I want my apartment to permanently smell like these apple cider donuts that I made last week. I wish there was a scratch and sniff for this post because you would D-I-E! Cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and butter wafting through the air…heaven, truly. This was the easiesttttt recipe, and believe it or not – I am not even a donut person! Yeah, seriously! But these bad boys, are nothing like the store-bought donuts you’re used to. They’re moist, flavorful, and light – almost like an apple cinnamon muffin, but more fun. When I moved back to NYC, I left most of my cooking supplies and cute holiday decor behind. It was too much of a pain to bring every little thing, and I just figured I wouldn’t have enough space in my city kitchen for it all. Thankfully, I was able to replace a ton of items I left by ordering them at Walmart (their 2 day shipping option is THE BEST) and everything was soooo reasonably priced and sized. You really do have to think about the size of things in NYC, and this petite 6 donut pan is PERFECT for any kitchen. So is this baking rack! Affordable Items From Walmart It’s so fun to get in the fall/holiday spirit and I wanted to share a few easy, affordable things from Walmart that have made my place feel more cozy and fall-like this season! For fall/Halloween/October themed decor, I love these white pumpkins which can also be used on a Thanksgiving table. These black and white linen napkins are so classic and honestly great to use year round. These black and white straws make any drink more festive. And how fab is this big plaid blanket for picnics or snuggles on the couch? For baking, I love these Halloween sprinkles, this donut pan, baking rack, simple black spatula, hand mixer, and black “cauldrons” to put toppings in. Walmart literally has everything from decor, to baking items, and ingredients – like flour, sugar, vanilla, and candy corn or frosting! These are my favorite mixing bowls – I use them for everything from apps to baking, candy and more. Apple Cider Donuts Recipe Get the apple cider donut recipe here – and let me know how you like them! I can’t wait to make another batch this weekend (I already ate all of these in 2 days – after sharing a few of course ;0) Oh my goodness, I almost forgot – can we talk about Charlie’s costume?! It’s a Where’s Waldo? Halloween costume for dogs – and was under $20. He surprisingly likes it too (minus the glasses which he tore off in 5 seconds haha!) Do you have a pup? There are so many perfect dog costumes here!!! PS Walmart also has some really great adult costumes too! PPS you can shop this black henley here!

What better way to kick off October than with a yummy fall inspired recipe from my cookbook?!  These homemade granola energy bars are mouth-wateringly good and you’ll want to keep a stash at home and at work!  Your coworkers will love you for bringing these in – and won’t believe how easy they were to make.  I always get asked what I eat in a day, and what I snack on.  These granola bars are the perfect treat to have if you’re on the go and don’t have time to make breakfast, want a mid day snack that isn’t a processed energy bar, or are craving something sweet after dinner.  I love carrying these in my bag so I always have a healthy treat to reach for when I’m out and about! These delicious granola bars are completely free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar.  Every single recipe in my cookbook is actually free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar!  I like to eat this way 80% of the time because it allows me to look and feel my best and strengthens my digestion and immune system. Honestly, I hate being overly strict with what I eat so this lifestyle works really well for me!  I’m all about that balance… and never like to deprive myself – life is too short.  If you’re interested in what I eat in a day – you can read my post here, and if you’re interested in what diets I’ve tried/my overall thoughts on them – you can read my post about that here!  Plus I’m also always posting new recipes and behind the scenes stories of what I’m eating throughout the day on Instagram (@kattanita.) Now back to these bars! When Alex Thomopolous (the incredible chef I partnered with to develop recipes for the book) and I were testing recipes we were having trouble creating one that had the right consistency and taste, AND wasn’t loaded with sugar.  On our very last day of testing we perfected these together and I am SO thrilled with how they turned out.  I eat them all the time and love that they’re packed with nutrients yet don’t taste “too healthy” (if you’ve ever tried baking a gluten free baked good you know what I’m talking about lol….so many gluten free recipes often end up tasting BLAH or like cardboard am I right?!). I wrote a cookbook because I couldn’t find any gluten/dairy free/low sugar recipes that actually tasted GOOD and that were easy to make.  Literally, I went through 60+ different cookbooks before embarking on this project and none of them 100% fit my needs.  I’m bursting with excitement to share it with you – be sure to sign up here for pre-order details! These bars are loaded with healthy oats which are high in protein, chia and flax seeds which are high in fiber, coconut which is an anti fungal, pumpkin seeds which are a healthy fat and packed full of antioxidants.  They’re sweetened with maple syrup which is my favorite sweetener of choice because it is 100% natural and tastes the best out of all the sweeteners I’ve tried.  *I’ll be doing a post on why I stay away from refined cane sugar – and even artificial sweeteners like aspartame later this month!)  I hope you love these bars and if you make them – be sure to share them with me so I can repost on Instagram! Homemade Granola Energy Bars Gluten + Dairy + Refined sugar free Ingredients: 2 cups gluten free oats 1/4 cup shredded coconut 2 tbsp chia seeds 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds  1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp flax seeds 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 tbsp coconut oil melted 1/3 cup coconut butter softened Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and then pour the mixture on the baking sheet. Using your hands spread out the mixture into a 1″ thick rectangle. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.  Then slice and enjoy!  Makes 12 bars.