Date-Nut-Seed Energy Balls

Being pregnant in the summertime has not been so fun for me.  You guys probably know by now that I really hate the heat.  Give me an overcast 65-degree day over a sunshiny 80-degree day anytime.  Maybe this is the ultimate result of growing up and living in the Pacific Northwest.  

When I was pregnant with Ben I made several batches of oatmeal lactation support cookies to have before and after labor, but there was no way I was going to turn on the oven this time around.  So, these raw Date-Nut-Seed Energy balls were my solution.

When pulling together the ingredients, I essentially wanted to make these little calorie-dense healthy fat bombs to give me energy before, during, and after labor.  The fact that they store well in the freezer and taste great cold is a happy coincidence.  They can also be stored in the fridge for some time, or on the counter for several days... if they last that long.  

Date-Nut-Seed Energy Balls
Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp raw almonds
• 6 tbsp raw pepitas
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup packed dates, pits removed
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter

(FOR A DOUBLE BATCH):

• 3/4 cup raw almonds
• 3/4 cup raw pepitas
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups packed dates, pits removed
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions:
1.)  In a food processor, pulse the almonds, pepitas, and rolled oats until a coarse flour forms.
2.)  Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until a dough starts to form.
3.)  Pour blended mixture into a bowl and mix with a spoon to make sure all of the processed ingredients are well mixed together.

4.)  Using your hands, grab a small handful of the dough and form a tight ball, about the size of a ping pong ball.

5.) Place the balls on a non-stick baking tray or a plate covered with parchment paper.  Once all of the dough is used and the balls are formed, place the tray or plate in the freezer for 20 minutes before removing and storing how you prefer.

Amy's Notes:
In a perfect world, these would include some form of chocolate.  Because I primarily made them for after birth when I would be breastfeeding, I opted to not add any cocoa, chocolate chips, or melted chocolate coating (chocolate seamed to bother Ben when I breastfed the first time around).  BUT don't let that stop you!  If you wanted to add some chocolate, I would suggest you try adding 1-2 Tbsps of cocoa powder, 2 Tbsps of mini vegan chocolate chips, or dipping the frozen balls in a bit of melted chocolate and returning to the freezer to solidify.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

5-Minute Banana Bread Oatmeal

I eat oatmeal every. single. day.  And I love it!  Oatmeal is probably my second favorite food, second only to watermelon (ooooohhhh yeeeaaahhh watermelon season is just around the corner!!!).  I first loved oatmeal when I was in high school.  My dad started eating oatmeal in the mornings to help with his blood pressure and cholesterol that was high at the time from medication he had to take for his autoimmune kidney disease (which is totally gone now thanks to a WFPB diet!).  Even in high school I had (and still have) that "I want to be like daddy" feeling.  So, I tried oatmeal with a bunch of brown sugar and loved it.  At that time it was my new favorite dessert.

When I started a Nutritarian lifestyle my junior year of college in 2011, I had oatmeal a few times a week for breakfast, but with no brown sugar this time.  I loved it cooked with bananas and plant milk the most.  Then a few years into eating this way I started to lean towards having just fruit or a smoothie for breakfast, having oatmeal less frequently.

Now, as a breastfeeding mom, oatmeal is my everyday morning companion.  Oatmeal is one of those foods that is always suggested to help mothers maintain their milk supply.  Here is a nice article about that.  I'm happy that my daily oatmeal is now not only good for me, but good for Ben too.  Since I have oatmeal most every morning, I've slowly perfected several recipes that I love.  #1 on that list is Banana Bread Oatmeal.  This is the ultimate bowl of cozy yum yum!

Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 servings

Ingredients:
    Oatmeal:
        1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
        3/4 to 1 cup boiling water (I use water heated in my teapot)
        1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds (optional)
    Banana bread goo:
        1 small-medium banana
        1/2 cup plant-based milk
        1/2 tsp vanilla extract
        1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg)
        2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Instructions:
1.)  In a smaller bowl mix together the rolled oats and ground flaxseeds.  Pour 3/4-1 cup boiling water over evenly and allow to sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
2.)  In a medium-sized bowl mash the banana with a fork until creamy but with some chunks.  Add in the plant-based milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and walnuts, stirring thoroughly.
3.)  Place banana mixture in the microwave for 1 minute on high.
4.)  Take the steeping oatmeal and scoop onto the heated banana mixture.  Serve immediately.

