Quinoa Cookies- GF!

Quinoa you say?

Baking with Quinoa? Craziness I tell ya!

But SO delicious.

Thanks to my friend Paula's blog, Healthiest Regards, 

I found this fabulous recipe. Made a few tweaks, and here you go:

1.5 Cups Cooked Quinoa

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1/4 Cup Honey

1.5 Cup Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 Cup Gound Flax Seed

1 ride banana, mashed up

1/2 tsp Salt

Dash of cinnamon & a dash of nutmeg

GF, Dairy free, Mini Chocolate Chips

 Combine dry ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Add wet ingredients. Mix. Add chocolate chips. Mix. Using a tablespoon, place dough on greased cookie sheet. Place in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes until cookies are browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven.  Let sit and cool before moving off of the cookie sheets (they tend to crumble, not as much when they cool down though)

Makes about 50 small cookies, if you're good and don't eat all the dough first!

Nutrition Facts homemade quinoa cookies Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 50 Total Fat 2.2g       Saturated Fat 0.5g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 49mg Carbohydrate 6.6g       Dietary Fiber 1g       Sugars 2.3g Protein 1.6g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium    1% Iron 2%

These are soooo yummy, and really- how y

Beach Day!

Again....

Its been a great summer for beach days!

This time we went with our preschool families. So much fun!

 The best part is that Izzy is no longer terrified of the ocean and clinging to us like a baby monkey! She's actually braver than Jess now- totally wanting to run in the waves! Gunna have to get on those swimming lessons....

We have an abundance of zucchini's in our garden right now- so I'm getting really creative with our recipes!  We've already made bread, pancakes, pizza crust, noodles, and now- cookies!  And of course, this is after also eating it just plain grilled or sauteed as a side dish.  Those zooks sure know how to produce!


Secret Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup heart-healthy margarine { I used real butter. None of that fake stuff for me!}

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed { I used 1/2 cup of Agave. Saw it used in another gf zucchini cookie recipe that I did not have all the ingredients for, thought it sounded good!}

3/4 cup zucchini, very finely grated or chopped with skin removed {I kept the skin on!}

1 egg

1 1/3 cupsgluten free master baking mix(or all-purpose GF mix of your choice) { I used Bob Mill's all purpose}


{I added a teaspon of xantham gum.  May have been too much, will try less or none next time}
1/2 cup gluten free certified oatmeal

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips { I used vegan carob chips. I like keeping these in the house for baking. Because then I'm not tempted to nibble on them (like I am with real chocolate chips) }

Directions:

Cream margarine and brown sugar. Add zucchini and the egg. Stir in master mix, oatmeal, flax seed meal, and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen secret chocolate chip cookies!


{Recipe from Wellsphere.com}

Loving about you right now...

 I love when you randomly ask me to take your photo, and you bust out your super model poses

I love that you want to be an artist when you grow up

I love that you have such an opinion about what you wear every day

I love how you believe

I love to read you stories, and watch as you start to learn to read on your own

I love your little freckle under you big beautiful blue eye, and your blond blond hair

I love your big, squeez-y hugs

I love you and everything about you, my princess popcorn

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Happy birthday to the best Dad a girl could ever ask for

and the greatest Papa in the world!

We love you, Papa!

(Pictures taken on a recent Papa/granddaughters date- lunch at Boudins, just Papa & the girls )

Friends

One of my good friends from highschool, Patty, came to visit last weekend with her family.

Steve was out of town on a fishing trip, which was a bummer, but it was so fun to finally meet Patty's sweet little girl and hang out!

We did a beach day:

 Then my other good friend from highschool (Jessica, who lives down in San Diego) came up with her little boy (I took his first bday pics!) so we had this fun little reunion with our babies as well.  But it was near impossible to get a good picture of everyone....

 Then trying to get one of the just the kiddos- forget about it! Jess is the only one who sat and posed :)

So fun to hang out with you, Patty, Chip & baby G!  Come back and visit again soon!!!!

GF Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies

Saw this recipe on The Short and Sweet of It and HAD to try it

Just swapped vegan chips for the chocolate chips

Honey for the brown sugar and BOOM- delicious cookies I can eat!

(I'm working on making these vegan.  Just because I for some reason find it fun to make vegan baked goods....)

2 cups of peanut butter

2 cups of chocolate chips (I used vegan carob chips)

2 cups brown sugar (I used 1 cup of honey)

2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs (I've tried using bananas instead of egg.  Didn't turn out so well.  Delicious, but more just a big gooey mess than cookies. Will try something else and get back to you.....)

(I also threw in about 1/2 cup a shredded zucchini.  Because I have a surplus of zucchini and thought it would be a good addition.  I was correct.)

Mix it all up, pop on the cookie sheet and stick in a 350 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Eat & enjoy. Makes about 40 good sized cookies! (they aren't the firmest cookie ever, a little soft and mushy, but I keep them in the freezer and you can hardly tell! Not sure if this is because there is no flour or if its because of the honey....)

Nutrition Facts homemade peanut butter cookies
Serving Size: 2 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories	238
Total Fat	13.9g
Saturated Fat	2.8g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	21mg
Sodium	123mg
Carbohydrate	22.7g
Dietary Fiber	2g
Sugars	19.1g
Protein	7.9g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 0% Calcium    13% Iron 4%

Anatomy of a Preschoolers Outfit: ANTM addition

So apparently Jessica now thinks she's a model

Seriously, from these poses its like she's watching America's Next Top Model or something, ridiculous!

She's been really into wearing her rain boots

With EVERYTHING

Even when its 90 degrees outside

She is also all about the dress ups.  More than usual.

Pink leotard and dress up skirt

Pink polka-dot rain boots- Target

Hair in a low ponytail (because apparently, that's how princesses wear their hair. I personally prefer the higher ponytails, but what do I know? I'm just a mom.....)

Sass-a-frass 'tude- all hers

Date Night!

We love our date nights

The most recent one: picnic on the beach with mason jar meals.

So, so fun

And really cheap, too!

Baby M

I got to take pictures of my friends precious baby girl.  She was just over 2 weeks- and so sweet and mellow!

Aww, I love babies!

My favorites: