Happy Meatless Monday! A huge shout-out to the Vegan Gypsy for bringing my attention to this recipe by the amazing Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  After a few minor alterations/modifications the result was sinful deliciousness!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp boiling water
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4c (turbinado) sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preaheat oven to 350, set water to boil, foil-line an 8” loaf pan
2. Combine applesauce, oil and cocoa in a large mixing bowl
3. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium mixing bowl
4. Add 1/3c boiling water to cocoa mixture and whisk quickly into a sauce, then add pumpkin, sugars and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Add half the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture along with 1 Tbsp boiling water and mix. Then repeat with the other ½ flour mixture and other Tbsp boiling water
6. Fold in chocolate chips
7. Spoon batter into loaf pan (it will be thick)
8. Bake for about 55 minutes (until toothpick comes out mostly clean) then let cool for 10 minutes.
9. Try not to eat it all at once!

I got 8 good-sized slices out of this, and here’s the nutritional information: Calories: 287, Fat: 9.2 grams, Carbs: 56.4 grams, Fiber: 6.9 grams, Protein: 3.5 grams

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On the running side, things haven’t been going so well. I seem to be in a funk. I only ran once last week, and while I had all intentions of hitting the treadmill today I somehow twisted my back this morning while I was out with Lucy, and now I can hardly even stand up straight. Hopefully I’ll be back on track tomorrow!

And speaking of Lucy, she’s been doing quite a bit of Christmas shopping lately. Here she is in one of her new hoodies:   I’ll share some more pictures of her in the next day or two!