Pumpkin Cacao Muffins + A Giveaway!

Yesterday was the first day of fall and I wasn't going to get excited or anything until I walked outside and there.was.a.BREEZE. A real, cool, dare I say chilly breeze. Can we just ignore the middle part of the day that lapsed back into summer? Because the evening was cool and perfect as well and let's be honest, breezes are a clear sign of fall. And fall = pumpkins. And pumpkin = all the baking things. 

Now, you may be wondering....can this girl spell? Doesn't she know it's cocOA, not cocAO powder? Well, you'd be right, except that cacao is actually chocolate in it's raw, unprocessed form. It's basically the same thing as unsweetened Hershey's cocoa powder but with a TON more nutritional value. Filled with magnesium, fiber, calcium, and loaded with antioxidants.  It's classified as a super food. Just tell yourself: I'm eating a superfood muffin this morning. 

Now don't you feel better about the day already? 

Not that you had to convince yourself that pumpkin and chocolate were a good idea. 

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients: 

Dry

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

¾ cup organic cane sugar

2 tablespoons cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

pinch of nutmeg

Wet

2 eggs

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin purée

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 f 

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk together. 

In a stand mixer* with the flat beater attachment, add eggs, coconut oil and

vanilla and mix on medium speed until completely combined. Turn mixer off and add

pumpkin purée. Turn back on to medium and blend until smooth. 

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time. Use a rubber spatula to push

down any ingredients that lifted on the sides of the bowl. Mix on low speed until smooth. 

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and using a 1/3 measuring cup fill the tins with batter.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done!

*you can also use a hand mixer or whisk if you don't have a stand mixer. 

***

In the spirit of loving food I am teaming up with some lovely ladies and giving away 2 cookbooks and a copy of a recent favorite book, Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenrieder. I'll admit, I'm drooling over these two cookbooks myself. They have the most beautiful stories to accompany their show stopping recipes!

Oh Simple Thoughts / Gather Around Our Table / 23 Magnolia Street / Life with the Casterlines / Elah Tree / Sew My Soul / With Flowers in my Hair / Seasons with the Strattons / Wetherills Say I Do / Tiny Painter / Newly Nabors / Butcher's Niche 

The winner will be announced this Friday so stay tuned and play fair! All entries will be verified. Have fun!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#influenceconf [Meet + Greet]

The Influence Conference is hosting a little online meet and greet for all those attending to get to know each other, so I'm joining in. I'll be honest, I'm getting really nervous to leave my daughter for 4 days, but so so ready to see what this network is really all about. I've gained so much from this network already and I feel like I've barely dipped my toes in. Going to the conference is really a "jump all in" moment for me and I couldn't be more ready. 

I'm Natasha, married to Jordan, and we have a 10 month old daughter named Reaghan, seen below ;) I was on staff with Cru as a campus missionary for about 4 years before transitioning to my new role. I'm lucky enough to get to work from home and be with our daughter every day. 

My big dream, though, is to free up more of my time to focus on writing. I started this blog not too long ago as a motivation for myself to create recipes and share them. If cooking was a love language, it would definitely be mine. Something about the folding, mixing, sautéing, and savoring that puts my heart at ease while igniting a fiery passion inside me all at the same time. 

Since becoming a mom God has been faithful to bring to the surface a few different desires and dreams that I didn't even know I had before. I've been sitting in them, praying about them, and letting them get me excited. One major pull on my heart (and a big reason for clicking "purchase ticket" for this conference) is to write a book. It'll be a compilation of recipes and stories with the hope of encouraging women to get in their kitchens and bless the people in their lives by feeding their body and their soul. It's a crazy wild dream that I have no clue how to accomplish, but I know my God will direct me in it. 

What I'm most looking forward to //
Really? What am I not looking forward to?! Spending sweet time with my friend Jenn would top the list. I am so looking forward to being around other like-minded women who are placing their passions at the feet of Jesus and striving to live a life of influence. These women are so inspiring, genuine, creative and wise and I cannot wait to soak up all their wisdom and LEARN. Can I add just one more thing? I really hope to use this conference as a spring board for my writing goals, and meet people who will spur me on to make these dreams a reality. 

What I wont leave home without // 
Aside from what feels like 80 million breastfeeding supplies? My journal, phone charger, and courage. 


Will you be there? I can't wait to meet you. 
Linked with The Influence Network 

Goals with Grace // September

A new month! Hooray! I mentioned earlier this week that I'm excited to begin this new season, both in life and literally, with the weather. It'll be great to not be forced into a 30 minute window of time in the early morning for a walk. The temps will get cooler (I hope!) and some fun and exciting things are around the corner.... 

I want to look back at August to see how I did. Again, I love this link-up because it's not about accomplishing every little thing on my list, though I do make small lists ;) Rather, we give ourselves grace. 

