Holiday Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sugar Cookies

Love all things pumpkin spice? Check out this recipe for pumpkin spice cookies.

We all have an unused container of pumpkin pie spice in our pantry. We may have used it to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and now it just sits there. What else can we make with this unique spice? These holiday pumpkin spice cookies are the best recipe for pumpkin pie spice. They go great with pumpkin spice coffee!

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 Thanksgiving is over, and you probably have a bottle of pumpkin pie spice in your cabinet. Chances are that container of pumpkin pie spice will not be used again until next Thanksgiving when you make another pumpkin pie. 

 A year from now, that jar of pumpkin spice may not be fresh and will have lost some of its flavor. So if you have a container of pumpkin pie spice in your pantry, you need to start using it! What else does one use that pumpkin pie spice for? 

 Pumpkin pie spice is such a flavorful spice that can be used for many recipes beyond pumpkin pie. It can be used like cinnamon in so many recipes. Think of pumpkin pie spice as a gourmet cinnamon spice. Pumpkin pie spice will give so many recipes a wonderful taste. The best way, of course, is to use it in a cup of coffee. So you can have pumpkin spice coffee year-round instead of just in the fall. 

Who says that pumpkin spice coffee can only be consumed in the fall? You enjoy cold brew coffee and iced coffee year-round, so now, with the help of pumpkin pie spice, you can enjoy a warm cup of pumpkin pie spice coffee any time that your heart desires. Since we are talking coffee, we need some pumpkin pie spice cookies to enjoy with our cup of coffee.

How To Make Perfect Iced Coffee

                              
  My favorite way to use pumpkin pie spice is in cookies. This spice adds a gourmet taste to sugar cookies. I love adding pumpkin pie spice to my sugar cookie cut-outs. The pumpkin pie spice makes my holiday cookie-cutter cookies taste so good. These are the cookies that I bring to all my Christmas cookie exchanges. I also love bringing my Lemon Frosted Rosemary Holiday Sugar Cookies to holiday cookie exchanges. 

This sugar cookie dough recipe is the best for the cookies for Santa, as they can be decorated with a delicious pumpkin pie-spiced frosting. Get that frosting recipe and other ideas for how to use pumpkin pie spice further down in this post.

Holiday Pumpkin Pie Spiced Sugar Cookies are

~ Delicious

~ Perfect for cookie exchanges

~ Can be made dairy-free

~ Full of flavor

~ Can be used with cookie cutters

~ Has a cinnamon taste

  I have a wonderful holiday sugar cookie recipe that uses pumpkin pie spice. This cookie has a wonderful taste of cinnamon and other spices that most associate with pumpkin, but it has no pumpkin taste in it. The cookie has hints of ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in the cookie batter. To me, the cookies taste like a light gingerbread cookie. So if you are a fan of gingerbread cookies, you are going to love these cookies. If gingerbread cookies are not your thing, you have to try these cookies, as they are a less spicy version of those holiday cookies. 

 You just have to make them in order to understand the delicious spice combination. These delicious buttery cookies can be enjoyed year-round. I told my husband that I would be making these cookies, instead of my regular sugar cookies, next Christmas.

          I love this AirBake® Nonstick Cookie Sheet! My cookies baked faster and did not burn. After I made these delicious cookies, I decided to see what other food items I could enjoy pumpkin pie spice in, as I did not want that wonderful bottle of spice to go to waste.

Did you know that most spices lose their flavor after a year or so? So that pumpkin pie spice that you bought for Thanksgiving may not give your pumpkin pie the same great flavor next year. So use this delicious spice year-round. Here are some creative ways you can spice up your life with this intriguing mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves. If you love cinnamon on your food, you will love pumpkin pie spice.

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Ideas for using pumpkin pie spice
                                       
+ Coat chunks of sweet potato or butternut squash before roasting
+  Mix it into pancake or waffle batter
+ Brew a good dash of it with your coffee
+ Add to oatmeal with some maple syrup
+ Sprinkle over yogurt
+ Sprinkle into warm tea
+ Stir into French toast batter
+ Stir into eggnog
+ Sprinkle into a latte
+ Add it to frosting
+ Add a teaspoon to coffee grounds before brewing

Holiday Cinnamon Spiced Sugar Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature. Make it vegan or dairy-free with vegan butter
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs or 2 egg substitutes
2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Then gradually beat in the flour mixture.
3. Divide the dough into thirds and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a least 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters and place them on ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for ten minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Tip: These cookies can be frosted. I added a teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice to a container of cream cheese frosting, and the taste was so delicious.

Eleven Egg Substitutes For Baking & More

Pumpkin pie spice would taste awesome in these cookie recipes
       Click on the yellow links below for the recipes

Dairy-Free Rosemary Sugar Cookies  

Sugar Cookies With Half The Amount Of Sugar 

Dairy-Free Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

What is your favorite holiday cookie?

Eight Fitness And Health Tips For Women Over 40

Getting older does not have to mean extra pounds.

