Cranberry Cacao Nib Oatmeal Cookies 
(with vegan sub suggestions)
Yields: 2 dozen cookies

• 1-1/2 cups oats
  
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
  
• 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 each egg (or flaxmeal egg)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 tsp almond extract 
  
• 3/4 cup cranberries, dried
  
• 1/2 cup cacao nibs
  
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts 
  

Preheat the oven to 350*F. 

Combine the coconut oil, honey and brown sugar in a bowl (if it doesn't fully mix it is okay and will become more cohesive in the next step).

Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. 

Stir in the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until combined. 

Mix in the cranberries, cacao nibs and hemp hearts.  

It's easy to see that I don't really contribute too much to the savory recipe world but this little concoction is something I'm not afraid to share! 

Last weekend I vowed to not leave the house for one day because I'm always on the go and was beginning to feel homesick. And it was one of the best days I've had in a long time. I played in the kitchen for hours, cleaned and organized a long awaited list of things too boring to mention and just simply chilled out with the big screen. For which I needed some snacks...

I'd been jonesing for some sweet potato chips (because anything sweet potato is my vice) but similar to my cookie rule: if you want chips, makes chips. So I made chips! Just a basic paprika spiced sweet potato crisp with some olive oil and Maldon sea salt. But I figured if I'm eating chips, I should pair them with something a bit more nutritious for me and that would provide some protein since meals and snacks should be a nice balance of protein and fiber. Given this time of year, it's only natural I needed my chip dip to be seasonal so I shook up a simple white kidney bean dip with my left over sweet potato puree, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm!!  Tasty treat loaded with protein, fiber, healthy fats, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, iron, magnesium, potassium and more. 

So why the pesto if the 'hummus' was so yummy? I was Sunday meal prepping and made pesto to use in a pasta dish. After tasting it, I quickly realized it really complimented the 'hummus.' 
You never know until you try, so always try because you might be pleasantly pleased! :) 

For the Basil Walnut Pesto, I sort of just used what I had in the house and didn't really measure the amounts. It was probably about 1 cup of fresh basil, 2/3 cup walnuts, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Just threw everything but the oil into the food processor and blended until nearly smooth. Added the olive oil and kept processing the pesto until it was smooth. 

Then seasoned to taste and voilà! 

Sweet Potato Cannellini 'Hummus'
Yields: ~2 cups

• 1 16 ounce can cannelliini beans (drain and rinse)
  
• 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
  
• 1 clove garlic (diced)
  
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (bit more to drizzle)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth (or desired consistency).

Pour into a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil if desired. Serve with crudité or freshly baked chips. 

You will quickly learn that I care a tremendous amount about breakfast, am a self-proclaimed breakfast-pusher and still believe it IS the most important meal of the day despite arguments and studies against the age-old saying. 

This is why: breakfast jumpstarts my day and ultimately motivates me to end the day as well as it starts.  

Eating breakfast is a daily reminder that I begin the day on the right foot, nourishing not just my body but also my mind. The positive start to the day gives me more energy physically and mentally, allowing me to concentrate better knowing that I am prepared to work or study without dealing with mood swings or cravings from lightheadedness due to low blood sugar levels. Choosing to have a healthful breakfast not only gets your engine going, but also prompts good decision making from the moment you get up. You are more likely to avoid the worse for you foods and prevent overeating at lunch or dinner. 

Even if there are clashing studies on breakfast's physiological benefits, there are plenty of studies showing that skipping breakfast is associated with eating more throughout the day, greater BMI (body mass index), weight gain and metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease and diabetes (1,2,3,4). Those risk factors include a large waist circumference, low HDL cholesterol levels (high-density lipoproteins aka ‘good cholesterol’), high triglyceride levels, high fasting blood sugar and high blood pressure (5). Earlier this year a prospective study from Sweden also reported that adolescents who skip breakfast or have "poor breakfast habits" are at increased risk for metabolic syndrome later in life. Eek! Too young!!

If your main excuse to skip breakfast is that you don’t have enough time in the morning to prepare, then try making it the night before (ex. overnight oats or yogurt parfait) or making something that is easy to eat during your commute (ex. veggie omelet wrap, homemade smoothie or nut butter on toast). Remember, breakfast doesn’t have to be huge or even comprised of traditional breakfast foods, but it does need to be a nutritious combination of complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats, and limited in sugar and saturated fats. 

Check out one of my favorite balanced breakfasts that you only need to make once but can eat for a week (i.e. meal prep) when you know your schedule is going to be extra busy. My Hearty Apple Almond Crisp is loaded with fiber (whole grains, fruit), protein and omega-3 fatty acids, all necessary nutrients to keep my brain focused, my hunger managed, my mood stabilized, my digestive system running and my heart healthy. 

And the recipe is easy peasy: place the fruit mixture in the pan, top with the oats mixture and bake in the oven until the crisp turns golden brown and the fruit liquids start to boil through the top. This recipe includes apples (yes, I am still using my Annual Farm Crawl apples - 13 pounds is a lot!), plums and blueberries, but feel free to get creative and switch up the combinations to your fruit preferences. 

Hearty Apple Almond Crisp
Yields: 8 servings (7" x 11" glass baking pan)

• 3 medium apples
• 2 chopped plums
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 Tbsp orange juice (or lemon juice)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup 

Topping

• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds, whole 
• 3/4 cup walnuts (chopped)
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375*F. 

Combine the topping dry ingredients in a bowl.  FYI - the flaxseeds have a strong nutty flavor to them so if you don't want that to stand out, cut the amount in half.  

In a separate bowl, chop up the apples and plums into 1"-2" pieces and combine with the blueberries. Add all of the spices, orange juice and maple syrup from the first list of ingredients and stir until all of the fruit is coated. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a baking pan (make sure to grease it - I misted it with olive oil). 

Add the almond milk, maple syrup and olive oil to the dry mix. Spread the oats mixture evenly on top of the fruit base.

Bake the crisp for ~45 minutes until the topping turns golden brown and the liquid starts to bubble through. 

Eat alone or top with some nonfat plain Greek yogurt. Enjoy!! :D