My Favorite Fall Activities on the Seacoast

Until yesterday, we were having a little heatwave here in New England, but not so much now. I really love the fall and jeans, sweaters and boots. Plus there are just so many fun things to do!

As we get ready to wrap up another fall season, here are some of my favorite fall activities that we've done since moving back to the seacoast last year.

Pumpkin Fest - Applecrest Farm Orchards, Hampton Falls, NH

They have a pumpkin field with pumpkins ready to go, animals, apple cider donuts, flowers, food and a store filled with yummy homemade products. Plus, it is pet friendly!

Leaf Peeping - Kancamgus Highway, NH

We've done this two times now. I highly recommend stopping to grab a map and plotting out places to stop for pics, hikes, attractions. This year we rode the gondola at Loon Mountain -> totally worth it!

Pumpkin Scarecrows - Portsmouth, NH

About a week or two before Halloween, the scarecrows go up around downtown Portsmouth. Last year we lived on State Street and saw them all the time. This year, we went over to Portsmouth for a long walk and counted how many we saw just for fun. We found 12 that day.

Apple Picking - Applecrest Farm Orchards, Hampton Falls, NH

I was 51 years old the first time I went apple picking!!! Applecrest Farm has the oldest apple orchard in New Hampshire, so we went back to raid their trees. We picked a peck of Golden Delicious, and Jonagold. In addition to pick your own, they had other fun activities like a corn maze and corn hole games.

Halloween Parade - Portsmouth, NH

Living downtown last year made it super easy to step out and watch the Halloween fun march and dance through the streets. This is definitely an activity that you should do at least once.

York Harbor Cliff Walk - York, Maine

Any coastal trail walk in the fall is fun. You'll get sunshine, crisp air and pops of color against the beautiful ocean blue. We loved the cliff walk in York because it reminded us of Newport's Cliff Walk.

What are your favorite things to do in the fall?

Dairy Free & Gluten Free Pumpkin Protein Donuts

 

So, a couple weeks ago, I shared an easy Pumpkin Protein Balls recipe and then I found this donut recipe. I've never made my own donuts, but watching the video gave me confidence that if I was ever going to try, this was the recipe to go for it. It was much easier to make these donuts than I thought it would be.

It did require buying a donut baking pan. I picked mine up at Target, but this is the same one on Amazon.

Donuts are one of my favorite treats on leg days, but it can be hard to find some that are gluten free, dairy free and good. I am lucky to live near a shop that makes really, really good GF and DF donuts, but making my own lets me know EXACTLY what is going into them and figure out the macros.

Ingredients:

2 bananas

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin purée 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

3/4 cup GF flour - I used buckwheat and held back enough for protein 

1 scoop protein - I used FASTer Way hydrobeef vanilla 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp pumpkin spice

Steps:

Mix all wet ingredients together.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir. 

Add batter to nonstick donut pan -> I did the batter in a baggie hack…it was messy getting in, but worked. Don’t be afraid to cut a bigger opening!

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes!

These are tasty on their own, but I liked mine dribbled with some maple syrup 🙂

Pumpkin Protein Balls

 

I love getting into the season...whatever season it is!

When the days get cooler and the leaves start to change, I get in the mood for all the fall things. Even though I'm not a PSL fan like a lot of people are, I do love the smell of pumpkin. Plus pumpkin is a fiber rich carb making it great for your healthy gut. It's also loaded with vitamin A -> known as the anti-infection vitamin because it helps the body fight bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections.

These protein balls are such a great fall treat and super simple to make. They are great for any occasion, but perfect for those on the go days to throw in your bag.

Try them and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 cups of rolled GF oats

1 scoop of protein powder - I used FASTer Way vanilla

2 tablespoons of chi seeds (optional for a boost of healthy fats)

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1  1/2 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning

1/4 cup of nut butter - I used almond butter

1 tsp of vanilla extract

And some honey to taste

Makes 12 balls

Steps:

Mix the dry ingredients together first and then add the wet ingredients. The mixture will be sticky, but not too wet. 

If you're like me and hate messy food hands, wet your hands with water before rolling mixture into balls. This trick works like a charm!

Place in an air tight container and store in your refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Macros: 

Carbs 15g, Fat 6g, Protein 6g, Fiber 3g

Fitness Friday: Playing Tag

Jen from Running With The Girls tagged me with a Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Thanks Jen!

Here are the guidelines that go along with this award:
- display the award logo somewhere on your blog
- link back to the blog who nominated you
- state 7 things about yourself
- nominate 15 (or less) other bloggers for the award and provide links to their blogs
- notify those bloggers that they have been nominated and of the award's requirements 

Here are 7 things I am looking forward to:

1. Newport, RI - This weekend we are heading back to Rhode Island. Saturday we'll be getting in a long run along the Newport Half Marathon course before hanging out at the beach. Saturday evening we will be enjoying the tunes of Survivor at the Naval Station Salute to Summer Concert & Fireworks Show. Finally on Sunday we'll be getting in a day of sailing.

2. Reach the Beach - In a few weeks I will be running my very first relay race as part of Team One Track Minded. I was invited to the team by my running partner Daisy who has run both NH and MA RTB Relays. I'm both nervous and excited for this running adventure, but know that I am in good hands. I read some really great relay tips from Sarah at Once Upon a Lime. Now all I need is to get my hands on a reflective night vest and head lamp! 

3. ZOOMA Women's Half Marathon -  The weekend after RTB, I'll be traveling to Cape Cod for another weekend of running fun! It all starts on Friday night with a Mocktail Hour sponsored by HINT at the Reds Poolside bar where special guest The Fitnessista and all the CC ZOOMA Ambassadors will be hanging out! Want to join us? All Cape Cod runners are invited, just RSVP here. Not signed up for the race yet? Register here and don't forget to use my discount code CCAMB8!

4. Fall - I'm really looking forward to the cooler running temps. I love summer, but I am a cold weather runner. In NH we are already getting some glimpses of the cool fall weather in the mornings and some little teasers of the fall colors to come. And, all that summer training means faster running in the fall.

5. Giveaway - Coming soon I will be sharing an awesome giveaway with you featuring some of my favorite running gear. If you follow my blog, you might be able to guess what might be on my list, but stay tuned! Be sure to check back for more details.

6. Soccer Season - I grew up a soccer junkie and now I'm lucky enough to be the step parent of one. My step daughter is starting her second year of high school varsity soccer and I am really looking forward to watching her play. Did you know soccer players typically run 5-8 miles during the course of one game?

7. Running with my Husband - I love that my husband is my #1 fan. He drives me to races (sometimes super early), takes pictures, hangs out while I talk to friends, and cheers for me. What I love most of all though, is running WITH him. He has a crazy work schedule, but I'm really looking forward to adding many more miles to our running shoes together.

What are you looking forward to?

Tag. You're it:

Janine @ The Purple Giraffe
Samantha @ Running and Cupcakes
Dani @ Weight Off My Shoulders
Abby @ Back at Square Zero
Krysten @ The Misadventures of a Darwinian Fail
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama
Michelle @ Running with Attitude