HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

Yesterday I decided that since I'm doing so much pumpkin baking I would make a batch of HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE MIX!  It was really easy.  All I did was put all the spices in my coffee grinder (that I actually only use for grinding flax and spices!) and grind away! 

Here is the mix I made:  2 small cinnamon sticks broken up into pieces or 5 teaspoons (tsp) ground cinnamon
2 small nutmeg seeds or 2 tsp ground nutmeg 
2 tsp ground ginger (or omit ginger if you prefer to use fresh ginger)
1 level tsp ground cloves or 1 rounded tsp cloves
4-5 allspice seeds or 1 tsp ground allspice
Hmmm....perhaps this would smell nice in a bar of homemade soap or a homemade candle?!  I think I may do some testing!  
I think I may sprinkle some of this on a batch of pumpkin seeds before I stick it in the dehydrator! 

VEGAN CARROT PINEAPPLE MUFFINS

Lately I've been trying to make cookies and muffins sweetened with healthy sweeteners such as dried fruit, coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave syrup and molasses.  Unlike processed sugars these products feed our bodies nutrients.  

I made a dozen of these muffins last night and they were gone by the morning!  They passed the blog test!  

Ingredients:  
2 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 medium sized bananas
2 T molasses
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c + 1 T water or nut milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 c pitted dates
1 c fresh pineapple, cut finely
1 c carrot, coarsely grated 
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  
Sift together the first four ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Set aside.  Put the bananas, molasses, maple syrup, water (or nut milk), dates and vinegar in your blender and blend until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently.  Add the pineapple, carrot and coconut and fold in.  Put the batter in 12 greased muffin tins and bake for about 25 minutes.