August Goals //

1. Finish reading "Nourished Baby" and "Will Write for Food"

Yes and no! I finished "Nourished Baby" and am implementing the things I learned into Reaghan's diet as we continue to introduce new foods to her. I haven't finished "Will Write for Food" mainly because it's somewhat of a workbook for me, and I'm working through it slowly. Each chapter is so heavy with lots to think about, so I'm biting off small bits, and chewing on it for a while :)
2. Replace all our household cleaners with natural alternatives 

Yes! So excited about this one. I replaced all our household cleaners with safe, non-toxic versions. I can barely handle walking down the cleaning product aisle at the grocery store anymore, so this was a huge YAY in my book. 
3. Start Reaghan's 1st birthday party crafts 

Yes! It's a slow process but I'm really excited about how everything is coming along. Gold and sparkly everywhere! 
4. Take more social media free weekends 

Uh...no. Mainly I just forgot about this one. Though I will say that it is more natural for me to pull away from social media on the weekends. It's not a true "I'm not opening up these apps on my phone" weekend, and I'm okay with that for now. The point of this being that I want to focus my attention on family, friends, rest and creating. I think those things are happening.

1. Order blog business cards //

So weird for me since I'm new at blogging, but definitely needed. My friend Jenn and I are going to The Influence Conference at the end of the month and will be meeting lots of new people!

2. More crafties for Rae's party //
You'll just have to wait until November to see what I'm up to!

3. Find new ways to live a slower paced and more intentional life // 

This isn't anything new for Jordan and I. It's been on the radar for years and I'm happy with where we've come on that journey. BUT we still have a ways to go, fighting against the current of our culture and our own internal biases. While I'm at it, I want to finish reading "Notes from a Blue Bike." I'm really loving it. Get yourself a copy and read it, I promise you'll be blessed. 

4. Blog 3 times a week //

As opposed to 5x a week, see goal #3. 

And now some good reads from August in case you missed it!

Slow Food

DALS Cookbook Review

Sweet & Citrus Baked Acorn Squash [recipe]

Dad's Spaghetti Sauce [recipe]

Let's Connect!

instagram | facebook | bloglovin'

Reflections on 31 Days of Responding to Him

What has God taught me over the past 31(ish) days? 

On the surface it looks like a big hodge podge of life, doesn't it? Is this a food blog or a lifestyle blog? A mommy blog? As I look back I wonder where the cohesiveness was, and I'm sure to an outsider none of my posts made sense when you saw they were a part of a writing exercise entitled "31 Days of Responding to Him." I mean, responding to God and a diaper bag review? Believe it or not, every post I shared on this blog was an outpouring of my heart. That's what this project was about. To find my voice, my style, my interests. I haven't found all of those things quite yet, but I'm moving towards it and I am excited about how God will continue to use this little space to glorify Himself and inspire others.

Although at times it felt like I was spinning in different directions, it was fun to try out different topics and styles to see what fit me best. Although I adore being in the kitchen and feel the Lord is pressing me to move forward with some ideas for that creative area of my life, I see this blog being a place for more than just  talk of food or recipes. 

I want to feed people -- body AND soul. As the title of my blog explains, I'm a lover of those things ;) Feeding the body always comes with the opportunity to feed the soul, whether we take that opportunity or not. Sure, you could sit silently and eat your turkey sandwich. Or you could set the table with your best dishes and prepare something that will create a memory, maybe taking a step forward into sharing something vulnerable about yourself, and certainly feasting on a few stories and hopefully more laughs. 

Providing nourishment for one's deeper self comes in many forms. Sometimes it's spiritual admonition or a listening ear in times of trouble. It can also mean filling a life with laughter and joy. For me part of that is allowing women to find the beauty in the simple things in life. It's inspiring women to know that they are capable of creating beauty, especially when it comes from a mess. There are no mistakes in the kitchen. Just opportunities to stretch (mind, body and soul) and enjoy. 

Let's celebrate the joys in life. Let's talk about what's messy. Let's create things together that bring joy and simplicity. 

I want this blog to be a safe haven for women. I want it to be a place where you get to be refreshed and inspired, and I hope you leave here better than you were when you came in! 

To answer your question, this tiny space online will serve as a recipe collection with touches of my life sprinkled throughout. I will keep sharing little things I learn in motherhood (because I believe sharing every little bit helps, right mama's?), crafty things that I enjoy, what I'm up to, and different aspects of natural living. Part of that is because not only do I want you to come over to find a recipe, but I want you to be able to get to know the woman behind the food as well. Picture us sitting at my kitchen table, eating scones and gabbing about the happenings of life. Now bottle that up and put it online and you've arrived at the right place. For more, please visit my updated "About" tab at the top of this blog. 

I am working on creating a sidebar tab so you can locate recipes and topics a bit more easily. For now, utilize the search function on the right side of this blog to find any recipes or tips you may be looking for. You can also browse the rest of my 31 Days of Responding to Him at the top of my blog page. 


Blessed to share with you, and grateful you'd follow along this journey! Leave a comment and we'll continue the conversation some more. 

"Reflections on 31 Days of Responding to Him" 

is the conclusion to a blog relaunch series entitled "31 Days of Responding to Him" 

Read the rest of the story here