Things to Love About Fall

Trail Running
My newest obsession/addiction.  The only reason I’m not going out there every day is because I currently feel like boulders have been surgically implanted in my calves.  I tell you what, though.  Even though we’re going a few minutes per mile slower–it makes me absolutely ravenous!!  My new favorite fix:  RUN eBars.  The bomb.  They have chocolate almond and dark chocolate raspberry.  They’re completely clean, 100% organic, 4:1 carb:protein ratio, and the only thing chocolate raspberry that I’ve ever liked.  Try it.  Like it.

Red Cups
Yep.  The Coffee Powerhouse makes the list.  They are festive.  They are traditional.  They make me nostalgic for what’s to come–CHRISTMAS!  It doesn’t even matter what is IN your red cup, just as long as it’s the Red Cup!

Cookies
All kinds.  No cookie-ism here.  We love them all.  White Chocolate Peppermint.  Pumpkin Spice.  Star-shaped Sugar.  The Classic Number-One-In-My-Heart Chocolate Chip.  Cookie consumption this week: 14!  I wasn’t the Cookie Monster for Halloween for no reason! :)
PS:  CoffeeMate is coming out with Chocolate Chip Cookie CREAMER!

Turkey Trots
(No, not the belly rumble after you’ve stuffed your face either!)  Thanksgiving is the most-raced holiday of the year.  I mean you must have SOME justification to try all the pies your aunts and grandma made, right?!

Sweater Weather
Need I say more?  Chunky, Aztec, cardigans, pullovers.  All of it!  And I can finally set foot inside of a WalMart again without the worry of ‘what on earth am I going to see this time…?’  Maybe not, though.  This is Tennessee after all.  And it IS WalMart.  I think I’ll just continue keeping my distance.

And speaking of cookies…

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Not the oxymoron it seems, either!)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups oat flour (regular oats blended)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or desired amount of cinnamon chips)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Optional: coarse sea salt
• Optional substitution:  Still unsure about coconut oil?  Use 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce instead.

1. Take regular old fashioned oats or quick oats and blend them until they resemble a flour or powder in a blender or food processor.  (Oat flour is cup for cup;  1-1/2 cups oats will give you 1 1/2 cups oat flour)
2. Combine the vanilla extract, large egg, and brown sugar in a bowl. Melt the coconut oil and let it cool slightly before adding to the bowl. Beat everything together until just combined.
3. Stir in the oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon (scale this amount to taste preferences), and salt.
4. Stir until just combined and then fold in the dark chocolate chips (and cinnamon chips if desired).
5. Chill the dough for at least an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Using a cookie scoop (and pack these in the scoop very tightly or they may crumble), scoop out balls of the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips in the tops if desired (You know you desire!).
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
9. Remove and allow to stay on the baking sheet for another 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.
10. SIDE NOTE: Allow to cool almost completely before eating!  So tough, I know.  Just TRUST ME!

Nutrition Info for Chocolate Chip Cookies
Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories: 120
Fat: 9 g
Sodium: 10 g
Carbs: 9 g
Sugar: 5 g
Protein: 1 g