Amy's Notes:
If you prefer your oatmeal less chewy, cook it on the stovetop before combining it with the banana mixture.  I find my this way of cooking it is easier (because I'm already heating water for tea in the morning) and produces a chewy texture that I prefer oatmeal to be.  Adjust it to your tastes though.  :)

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Pinterest Reference:

Brownie Batter Dip

You know those days... (ladies, I'm talkin' to you) when something chocolate-y is just needed?  Yep, I had one of those days the other day.  Rather than stopping on my way home from work to get some chocolate ice cream, candy, or other sugary monstrosity that I know I shouldn't be eating, I decided to make this brownie batter dip.

I whipped this up and had it with a banana and some cherries on the side.  Instead of regretting every bite of a dessert, like I usually do, I savored the flavors and knew that I was getting way more fiber and nutrients than I would with a store-bought brownie or cake.

This brownie batter is oil and sugar free, vegan, and gluten-free!

***Please note that this recipe is still rather high in calories and fat, but can be a healthier option for a chocolate dessert than SAD (standard American diet) ice cream, cake, or brownies.  If you are doing the ETL initial 6-weeks, I would recommend that you avoid desserts that have this much dried fruit.***

Brownie Batter Dip
Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients:
        1 can cannellini beans (1.5 cups), drained and rinsed
        3/4 - 1 cup lite coconut milk (see note below)
        1/2 cup dates
        1/4 cup nut butter (almond, peanut, or cashew butter would work best)
        1/4 cup cocoa powder
        1 tsp vanilla extract
     
Instructions:
1.)  Place all ingredients and 3/4 cup of plant milk in a food processor.  Process until smooth and creamy, adding more plant milk as needed.
2.)  Serve at room temperature with apple slices and other fruit to dip.
3.)  Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you lick the bowl clean... you know you will ;)

Amy's Notes:

• I happened to have half of a can of lite coconut milk leftover to use up, but this recipe can be made with any other type of plant milk by adding 2 additional tablespoons of nut butter.
• In my recipe, I used almond butter, which blended nicely in texture and taste.  Peanut butter would also work great for those who are looking for that Reeces flavor ;).
• For those of you looking for a similar taste, but with less sugar from dried fruit, I would suggest adding in a ripe banana for half of the dates called for.

Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies

I love carrot cake.  I did as a kid, and as an adult before becoming nutritarian.  Around Easter when you see images of fluffy white bunnies and colorful eggs, all I can think about is CARROT CAKE!  My nutritarian baking skills have not developed enough to be able to recreate a cake, but I can sure make my own cookie recipe.  Why not recreate that carrot-cake flavor in a cookie?  Enjoy, and Happy Easter!  He is Risen!

Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
    Processed Batter:
        1 cup old fashioned oats
        1/4 cup pitted dates
        1/4 cup almond butter (or about 1/2 cup almonds)
        1 ripe banana, peeled and cut into several pieces
        1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
        1/2 tsp cinnamon
        1/2 tsp nutmeg
        1/4 tsp ground ginger
    Shredded:
        2 carrots, washed, peeled, and shredded
    Mix-ins:
        1 cup old fashioned oats
        2 Tbsp raisins
        2 Tbsp raw seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or hemp will do)

Instructions:
1.)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2.)  In a food processor, process the batter ingredients until smooth.

3.)  Fit the food processor with the shredding blade and shred the carrots.

4.)  In a medium sized bowl, empty the batter and shredded carrots into it.

5.)  Add the mix-ins and stir well to combine.

6.)  Scoop a golfball size amount of the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press each cookie down lightly to form a small puck.

7.)  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies slightly brown and are no longer gooey.
8.)  Serve warm and store leftovers in an airtight container.