  Most people like to blame those extra pounds on old age. We ladies like to say "once I hit 40, my metabolism slowed down and it is so hard to lose weight." I would like to prove those ladies wrong and show you that getting older does not have to equal putting on extra pounds. I am over 50 and my body is still in great shape. Sure I had to make some changes once I turned 50 but these changes that I made were worth it as I like the way I look and feel. I refuse to let being over 50 be an excuse to me for being out of shape. If you are not 40-50 yet and want to make some health changes, these tips might just be the start of a healthier you. These tips are things that I have done in the past two years and they worked for me. As with any health changes, it does take time to see results.

                                             
1. Start your day with a healthy breakfast that includes protein.
  I have always enjoyed breakfast and for the most part, ate healthy items but when I turned 50 and noticed that I gained a few pounds, I knew that I had to make changes in my diet. The first change that I made was adding protein to my breakfast. I noticed that the days when I had plenty of protein for breakfast, I did not snack in the morning as the protein kept me full for longer. During the week, I like to drink a healthy smoothie that is made with a plant-based protein powder that has 15-20 grams of protein. I always add some type of frozen fruit and frozen spinach to my smoothie for extra nutrition and fiber. I also like to add chia seeds and other supplements like turmeric and matcha for extra health benefits. My favorite protein powder has some of my favorite supplements in them, making my smoothie easier to make. On weekends when I have more time to make and eat breakfast, I like to eat oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts in it or a spinach omelet. Sometimes, I grab a protein bar and fresh fruit. Starting the day healthy gets your mind in a healthy mood and it can help you make otherwise choices throughout the day. These healthy choices may also lead to some weight loss.

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2. Exercise 3-5 times a week
 Now is not the time to slow down on exercise. Our bodies need exercise to be healthy and to stay in shape. If you already exercise and notice the pounds creeping on, it might be time to up the exercise time or intensity. I like to run or walk fast 5 times a week for 40 minutes each session. For exercise to do good for your body you do need to get the heart rate up. If you can carry on a conversation while exercising, you are not getting the heart rate up. Adding turmeric to your diet will help with muscle/joint problems that we older folks can experience. I find that adding variety to exercise helps me. Some days I go running, while other days I go to the gym. I also may bike to the grocery store when I only need a couple of items. Sure there are days when I do not feel like exercising but I force myself to go for a walk. I listen to upbeat music while I am walking and before I know it, I am walking fast.

3. Add weights
 As we age our muscles start to sag in places. When I turned 50, I noticed that my arms were kind of flabby. So I bought some 5-pound weights and do about 10 minutes of arm exercises a couple times a week. It did take a couple of weeks to notice results. As a bonus,  the added muscles in your body will help you burn more calories. Doing weight lifting will also help tone your body so your clothes may fit better.

4. Eat healthier
 If the weight is creeping on as you age, maybe it is time to change those eating habits. Your younger you may have been able to stay in shape with junk food but the older you may need less food or a healthier diet. Eating healthy is also important as you age to keep your heart healthy. A healthy diet along with exercise will keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels in desirable ranges also and ward off diseases like heart problems and diabetes. My diet is filled with plenty of fruit and veggies, whole grains, plant-based proteins, and some fish and dairy. I try to follow the Mediterranean diet as I feel my body runs better with these types of food.

5. Snack smarter 
  Getting older does not mean no more snacking, it just means eating better for you snacks. That junk food was never good for us anyway. I like to snack on nuts, fruit, yogurt, wheat crackers, and healthy snack bars. Sure I do have chocolate or cookies once in a while but I try to keep healthy snacks in the house so I am not tempted to eat the junk. My motto is to make every calorie count and I like to reach for snacks that have nutritional benefits in them. My favorite snack bar is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. The delicious combination of vegetables, fruits, herbs, berries, nuts, and seeds tastes so good.

                                                              
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6. Stay off the scale
  Weigh yourself once a week or less. I find that the number on the scale either frustrates me or is a ticket to reward myself. I no longer weigh myself and let my clothes be my guide to how I am doing. When I did weigh myself, I found that when I lost weight I used that as an excuse to treat myself with food. When I gained weight, it made me depressed and I would eat more to soothe myself. When getting in shape you are replacing fat with muscle and the number on the scale may not change but the way your body looks does change as muscle takes up less space in your body. I look at pictures of myself one year ago and I look a bit heavier than I do today but the ironic thing is I weigh the same.

                                   Taken the summer of 2016

                             Taken fall of 2017

7. Stop making excuses
Stop making those excuses about making changes. You have to start somewhere and now is the best time. If you are too busy to exercise, then maybe it is time to cut back somewhere. Don't tell me you have kids. Have older kids bike while you go for a fast walk. Younger kids can go in a stroller. Check out these tips for working out with kids. A healthier diet starts at the grocery store, so start making healthier choices. It is hard to eat junk food if it is not in the house. It can take a while to make these changes and to see results so don't give up. They say it can take 3 weeks for a change to become a habit.

