Over the last 5 days, I have baked quite a few things. Last Thursday I made these flourless peanut butter cookies. The were incredible! Crisp around the edges, but like pillows on the inside. So good in fact, that I had four of them while watching Grey’s Anatomy and then gave the rest to Kevin to take to work. Too dangerous to have in the house, even if I did make them bite sized. I modified the recipe (surprise, surprise) using 3 egg whites instead of 1 whole egg, 2/3 c. brown sugar instead of white, and I omitted the chocolate chips. Sometimes you just want peanut butter.
Just in case you are curious: 1 batch yields 25 cookies, 87 calories each (according to the scaled ingredients that I used).
I also made another batch of peanut butter cookies for comparison. They were so gross, I am not even going to share the link. Before Kevin and I bit into them, I forewarned him that they were supposed to be ‘healthy’ and that he could spit them out if they were bad and not hurt my feelings. We both tasted the cookie at the same time and proceeded to spit them out immediately. Ha ha!
I also played with a new cookbook this weekend that I received for Christmas.
(source)
I do not live a vegan lifestyle or eat a vegan diet, but I have to say this book is incredible! I made a batch of “Super-Charge Me! Cookies” and “Hemp-anola” (modified based on my pantry ingredients). Both recipes turned out wonderful. Even Kevin liked the cookies, although he did say that he prefers cookies that do not contain oats. His comment is, “Cookies are not supposed to be healthy. They are cookies!”. Very true, especially after our incident above.
Dreena Burton’s vegan cookies contained the perfect level of sweetness. My version included dried cherries, raisins, and dark chocolate. Yum!
The “Hemp-anola” turned out delicious too, even though there was not a bit of hemp in the batch I made. I also renamed this granola based on the recipient that it’s being sent to.
“I Hate Oatmeal” Granola
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup oat bran
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sorghum syrup
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup dried dates, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
Method of Prep
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients, except for fruit. In a small bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until evenly coated. Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning and to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Add dried fruit and stir to break up large chunks of granola, if desired.
I have no idea how many servings this makes, but the batch is HUGE! Just fyi.
Kevin & I have been using the Vitamix non stop. Since I am still unemployed actively trying to find a job, I wake up with him in the mornings and make him breakfast and coffee. Green smoothies have now been added to his breakfast equation. I send him out the door with his lunch and coffee in one hand and a smoothie to go in the other. I know he doesn’t care, but I like knowing that he has had a whole serving of fruit and a vegetable before lunch time rolls around!
I have also been enjoying a delicious chocolate concoction in the afternoons.
It consists of 1 frozen banana, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoons of dutch process cocoa powder, and a handful of ice cubes. No greens, but my lunch is usually so heavy on the greens that I skip them in my snack.
Lastly, just a couple of Lily pics.
When she isn’t playing she is doing this.















































His ripped pants?








