40 cookies)

Ingredients
1 cup pureed pumpkin (or pureed sweet potato or butternut squash)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 egg, beaten
1-3/4 cup oats
1.5 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1.5 cups add-ins
(I used; 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup carob chips, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup golden raisins)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a medium bowl mix together the two sugars, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Add the soften butter and blend well.
4. Add the beaten egg and the pumpkin
5. Add the oats and the 1 cup of add-ins
6. Use a spoon to form cookies as you normally would with chocolate chip cookies, and put them on a greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

8. ENJOY!



Estimated Nutrition Facts
(1 cookies)

So at least I didn't make a really bad-for-you cookie after sitting and watching cake designers make a three teared cake with buttercream and chocolate candies on top....I mean...considering how much I was craving a piece of cake after watching that show, these cookies have some pretty good stats! And, while they didn't taste like a buttercream cake, they were delicious (even Nick approved of them, and is actually asking me to make them again!).


QUESTION: Which food show on television really increases your appetite?! For me it's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Also Top Chef.

Have a great weekend everyone. I'm off to Steeler country for the day for work, then I work tomorrow and have Sunday off to do some last minute Christmas prep (and finish my wedding invitations!).

Walnuts. Eat Them!

Did you know that walnuts are packed with a combination of more high-quality antioxidants than any other nut? Yeah, I didn't know this either, until I read it in an article in Today's Dietitian Magazine. Scientists recently reported these findings at the American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition, and it turns out that a handful of walnuts contains close to two times the amount of antioxidants as the same handful of any other nut (peanuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.). And it's not just the high-quality antioxidants in walnuts that make them so amazing, they are also packed with high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. And let's not forget that walnuts, unlike any other nut, are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid) (** But remember they also contain significant amounts of 0mega-6 fatty acids, so you need to balance these out! **)

Source: iStockPhoto

The article also mentioned another unique quality regarding walnuts, which is that they are typically eaten raw, without roasting. Other nuts are often roasted, therefore the quality of their antioxidants decrease.

So what are some ways you can start enjoying more walnuts?

• Add them to your oatmeal, cereal or pancakes in the morning.
  

• Make walnut butter!

• Add that walnut butter to just about anything; rice cakes, sandwiches, crackers, mix it with squash and yogurt (haha, random!).....
  

.... add it to oatmeal with cooked sweet potato.

• Throw some walnuts on top of quick breads or add them to any type of muffin (before baking).
  

• Or, just eat them by the handful!

QUESTION: What are some ways you incorporate walnuts into your diet?