8.  Keep trying and don't give up
 You will stumble and fall. When you eat something unhealthy like a pint of ice cream or too many pieces of pizza, don't be hard on yourself. Just eat healthy the next meal or the next day. I don't eat healthy all the time but if I ate too much one day, I will eat better the next day and exercise a bit harder. There are also days that I just can't seem or want to exercise but that is ok. I always remember that tomorrow is always a new day. I also allow myself to indulge while traveling or at a party. Life is meant to be enjoyed and being too restrictive leads to failure. If you eat healthily and exercise five out of 7 days you are doing good.

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Easy Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Bark

A delicious twist on a holiday favorite.

  The holiday season is a time of way too much baking for me. While I enjoy baking it seems that my family always needs something last minute to bring to their office/ school parties. So I like to keep ingredients in the house so I can whip up a last minute treat. One of my favorite holiday treats to make is chocolate bark as it is so easy to make and depending on the recipe it only needs a couple of ingredients. Last week I made an easy peppermint bark for my son to bring to his class party and everyone loved it. This week I decided to make a peanut butter bark for my husband to bring to his office party. My husband loves that this treat is easy to transport to work. He rides the bus to work so bringing something like cupcakes would be hard for him. I just place the yummy bark in a holiday tin and my husband can then carry this treat in his backpack without any worries of it getting smooshed.

My Easy Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Bark only uses two ingredients but you can add other items to it to give it a different taste or look. I like to add pretzels, M&Ms, and peanut butter cups to mine. I did not add those to this recipe as I did not have any in the house at the time. This recipe is easy to double.

Easy Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Bark

 1 bag milk chocolate chips

 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Linne a baking sheet with a silicone sheet, wax paper, or parchment paper. Place the milk chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 1 and a half minutes. Stir and cook in 30-second increments until melted. Make sure to stir after each 30-second cookings. Do not lick the spoon as doing so will get moisture on the chocolate and cause it too crumbled and not melt. Once the chocolate is melted. Then spread the mixture on the lined baking sheet and smooth it out to cover the entire pan. Place the peanut butter in a microwave-safe dish and heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until melted. Once the peanut butter is melted, drizzle it over the milk chocolate that is on the baking sheet. Then use a toothpick to swirl it together. If you are adding a topping like pretzels, just sprinkle it over the chocolate. Cool for an hour or until hard. Then break the candy into pieces.

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Flowers Are Always The Perfect Gift For The Holidays / Christmas

Flowers always bring out a smile!

      I received a Teleflora’s Send A Hug Bear Buddy Bouquet to facilitate this post.

There is something special about flowers. They always seem to bring a smile to my face when I see them. Flowers are just so pretty and they also smell nice. Flowers can always put me in a good mood. especially when I get a hand-delivered bouquet that is hand-crafted by a local florist. Flowers can brighten up a room also. I love using flowers in my decorating. Flowers always add that special touch to my holiday table.

Do flowers make you happy?

Since flowers make me happy, I know that a beautiful flower bouquet makes the perfect gift for many people on my gift list. My mother is one person who loves receiving flowers and I always send her some for her birthday. This year I think I will surprise my mom with flowers for Christmas. I know she will like the Teleflora’s Send A Hug Bear Buddy Bouquet or many of the other holiday bouquets that Teleflora has this holiday season. This adorable flower arrangement has a lush array of red and white blooms with plenty of holiday greens that are accented with red berries and snow-tipped pinecones. The festive flowers are featured in a hand-blown, frosted glass cube that has a cute cuddly polar bear on it. This wonderful vase can be cherished for many holidays long after the flowers are gone. I can see my mom using the vase for Christmas candy.

Who will you surprise with flowers this holiday season? I am sure there is a special friend or family member who would be overjoyed with receiving a beautiful bouquet of hand-crafted flowers that arrive in a keepsake vase. Teleflora has many holiday flower bouquets that will brighten someone's day. Flowers are a perfect gift! The flowers that I received look so pretty on my table and they smell so good!

Live Out Loud

This holiday, love like you mean it—out loud this Christmas. Say everything and get talked about by
gifting the perfect surprise— a beautiful holiday floral arrangement that friends, colleagues and loved
ones, near or far will want to show off. To order a bouquet, hand-crafted and hand-delivered by a local

florist anywhere in the country, please visit www.teleflora.com

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Say everything and share your “Love Out Loud” with the gift of Teleflora flowers – all made by hand
and delivered by hand by your local florist. By tapping over 10,000 member florists in North America alone, Teleflora offers the kind of personal touches, artistry, and expertise you expect from a trusted neighborhood florist—even if that neighborhood is across the country. No prepackaged flowers in nondescript boxes dropped on your doorstep—Teleflora’s network of professional florists create artistic arrangements personally delivered in a vase, often on the same day. Teleflora makes every day an occasion with a 2-in-1 gift that includes a multi-purpose keepsake container for long-lasting enjoyment. Follow Teleflora on Facebook and tag your own #LoveOutLoud moment.

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