Happy Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone’s enjoying their day so far!

My day began around 4 a.m. with morning prep for the pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls I put together last night. These cinnamon rolls are a tradition of ours both for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I plan on sharing the recipe this holiday season so stay tuned!

Also, I ran (I mean…I drove) to the gas station down the road to pick up a few Thanksgiving newspapers. My friends and I have a Black Friday tradition that we plan on keeping this year (ON Black Friday), even though all the stores are opening on Thanksgiving Day  – we even had shirts made for our adventures!

Those pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls I mentioned? Yes, they were delicious!

I also met up with my dad for a Turkey Trot!

Rocking a “Turkey Trot” Sweaty Band! :)

Our running group’s Turkey Trot isn’t a race – it’s a free “come and run/walk as far as you want” kind of event and draws quite a crowd from the community. They also provide muffins, hot chocolate, and door prizes for participants! T-shirts are optional (for a small fee) and were dry fit this year! I love mine!

Distances (with pre-planned routes and water) ranged from 1 to 6 miles.

My dad and I chose 3 miles total.

This year, participants brought canned goods for donation to the community!

Bunch-a-turkeys! (My dad wore jeans because he thought he was coming out to cheer me on for a race..isn’t he sweet? Once he realized it was a community event and not a race, I talked him into walking it with me!)

It was SO cold…I definitely enjoyed this cup of hot chocolate after we were done!

Look at that! He even won a door prize! :)

After leaving the Turkey Trot, we stopped by my mom’s work to have breakfast with her. She was sad to miss out on the cinnamon rolls…so instead, they came to her!

Now I’m at home watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and prepping for the rest of the day. We are celebrating Thanksgiving with Jason’s family around lunch (late lunch) and Thanksgiving with my family tomorrow night (which also happens to be Jason’s birthday)!

I hope that all of you have a very blessed Thanksgiving! I know it’s cliché, but we really do have SO much to be Thankful for! 

Do you participate a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving?

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (Paleo Version)

Let me admit something before I begin.

Deep breath…ok, here we go.

I’m not a fan of Pumpkin flavored things.

GASP.

I know, right? I’m like the world’s worst Fall loser. When it comes to Winter and peppermint, I’m all on the bandwagon…but I just  can’t bring myself to get excited about Pumpkin Lattes and Pumpkin Coffee Creamer. I also don’t like Pumpkin Pie. What kind of American am I, anyway?

However…yes, there’s a however here…growing up, my mom used to make Pumpkin Muffins and I LOVED them. My love for Pumpkin Muffins spurred on my curiosity of Pumpkin filled Cinnamon Rolls, which I love and now make every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas breakfast. (Makes no sense, right? I know…I’m crazy!)

On Saturday morning, heavy rains and flooding in the area prevent my friends and I from getting out for our usual long run.  We even made national news for the large amounts of rain – more than 14 inches in just a few hours!

(This was taken a 7:30 a.m. – at 5:30 a.m., this road was completely impassible.)

SO, instead of running, I decided to cook breakfast at home. When you can’t run, eat, right? (BAD motto, Karen…bad motto.) Since the inside of my home thinks Fall is in the air (the weather finally agreed with me this weekend), I thought Pumpkin Pecan Waffles sounded like a great idea for breakfast!

I gathered the ingredients, then got to work!

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (Paleo Style)
Adapted from The Turtlewoman’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon (pinch) nutmeg

3 eggs

1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (your choice)

Directions:

Whisk together the dry ingredients: coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: eggs, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and pumpkin puree.

Slowly add the dry mix to the wet mix until the ingredients are well combined.

Heat waffle iron until ready, then pour half of the batter into the iron. (This batter will make two perfectly sized Pumpkin Waffles.) Once first waffle is ready, repeat process on 2nd waffle with remaining batter.

Serve with pure maple syrup, honey, or favorite topping. Enjoy!

Dry and wet ingredients. I mixed the dry ingredients, then poured the wet ingredients on top. I don’t follow direction well. Whoops.

Don’t you love my waffle iron? :0) Things taste better when they have a little Disney inspiration behind them – besides, Cinderella’s coach WAS a Pumpkin! Fitting, right? I thought so!

Done!

I enjoyed my Cinderella Pumpkin Waffle with a cup of hot coffee in my Princess Half Marathon mug and a bit of agave nectar (I ran out of honey)!

The second waffle was stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for breakfast on Sunday morning.

If you try these, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Are you a fan of Pumpkin flavored things? What’s your favorite Fall inspired dish/drink/dessert?