Pumpkin Pie Truffles! Oh YUM!

These delicious mini desserts were an absolute hit at Happy Friendsgiving last weekend!  And let me tell you, they were easy as pie.  Take these truffles to your Thanksgiving Feast and impress all family with your fancy culinary skills!  Pair it with a cup of coffee, oh. My. Word.

Pumpkin Pie Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white chocolate
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup finely ground gingersnap cookies
• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 ounces cream cheese

Coating:

• White dipping chocolate

Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring every 30 seconds.  (Approximately 4 intervals)

Set white chocolate aside and allow mixture to cool slightly.

Add pumpkin, gingersnap crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and cream cheese.  (This only re-emphasized my need for a food processor!  Goodness!  I had to smash the gingersnaps with my fist!)  Combine ingredients until smooth.  Prior to rolling mixture into balls, place mixture in the freezer for 30-60 minutes for greater ease with this step.

Remove mixture once chilled and roll into 1-inch balls.  Place balls on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Put balls back into the freezer for 1 hour.

Melt the dipping chocolate according to the specific instructions written on the packaging.  Dip chilled balls into the white chocolate.  Place dipped balls back on the parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with gingersnap crumbs.  Place truffles back inside the freezer for minimum 1 hour until chocolate coating has set.

Give thanks and enjoy!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I’m not good at being sick.  I get bored.  I lay down to rest and think of all the tasks I should accomplish instead of resting.  All I really want to do is go to the gym to sweat all my germs out, but it isn’t fair to expose all gym goers to my nastiness.  To combat my boredom I entered the kitchen and accepted the challenge of creating a meal with vegetables in my fridge that were approaching their expiration date…I found a purple onion, a bag of cauliflower, and a box of cherry tomatoes...TADA!!! Cauliflower crust pizza topped with homemade cherry tomato sauce and baked chicken!  HOLY DELICIOUSNESS!

Cauliflower Crust Ingredients:

• 1 bag washed cauliflower
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese (or ¼ mozzarella and ¼ parmesan cheese)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 egg

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450ºF. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil.

This entire process would have been MUCH easier if I had a food processor…but instead I used my hands/fist.  If you have a food processor then I recommend using it, the cauliflower should turn into a “powdery snow.”

Place cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cook for four minutes.

Allow cauliflower to cool.  Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel OR a TON of paper towels, and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess.

To create the dough: combine squeezed cauliflower, cheese, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly!

Place the dough on the oiled parchment paper and create a tight crust – don’t make it too thick or too thin.  Place the parchment paper on the baking sheet.

Bake for 8-11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown.

It’s TOPPING time!  Top the crust with whatever you fancy!

Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.

Enjoy!

Cherry Tomato Sauce:

• 1-tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup purple onion
• 1-container cherry tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Italian seasoning 

Let me be honest, this sauce recipe was an experiment, I didn’t measure any of the ingredients or accurately assess the time; my advice – watch the skillet.  Place olive oil in a warm skillet with crushed garlic cloves and purple onion.  Cook until slightly golden, add tomatoes and seasoning to taste.  Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  I wanted a smoother consistency to my sauce so I crushed all tomatoes with a potato masher.

I did it!

In January 2013 I wrote goals for the year, one of my goals was inspired by strangers at the gym, friends of friends via facebook and even close friends who encouraged me to “Train for a figure competition.”  I've been an athlete all my life, starting with U-6 soccer, 4 varsity high school sports, thru intercollegiate cross-country and track.  Bodybuilding is brand new territory, I was introduced to a demanding sport that challenged me physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Training was an incredible lesson in dedication, discipline, self-control, and determination.  Dedication and discipline is learned from waking early for morning cardio, hitting the gym hard after a 10 hour day in the clinic, running track intervals in the dark, arriving home from a 17 hour travel day and staying up until 2am for meal prep, carrying chicken in my purse to ensure not missing a meal while out with friends, prepping for 3+ hours in order to make a 4 day trip to support a friend.  Self-control is baking delicious dessert for friends birthdays and not shoving my face directly into the batter; or perhaps this is just torture.  My self control increased as my determination to achieve my goal grew.

