Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

I have been tweaking a recipe for breakfast cookies for a couple weeks and telling lots of people about it!  There are a variety of flavors that can be made but this one is our favorite and is ready to share!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup ground oatmeal
1/4 cup coconut or raw sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon almond milk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg or flax egg (1 Tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 Tablespoons water)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sunbutter or peanut butter
1 cup dairy free chocolate ships (we prefer dark)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add all dry ingredients to large bowl and stir.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix.
Use a 1/4  cup scoop to scoop batter onto parchment paper and pat down into cookie shape.
Bake for 15 minutes until slightly browned. 
Cool completely before eating.
Enjoy cookies for breakfast!

Healthy Breakfast Coffee Cake

So I have made this delicious recipe about six times this summer and each time I say I am going to put it on the blog!  Finally - here it is!  I hope you all enjoy it as much as my family does!

1 1/2 cups almond meal or gluten free flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 T. flax meal
2 t. Ground cinnamon
1/2 t. sea salt
2 1/2 T. coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 pint fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir
3. Add coconut oil and maple syrup plus one cup water
4. Add blueberries.
5. Transfer to 8 x 8 glass pan and smooth out.
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly and slightly golden on top.
Enjoy!

Easy Greek Veggie Breakfast Scramble

 

Looking for a healthy, protein packed breakfast to get you off to a good start in the morning?  Here is a simple recipe that you can make in minutes!

Ingredients

EVOO
2 eggs, preferably farm fresh
seasonings such as black pepper, parsley, dried onion, etc
2 cups of spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup olives, sliced (approximately 10 olives)
1/4 cup feta cheese
diced tomato
tortilla of choice (optional)

Directions

Heat olive oil in small skillet.
Mix eggs and seasonings and add to skillet, cooking until eggs begin to firm.
Add spinach and cook until it begins to wilt and mix with eggs.
Add olives and feta cheese.
Transfer to plate and top with diced tomato.
Can be served with a whole grain tortilla like a breakfast tortilla or by itself to keep it low carb!
Enjoy!

Just say NO!

Life is about balance or maybe I should say about finding the right balance.  We all like to fill our lives with things that are good and important.  Things that help us grow or learn. Sports teams, church, music lessons, book clubs or bible studies, hobbies, charities, etc.  These are all very important and good things.  But is too many good things still a good thing?

I have learned many life lessons, usually the hard way.  One of those such lessons is that a life out of balance is no life at all a.k.a. I am not super woman!  I have learned that I must pick and choose how I spend my time.  I simply do not have enough time to be involved in every activity I would like to.  Some I can only participate in for a season then move on to something else.  Some activities or commitments like church and daily workouts are a constant in my life and are non-negotiable.  Other activities like a monthly bunko group was very fun but had to be given up when I began teaching evening classes.

It is true that we will find the time to do the things that are important to us but sometimes we must first give something up to make room for something new.  It simply just is not possible (or healthy) to keep adding things - no matter how good they are - to our life and expect to be able to give our best to them all.  It only leads to becoming overwhelmed, exhausted and burn out. 

So do fill your life with good things. Grow, learn, socialize, volunteer, participate. Choose wisely and learn when it is okay to say no.

So you ate a donut....

What now?! Did you just cancel out the workout you had earlier in the day? Do you start beating yourself up, telling yourself false truths like:  I will never lose this weight, I will never be able to stop eating sweets, I am a failure, I have no self discipline, I should just give up now, etc., etc., etc.

STOP!  It's time to kick those lies to the curb and take charge of your thoughts.  I know it is easier said than done but you know how the saying goes: what you think about, you bring about.  If you keep telling yourself something enough, you will start to believe it.

First acknowledge that you made a mistake or even failed.  Gasp!  I know, right!?  It's okay to fail.  It means you took a risk and tried something new instead of just settling for the way things are.  So you made a bad food choice or skipped a workout.  Does that make you a failure?  No!  What defines you is what you do next.  Do you give up, veg out in front of the television and eat your weight in chips, cookies, and ice cream for the rest of the day or take control?  Take control by acknowledging the choice you made and move on.  Replace the negative self talk with positive talk like: I am a healthy person, I am able to make healthy choices, I enjoy taking good care of myself by engaging in physical activity and eating food that is good fuel for my body, etc.

Don't let that donut or French fry or missed workout get you off track.  Pick yourself up, dust off and keep going!

 

"I get knocked down, but I get up again.  You are never gonna keep me down."

~ Chumbawamba