pumpkin oatmeal bread

It's fall now, guys! Or at least that's what the calendar is telling me. 

The weather, however, is begging for pool parties and watermelon. 

I'm totally confused. 

But as soon as the calendar flipped to September, I got really excited. 

I haven't had an American autumn in three years! 

And that is my excuse for eating all the pumpkin things. 

Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin oatmeal. 

Seriously, gimme it all. 

I'm loving the colors of the leaves when I go for my runs in the morning, the bonfires with friends on the weekends. 

And the fall food. 

I've been dreaming (not even kidding.) of classic fall foods… 

Pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and apple crisp (getting on that one soon!) 

I honestly can't get over how easy it is to just grab a can of pumpkin puree at the store. 

Way back in the nether years, we had to buy a pumpkin, cube said pumpkin, boil it, and puree it. 

It ended up being quite the process and it never tasted even close to the real deal.

The things we take for granted. 

Anyways, my first fall recipe! 

This pumpkin bread is simple and delicious. 

It's dense and hearty, definitely not a light or fluffy loaf. 

It's lightly sweetened with maple syrup, making it perfect for a healthy snack or breakfast. 

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon bring a little spice to the party. 

Whole wheat flour and oatmeal make it healthy enough to eat for breakfast. 

Pumpkin bread + coffee = perf. 

ALSO. Smear some peanut butter on there. 

It won't be the worst thing you've ever tasted. 

pumpkin oatmeal bread {vegan}

1 1/3 c. canned pumpkin puree

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. maple syrup or honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. melted coconut oil 

1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. tsp. ground nutmeg 

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup. vanilla, coconut oil, and almond milk. 

3. Add flour, spices, oats, and baking powder. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add more milk if needed. 

4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing. 

vegan almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

The past few weeks/months, I've been thinking about making a big lifestyle change and going vegan. Seeing that I live in a family who cherishes meaty dishes and cheese plates, this is kind of a big deal. BUT I barely eat dairy anymore because of my allergies, meat has started to gross me out, and I only eat eggs on occasion. I'm pretty convinced I could live off of fresh fruit for the rest of my life. It just makes sense for me. I know that a vegan lifestyle isn't for everyone, but healthy living is unique for each and every person. I'm not planning on skipping big holiday dinners with my family, but the other 361 days of the year, I'm planning on sticking to it because it makes me feel good and happy. 

My family is still kind of on the fence about it, but I'm old enough where I thiiiiiiiiink I can make my own decisions regarding how I fuel my body. I'm determined to show my family and friends that healthy eating doesn't have to suck and taste like twigs and dirt. Although I've done a lot of experimenting with vegan baking over the last few months, I've decided to go on a search for some standby base recipes and I'm pretty sure these cookies are a great start to my repertoire. 

The other day, I had a HORRIBLE baking fail that resulted in me crying like a baby, eating puddles of cookie mush, and then skipping dinner that night. Not to mention, tons of my precious coconut oil and fancy dark chocolate I got for my birthday died and went to garbage can heaven. Needless to say, it was not the best day. Thankfully the next day, I had a better idea of what I needed to do (less oil. more flour.) and everything turned out swimmingly. WAIT, I LIED. More than swimmingly. These cookies are honestly some of the best things I've ever made. They're not exactly the healthiest (I was out of maple syrup and honey), but they're definitely not loaded with a bunch of simple carbs and fattening butter. Vegan or not, make these cookies. Not to be bossy or anything, but seriously. 

P.S. It's national chocolate chip cookie today so I should be getting some sort of award or something for actually posting A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE on NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DAY. 

vegan almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

1/2 c. softened coconut oil

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

3 tbsp. nondairy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. wholewheat flour

1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 c. quick cooking oats

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of cinnamon (optional)

1/4 c. dark chocolate chips/chunks

1/4 c. chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. in a large bowl, whisk coconut oil, sugars, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add flours, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon, stirring just until combined. Gently fold in almonds and chocolate chips. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown. Yields about 15 cookies.

honey coconut date bars

It's weird to think back on how my life has changed so much in the last two and a half years since moving to Africa. Words can hardly even convey what I want to say, but let's just say I'll be going back a completely different person. 