Amy's Notes:
I love that this recipe has none of the bad stuff that a traditional carrot cake has: sugar, white flour, eggs, oil.  That's not to say eat a whole batch to yourself.  Think of this as a nutritarian treat to have on special occasions, like Easter.

For the mix-in seeds, I used raw pumpkin seeds, but sunflower or hemp seeds would work just as well.  I just happen to have an allergy to sunflower seeds.. bummer, I know!

Happy Easter!

ABC Muffins

I hope everyone is having a grand weekend.  I am just finishing mine up with a dinner out with Kevin and my parents.  We're going for Mexican tonight and I can't wait to get me some yummy salsa, mexican rice, and beans!

I had the afternoon to kill time today after meeting up with one of my best girlfriends to help figure out how to bustle her wedding dress for this July.  All I can say is, she is going to be an absolute georgous bride!

I had two beets in the fridge that I have been needing to use up, so, at first I thought to make a shredded raw beet, carrot, and apple salad.  Once I got done shredding the produce in my handy food processor, I just knew that I wasn't going to enjoy eating it as a salad, and would inevitably end up throwing half of it out.  I decided to go ahead and make something similar to zucchini bread, but with shredded apples (A), beets (B), and carrots (C) and in muffin form (Get it?  ABC Muffins?) to have for breakfast and snacks during the week.

I have never been the most particular baker, so I just started throwing things together to make a batter, and low and behold, it turned out great!  Here is my recipe...

ABC Muffins
Time: 20 minutes prep, 20 minutes baking per batch
Servings: 24 cupcake size/12 muffin size

Ingredients:
        Shredded: (about 4 packed cups total)
                2 medium raw beets, washed, peeled and shredded
                4 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and shredded
                3 medium apples, washed, peeled, and shredded

        Batter:
                1 + 1/4 cup water
                1 cup old fashioned oats
                1 cup pitted dates
                1 cup whole wheat flour
                1 cup walnuts
                2 ripe bananas
                2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
                1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
                1 tsp cinnamon
                1/2 tsp ground ginger
                1/2 tsp nutmeg
                1/2 tsp baking powder
                pinch salt (optional)
       Mix-in:
                1/2 cup raisins (optional)
                1/2 cup old fashioned oats
                
Instructions:

1. With a food processor (or by hand if you are feeling so gung-ho), shred the apples, beets, and carrots.
2. Place the shredded ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.  Set aside while you make the batter.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a rinsed food processor, combine the batter ingredients (water, oats, dates, whole wheat flour, walnuts, bananas, ground flaxseed, vanilla, spices, and baking powder) and process until a thick, fairly smooth batter forms.  Add more water to thin if necessary.  It should be about the consistency of  mashed potatoes, not quite pancake batter.
4. Place the batter into a large bowl and stir in the Mix-in ingredients (rasins and oats).
5. Add one cup of the shredded ABCs and stir in until well combined.  Add another cup and stir, and so on until the 4 cups of shredded ABCs have been well mixed in.  
6. At this point your batter should be well mixed and thoroughly pink from the beets.
7. Prepare a cupcake or muffin pan with cup liners.  Scoup 1/4 cup of the ABC batter into each cupcake holder (up to 1/2 cup for a muffin pan).  Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a bit of rolled oats if you want.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Serve hot or cold.  Keep leftovers in the refriderator.

Amy's notes:

These muffins end up being a bit messy and make your kitchen temporarily pink, but boy are they good AND nutritious!  If you are not a huge fan of beets (I'll admit, it took me a while to aquire a taste for them), feel free to replace the beet with more carrots and apples.  Or all carrots.  Or all apples.  Whatever you want really.

I would highly suggest that you use cupcake/muffin liners, as these end up being quite sticky, and would be hard to get out of the molds.

Berry Coconut Chia Pudding

Some of you may remember Kevin and my distaste general disinterest for Valentine's Day in previous years.  Kevin and I started dating a little over three years ago right before Valentine's day, so we felt a bit awkward as to what our expectations of each other were on Valentine's Day.  We have come to an understanding that we expect nothing special on Valentine's day, but generally end up doing something fun together (preferably at home since most places are crowded).

