Favorite Healthy Cookie Recipe

I am always a little nervous to try new healthy dessert recipes because I have had some major fails!!  My friend Kim showed me this recipe and I tried the ones she made-I really liked them.  It is always nice if you get to try the recipe before hand.  Thanks to Kim I have a great new dessert/snack/breakfast cookie recipe.  I say breakfast, but mostly I will eat these for snack and dessert.  I am a dessert person (I'm talking every night I want something sweet), so these are a great because they don't have any added sugar (only natural sugar from coconut and bananas)!  You have got to try them, see my note at the bottom for my official report!

 

 My new go-to dessert

 They are so yummy with peanut butter on top (I'm sure you aren't surprised)

 They created a small disaster

 Wet ingredients

 Dry ingredients

 Place dough on cookie sheet (make sure you make them the shape/size you want them because they don't change while they are baking)

 Bake 12-14 minutes and enjoy!

Favorite Healthy Cookies

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cups rolled oats (I used 1/2 cup old fashioned, 1/2 cup quick, 1/2 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup oat flour-totally optional they are good either way)

2/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I did a heaping 1/3 cup)

1 tsp. cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Chocolate chips or dried cranberries, I divided my batter and did 1/2 cup choc. chips in one and 1/2 cup cranberries in the other

Peanut butter or almond butter for topping (optional!)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix your mashed bananas, vanilla and coconut oil in a bowl (you may need to slightly melt your coconut oil if it is really hard, mine was fine to stir in without heating).  In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and cranberries.  Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Divide your batter in half and mix chocolate chips in one half and cranberries in the other half.  Drop by big spoonfuls (I used my large cookie scoop) onto a pan lined with parchment or non-stick foil.  Flatten your dough balls into the shape you want them to be becuase they won't change shape while baking.  Bake for 12-14 minutes.  It is kind of hard to tell when they are done.  I did mine for 14 minutes and the tops felt like they were set so I took them out. 

*This makes 20 nice sized cookies, store in fridge

Note:  I had these for dessert the first day I baked them (chocolate chip is my favorite).  Today I took one for a snack (cranberry is best for a snack) with peanut butter and it was just the right amount of filling.  I also had one for dessert tonight and it was great.  Keep in mind they are healthy, so don't expect them to taste like a normal buttery, sugary cookie.  They are more like a cookie colliding with a granola bar!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do:)

Must Try Pasta Salad

I have never been a huge fan of pasta salad, but Breanna, my sister-in-law, makes pasta salad I really like.  Our friend Danielle also makes a pasta salad from the box that is really good.  I took inspiration from both of them to create a filling pasta salad that I could take to lunch.  I have been needing new lunch ideas that can stay cold.  For my pasta salad I put lots of veggies, chicken, pasta and cheese.  The key to this pasta salad is grilled vegetables

 

 We started with vegetable kebobs that we bought from Kroger, our grocery store.  I sprayed them with cooking spray and then sprinkled Tony's Creole seasoning

 Then Cliff grilled them.

 Cliff also grilled chicken.  Cliff made BBQ chicken for Memorial Day, so I had him throw on an extra chicken breast with salt, pepper and olive oil for my pasta salad

 Cliff is really good at grilling!

 These were so good, and easy.  It would be fun to make your own, but it is a really easy to buy them made.

 This was our Memorial Day meal

After we ate I got to work in the kitchen.  I am going to call it pasta salad from the grill and you have to try it.  First start to boil your noodles, I chose tri-color rotini.

 While the pasta is cooking, cut up your veggies (from one vegetable kebob), and chicken (I cooked my chicken in a little white wine because it was a little undercooked, and I think it added a lot of flavor).  Set that aside and check your noodles.

 When they are done, drain your noodles and add chicken-veggie mixture, olive oil, italian dressing seasoning, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

 You can taste it at this point to see if you need more seasoning

 Last, add cubed up mozzarella and baby tomatoes.  Give it all a good stir and let it sit overnight.  This pasta salad was amazing and easy.