It seems like just yesterday my school day lasted until about eleven, we would go to swim class with all our homeschool muchachos, and go to Wendy's for chicken burgers and Frosty's afterward. I remember hanging out with my friends before youth group every weekend and talking about how hard it would be for me to move half way across the world. Since then, I've realized what true friendships are. I've lost so many and gained many more. 

It definitely does not seem like I've been away from the life, family, friends, and surroundings I've ever known for two and a half years. These last years have been a complete roller coaster ride. There were months of absolute highs and "OHMYGOSHIFREAKINGLOVEMYLIFE." and there were many months of lows where I was so depressed I could hardly motivate myself to do anything but stuff my face hole with chocolate. But I've learned so much, mostly about myself, and have emerged from it all a completely strong and totally changed person. 

As our time in Africa is winding down to a close, I'm trying to prepare myself for the months that so unclearly lie ahead. Although I don't have too many people or relationships to detach from, it's hard for me to remember a life outside of this with a much faster pace. I've become so accustomed to down time and I've learned to secretly love it. How will I go back to having school, extra classes, running track, church and youth group, friends, and finding time for peace and BAKING? 

I'm also trying to prepare myself for the people situation. Like I mentioned, since coming here, it's been really hard to keep up relationships with people 9,000 miles across the globe. I know that when I go back, the whole dynamic of my friend group will have changed and I most likely won't go back to relationships I had when we left. 

For so many months, I wanted nothing more than to leave. I had fallen into a habit of looking to the next thing instead of soaking up the present. 

And although I still look forward to going home, hugging my G'ma, squeezing all the juices out of my gorgeous best friend, ordering a Starbucks latte, kissing my sweet puppy and breathing in her many aromas, and shopping at actual shopping malls with actual stores and actual quality clothing, I know there are many things I'll miss here. The gorgeous sunsets on my runs every evening. The stars glowing up in the sky, untainted from man-made anything. The cute kids with such gorgeous colored skin, flashing their big white smiles. It was here that I fell in love with health and wellness and discovered the path I wanted to travel with my life. Good things always come from seemingly depressing situations; no matter how deep you fall, you'll come out so much higher than you ever were before. 

Anyways, I really do nawwwwwwwt know how to transition from all that to all this. But if you could taste rainbows and puffy hearts, they would be these bars. 

honey coconut date bars {vegan}

1 c. roughly chopped dates

2/3 c. finely shredded coconut

1 c. oats, divided

2/3 c. wholewheat flour

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. softened coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. honey

4 tbsp. nondairy milk

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 4x9 in. pan with parchment paper. Place chopped dates in a mug or bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain and mash with a fork until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, coconut, cinnamon, and 3/4 c. oats. Add coconut oil, vanilla, honey, and milk. Mix until combined. Press 3/4 of the mixture into prepared pan and spread dates in an even layer. Add the rest of the oats to the remaining dough and crumble on top of date layer. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before slicing into squares. Yields about 12 bars. 

dark chocolate chunk peanut butter granola cookies

I'm quite sure this blog is slowly transitioning to a collection of recipes based around O Glorious Peanut Butter when emergencies strike for fellow fiends like myself. It seems like almost every other recipe I post has "peanut butter" somewhere in the title. Not the worst thing ever, but it might be getting old for some people… I'm definitely not one of those people. 

You'd be surprised to know I actually DO bake without peanut butter on occasion. BUT it just so happens that the recipes that turn out, end up being the ones with peanut butter so that's what you end up seeing. I'm hoping to come up with some different recipes though over the next month when I'm finally freed from the chains of school {two weeks, guys. Two weeks.}

In the meantime, I'm sticking with what I know for weekday study snacks. I KNOW PEANUT BUTTER. Very well. Ever since discovering that you can make really bomb peanut butter cookies with just a few simple ingredients, my mind has turned into a peanut butter cookie idea machine- it's true. Some of my favorite experiments so far have been these chunky peanut butter oatmeal dark chocolate cookies, these honey peanut butter & coconut cookies, and these PB&J crumb bars. What's another PB recipe for the repertoire, amiright?! 