In past years we have cooked together at home and enjoyed a night in watching a movie.  We are currently making our way through the James Bond collection that Kevin got from my parents this year for Christmas.  We just finished up The Living Daylights, which was actually pretty good after just watching A View to a Kill before.

As most people feel around Valentine's Day, I'm sure, I am craving something with a bit of sweetness to it.  I remembered how yummy my chocolate pudding was last year, so I decided to make another chia pudding:

Berry Coconut Chia Pudding

Servings: 6-8
Time: 5 minutes, plus 1 hour chill

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen berries
• 1 16 oz can lite coconut milk
• 1 7 oz cube soft silken tofu, drained
• 6-8 dates
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• fresh berries to garnish

Instructions:

1. In a high speed blender, blend all of the ingredients except for the chia seeds and fresh berries.  Blend until very smooth and creamy.  It will be a little thicker than milk, but thinner than a smoothie.
2. Pour the blended ingredients into a medium sized bowl.  Stir in the chia seeds until they are fully coated and mixed into the liquid.
3. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.  Serve in a small bowl topped with fresh berries.  Store leftovers in an airtight container until all of your Valentines are sweetly satisfied!

Amy's Notes:

Make sure to taste the blended pudding portion before combining it with the chia seeds.  You may find that you want to blend more dates to make the pudding sweeter.

For this recipe I used frozen organic sweet cherries for the liquid and fresh blackberries and blueberries to top, but feel free to mix it up however you would like. 

Healthy Chocolate-Fix Smoothie

I hope everyone had a splendid weekend.  I'm currently getting over a bit of a head cold that I caught from Kevin, which he probably got from the school he works at.  I'm happy to have Monday and Tuesday off this week, and I will be starting a new job hopefully on Wednesday or Thursday!  Yay!

I'll give you a "quick" breakdown of how my life has been changing over the past few weeks:

I have been working as an Administrative Assistant at Tradesmen International since July, but in the beginning of January I had had a meeting with my boss that would change everything.  Since it was the beginning of the year, I thought long and hard about where I want to be in a year professionally, and I decided that I wanted to start pursuing careers in the field I graduated in, Environmental Science.  I have always been an honest person and appreciate when others are honest with me, so I sat down with my boss and discussed taking Thursday afternoons off so that I could have some time to start looking for environmental jobs.  Since I got all of my work done by noon most Thursdays, this was no problem, and he understood that I was going to be with them temporarily from the beginning.  I told him that it would probably take me months to find the right job that I was looking for, and that I would of course give him my two weeks.  He was very understanding and supportive that I wanted to go after something in my field.

Well... about three weeks late I had a few leads on some jobs I had been looking into, and even an interview.  However, I also found out that I was being "laid-off" and would be worked through the end of the week and replaced by "someone who is wanting to be with us long-term."  Damn-it!  This will definitely teach me to be honest when it comes to things like this.  It turns out that the person they gave the job to replace me was my boss's brother's friend/girlfriend.  They kind of got what was coming to them in the end though: when I went to pick up my final check, I learned that the computer I had been working on and had all of my documents and spreadsheets I had created to do my job efficiently had crashed.  All I can say is karma is a bitch!

So, I have been out of work for two weeks, but I'm happy to announce that I've taken another job as an Administrative Assistant/Project Coordinator at a well known engineering firm that has wonderful connections and gateways to environmental positions I hope to get to someday.  Did I mention that I work about 20 hours less a week than my previous job and that I get paid about the same?  I think that's a fair trade-off.  In the end, I'm a firm believer in thinking that everything happens for a reason.  I'm just happy that this led me to something bigger and better.

Now, on to my recipe.... I, like most women, get that time of the month when chocolate seems to find its way into my mouth one way or another.  I thought I would try making something that would hopefully be more forgiving than a candy bar.  All I can say about it is... it is supposed to make two servings, but if you end up having the whole thing over an afternoon snack, dinner, and evening snack... I'm not going to judge you ;).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• 2 frozen bananas
• 6 ice cubes
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 2-4 dates
• 1 large kale leaf
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
2. Serve cold immediately, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one day... but it won't last that long.

Amy's Notes:

• I used homemade almond milk for my smoothie, but any type of non-dairy milk will work.  If your milk is unsweetened, you may want up to 4 dates, but start with two and work your way till you find your desired sweetness.
• I used 1 large kale leaf, which equaled out to about 2 cups of greens, but feel free to add as little or as much of any type of dark green that you have on hand.

Dr. Fuhrman's Apple Strudel

Well, so much for posting a crockpot recipe on Crockpot Monday.  Here is the breakdown of how Crockpot Monday failed.  I planned on making Quinoa Corn Chowder from Savvy Vegetarian on Sunday night.  I started the recipe in the crockpot on low around 7 p.m. and went about my evening playing flag football and watching tv with Kevin.  When it got time for the recipe to be done, however, the potatoes weren't cooked, and it was getting to be pretty late.  I decided it needed a few more hours on low to finish cooking the potatoes, so I set my alarm for 3 a.m. to come turn the crockpot off and I would put away the chowder in the morning.  Seems I have a knack for sleeping through alarms at 3 a.m., and I let the crockpot go all night long.  The edges of my crockpot were burnt and the chowder well well overdone.  I had this for dinner tonight after I took and end of recipe photo-shoot.  It tasted just fine, not amazing, but eatable.  The pictures from it, however, were terrible looking.  It was more of a brown color than the recipe pictured on the website, but I'm sure that if I try it again I will just do it on the stovetop and get a much better result.  

In an attempt to do a last minute recipe for Monday (not crockpot), I was craving a dessert with apples in it.  I made Dr. Fuhrman's Apple Strudel, which turned out wonderful!  The only changes I made to the recipe was an addition of 1/2 c oats, to make it more crunchy and apple-pie-y, and 1/4 c chopped walnuts instead of ground raw almonds.  Here it is (as the original recipe).

Dr. Fuhrman's Apple Strudel

Ingredients:

1/4 c apple juice

3/4 t vanilla extract

1 t cinnamon

1/4 c almond milk

3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/4 c raisins, chopped

1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 c ground raw almonds

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a bowl, mix the apple juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and milk until combined.  Stir in the chopped apples, raisins, oats, and ground almonds.  Pour into an 8x8in baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Maybe I can get some better inspiration for next Crockpot Monday.  What is your favorite nutritarian, veggie-loaded crockpot recipe?

Banana Ice Cream

Oh how I love my sister-in-law!  In an answer to my question about frozen fruits the other day, she sent me a great link to a Rachel Ray recipe for banana ice cream.  I'm usually skeptical about Rachel Ray recipes, and many that come from Food Network because they tend to have a lot of extra virgin olive oil, butter, or sugars in the recipes.  This one, however, is as simple as it gets with no added fat or sugar.  Here it is:

Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients: Serves 2

3 frozen peeled bananas

1/4 c almond milk

Directions: Place bananas and almond milk in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Amy's Notes: Make sure to peel your bananas before freezing them.  If I don't get around to eating bananas before they turn bad, I always stick them in the freezer.  I have found that the riper (more brown) bananas are when you freeze them, the sweeter they will taste, with that delicious banana flavor. I topped my banana ice cream with a small amount of honey and some walnuts.  Mmmm!

So, again, I have not had a crockpot Monday, and the reason for this is because I have so many (SO MANY!) leftovers from the Halloween Party my roommate and I hosted on Saturday.  The schedule for the week is rearranged to be as follows:  Monday- Banana Ice Cream, Tuesday-  pictures from Halloween and strategies for eating and exercise during the holidays, Wednesday- World Wed. recipe, Thursday- Favorite recipe of the week.  Hope everyone has a great Monday, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I know that my bad season of eating is always from Halloween to after New Years.  What is your best strategy to staying fit and eating right during this tempting season?

Oh the Wonderful World of Apples!