Pasta Salad From the Grill

1 large chicken breast, grilled (optional: if you leave it a little pink you can dice it and finish cooking it in a little white wine)

1 vegetable kebob, grilled

1 1/2 cups pasta

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1 packet Italian Dressing Seasoning packet

S & P & Red pepper flakes

6 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed

2/3 cup baby tomatoes (doesn't have to be exact)

Cook pasta according to package.  Cut up your grilled chicken and veggies.  Drain pasta and add chicken-veggie mixture.  Add olive oil, balsamic and seasonings.  Stir to combine and add more seasoning to taste.  Add tomatoes and mozzarella, stir and let sit overnight.  This makes about 4 servings as a meal, and more if you are only having it on the side.  I took it for lunches two days this week and it is a great way to get veggie, protein, dairy and grains into one meal.  Enjoy!

 In other news, I had to share this yummy dessert idea with you.  While we were in Austin, Joyce had a massive container of chocolate chip cookies.  Obviously we had ice cream around and we made these awesome ice cream sandwiches.  Just scoop ice cream of your choice onto a cookie of your choice and top it with another cookie.  Wrap in saran wrap and re-freeze for at least of couple of hours so it can harden back up and stay together while you devour it.

This was not staged, but isn't it awesome.  His aunt was reading Shape (and dodged the picture), and Cliff is stuffing his face with ice cream.  He told me not to take the picture, can you tell?

I have had another busy week.  Looks like that is the new norm for a while.  I will be blogging when I get time and coming up with new recipes each week.  Hope everyone has enjoyed the short week and is ready for the weekend. 

Weekend Baking

I woke up at 4:45am wide awake...what is going on?  I have been feeling good about waking up early but it's weird when I don't have to get up.  Since I got up so early I decided to make Chocolate Espresso Waffles!  I have not made these since college and I was craving them this morning.  I did pilates then headed to the kitchen to make the yummy waffles you see here.

 I may have put more mini chocolate chips on after this picture;)

 

Chocolate for Breakfast!

Wake up and smell the waffles! These Coffee-Chocolate Waffles are sweet and light, and full of good stuff — like fiber and monounsaturated fats. Plus, the yummy combo of espresso and cocoa powder is just delicious. Your morning pick-me-up never tasted so good! 
Coffee-Chocolate Waffles
Makes 5 waffles 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup 1 percent milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons espresso powder
3 tablespoons light olive oil
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (optional)
Maple syrup

Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the milk, brown sugar, espresso powder, and oil. Whisk these ingredients together until blended. 
Preheat a waffle iron for 4 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's instructions. (A drop of water should sizzle and bounce when dropped onto the hot surface.) 
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer at high speed just until they form soft peaks. Fold the whites into the chocolate batter a third at a time, folding in the chocolate chips with the last third of the whites. Fold just until the mixture is combined. 
Spray the heated waffle iron with cooking oil right before using. Add enough batter to almost cover the waffle grids (3/4 cup) and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the waffles with maple syrup. 
Note: To keep the waffles warm, place them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet in a preheated 250°F oven. 
Per waffle: 235 calories, 10g fat, 29g carbohydrates, 10g protein, 5g fiber, 400mg sodium

****This is a Denise Austin recipe but I can't seem to find the link online (good thing I made a copy of it!

We went to a community service project with our church at 8am.  It was cool they had tons of projects to do around the community and you could pick one based on your talents.  We had a little time before our project so I decided to do some baking/making.  First, I wanted to take cookies to the lady we were going to help...so I decided on my Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate  Cookies (great for Christmas!).  They have mostly wheat flour in them and they are so good.  They were really easy to work with today because I used parchment paper on my cookie sheets.  You need to try these cookies you will not be dissapointed-plus they have fruit and fiber in them-they are so healthy;)

 They are very good with a cup of coffee.

Fresh out of the oven.  Then it was on to Mom's Hot Cocoa!

This hot cocoa is a little expensive to make but it gives you a huge batch.  I always give it away at Christmas time.  It is full of cinnamon yumminess.  It feels so cozy in my stomach when I drink it!

 This would be a good gift idea.  A plate of baked goods with a jar of hot cocoa-how can you go wrong?