These cookies have been an idea merely floating around in my mind for quite awhile. They're soft, chewy, and crunchy. Not to mention, I'm a total sucker for ooey gooey chocolate puddles. Be still my heart! You could switch out the granola for a different add-in (whatever nuts, seeds, dried fruit) or whatever your heart pleases OR just leave it out all together although you may have to add some extra flour. They're full of everything you could ever want in life- chocolate, granola, and peanut butter. Seriously my three favorite food groups all wrapped up in a cookie! SCORE. 

dark chocolate chunk peanut butter granola cookies (vegan)

1/4 c.  coconut oil, room temperature

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. nondairy milk

1/4 c. maple syrup/honey

1/4 c. dark brown sugar

3/4 c. granola

1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. wholewheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 c. chopped dark chocolate {I used 85%}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil, peanut butter, vanilla, milk, and sweeteners until smooth and creamy. Add flour, granola, and baking powder. Mix until evenly combined. Gently fold in dark chocolate chunks. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle. Let cool before placing in a container to store. Recipe yields about 1 dozen cookies. 

vegan banana oat scones

Sometimes, I'm at such a loss for words, I'll just sit staring blankly at the screen for hours (or minutes if I'm not being my obnoxiously over-exagerating self.) Now is one of those times. Like, what are you supposed to talk about to your invisible internet friends? I could tell you about how I ate tons of potato salad for dinner the other night. Or how I go to bed by 10 every night and am up at 6:30 every morning. I could tell you how I put my pajama pants on backwards the other night and didn't realize it until it was too late. I could tell you about how my Saturday morning consisted of cups of reheated coffee and talking to my pet tortoise named Lois. OR how I shoved my face with Easter candy, chocolate ice cream, cheese, and french fries all in one day (it's all about balance, guyzzzz.) But all of that is weird and awkward. Just like the rest of my life! Heh. SOOOOOOOO. I guess I'll talk about scones instead because scones aren't weird or awkward. They're soft and scrumptious.

I can't even remember the last time I had a scone, but I'm thinking it was one of those orange cranberry ones from Starbucks that are full of crap and drenched in sugary glaze. MMM. I couldn't exactly remember what the texture is supposed to be like but my mom described a scones texture as a dense cookie. I wasn't sure how this recipe was going to turn out, but I can say I was pleasantly surprised. They're just like a banana muffin in scone form. The taste was spot on- hearty, comforting, and not too sweet and everyone who tried them loved them. My body can't handle anything too sweet in the morning and I'm never one for glazes on my muffins, breads, or rolls so I left out that part. But if you're into that sort of thing, feel freeze to drizzle or drench to your hearts content.

vegan banana oat scones

1 3/4 c. wholewheat flour

3/4 c. quick cooking oats + more for sprinkling if desired

1 tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. coconut oil

2-3 mashed bananas

1/4 c. + 1 tbsp. milk of choice

2 tbsp. honey/maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients. Add milk, mashed banana, vanilla, and sweetener. Stir until combined, using your hands to kneed the dough if needed. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and form into a disk about an inch thick. Slice into 8 triangles and sprinkle with more oats if desired. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before serving. 

chocolate peanut butter oatmeal thumbprint cookies

Saturdays are my favorite. Because not only are they… Saturdays… They're my cookie day. Every Saturday morning, I have my weekend breakfast, linger in my pajamas for as long as possible, and then out comes the chocolate (almost always), the flour, the (coconut) oil, my favorite spatula and pink mixing bowl as I make a mess the kitchen that even a three year old would be proud of. Usually, the fruits of my weekend labor are what I post on the blog the following week, so I take time to photograph, write, upload, and edit since it's hard for me to find time after the weekend. It's my weekend ritual and I love it.

My original plan for this recipe didn't have chocolate as the center. But when I realized I was out of the other ingredient (which shan't be named because I want to use it in the future!), I remembered the two- not one, but TWO- bars of dark chocolate I had stowed away in the freezer that my parents gave me for my birthday. Give me chocolate for my birthday, and I won't complain. What else could you need? 

These cookies taste like peanut butter cups but they have about a tenth of the amount of ingredients you'll find on that neon orange package, are vegan and gluten-free, and somewhat healthy. Until you eat half of the batch for lunch, that is. Thank god calories don't count on the weekends. 

chocolate peanut butter oatmeal thumbprint cookies (vegan & GF)

3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. peanut butter
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup/honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats + more for rolling (optional)
3 tbsp. dark chocolate chunks
sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil, peanut butter, sweetener, and vanilla. Add oats and mix until well combined. Scoop into balls and roll in oats if desired. Place on prepared cookie sheet and make an indent in the enter with your thumb. Place chocolate in each indent, distributing evenly. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and let cool before transferring to a jar or container to store. Recipe yields 12 cookies.

seed & date power bars

Typically, I thoroughly enjoy turning not-so-healthy desserts into healthy ones and do my best to make them taste like the real thing. But sometimes those escapades turn into chocolate cookies that are an odd shade of matte brown with a taste somewhat resembling play-doh. BLEHHH. It's really disheartening when I'm craving something rich, chocolatey, and satisfying and don't want to feel like a whale. But then there's other times where I actually CRAVE healthy food. I crave spinach and big bowls of roasted veggies allthetime and bananas pretty much every day. I crave things that taste like they've been birthed from the earth {sorry, too much?} and taste natural and wholesome. That's when I whip up batches of granola bars, energy bites, and things like that to have stored away in the freezer {if they make it that far} for when the craving strikes. 

I made some bars similar to these awhile ago, but it was one of those days where writing down measurements and snapping photos was just about the last thing I wanted to do. Of course, it's those days where my recipes always turn out the best, so I decided to remake them for the blog because they were just that good. This is one of those recipes that can be made from whatever you have around. I chose some oats, coconut, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I threw in a dash of cinnamon for good measure and just a teensy bit of honey because the dates already bring a lot of natural sweetness. I bake these for a few minutes just to set them up, but you could just as easily leave them raw since there's nothing that requires cooking in the recipe. I have to say though, straight from the oven, they're pretty bomb. 

These bars are packed full of good-for-you ingredients that leave you satisfied without a drop in energy an hour later. They're jammed with tons of superfoods, healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants all needed for a healthy, happy body! The bars are so soft and chewy {I want to say like a candy bar, but let's be real here… Dates = candy bar? No.} and taste very sweet and caramely thanks to the dates. Of course, this recipe is so easily adaptable, you could sub in different kinds of nuts, sweeteners, seeds, grains, or dried fruit. No matter what you fill them with, you have a healthy, nourishing, and satisfying snack or quick brekkie.  

date & seed power bars {vegan & GF}

1 c. dates 

2 tbsp. softened coconut oil

1 tbsp. honey

1/4 c. desiccated coconut flakes

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp. flax seeds

1 tbsp. poppyseeds

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1/4 c. quick cooking oats

vanilla {optional}

cinnamon {optional}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8x8 in. pan with parchment paper. Chop dates until fine and add a little bit of hot water to soften if needed. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Pour into prepared pan and press down firmly with the back of a spatula. Bake for 8-10 minutes and let cool before slicing into 8 even bars. 

coconut, oatmeal, and cherry jam thumbprints

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." -Maya Angelou

Something I've learned as of late is that creativity is not something that can be forced. It must come naturally. When we force ourselves into something, it becomes a chore, something we dread. When we learn to change our mindsets to enjoy the process of creating, there's something, I don't know what it is, that goes into our creation that makes it beautiful. WAIT. Eureka moment. That thing is love and passion. 

Good ideas don't necessarily come when you're expecting it. They come in the quiet of dark mornings with an equally dark mug of coffee. In the shower after a long, stressful day of your brain working overtime. On a walk, with your eyes glued to the beauty of your surroundings. They come when we are at peace, calm, and have a happy spirit about us. Nothing good comes from having a bad attitude, and that includes creativity. 

When we put our good ideas to work, with a happy attitude and a joyful heart, we create wonderful things. Keep a smile on your face through the process, accept your faults and failures, move on, and do whatever it is you do to the best of your abilities.

As you've probably gathered, the context for all this creative chat is about my blog. I've noticed that when I take a step back and stop forcing myself to bake, photograph, write, and post, the creativity just flows. It comes naturally when I let go of all the expectations I have of myself that are way too high. These cookies came out of the blue. Actually, I lied. I was scrolling through my blog feed, I found these cookies. I'd been having that itch to bake all day, not knowing really what it was I wanted to make. Until I saw those gorgeous photos and simple ingredients. DING DING DING. 

These cookies have a short ingredient list, are so simple, delicious, chewy, and lightly sweetened. The base of the cookies is amazing and I can just picture them going perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea.

coconut, oatmeal, and cherry jam thumbprints 

1/2 c. oats

1/3 c. desiccated coconut

4 tbsp. melted coconut oil

3 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup/honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. flour

dash of cinnamon

cherry jam (you can sub any other kind of jam if you'd like)

granola for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add coconut and oats into a blender and pulse until a flour forms. Pour into a bowl and add coconut oil, sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon, and flour. Stir until combined. Roll dough into balls, gently pressing your thumb into the centers. Place a small spoonful of jam (about a tsp. per cookie) in each imprint; sprinkle with granola if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely before transferring to a jar or container. Yields 9 small cookies. 

honey peanut butter & coconut cookies

Recently, I've been having some major baking fails. I'm guilty of sticking to what I know, failing to think outside the box. But when I do, things go majorly wrong. Not always. But it's more common than not. Last week, I had a stressful day of school {oh wait. that's every day.} and went into the kitchen for some baking therapy. I made some cookies out of dates, cocoa, and oats, and oh my heavens. They were absolutely horrid. When I tasted one, they resembled the texture and taste of play-doh. Yup, I've tasted play-doh. Have you not?! 

Those obviously didn't satisfy my cookie cravings; play-doh just doesn't do it for me these days, ya know? I've been having some thoughts of these peanut butter oatmeal cookies for awhile, trying to come up with some sort of creative way to remake them. They're like little chewy, peanut butter-y nuggets of my dreams. AMAZING. And you guys seem to like them too! They're among the popular bunch of recipes on this here blog.

Although the original recipe isn't vegan, this one ALMOST is. You can easily swap out the honey for maple syrup and ba-da-bing ba-da-boom, you've got yourself a vegan cookie! These cookies are so simple {SO. SIMPLE.} and require very few ingredients, all of which you most likely have lingering around in the neglected corners of your cupboards. They're gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, naturally sweetened, and somehow they magically taste like totally normal peanut butter cookies! I love when that happens. 

P.S. Sorry about these photos. Love rain. Hate the light. 

honey peanut butter & coconut cookies

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

6 tbsp. honey {or maple syrup for a vegan version}

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 c. oat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/3 c. desiccated coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk peanut butter, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Add oat flour and baking soda. Stir until combined. Scoop dough into balls and roll in coconut flakes. Place on baking sheet and press down with a fork, forming a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 12 cookies. 

honey wholewheat cranberry nut bread

Happy 2014, wonderful humans! Can you believe 2013 has come and gone? My brain just can't wrap itself around that fact. 2013 was quite the year for me. It was our first full year in Africa, I had some really tough times with friends, I learned a LOT about myself and about other people {they suck. not all of them though.}, I discovered my deep passion for health and fitness, learned a lot about health, fitness, food, and photography, grew much closer to my wonky-tonk family, and expanded my blog considerably. I've had many, many lessons that I know will get me places in 2014. I'm so ready for a fresh new start and to leave the past behind me. Come at me, 2014! Also, thank you to all you lovely people who read my blog each and every witty and weird post. I heart you big time and I hope this new year is full of rainbows and butterflies. 

I'm not really one to make resolutions. Probably because I have a little trouble with keeping them, but I think that's all the more reason to make a few this year, however small they may be. 1) step out of my comfort zone more often and do things I normally wouldn't. 2) DO MORE FOR OTHERS. 3) run longer distances. 4) experiment more with baking vegan/GF. 5) finish 10th grade early. and 6) dedicate more time to my blog and all you lovely people. 

