Pumpkin Pecan Apple Muffins

October would not be October without pumpkins. The combination of pecans and pumpkins goes so well together , once you have tried these muffins you will see why! I miss making these muffins at The Little Bird. My muffins became such a hit I started to obsess over new recipes daily.. It was one of the highlights of The Little Bird for me because before this time I had never really considered making muffins. Once I got started I couldn't stop and the pay off on how well they were received was priceless.
One of my tricks to getting those lovely muffin tops was to heat the oven to 450' , then bake the muffins at this very high temperature for around 3 to 4 minutes. The hot air plumps up the tops! Immediately bring down the temperature to 350' and then allow to bake the rest of the time at the low temperature.
Try and enjoy while they are still warm from the oven!
The smell coming from the kitchen will be enough incentive to make these almost every single day!

Start by poaching one apple until a knife can easily go through it. Then set aside to cool down


Mix wet ingredients together:
3/4 cup of extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup of pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of apple butter

Mix dry ingredients together:
1 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of clove
poached apple cut into cubes

Topping ( set aside till 5 minutes before the muffins are done!)
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of pecans
1 teaspoon on cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Combine wet and dry ingredients together and blend with hands without over mixing.
Bake in the oven at 450 for 3 to 4 minutes and then at 350 for about another 20 to 25 minutes minutes or until the center is dry. You can check the center with a toothpick.
Just before the muffins are ready roughly 5 minutes before , add a spoonful of topping to each one and put back in the oven for the remaining time.

Enjoy these treats, The customers of The Little Bird sure did and I couldn't make them fast enough!
Hope the put a smile on your face as they did mine!

Breathing for You and Baby

My recent holistic health practice has led me to work with a very special friend and client who is also a new mom. The complete life change of being a new parent combined with sleep deprivation has led her to seek a little guidance in finding her center again and reconnecting with body, mind, and soul.
For many new moms the demand of breast feeding, especially in the wee hours of the morning ,can be one of the hardest undertakings . Believe it or not every woman already has all the tools she needs to find some solace and peace in the darkness of the sleeping hours when she is awake and feeding. Sometimes the hardest  times can be made easier by doing the simplest things.
It is called breathing. The most basic component of any meditation practice is connecting to the breath. It does not need to be made any more complicated than just that. Slow deep breaths attached with awareness of the breath and you already have a simple meditation practice.
So try this the next time your little one wakes you late at night to feed and exhaustion and possible boredom have set in. Close your eyes, allow your thoughts to focus on the breath, take a deep slow inhale followed by a long slow exhale. Keep your thoughts quiet and the mind focus on one thing and one thing only, the breath. Keep doing this for at least 5 minutes. If it helps count the breaths, Breathing in for a count of five and out for a count of five. Counting sometimes keeps the mind from wandering to other distractions.
As your body starts to relax , your babies breathing with start to slow down and she/he will relax as well.
Your deep calm state will help you and your baby and sweet dreams await you both.

Please check out handtoheartholistics.org  for more about what I do as a holistic health coach.
Thank you!

Roasted Root Vegetables

I love fall! I love all the sweet root vegetables and mixing and matching them to make different soups and side dishes. Here is a side dish that you can make using really whatever root vegetables you want. On this particular day I used three different kind of winter squashes ( butternut , carnival, and delicata) as well as eggplant. However, I made it last night for a good friend and used sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and turnips. If you choose you can add carrots or beets as well. The list can go on forever but for our purposes today I will stick with the original recipe .
You will need
1 butternut squash (cut into cubes)
1 delicata squash ( cut into cubes)
1 carnival squash (cut into cubes)

In a large sauce pot dump all the squash varieties and bring to a boil for about 5-8 minutes. I like to do this to soften the squash and reduce the cooking time. Otherwise it can take a very long time to roast and it will cook at a different speed then the eggplant.

1 medium size eggplant diced
1 large onion sliced into petal shapes
5 cloves of garlic left whole

Drain the squash and let cool for a bit. Then place all ingredients above including squash into a large mixing bowl. You will then cover evenly with the following marinade.

1 heaping tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil ( will be solid at room temperature and turns to liquid when heated)
1 1/2 teaspoon of pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
season with salt and pepper to taste

Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 350' for about 45 minutes turning occasionally. The time may vary depending on the type of oven you use. I have a very old oven and I find it sometimes takes a bit longer , so keep checking on it every so often. You want the vegetables to turn golden brown and caramelized , even a bit burnt. The coconut oil gives these veggies a delicious sweet flavor and adds extra nutritional value.