Pumpkin Snickerdoodles w/ Cheesecake Centers

Remember when I said (when setting up this blog) that I would post the occasional unhealthy (yet wonderful) recipe? I wanted (and continue to want) Table Haven to reflect how a truly healthy life is. While even with the best intentions, anything (even healthy eating) followed 100% is unhealthy because it festers obsession and rigidity -- which, in my opinion, is mentally unhealthy.

Cookies filled with cream cheese? TO-DIE-FOR!

I came across this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles on Pinterest (link here) and I just had to try. They were absolutely wonderful, and I made enough to bring some to work and share with Austin and his housemates. A coworker of mine said "I don't like pumpkin, cheesecake, or snickerdoodles, but all together these are AMAZING!" This past week, Austin mentioned that his housemate is still talking about the cookies, and is asking me to make them again while she "will even buy the ingredients!"

The only change I made when following Alyssa's (the writer at therecipecritic.com) recipe is I found it hard to work with the dough and stuff with the cream cheese mixture -- it was way too sticky. What I did instead was roll the dough in the sugar mixture first, so i could flatten it into a circle, then add the cream cheese. Then I would do the same with the top circle, and it was then easy to roll the circles into a ball.

Either way, this recipe was a hit! I thank Alyssa and other experienced bloggers for posting such great content and being such great role models for younger bloggers. Happy fall, everyone!

xoxo n

Easy Apple Cinnamon Oats

My obsession with apples this season continues!

This apple oatmeal was super easy to make (only 5 minutes of hands-on time) -- and steel cut oats are incredbily good for you, a great whole grain that's full of fiber and perfect for starting your morning. If you don't have steel cut, regular oats work great too -- just make sure you follow the instructions on the package.

Servings: Two

What You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 individual portion of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 an apple

Step-by-Step:

1. Heat water on the stove until it starts to bubble/boil.
2. Add oats -- lower heat and let cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir, then let cook for 5 more minutes until water level has lowered significantly.
4. Stir again -- when there is barely any water left in the pot -- turn off the heat.
5. Stir in the applesauce and cinnamon. (If you have no applesauce, chop up some apple and mix it in the oatmeal with the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.)
6. Top with apple slices.

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Totally make-beforeable (I made that up,) this dish is perfect for evenings where you know your morning will be crazy, but still want something tasty and nutritious. Simply put it in some tuppleware in your fridge, and grab it on the go. Enjoy :)

xoxo n

AppleFest! Spiced Applesauce

So -- after writing the last post..... I caught the case of apple-blog-mania.
I'd like to call it: AppleFest 2013, actually.

In the next month, I will be sharing wonderful recipes that have inspired me, everywhere from the cafeteria at work, to old cookbooks, to even my own imagination in the kitchen on a random Thursday. Look out for:

• Israeli CousCous with Cranberries & Apples
• Easy Apple Cinnamon Oats
• Personal Apple Pies
• Sweet Potato & Roasted Apple Soup

To start off, I decided to venture into making my own applesauce! First of all, its not only delcious, but it's so "school lunch" -- remember those sweet days? Plus, applesauce is so versatile -- in the past couple of days, I've eaten it plain, mixed it into some smoothies, or even topped it on some oatmeal! Not only that, but with my recipe, nothing artificial is added -- and if you're like me -- you'll be hooked on the purity of this recipe and taste, and never want to buy store applesauce again!

Servings: 4-8 (1 cup or half cup)

What You'll Need:

• 8 small apples (preferably pink or light red)
• A Slow Cooker! (can find them for $15 -- best thing you can buy for yourself)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2tbsp Cinnamon
• Optional: Pumpkin Pie Spice (sold this time of year, its cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc. bottled together in one)

Step by Step:

1. Cut the apples into slices and make sure to cut the peels off.
2. Put the apple slices into the slow cooker and add water and just a pinch of cinnamon.
3. Stir, cover, and turn the slow cooker to "Low." Let cook 6-8 hours while you sleep, you busy world-changer!
4. When the time is up, turn the slow cooker off and use a wooden spoon to mash the apples until the sauce is chunky. Add the remaining cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice and stir.
5. Let sit for 30 minutes, stir, then put the dish into the fridge. Let cool before serving.

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Who's excited for AppleFest? Instagram me at @natalieneilson with the hastag #THAppleFest to show me how you are engaging in the apple bounty this fall! Can't wait to hear from you guys!

xoxo n

Writer's Note: For those wondering "Where's the Sugar??" -- Many of the recipes I found online for applesauce required you to add sugar (sometimes up to a cup!) I decided to go against adding sugar, since apples are naturally sweet -- and I decided if I tasted my applesauce and it wasn't sweet enough, I would direct you readers to another sugar-adding recipe. However, my natural applesauce was just sweet enough :)