What are some of your resolutions? The most common is probably "eating better, ya da ya da ya da." AMIRIGHT? It's supposed that people lose motivation and are already slacking in their resolutions by the second week of January. So instead of going from the holidays and stuffing yourself to drinking 5 juices a day, I'd like to suggest easing into healthy eating. You're so much more likely to stick with it then! As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And sadly, eating cookies or cake isn't the best way to rev up your metabolism first thing in the morning. I have a solution! MAKE THIS QUICK BREAD. It's super quick and easy, has only a few really basic ingredients, is healthy, and highly adaptable! For this one I used chopped nuts and cranberries, but you could chop up different nuts, use different dried fruit, and throw in some seeds for good measure. The world is at your fingertips. 

honey wholewheat cranberry nut bread

2 1/2 c. wholewheat flour

1 c. quick cooking oats

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. honey

1 2/3 c. milk {I used soy}

3/4 c. chopped nuts

3/4 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, and baking soda. Add honey and milk and stir until combined. Gently fold in nuts and cranberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

chunky peanut butter oatmeal dark chocolate cookies

I've been feeling really crappy about my blog lately. I haven't been posting as much as I used to and my stats are nearly a third {A THIRRRRRRRRD!} of what they were at one point. It's kind of discouraging to see how much work I put into each post being rewarded with that. I've also been getting sick of people's comments on my healthy eating/exercising. I know that this is for me, not anyone else and it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks. It doesn't. But it's disheartening to hear the things people say sometimes. When I told my mom about my blog stats deteriorating, she said "I think I know why." referring to my healthy recipes. If that's the case, c'est la vie. Because healthy eating is my passion and I want to share it with anyone and everyone, unless of course, they don't care about it. Then by all means, go on eating your crap-laden cookies and cakes and let me know how you feel a few years from now. 

We went on a little road trip for a few days and you better believe I was that weirdo chick wearing hippie pants and TOMS, walking around with bananas and homemade energy bites in her bag. I don't care what people think if I have salads for every meal while we're eating out. I don't care if they judge because I drink fresh green juice. I don't care if they think I'm a freak for losing my mind over the sale they had on super cute bowls. {"My oats will look SO cute in there." -my mind.} Or if they rip on my cookies being free of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour. Trust me, I'll hear no end from my brothers. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST MAKE NOOOOOORMAL COOKIES?!" "Because I don't want you to clog your arteries and eat yourself to your death. PLUS. Don't you want to live to be 230?" That's why. 

But no matter what the heck you do, someone will always judge you for some reason. Healthy eating and healthy living isn't about other people. It's about doing something for YOU. So do it and be done with what people think. Eat your salads and enjoy your vegan, soy-free, nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free cookies. Dance with jubilee when you find a really great sale on bowls or find huge bags of flax seeds for cheap. Celebrate with a chocolate protein shake when you survive leg day. Do good for your body and be happy. THE END. 

Ok, rant over. Time for cookies.

I'm experiencing with vegan baking. DISCLOSURE: I'm not going vegan. Mostly because my parents seem like they would excommunicate me to an island or something. But I just think it's fun to mess around in the kitchen and come up with recipes that are suitable to different dietary needs. And I like to see how much nutrition I can pack into a thing before it starts tasting like twigs and grass. These cookies don't taste like twigs and grass, I can very much assure you. They're really simple and CHUNKY. I love chunky cookies. Forget those little thin ones. I like something you can really sink your teeth into. TA DA. I present to you… Chunky peanut butter oatmeal dark chocolate cookies. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, processed sugar-free, and 100% fantabulous. 

chunky peanut butter oatmeal dark chocolate cookies {vegan, DF, GF}

1 3/4 c. oat flour
1/3 c. rolled oats
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. dairy-free milk
1/4 c. dark chocolate chunks {I used 85%}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large combine all ingredients and only about half of the chocolate chunks. Roll dough onto balls {it should make about 12} and press remaining chocolate chunks into the tops of the cookies, smushing down slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container.

peanut butter oatmeal brownies

OHHHHH, YOU GUYSSSSSSSSS. These brownies are so good that I posted them today instead of my other recipe I had chilling in my drafts folder. The other recipe is chocolate and peanut butter too. I've got problems. Ok so, first things first. I think it is my duty to tell you that I edited that first picture about 6 different times. {and my brain is obviously all the places at the moment. Bear with me.} The lighting wasn't right. It needed to be cropped. OH LOOK, I was saving it as the wrong file the last five times. So that was annoying. But I'm OCD and I really liked that picture so gosh dang it, I'll find the right exposure. Stubbornness really pays off sometimes. {Ask my gym buddies. Heh.} 

