Morning! Happy Friday!
I woke up this morning starving. Like outrageously hungry. Its bizarre. Whenever I increase my intake, it seems that after the first week or two I start getting extremely hungry.
A beautiful sunrise to begin the day with peace and gratitude.
Oh well, that just meant I had to break my “routine” and eat earlier than I usually plan. Which really shouldn’t be a big deal at all. It felt like it was, and I kept debating whether or not to actually eat.
Until I finally snapped to it and thought well, my goodness you are hungry just eat your freaking breakfast like a normal person. Done; and what a surprise, I didn’t grow a third leg after all that;)
Let’s get to breakfast. I tried to change it up by using a whole egg as well as a few whites in my buckwheat bowl.
This bowl contained buckwheat, 1 egg, 1/4 cup egg whites, chia seeds, hemp seeds, banana, strawberries and cashew butter.
I just can’t get on board with the whole egg in sweet things.
This afternoon ended up being a busy one, I chatted with my lovely friend Heather over skype which was just wonderful. Love that lady! And then went to Starbucks for some much needed coffee.
Later, I had some lunch and attended my nutritionist appointment.
It went well, and she was pleased with the progress I’ve made so far. Even though I told her about the many panic attacks I had happen this week. We’re going to give it another week, before I add more changes. And yes, I realize I will need to make bigger changes in the upcoming weeks, but this is what we’ve decided for now.
*******
It seems that once September hits that everyone is in the grocery stores searching for pumpkin. It makes me super excited for Fall to actually get here. During the Summer, I still crave pumpkin, but it just seems much more appropriate to open a can during September.
Its only right that I have a pumpkin recipe already, even if there are still another 2 days before the Fall season begins.
For some reason, I always go straight to the pumpkin isle and stock up on like 8 cans at a time. Last year we never got that shortage of pumpkin that the States had, I guess Canadian’s just always have their pumpkin stocked up;) Nonetheless, I at all times have at least 4 cans at home. Yikes.
I made these Pumpkin Spice Bars on Saturday and have already finished the batch. So clearly they were just that delicious.
Back to the recipe, I managed to cross a recipe off my Fall Bucket List, I think I should’ve changed it to making more like 5 pumpkin recipes, instead of just two.
Pumpkin Spice Bars (serves 6)
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour (ground oats-I just used a food processor)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1-2 teaspoons stevia (or other sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with a little oil (I used coconut oil) and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean) at 350 F.
You could make these completely grain free and replace the oat flour with another 1/2 cup almond butter or almond flour as well, if you wanted.
These bars are tasty. They came out moist (sorry) in the middle and didn’t crumble at all, which I usually worry about it when baking with coconut flour.
I like to enjoy these on top of greek yogurt. Perfect snack.
Do you go crazy for pumpkin during the fall?
What’s your favourite Fall flavour?
Have a fabulous Friday, folks!
About Lisa
Yes. I enjoy a whole egg ON sweet things, i.e, a top toast n’ jam , a sweet bowl of oats, or something. But a whole egg cooked INTO sweet things ? Nah, tastes weird to me.
I think I’ve bitched about my canned pumpkin predicament ,( it not existing in my part of the world), enough in your comments section. So I won’t go into that. But these bars sound soo good, especially with the oat flour & almond buttah * drool *, the texture must be fab!
Its pretty much a tradition that I eat pumkin soup around Halloween, I love the stuff.
Aww, I never knew you had been having actual panic attacks:(- I hate when anxiety boils over like that, & gets too much. But its nice to hear your nutrirtionist appt. went well, & that you’re progressing. These things just take time:).
Xxx
Yes agree! We totally have the same taste buds!
I am seriously so sad about you not having pumpkin, you could use banana or any type of pureed fruit/veggie though!
Oooh yes! Pumpkin soup is fabulous!
Yes, I do suffer from full blown panic attacks. Definitely not fun to deal with. I still suffer from them and am learning how to deal with them properly…instead of going to the hospital ha ha. It definitely takes time!
Your breakfasts always make me droooool. I friggin love pumpkin. They were selling full ones in the store yesterday and I was so tempted to buy one, but it’s still hot as balls in FL. Boo. I do have like 3 cans in the pantry though
I always have to keep extra pumpkin cans in the cupboard! Never know when that craving will strike up!
I’ve been waiting for these pumpkin bars!!! They sound amazing! As you can probably tell from my blog I am already pumpkin obsessed especially with pumpkin in my coffee!
They are really awesome! Especially with the almond butter addition!
Ha ha, I think we both have the pumpkin obsession going on:)
Yummy recipe girl! I love coconut flour and the fluffiness it creates, so I’m totally giving this a whirl!
Happy Friday to ya!
Its awesome!:)
I’m glad things are going well for you with increasing your intake! It’s ok to take it in small steps – it’s better to be comfortable than to totally overwhelm yourself!
And those pumpkin bars look so good! I go pumpkin crazy in the fall too. I seriously start adding it to everything haha. I actually haven’t cracked open a can yet though because it just didn’t feel like fall yet. It’s getting cooler now though so I think I’ll be having my first pumpkin oatmeal of the season tomorrow!
Its been a lot of hard work these past few weeks. Really hard work actually, but I’m getting a bit more comfortable at least.
Good on you for not breaking into a can yet, I started like a month ago ha ha.
I’m glad your appointment went so well with your nutritonist. I think it’s a brilliant idea to wait another week before adding more changes. You are doing so wonderful girl
Keep up the good work!!
Thanks Jessie! I’m trying hard, its still tough though!
Yum! These look great! I def go pumpkin crazy haha although lately I haven’t
Well, I love almost anything pumpkin so these will have to go on the ‘to make’ list (only I’ll use a flax ‘egg’)
I’ve said it before but you have to take things at your own pace so long as your nutritionist says it’s okay. You’re already doing so much better than the bloggers out there living in denial while simultaneously hurting themselves and their readers. You are far more ‘inspirational’ than them because you are actually facing your problems.
xxx
Thank you so much Jess! I’ve definitely had to delete a lot of blogs from my reader because they were making me quite upset with myself, even though I know I’m doing the right things for my health! I’m just so sick of this ED, I want to get rid of it.
You are the pumpkin queen. I love it! Those bars sound so good. I need to get almond butter at the grocery store and then I can make them
Ha ha. I definitely am the pumpkin queen;)
I’m going to get groceries this afternoon and a can of pumpkin in the first thing on my list.
Definitely a pumpkin freak come fall!
Wahoo! Pumpkin lovers unite.
I remember being totally confused when I increased my intake and ended up hungrier. It was like: “I’m eating more, should I be more satisfied?!” It’s a good sign though, it means that your metabolism is speeding up
And those pumpkin bars sound absolutely fantastic for Fall. I wouldn’t say that I’m as crazy about pumpkin as I used to be, but I’m definitely going to be breaking into a can soon because I’m feeling the baking itch starting to act up. I’d have to say that my favorite Fall flavors would be anything with cinnamon and maple, but really, I don’t think you can go wrong with any Fall flavors because they’re just so comforting
Ha ha! Yes, its so weird! It totally confuses my MIND when I’m hungrier, even though the obvious answer is to just eat more.
I need to make your pumpkin bread, I’ve bookmarked it. It looks amazing! Unfortunately, I can’t eat chocolate right now though. Boo.
Good for you for listening to those hunger cues, Lisa
LOL – you don’t like eggs in sweet things, and I post this morning about a dessert omelet!!! hehe
Have a great day, Lisa!
Thanks Paige! Its getting easier everytime I listen to my hunger. I’m starting to receive more positive things with my body, so I’m already feeling better about this change.
Oh man, I need breakfast first thing in the morning or I’ll die. Our pumpkin shortage last year sucked but I never ran out because I’m a crazy pumpkin hoarder. I’m on my 3rd kabocha now. I’ll be so sad if I can’t get one in the middle of next summer, lol, I’m already worried haha
Same here with breakfast! I’m useless without it.
Ha ha. I always stock up like an insane person on Kabocha’s. No shame. Since I never run out and that makes me happy.
I definitely go pumpkin crazy! In fact, I’m heading to the grocery in just a bit to stock up. Love that sunrise picture…what a great way to start a weekend!
I’m still going pumpkin crazy!:)
loveeee the recipe! thank you so much for sharing. I am hoarding about 3 cans of pumpkin at a time right now, haha. Can’t get enough. I will for sure be making these – they don’t seem too hard! (I get easily intimidated by recipe’s)
Ha ha. Well I have about 5 cans of pumpkin, so no shame.
They definitely aren’t hard at all! I suck at cooking, so my recipes are always super easy.
YUM!! That looks amazing! I got my creamy buckwheat today btw!! I’m so excited!
Oh my gosh! Isn’t it wonderful! I love that buckwheat!!
You’re so talented in the kitchen Lisa
seriously! OMG I have been there before, that ENDLESS breakfast debate. I seem to have a fight over when exactly would be the best time to eat breakfast every morning. But it’s the same thing I tell myself whenever I’m fighting over when to eat a snack, whether or not I should have a glass of wine – I’m gonna do it. I’ll end up doing it. WHY should I be having this endless debate over it when the outcome will be the same whether I debate it or not? So then I just try to DO IT. And when I don’t grow that third leg, it’s a great reassurance 
Small changes are really key to create long-lasting changes! After all, anxiety may be so bad it wouldn’t allow functioning if we immediately upped our intake to a higher degree or started reintroducing all fear foods at once. No one ever climbed Everest in a day and I feel sometimes like I am climbing Everest while in recovery! Setting yourself up for failure by taking on too much is just a bad call. You’re working just as hard with your small changes because if they are small, thely will LAST!
Why thank you my lovely friend!
Yessss, isn’t it annoying when those ugly thoughts come into our head. I just try and do the opposite of what the voice is telling me to do. Got to kick out that ED voice!
Love you!
Hi Lisa – love your blog! anyway I just thought I would post this link here as it sounds like something you may be eperiencing.
http://www.gwynetholwyn.com/blog/2012/5/22/extreme-hunger-what-is-it.html
I love her articles! Very helpful and informative.
Thank you for the link!!
Oh I’m allll about the pumpkin this time of year! Love it in every way possible!
Yes! I’ve been a little too obsessed I think;)
Hey Lisa!
These pumpkin bars look amazing! I will have to make them ASAP. Pumpkin is one of my favorite things about fall!
I think it may be my favourite thing about fall! Hope you like them if your try them out:)