Paleo breakfast cookies....

{paleo/vegan/low sugar}

Nice lil' treat for the week. Original recipe found here.

Of course I had to improvise because I'd rather use ingredients that we have then run to the store to buy something else, even though we have two grocery stores on both ends of our street that are probably less than a mile away. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tablespoon golden flaxmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1 very ripe banana

1 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup coconut oil, warm enough to be liquid

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The original recipe called for pecans, which I excluded all together because we didn't have any left in our pantry. Also, I used one banana instead of three, mixing in some apple sauce instead.

Really didn't know how this experiment would turn out. Sometimes you just have to go with it, right?

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, coconut, flaxmeal, salt, and blueberries. Stir in banana, apple sauce, oil, agave nectar and vanilla until well combined.

Roll spoonful of mixture onto baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Continue with remaining mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Cool on pan.

My "green" smoothie...

For the past couple of weeks, I have been making this "green" smoothie almost every morning. It definitely doesn't taste "green" and is my way to sneak in some good-for-me ingredients that I wouldn't get in my every day diet, like spinach, coconut oil, and chia seeds. 

I am a huge fan of coconut oil because it is anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial, but not a huge fan of the taste. When mixing it into a smoothie, I can't taste it at all! 

 And, in case you aren't familiar with chia seeds, I include them for more fiber, protein, and omega 3's. 1 tablespoon has 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 2.9 grams of omega 3's. 

Below are all of the ingredients I use.....

{ingredients}

Coconut milk- about 1 cup

Organic frozen berries- about 1 cup

Banana- 1

Coconut oil- about 1 teaspoon

Chia seeds- about 1 tablespoon

Organic local honey- few drops

Cinnamon- about 1 teaspoon

Spinach- about 2 cups

These are approximate proportions. Sometimes I will use kale instead of Spinach, but I find the spinach blends better. I don't like a chunky smoothie.

Look at all that green! Also, in case you are curious I use a Kitchen Aid blender. I like Kitchen Aid products, but you could use any blender as long as it can puree or liquefy, unless you like a chunky smoothie.

See, not green at all.

{paleo/non-dairy}

And, you could easily use almond milk, soy milk, or regular milk, but as I've said before, dairy and I don't get along, and coconut milk is my go to non-dairy option.