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies (Amazing!!!)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 ½ cup oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or a little more)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or a little more)

Heat oven to 375.  Spray cookie sheets with PAM.  In large bowl combine sugars and margarine, beat until fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg, blend well.  In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; add to wet mixture.  Stir in oats, craisins, and chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto baking sheet.

Bake 7-10 minutes.

*When these come out of the oven and are cooling they are a little tricky to work with.  Sometimes you have to push the edges in with a spatula but the end result is worth itJ  It makes about 24 average sized cookies!

We ate a bowl of chili with a side of a tortilla then we were off to our project!  After the service project, we came home and I cleaned a little.  I decided to go for a walk run because the weather was so nice!  After that I was very hungry for Bacon Mac.  This recipe is one of my favorite mac recipes-it is slightly adapted from this Cooking Light recipe.  We add a little more cheese and a little more bacon.

 This is the sauce on the stove before I add the cheese and bacon!

 It all melts together to create this delicious meal.

It gets a nice crispy topping because you broil it for a little while.

Served with a side of roasted asparagus.

I had a lot of cleaning to do after this meal but it was worth it.  I did a little blogging then we watched I Spy.  It was really funny.  I decided to try my new batch of Hot Cocoa and I freaked out because it tasted way different.  I don't know what was up with it but after trying a million (okay not that many but my tongue is burned!), I realized it needed more dry milk.  Geez I'm glad I fixed it because I crave that stuff every day and I was planning on giving lots of it away.  I also might have eaten a big ol' cookie!  I am getting so excited because my parents, brother, and sister-in-law are coming Monday!  I have lots of things to do before they get here (but it is fun stuff)-ahhhh it's going to be great.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  Enjoy your Sunday.

Date Night

Friday night is our date night!  We go out to eat every other Friday, and find something free/cheap to do in between!  Last night we decided to try a pizza place called Crust.  It was really good.  We got there and it was so busy, but there were seats available outside so we found a table close to their heaters!  It was a really cool atmosphere.  We ordered a X-large pizza:  half Big Don's Meat and Cheese (Pepperoni, Sausage, Beef, Canadian Bacon, Cheddar & Mozzarella), half Madelyn's Alfredo (Alfredo Sauce, Roasted Chicken, Fresh Spinach, Fresh Mushrooms, Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheese)!  

I liked the alfredo one best, but they were both delicious.  Mostly, I had a great time with my husband and really liked sitting outside near the heater.  We walked over to the grocery store nearby afterward and picked up some bacon because it was on sale.  When we got home I made this amazing cookie I have been wanting to try-it did not disappoint!  It is a recipe for one GIANT cookie...I did not expect it to be so big...I originally thought Cliff and I would split it, but we only finished about half.  I got the idea here.  

Doesn't it look amazing?  Here are a few more pictures and I did not have goobers so I used butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, mini chocolate chips, and reese's pieces!

 LOL, to give you an idea of how big it was, this is a medium sized apple!

 Almost as big as a coffee cup!  I did flatten it out a little before I baked it.  I baked it in our toaster oven for about 18 minutes!

Finished cookie the length of a normal-sized banana...LOL...I still think this is funny!  I was running around the apartment giggling, laughing, and jumping around like a little kid because I didn't realized the reality of this GIANT cookie until I made it.

One Giant Cookie:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup Reeses Pieces
1/4 cup mixed baking chips: butterscotch, peanut butter, mini chocolate

1. Preheat oven (used my toaster oven!) to 350 degrees F. and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla mixing until well combined. Stir in peanut butter then add flour, soda and salt. Mix well, then add the Reeses pieces and baking chips until combined. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet, flattening slightly, and bake for 17-20 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk and yourself!
Makes 1 giant serving (or 4 regular size if you wanna share)

Slightly revised from: picky-palate (here pictures really help...check out the link!)

We watched this weeks episodes of The Office and Parks and Rec while we ate our cookie (about 1/4 each)!  It was a fun evening.  We went to bed pretty early because Cliff has been sick all week and needed some rest.

***********

This morning I woke up at 7am.  Layed in bed for a while then decided to go for a walk on the trail.  I walked about 40 minutes then came home and made coffee and oatmeal.  I got my oatmeal idea from KathEats.  I'm going to call it Banana Nut Butterscotch Oatmeal.