I proved to myself that with dedication, discipline, and determination absolutely anything is possible!  BUT I assure you; I could NOT have accomplished this goal without my incredible support system.  My friends and family are beyond the kindest, most understanding and encouraging people on this earth!  My girlfriends were exposed to my struggles and in response they lifted me up in prayer, sent me encouraging quotes/verses, provided me with tough love and daily pep talks, and even cheat day care packages.  They believed, when I doubted.  They spoke truth, when I became discouraged.  They celebrated my cheat days, they held me accountable, and they cheered me on every step of the way. 

My coach, Wendy was an enormous blessing!  I met Wendy through Blondes vs Brunettes flag football in support of the Alzheimer’s Association.  I learned Wendy was coaching and when I reached out to ask her a question she gladly offered her services.  She is incredibly knowledgeable about the sport, she guided me every step of the way.  She was patient with me when I was impatient, she was firm with me when I begged for cookies, she kindly answered my constant questions, she knew everything from diet to suit selection to best tanner, she tolerated my hunger emotions with kindness, she believed in me when I doubted myself, she accommodated our hectic schedules, and she was a constant source of encouragement.

Many have reached out with questions regarding my workouts and diet, I’m more than happy to share what I have learned, but it must stated that this program was made specifically for my body.  My coach made weekly to daily adjustments according to my body’s response. 

Before training: I’ve always been passionate about exercise; my exercise routine prior to the competition consisted of 3-6 mile runs, track intervals, hill repeats, and 3 days of upper/lower body weight training.  I ate healthy, but I also ate whatever I wanted when I wanted.  I’m not one who enjoys fast food or fatty foods, but I wouldn’t deprive myself of a late night post-Shooters run to Cookout.  I love baking, specifically, I love baking cookies.  Have I been known to eat over 12 cookies in one day?…umm guilty as charged!  It should also be known that I have a weakness for chips, holy guacamole I love chips!  I am that girl that purchases a bag of chips to eat on the drive home from the grocery, this leads to having 3-4 bags of chips in my cupboard at one time.  With the information I shared above I hope you can understand the challenge I encountered with a specific diet. 

Training: 12 weeks

I lifted according to body group 5x/week: legs/glutes, bi/tri, delts, back/abs, and overall body circuit.  I created my own workouts, but my coach provided me with feedback and occasionally would make alterations/limitations to reps/sets and body part according to my body’s response.

One day was dedicated to a long run or track intervals and I would rest one day per week.

Morning cardio was not introduced until the last 3 weeks and eventually removed to avoid an early peak because my body responds quickly to cardio.

I received 2 cheat days per week for the first 8 weeks, oh golly I went hog wild!  Two cheat days decreased to one cheat day and an additional cheat meal.  Cheat meals were removed completely two weeks prior to the show.

My diet consisted of the following foods, the amounts varied weekly: oats, egg whites, chicken, fish, lean ground beef, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, salad with fat free Italian dressing, apple, berries, whey protein, CarbMaster yogurt, cottage cheese, and almonds.  I drank coffee, ginger tea, and 1+ gallon of water per day; no alcohol allowed.

I competed 100% natural, I did not take supplements, but I did take gummy vitamins.

Initially, I gained weight with the increased caloric intake combined with increased weight training and decreased cardio.  Overall I lost a total of two pounds from initial weight to competition weight prior to water depletion.  BUT I lost over 10% body fat and competed with body fat below 10% (I did not undergo testing for a final measurement).

I've been asked - would you do it again?  Now that I have completed the process, I can firmly say, YES!!  I plan on competing again in Spring 2014.  Achieving one goal has only ignited my fire to achieve more...I have already added to my fitness goals list!

My advice: Eat clean, train hard, find an incredible support system, keep firm faith, and love what you do.

Xo,

Quinn