Super-Charge Me! Cookies and Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal (Oil Free, Wheat Free)

We've had a lot going on around here. My sister and her husband just had their first baby, a girl! Adjusting to a new infant has been work around the clock for them. All of our family and friends have tried and continue to make efforts to try and ease their burden and help with their transition into parenthood.

And, my older brother is getting married next week, WAHOO! I love his fiance and am so excited to have her as my sixth sister! I'll be traveling to Utah to attend his wedding and reception. Afterwards we are heading to Oregon for a conference that my husband is attending.

So I hope to continue blogging over the next few weeks and maybe show a bit about the food we eat on the road. It takes additional effort, but if we try, it is doable and delicious. This is what Dr. McDougall says about eating out (or eating on the road!)



I love what he says about oil! I am so gonna' try that.

(Oh, and BTW, Dr. McDougall has a lot of these videos on his website, I highly recommend you watch these, they are awesome! Just click on the link above and watch the short videos of interest to you.)

Besides having to eat out more because of travel, most of our car snack food will consist of cut carrots and celery (we find that on the road we just want to munch endlessly!) a lot of bananas, grapes, oranges and nectarines, chickpea "tuna" salad sandwiches, and PB&J sandwiches. But part of our car food will also be the Super-Charge Me Cookies by Dreena Burton, made oil free with a minor modification. I LOVE THESE COOKIES!

I have found that the most successful cookies that are made oil free usually have nut butter in them, and other add-ins such as oats, nuts, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and dried fruits (these give crunch and texture, instead of cakey cookies).

This recipe meets all of the above criteria, giving them a nice texture of crunch on the outside and chewy on the inside.

They are also more enjoyable if the original recipe requires only 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil. The less oil the recipe calls for, the better the recipe turns out when I replace it with fruit purees. In this recipe I use applesauce and I love it.

1 Tablespoon of applesauce is only about 17 calories (none of which are from fat) and 1 Tablespoon of oil is 130 calories, all of which are from fat. Oil is also the cause of my oily skin. Sounds ridiculous, but for me, it is true. My skin has been revolutionized by eliminating oil. But more on that, later! (Thank you, Katie, for encouraging me to try to be oil free by asking about skin improvement!!! You totally motivated me!)

I am going to double or maybe even quadruple this recipe and we will eat them on the road. My kids LOVE these cookies also, and that's saying a lot as they usually prefer the cookies made with oil.

Also, I have discovered a new hot cereal that I absolutely LOVE and highly recommend.

It is very easy to make, gluten and oil free, and it tastes so good I think I am in heaven! It will make you feel fabulous and energetic, too! I encourage you to give it a try; four bags of these cost about $11 on Amazon. I am sure places like Sunflower Market and Whole Foods Market will carry it also.

Just a teaspoon or two of brown sugar, some fresh fruit like peaches, bananas or nectarines, some non-dairy milk, and you will have yourself a warm, delicious and energizing quick breakfast.

You will especially enjoy it if you like cream of wheat cereal but want a lighter version, or if you are an oatmeal person. Although I must say that this has quite a bit more texture than oatmeal--the corn gives it a bit of crunch with the creamy taste.

I hope you make and enjoy these easy cookies as much as we do. I also would love to hear if you try the Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal, and what you think of it.

Happy eating!

Super-Charge Me! Cookies
From Dreena Burton's website: www.plantpoweredkitchen.com
Ingredients (11-12 cookies)

1 cup rolled oats or quick oats
2/3 cup spelt flour
1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 –1/3 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit
3–4 tbsp carob or chocolate chips (optional; or use more dried fruit, nuts, or seeds)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flax meal (not flax seed)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (can also sub agave nectar or honey)
3 tbsp almond butter (may use cashew, peanut, hemp seed butter)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp applesauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

In a bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, coconut, raisins, and carob or chocolate chips, sift in baking powder, and stir until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flax meal, syrup, almond butter, and vanilla and stir until well combined. Stir in applesauce. Add wet mixture to dry, and stir until just well combined (do not overmix).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon batter onto baking sheet evenly space apart, and lightly flatten. Bake for 13 minutes (no longer, or they will dry out). Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute (no longer), then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes 11-12 cookies