Live in the body you deserve

I’ve never been into scary movies.

You literally couldn’t pay me to walk through one of those haunted houses (which, if you know me personally, speaks volumes because I love winning a bet...).

I switch the television channel when a scary movie trailer comes on, and I think Hocus Pocus is too scary...

I’m a proud scaredy cat. I make no apologies.

You know what I find to be the scariest part of Halloween week? The amount of mini candies haunting me everywhere I go. Offices, grocery stores, doctor’s offices (oh the irony), dry cleaners…

Halloween is not an isolated event. No, it’s an all month Snickers-A-Thon and it doesn’t really end until January, along with all those clothes that used to fit you.

This is why I like to commit that this week, of all weeks, is sugar-free. It sets a tone I can get behind for the kick off of holiday madness.

Hold on, don’t leave the blog yet - hear me out!

Odds are you will wind up eating the equivalent of 7-10 candy bars this month. “Oh no, I would never eat an entire candy bar, I’m an evolved foodie.” Well three mini candies equal an entire candy bar. Mull that over.

One Hershey’s kiss equals a spoonful of sugar. Imagine every time you popped one of those iconic little drops you were swallowing a spoonful of white table sugar.

Think about how freeing it would be to just say no this Halloween. Not maybe. Not “ok just this one time.” But no to all of it.

You can get this candy all year long, so no feelings of scarcity there.

I don’t want us to turn childhood nostalgia into a story of sugary, binge-y acceptance, when it would be unacceptable for us to eat candy in this way the rest of the year.

Before you buy all those mini candies, check out the fun and healthy goodies I found at the Target dollar bin - stickers, vampire teeth, bubbles, bouncy balls… no temptation to dive into the leftovers after the Trick-or-Treaters are gone.

Bonus: Since you are kicking the high fructose corn syrup laden crap out of your Halloween, you can register your house with the Teal Pumpkin Project so that kiddos with food allergies will know its safe to come knocking at your door.

So… are you convinced? I want to know if you are joining me in a sugar-free Halloween! Head over to my Facebook Page and comment on this post to let me know you’re in.

Now forward this to your friends and coworkers, who you know will bring that leftover crap to your office...

And since I love you (even more than sugar), I’ll leave you with a sweet treat that is way better than a Kit Kat!

Xo,
CP

PUMPKIN BUTTER TRUFFLES

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup almond or coconut butter
• 4-5 tbsp grade B maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 70% dark)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions

1. Combine the pumpkin, almond butter, syrup and oil in a bowl. In a different mixing bowl, combine the flour, spices and salt.
2. Add the wet to the dry and mix well. Place the mixture in the freezer for a couple hours until it has hardened a bit and can be formed into balls.
3. Once the mixture is hard enough to handle, form inch in diameter size balls and place them on a cookie sheet or plate lined with parchment and place back in the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. While those are in the freezer, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small mixing bowl that has been placed over a small pan of boiling water. This is to get the chocolate to melt without burning it.
5. Once water is boiling, turn down to a simmer. With a spoon or a toothpick, place each ball into the chocolate and coat. Return each truffle back to the parchment paper and put back in the freezer to let the chocolate set, about 15 minutes. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.