Sunday, October 23, 2011

Pumpkin Cookies

It's that time of year, the time for all things pumpkin & fall. This recipe was adapted from my friend Julie. I usually make them using her recipe and they are always a huge hit! But this year I wanted to make a few changes and I tried to make them a little bit healthier.

Ingredients:

1 Egg
2 1/2 Cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
2 Cups Splenda (or one cup white sugar 1 cup Splenda)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup grass fed organic butter
1 cup organic pureed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla

Icing Ingredients
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c powdered sugar
1 c Splenda
2 tbsp almond milk
1 tbsp grass fed butter
1 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside
Cream together Splenda and butter. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to butter mixture. Mix in the dry ingredients.

Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls (works best with a cookie scoop) flatten slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven.
While baking mix all ingredients for the icing. While the cookies are cooling drizzle icing with a fork.

These cookies are slightly cakey and can be turned into whoopie pies by placing cream cheese frosting sandwiched in between two cookies.

Enjoy!

DX: Infertility

Photo Credit: Stacy Lynn Baum

On Friday I had my annual physical and pap appointment with my primary Doctor. We went over lab work, my recent weight loss, and of course the fact that J and I have been trying to get pregnant for 16 months, with one loss under our belt. At the end of our talk my Doctor handed me a persciption for J's Semen Analysis and she thought a sonohystogram would be beneficial for me. I took the Rx, thanked her and went on my way. When I got in my car I took a look at the Rx that she gave me while I sat in my car and there is was in the right hand corner Dx: Infertility. I'm not sure why I got so upset because I've tried my hardest to stay strong and positive. We knew at the beginning of this journey that it would be long, I thought I prepared myself for this. I know what I've been diagnosed with it, but seeing it there in black in white made me sad. I started crying, and not just a few tears but actual full blown ugly crying. I really hope no one saw me, because I probably would have freaked them out. I realize that we are not the only ones going through this, but at that moment I felt selfish, angry, and hurt all at once. I was in need of a reality check! 
I've had sometime to think about it and that isn't me I'm not an angry or selfish person. I'm still allowing myself to be hurt because that is only natural, but I've decided to have hope & faith again.  My body may be broken, but I'm not unfixable. I have support in my husband, and my friends. Even my Mom is there for me to vent or cry to now. I'm glad I have places to go and not feel judged, but loved. I have hope that one day we will have our take home baby.



Saturday, October 22, 2011

Things I love right now...

I realized looking at my last few posts that my blog was getting depressing. So I wanted a happy blog :)
Things I am loving right now...


Boot Weather, yay!! Even though my husband cringes when I wear them, I LOVE them!




New Fall Shows








Missoni for Target

I got a cute pair of shoes, and a weekender bag, both are super cute!


Fall Foods & Smells fall is my favorite season, I just love everything about it.

My Mom's DELICIOUS cookies



Watching College Football, epecially SJSU #31 AKA my cousin Keith Smith!



Friday, October 14, 2011

First Post on the new blog :)

Ok well it's really just the same blog, I just wanted a new url. Hope you all changed over your google readers and you follow me too :)