Now onto more important things. CHOCOLAWWWWWT. It was really weird, the other day I was seriously like a chocolate freak- even more so than usual- and I began questioning my sanity. How does one eat chocolate in 4 different forms in just 24 hours? I'LL TELL YOU. A mini vegan crunch bar {or two.}, a square of 70% dark chocolate, a chocolate smoothie, and an energy bite. That's how it's done, yo. I thought that after my chocolate-filled day, I'd be good for awhile, right? Wrong. About an hour before I went to the gym, I needed a brownie. Let me make this clear- I did not want a brownie. I needed one like my freaking life depended on it. Woman problems. Of course, I wanted to make them healthy {SURPRISE} because I wanted to eat one before the gym and not feel all gross and weighed down. Running with butter and sugar and flour in your belly is not a fun thing, I speak from experience. Oomph. 

Well, I'm happy to report, I have come up with a fan-flipping-tastic healthy brownie recipe that doesn't suck. Like at all. I've made countless healthy brownie recipes and have loved them all, but something is always a little off. You know what I'm talking about? They're always a little too spongey and weird. Last time I checked, brownies aren't supposed to be spongey and weird! Well these ones are seriously perfection! They're a little crumbly, but not like you can't pick them up crumbly. A good crumbly and quite fudgey. My favorite part is they even have the crackly top like legit brownies! Some healthy brownies out there use mashed bananas, which from my experience, makes them spongey and totally banana-y. No weird flavors here, just pure brownie GREATNESS. I can't even relate to you how normal these brownies were so methinks you should get your buns in the kitchen and whip up a batch. And eat it for dinner. OR BREAKFAST. These brownies are destined for even more greatness. But I'll get to that another time. MUAHA. 

peanut butter oatmeal brownies {healthy, gluten free, dairy free}

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/4 c. liquid coconut oil

1/3 c. soy milk {or other non-dairy milk.}

1/2 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. oat flour

1/3 c. quick cooking oats

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease an 8x8 pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk peanut butter, coconut oil, milk, egg, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.

wholewheat pumpkin spice yogurt bundt cake

Once upon a time, it occurred to me that I could easily make my own pumpkin puree. I've seen cubed pumpkin in the produce section since we got here, and was always whining that we didn't have canned pumpkin. Basically, pumpkin has been staring at me straight in the face and I've been without for the last two years because… Why? I don't know. Isn't that sad? Two years pumpkin-less and it could have been easily remedied like a looooong time ago. I'm a little slow. 

Since I had this marvelous pumpkin revelation, I threw a bunch of bags of pumpkin in the cart, boiled it, pureed it in the blender, and BOOM. Pumpkin puree in 20 minutes. I'm happy to have a tub of the stuff ALWAYS in the fridge for last minute situations. It's marvelous and I'd be lying if I said I didn't eat it out of a bowl, sprinkled with cinnamon and an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Oh, you guys, just stopittttt. 

Now that I have pumpkin at my disposal, you better believe I shall pumpkify all the things. I hope you don't mind I'm only a couple months late to the party. We'll have pumpkin recipes up the wazoo through Christmas, I can very much assure you. YAY! (???) Kay, so this cake? It's amazing. I always ALWAYS want sweets in the morning with my coffee {it's hereditary.}, which explains all the breakfast recipes on the blog. Since I'm always craving sweetness, I like having cake, cookies, bars, brownies, whatever available. But I want them to be healthy enough to eat for breakfast and not feel like crud later, know what I'm saying? Yah, you do. 

This cake is super dense, and dare I say it, moist from the large amount of pumpkin puree and plain yogurt. It's not overly sweet, but perfectly spiced and glorious. AND Healthy enough for breakfast! REJOICE. Although it is fantastic for breakfast, I have to say… It's weird eating a pumpkin cake at 7 am in the morning whilst sweating your buns off. It's kinda not right. Like when you're at the gym and about to lose your marbles with excitement because you think you hear rain banging against the roof. And then your friend is like "No, that's just sand." Africa lyfeeeeee. OOOH well, at least I have this cake. 

wholewheat pumpkin spice yogurt bundt cake 

2 c. pureed pumpkin

3/4 c. plain yogurt

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. quick cooking oats

1 1/2 c. wholewheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. mixed spice

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter and flour a bundt pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before flipping out onto a plate.