 Yummy!  I was very hungry.

 Topped with walnuts, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter!

Banana Nut Butterscotch Oatmeal:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/3 banana slices really small
• 1 small tsp. butter
• 1 big tsp. flax
• 1 big tsp. brown sugar
• 1 big Tbsp. walnuts (toasted in microwave)
• 1 big scoop peanut butter
• butterscotch and peanut butter chips
• pinch salt, dash vanilla
• cinnamon sugar at the very end!

I  heated my milk, water, and butter.  As it started to get warm I added my oats and bananas and stirred often.  As it started to thicken I turned off the heat and stirred in flax, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla.  Stirred until smooth and creamy then put it in my bowl and topped with remaining toppings.  I did some cinnamon sugar at the last minute.  

The flavor of this oatmeal was great!  I don't think I could eat it every day like Kath LOL-I burned myself out on oatmeal a long time ago so I don't have it as often as I once did!  I will definitely make this again though....next time with a few crushed graham crackers!!!

A Better Evening

I felt very scattered today.  I had a lot to do and it was hard to get it done.  I DID eat a yummy breakfast of a half a pumpkin bagel with scrambled eggs, went to the Chiropractor, cleaned a little, went for a walk, ate a toasted whole wheat bun with peanut butter and banana, and went to work.  My Mom did send me this much-needed verse (thank you so much):  "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 

Work was very stressful and kind of disappointing.  I work with kids and have a lot to learn.  Things got better when I got home and I am thankful!

Tonight I made Tater Tot Casserole for the first time!  I used to hear of people making this, and I would think, "That doesn't sound healthy!"  That all changed one Sunday when I tried it at a Church potluck.  It may be slightly unhealthy, but I like to look at is as a serving of potatoes that happen to have grease on them.  It is very easy to make-I browned my meat, onions, and peppers before I went to work.  When I got home I just had to add cream of mushroom and milk.  Combine that with the meat and top with cheese and vegetables, I mean tater tots.  Twenty-five minutes later you have:

 I served this with a side of green beans, which you could've seen except my hunger got the best of me and I forgot to take a picture of my plate..haha!  I really enjoyed it as you can see:

After dinner, I felt the need to bake.  I looked at my Cliff (Husband) and said I need to bake, what sounds good?  His response- Oatmeal Scotchies!!!  I used to have this recipe memorized because it is Cliff's favorite cookie;  it has been a while so I had to look at the bag!  Nestle Butterscotch Morsels bag has the best recipe for these cookies.  I make a few changes (listed below). Beware:  this cookie dough is very addicting and you might make yourself sick!  I waited until all the cookies were in the oven, left a chunk of cookie dough in the bowl so I could "lick the bowl".

These cookies are amazing!  You have to try them, you won't be disappointed. 

Tater Tot Casserole

1 pound ground turkey(could use beef)

1 medium onion

1/2 green bell pepper

1 can cream of mushroom

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp. Ketchup

1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese

2-3 cups Tater Tots

Preheat oven to 425.

Cook ground turkey, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet over med-high heat until well browned.  Stir in cream of mushroom soup, milk, ketchup, and Worcestershire.  Spoon turkey mixture into a 2-quart baking dish (almost the size of a cake pan).  Top mixture with cheese and potatoes.  Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes.

**Note:  The meat mixture could be made ahead of time if needed!

Modified from:  Allrecipes Tater Tot Casserole  

Oatmeal Scotchies (Lauren's Modified Version)

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup butter or margarine,softened (I use one stick of each)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups oats (I use 1 1/2 cup quick and 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned-either is fine)

1 cup Nestle Butterscotch Morsals

1 cup chocolate-chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in small bowl.  In large mixing bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats and chips.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  

Bake for 7-9 minutes depending on crispy preference (I do 8 minutes-soft and goey with a tough of crisp on edges).  Cool on wire racks.  

Makes about 4 dozen.

Modified from Nestle Toll House Oatmeal Scotchies (found on back of Butterscotch Morsels bag).