Turn the tide

The air is crisp. The leaves crunch beneath my feet as I run. The days are getting shorter.

It's official: Fall is here.

And by some stroke of luck or genius, the gym launched its Fall into Fitness campaign with a party for BODYPUMP 83 on the day that fall began.

In one word, 83 is awesome. I started on 81, which I have been doing for too long now, and it really had to grow on me. This release is challenging and fun, and it was love at first squat.

All three BP instructors were teaching at the launch, and I was responsible for chest, back, biceps and abs - all of which are killer.

Teaching on Saturdays is a bit lonely - it's just me and the classes are much smaller. It was so much fun to be team-teaching again and to be teaching to a packed house. The energy was incredible!

And, by the end, we were dripping in sweat. I guess we didn't fall into fitness - we dove in and swam into fitness. A  little story  for you: I almost did fall in the ab track. There's this really awesome rotating hover, and the floor was so wet from sweat that my feet slipped around. Gross yet awesome at the same time.

Afterward, I had treats and coffee waiting for everyone. I really wanted the launch to be special and encourage a sense of community, and there's no better way than with food. Healthy food that you can feel good about. I made pumpkin biscuits and some (sadly disappointing) apple chai muffins. The Keurig Vue was also on hand and a hot cup of coffee was nice to hold (and drink) on a rather blustery morning.

 A toast to fall and job well done!

Food Friday: Snack finds

I've been snacking. A lot lately, so it seems. And while I have my go-to snacks - sliced cucumbers, fresh fruit, 100-calorie packs of almonds - I've come across some new (to me) things that I thought I'd share.

Seapoint Farms Dry-Roasted Edamame,  Spicy Wasabi flavor. I first discovered dry-roasted edamame in a Go Picnic! pack but have since seen it at Marshall's and niche grocers. I love it as a salty snack alternative to nuts or crackers with a punch of protein. A quarter-cup serving has 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 14 grams of protein. And if you get the Spicy Wasabi flavor, I promise you that it has enough POW! that you won't be going back for seconds. I am a wasabi lover - it's a good part of the reason I like sushi - and this did not disappoint. Some pieces can have more wasabi powder than others so if you have a sensitive tummy, I would go with the traditional flavor.

Yoplait Greek 100. Greek yogurt for a dairy free gal? I know, I know. The company had contacted me before my decision to limit my dairy so when it came to my door, I thought I should at least give it a try.

{what I love about it} It's only 100 calories, still thick like fuller fat Greek yogurts and just 2 Points Plus if you are following Weight Watchers. I had a hard time finding plan-friendly yogurts when I was regularly attending WW and it's even tougher with Points Plus. It's also a bit more affordable than some of the other brands such as Chobani and Fage.

{what I didn't like about it} It is sweet. Almost sickeningly sweet. So much so that I felt an insane sense of mother's guilt giving Miles bites of it. I will say that I had been accustomed to eating Fage 0%, which I get ridiculously cheap at my butcher, and has about 16 grams of sugar from fruit. Yoplait Greek 100 is sweetened with sucralose (brand name Splenda), which explains the sweetness.

Earl Grey Latte with soy. OK, it's not so much a snack as a beverage - sue me. I picked up one of these the other day at Starbucks, and I fell in love.

Since I got my Keurig Vue, I've been obsessed (to say the least) with coffee, and I'm trying to balance it with something I can pretend is a bit better for me. The tea latte is just that. I got mine unsweetened (later added stevia) and was singing its praises for the three-block drive to work as I listened to a podcast of "This American Life" (also an obsession). It is a bit of a calorie-buster at 140 for a tall but it's a nice treat.

Snack drawer. I made a pit stop at Target this week to replenish my snack drawer (that's my reason, and I'm sticking to it), and I picked up a few things for the afternoon munchies - mandarin oranges in light syrup, 100-calorie packs of raisins and Fiber One Strawberry PB&J bars.

And maybe some fun-size Snickers Almond. Maybe ...

Anything else you would add to the drawer? I may or may not need another reason to hit up the Target.

{The obligatory early fall pumpkin post}

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. And not a bite to eat.

Aww, baby Miles!

Natch.

I lied.

Big time.

Evidence: I am currently in the depths of an early fall pumpkin coma. Pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast, pumpkin pie sans crust after lunch. Pumpkin coffee mid-morning, with a taste of a pumpkin biscuit.

Yes, pumpkin biscuit.

I am hosting a Keurig Vue party via House Party this weekend, and I'm tying it together with the launch of BODYPUMP 83 at the gym. The theme is "Fall into Fitness - As Seasons Change, So Can You," and I've promised participants some healthy fall-inspired treats. There's going to be Chai-Spiced Apple Oatmeal Muffins and maybe some homemade granola in addition to what is now called a biscuit.

My original plan was to make a pumpkin scone, offering a lower-calorie alternative to Starbucks' 440-calorie behemoth, but what came out of the oven looked - and tasted more like a biscuit. Dense but flaky and not overwhelmingly sweet. Served with some cinnamon butter and maple syrup (and a cup of coffee), there's not much better on a crisp morning.

Pumpkin-Maple Biscuits

Adapted from MyRecipes.com

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance or butter, cold
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk, divided
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 tablespoon turbanido or granulated sugar

In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. Add Earth Balance or butter and, with a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in until pea-size crumbs form.

In a small bowl, whisk pumpkin, 1/2 cup almond milk and maple extract until well blended. Add to flour mixture and stir just until dough is evenly moistened. Scrape onto a lightly floured board, turn over to coat, and gently knead just until dough comes together, 5 or 6 turns. Pat dough into an 8-inch round about 1 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut into circles. Gently fold together dough bits, forming new round and cut more biscuits. Be mindful not to overwork the dough.

Separate biscuits and place on a lightly buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheet.* Brush lightly over tops of biscuits with remaining milk. In another small bowl, mix granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over scones.

Bake at 375 degrees until scones are golden brown, 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack; serve warm or cool.

*At this point, if you want, you can put the biscuits in the freezer. To bake, remove tray from freezer, allowing biscuits to thaw as oven preheats. Bake as directed.