Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's another easy recipe that the family will love.

I am a snacker and especially at night time when the kids are asleep, which of course is not good for the bum bum and other bits...

But I can't be an angel all the time!

These cookies are slightly tweaked from Half Baked Harvest

Very nice website with yummy recipes, I've been following them on Pinterest.

Try them out. Less sugar, healthier and leaner on the bum bum and other bits.

Preheat Oven to 180 degrees c

2 1/2 cups Old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1/2 cup Wholemeal flour

1/2 cup Granulated sugar

1 cup Fine, soft Brown sugar

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon Salt

1 cup melted coconut oil (use a little more if dough seems dry)

2 large eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet or unsweetened dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

 Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

In a large, mixing bowl add the dry ingredients first; Oatmeal, flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt. Mix with a spatula.

In another bowl, mix coconut oil, eggs and vanilla.

 Combine all the ingredients. 

The dough should be crumbly. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Using hands, clump together a tablespoon of dough. Slightly damp hands help 'un-stick' the batter that could get stuck on your hands. Form balls of dough.

  Place on prepared baking sheet. If your balls are a little crumbly do not worry, they will come together while baking. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set and golden. 

Yummy Vegan Banana Cake

I've been testing out a few unconventional sweet treats from a book I recently purchased called Super Healthy Snacks and Treats to the absolute delight of my tummy and have to share Jenna Zoe's vegan banana cake recipe with you.

To be honest, I'm a wannabe Martha Stewart. I wanna be one of those baking goddesses but alas! 

I have little confidence when it comes to baking. I am a great cook but baking, no. 

I have baked some real funny stuff through the years. I've watched my husband force down salty muffins and say they were delicious. I've attempted cookies that just melted and came out looking like pancakes to the confusion of my kids. I've made stone cakes that could break teeth.

I'm like comedy when it comes to baking.

So, I promise you this one's soooooo easy and fool proof.

I was kinda hesitant initially...bake a cake with no eggs?! Really? But being the fourth time I've baked it, this cake is an easy, necessary staple in the refrigerator. 

Kids & hubs love it, dog loves it, it's the best way to use up those dying bananas and I don't turn into a joke.
Enjoy!

                                            

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees
• 3 teaspoons ground chia seeds (grind whole seeds in a coffee grinder)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 very ripe large bananas mashed gently with a fork
• 1 cup extra virgin coconut oil
• 2.5 cups all purpose flour of choice
• 3.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar of choice (I used raw brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the grinded chia seeds in a small bowl with the water and whisk. The mixture will start to feel like the consistency of a beaten egg. Place in fridge.

Add the vanilla extract, chia mixture & coconut oil and mix.

Gently fold in the bananas

Spoon the mixture into a bake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 55 degrees and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Delicious healthy chocolate ball snacks for those PMS days

This is my first blog entry on health food.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE BALLS

I have bad cases of binge eating during pms. Due to those binge eatings, I get breakouts.  And these nasties leave scars. The cycle goes on every month like clockwork. As soon as I have a cigarette, I break out. Cigarettes are terrible for your skin btw. Yes, I've realised this a little too late (well, for my face anyway. I could've had a pimple free youth, alas!). Hopefully my lungs might recover! I spent my 20s destroying my body, partying, smoking, wrecking havoc... will I be able to get things back on track, I hope so. Its time to give it a shot.

So I'm now on a healthy living quest. Binge eating? Yup, I'll binge on healthy stuff, no prob! Bring it on! My biggest vice, SUGAR. This one's going to be so hard to cut off. I'll take it slow and steady. I think it's harder than quitting smoking! My M&M's, Bounty's, donuts, Twirls arrrggghh : (

My quest for beauty continues. This time unto myself. 

Ageing gracefully and living illness- free for as long as I can. 

Like all women who dine out, we look at desserts first to see if we should order a small salad (if the desserts are good) or order a fat juicy steak (blah desserts). So in order of the norm, my first entry will be a sweet treat! This treat satisfies. I promise!

I got this recipe off Tarian Pantry.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts or raw cashew nuts (u decide)
1 cup medjool dates pitted
1 cup figs
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 orange for zest
1 pinch of salt

Dice figs
Pit and dice dates
Pound cashews and almonds in a mortar n pestle

Zest the orange

For best results, blend cacao powder with 1 cup almonds and cashews first till flaky then add dates, figs and goji berries with a pinch of salt. Because I use preserved figs, I added a little water to bind all the ingredients together.

Roll them up in little bite sized balls and use the remaining half cup of grounded almonds to coat the balls.

Chill in refrigerator and have them cold.

So divine!

Mexican Chicken Soup

This has to be my all time favourite dish.  Food for the soul, for the kids, for the whole family. 

 I came across this recipe in Real Simple Magazine years ago, and it has been a staple in our diet over the years. 1 whole chicken feeds the family, and I love how it incorporates coriander. 

The aromas of that fine herb just brings out the lime and flavours of the soup.

Mom taught me to always rinse the chicken in boiling hot water before placing it in pot. I've also tried chicken bits like ready cut pieces but the whole chicken somehow tastes better and the soup stays 'cleaner'. 

The Supermarkets sell free range, vacuum packed chickens. They taste better. 

Mexican Chicken Soup

By Real Simple Magazine

2 whole chickens (3 1/2 pounds each)

4 carrots, halved crosswise

1 large yellow onion, halved

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 avocados

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (corriander) leaves

3 limes, halved

Rinse the chickens and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the chickens, carrots, onion, and salt in a 12-quart pot. Add enough cold water (about 16 cups) to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 hour. Skim off any foam that appears. Transfer the chickens to plates; let cool. Remove and discard the carrots and onion. Add the rice to the broth and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones. Add the meat and pepper to the broth and heat for 3 minutes. Scoop the avocados into individual bowls and ladle the soup over the top. Sprinkle with the cilantro and squeeze on the limes.

Recommended: 12-quart pot

To Freeze: Omit the avocados, cilantro, and limes. Let the soup cool, then ladle into large resealable bags, filling each one halfway. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Warm in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Scoop the avocado into bowls, ladle in the soup, and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges on the side.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 445(26% from fat); FAT 13g (sat 3g); SUGAR 4g; PROTEIN 42g; CHOLESTEROL 121mg; SODIUM 1,033mg; FIBER 6g; CARBOHYDRATE 39g