Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix

Our family enjoys meals from the crockpot just about twice, each week. With a busy schedule and me being the primary menu planner and prepper, our slow cooker gets quite a workout from soups to beans, from meats to broths and even the occasional breakfast. Around the holidays, we love hot wassail, a hot beverage of apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, orange and pineapple juices!

Around 3pm when my tummy starts feeling empty, I typically open a pack of nuts or seeds or something whole food to fill that gnawing void until dinner. When I discovered I could "roast" trail mix in the crockpot, I knew it had to be part of my yearly 31 days of #PunkinChunkin! 

Trail mix is really about preference. What do you like in your mix? This is a basic "roasted" recipe. You may like different nuts or may want to add m&m's or raisins to your end result!

CROCKPOT PUMPKIN SPICE TRAIL MIX

Into the crockpot...

• 2 1/2 cups Coarse Chopped Walnuts
• 
  2/3 cup Raw Cashews (not already roasted and salted)
• 1/2 cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds (not already roasted and salted)

Mix separately...

• 1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar (it's a rusty brown color and not super sweet)
  
  
• 2-3 tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted
• 1-2 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice (make your own or not)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  
• opt: 1-2 droppers or squirts SweetLeaf Stevia Sweet Drops - Pumpkin Spice

Save to stir-in after trail mix has cooled...

• 1 handful (about 1 cup) Dried Unsweetened Cranberries
• 1 handful (about 1 cup) Lily's Baking Chips - Dark Chocolate (or whichever flavor you prefer)

Directions...

• Put all the nuts and seeds in crockpot
• Separately, melt coconut oil and mix with the coconut sugar, spices, vanilla and stevia, THEN, pour over nuts and seeds. Mix until well coated
• Turn crockpot to high
• Set your timer to :30 minutes. <ding> Stir.
• Reset your timer to :30 minutes. <ding> Stir, again. This time, observe with eyes and nose for the "roasted" color and smell. You don't want the nuts to scorch. 
• Note: If you have an older crockpot, you may want to add :15 to :30 additional minutes, watching and smelling and stirring to prevent scorching
• When the mix is to your desired color and "roast," spoon our turn onto parchment paper to cool. This will happen fairly quickly. The parchment will serve as a tool, later!
• Once cooled, lift the sides of the parchment turning it into a "funnel" to pour the trail mix
  into a large bowl
• Stir-in cranberries and chocolate chips until well coated and mixed

Eat by the handful or over yogurt! Store in airtight baggie or container. Remember, this is basic "roasted." Before you edit, decide if the ingredient can endure the heat of the crockpot or if the ingredient needs to be stirred-in after cooling. 

Also, this recipe is gluten-free and sugar-free, but easily adapted for your taste.
Why YES, I am working on a savory, spicy version! 

Now, GO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD and let me know how it turned out!

"Sam"

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

It's hard to believe I can say I've made a recipe for "decades," but that's the case with Pumpkin Crunch. Every pumpkin season I look forward to this autumnal treat. However, after being diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease (a word I prefer not to use), I wondered if it could be made to be healthier and non-inflammatory. The answer is yes!

My friend, Jeanene, who is a Trim Healthy Mama Lifestyle Coach, sent me a recipe from one of her friends! It's really good as is, but as you may have read in previous recipes -- I play with my food and did an edit. If I were better adept at cooking without eggs, this could have easily been vegan. I kept the eggs in the recipe, but changed other ingredients and noted them below.

Even if thyroid issues aren't in your life, you'll appreciate this being a healthier, sugar-free, gluten-free version for your family that actually tastes great!

PUMPKIN CRUMB CAKE (or Pumpkin Crunch) for those who want to cut the sugar and gluten

Cake Bottom Filling Ingredients:

• 
  3/4 cup Half and Half (I used Califia Pumpkin Spice Almond & Coconut Milk Creamer from the grocery store because it already had the spices and was a new product, this year)
• 2 cups 100 % Pure Pumpkin (not the pie filling)
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 cup Monkfruit (I used Lakanto White)
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2 pinches Mineral Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum (don't be afraid of this stuff. it's a thickener that works like magic without adding to your glycemic index --meaning it won't raise your blood sugar like corn starch!)

Crumble/Crunch Topping Ingredients:

• 1 cup Gluten-Free Baking Blend (I used Trim Healthy Mama, but others are available at the store)
• 1 1/2 cups Chopped Pecans
• 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (you can make your own)
• 2 pinches Mineral Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 3/4 cup Monkfruit (I used Lakanto Golden)
• 1 stick of Melted Butter (Miyoko's Creamery Butter is a wonderful vegan substitute which would have made this recipe dairy-free)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350*
• Grease 9x13 (or slightly smaller) casserole dish
• Mix Bottom ingredients, together, and spread evenly in dish
• Mix Topping ingredients, together, and sprinkle over the pumpkin bottom filling
• Pour melted butter evenly over the topping
• Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour until center is set and topping light brown
• Enjoy!

These newer ingredients may seem intimidating, but they are not. They're simple substitutes for the others. Now, go play with your food and let me know how it turned out...

"Sam"