Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

After the Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes I posted last week, Alex requested that I make pumpkin pie. Of course I had to oblige but I didn’t feel like I could quite make a Thanksgiving Style Pumpkin Pie quite yet. So after some research I found this chocolate pumpkin pie recipe that I simply had to try.This pie went SUPER quickly. In fact, this was the only slice left by the time I got around to photographing it! I was actually just happy there was a slice left for me to take photos of. This pie is full of pumpkin and chocolaty goodness. Your senses will really begin to think its fall when you have a slice of this.This is a very easy recipe to switch to gluten free. Simply replace the graham crackers with a gluten free option, either gf gingersnaps, gf vanilla wafers or gf graham crackers. The rest of the recipe is fine as is! If you are worried about gluten contamination in the pumpkin pie spice blend simply make your own. I have a fantastic recipe posted HERE that is very easy and quick to make.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:118]Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Top 5 Green Beauty Autumn Lip Colors

Now that the weather has gotten cooler around here I’ve been pulling out lots of my deep colored lipsticks. Here are my top five I would suggest you try! (Each of these lip colors are all natural, vegan, gluten free, cruelty-free and contain no carmine!)Root Jenny LipstickThis is by far my favorite fall lipstick color. It is a gorgeous cranberry wine color that absolutely compliments any looks you’d be wearing for fall. I highly recommend this color since it is so versatile. When applying it you can apply it light and have just a great light wash of color. When you swipe it several times you get a great deep cranberry color. If you purchase just one lipstick especially for fall this year, this should be it.Au Naturale African Affair LipstickI know I said in my review of Au Naturale that I wasn’t going to purchase any additional lipsticks but I broke down and purchased this one because I couldn’t resist the color. It is a great deep plum color that really makes your lips pop. Surprisingly the formulation on this particular one is softer making it one of my absolute favorite fall colors. When I emailed the company about the difference in formulation they told me it was due to less colorant in this particular batch of lipsticks. Because of this I can’t assure you of a soft lipstick, but this color is one not to miss!Root Taylor LipstickTaylor is one of Root’s newest lip colors and it is beautiful! It is a great mauve color that will look great on any skin tone. The formulation on this lipstick is incredible. It just glides on and looks absolutely incredible.Root Merlot Pretty BalmI absolutely love Root’s Pretty Balms. They are very moisturizing and add the perfect amount of lip tint. Merlot is by far the best color for fall and winter. It is a lovely deep berry color. It pairs incredibly with their Merlot eyeshadow and blush for a complete fall look.Au Naturale Burgundy Lip CrayonThis color is perfect for fall. As the name would suggest it is a deep burgundy color. It look great with just about any makeup look. However, due to the dry formulation you will need something over top of this lip color. I love using Au Naturale’s Deep Coral Lipgloss or Passion Fruit Lipgloss to complete my lips.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I LOVE these cookies. They are absolutely incredible. I need to get a gluten free version made ASAP so that I can eat them to my hearts content rather than just sampling a piece. So be on the lookout next week for a GF version of these!My Mom gave me this recipe and suggested I try it. I thought it sounded very good and seasonal so I went ahead and made it. Oh man! These are fantastic cookies. They are both completely soft and moist, yet full of over the top flavor and a slight bit of crunch. I’ve taken these several places already and people just raved about them. They a little piece of heaven in a cookie.Since I used fresh pumpkin puree in the cookies they spread a bit more than they would if you used canned pumpkin. If you’d prefer thicker cookies you can simply add a little bit more flour and baking soda to thicken them up. However, if you are using canned pumpkin, DO NOT change the ratios. If you do, you will end up with dense cookies. Canned pumpkin doesn’t have the same moisture content that fresh puree does. Either way, this recipe is great as is, and easy to double or change if you like.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:103]Source: Adapted from Taste of Home