Since picking apples last week at Green Bluff near my hometown, I have had apples seemingly everywhere in my kitchen!  I don't want to waste a single one of these apples, so I'm planning three different recipes using apples today.  The first is a creation of my own for a quick breakfast called Apple Pie a la Oatmeal, the second is a recipe I found from the Whole Foods Market online recipe search called Roasted Apples and Parsnips, and the third is a scone recipe I've used for a long time, but tweaked to be more like cookies and are called AppleCinn Oatmeal Cookies.  Hope you enjoy experimenting with apples in recipes as much as I do!


Apple Pie a la Oatmeal

Ingredients:  Serves 1

1/4 c oats

1/2 c water

1 apple cored and diced (peeled or unpeeled)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c almond/soy/rice/hemp milk (optional)

Directions:  Combine oats and water in small bowl.  Place diced apples on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Microwave for 3 minutes on high.  Carefully remove from microwave and stir.  Pour alternative milk on top and enjoy!

Amy's Notes: I've enjoyed oatmeal well before I became a nutritarian, but usually topped it with a bunch of brown sugar.  This recipe is great because it gets its sweetness from the apples and great spice from the cinnamon.  The apples also do a good job of stopping the oatmeal from boiling over the sides of a smaller bowl in the microwave, which used to happen to me when I've made plain oatmeal before.  I usually microwave my oatmeal for convenience of time and cleanup, but if you would like to try it on the stovetop, please tell me how it works for you and I will update the recipe for that option.  (email at amysnutritariankitchen@gmail.com)  Also, I like my oatmeal to be less mushy and to add almond milk afterwards, but if you prefer it wetter, increase your water to up to 2/3 cup.  


Roasted Apples and Parsnips

 Ingredients:  

Small batch (what I did today)

(This could feed one to two people depending on how hungry you are, or how willing you are to share!)

1/2 lb parsnips (2 medium), peeled

1/3 lb Gala apples (1-2 small apples), cored and peeled

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped

Normal batch

(This is what I will do next time so I can have leftovers)

1 1/2 lb parsnips (5 medium), peeled

1 lb Gala apples (2-3), cored, peeled, and diced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

1 TBSP fresh sage, finely chopped

Directions:  Same directions for both batch sizes.  Place oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.  Cut parsnips into 1 inch pieces and quarter those pieces (cut approximately to dice by dice by one inches).  Mix together the oil, sage, pepper, and salt in a bowl.  Add apples and parsnips and stir to coat well.  Spread in a single layer in a large baking pan or casserole dish.  Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring vegetables occasionally, until parsnips and apples are tendered and slightly brown.  Serve as side dish or on top of blanched spinach or baby bok choy.

Amy's notes: This was a wonderful recipe where I got to use one of my favorite fruits, apples, and something I've never tried before, parsnips.  I must say I will be adding parsnips to my regular grocery list.  Just delicious!  I thought I would let you all in on a funny little online chat conversation about parsnips my mom and I had earlier today:

Amy: wow that apple parsnip thing is good!

Amy's Mom: Really? What are parsnips like I have never had them

Amy: they are like if carrots were sorority girls who have orange tans, I'm the parsnip. They're shaped like carrots but a bit harder like potatoes. I'm definitely going to use them in a lot more things

Amy's Mom:  hmmm, I'll have to get some.

AppleCinn Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients: Makes 12-20 cookies

1 1/2 c oats

1/2 c ground oats (ground in food processor)

1 c almond/soy/rice/hemp milk

1 c diced peeled apples

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 c whole wheat flour

honey topping (after baking, optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients (add more flour to get to consistency).  Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.  Place spoon-fulls of dough on cookie sheet, making sure to include apple pieces in each cookie.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned.

Amy's notes:  I have omitted sugar or sugar substitutes from this recipe, so I like to have a small amount of honey on the top of the cookies right before I eat them.  I'm not a huge dessert fan, but these are definitely a goodie.

Please note for future posts that I probably will not include the amount of servings within a recipe unless it is only for one, for many (meant for leftovers), or baked goods with definite amounts of muffins, cookies, rolls, etc.  I have different opinions of serving size than some people, especially on vegetable based recipes which I use as my main dish, so if you use a recipe for a side dish it may serve much more people than I'm judging it will.  


What is your favorite type of apple for crunching into?  For cooking and baking?