Day 7: Vegan Breakfast Cookies

My two oldest aren't big breakfast eaters.  I make pancakes because they ask for them, but they will eat a lot more pancakes if they eat them for dinner than breakfast.  They would rather have a nice big cup of chocolate milk.  I have yet to find a healthy option for that.  So, I'm going to the next best thing:  cookies!

Oh wow.  Wow!  I have to be truthful.  I just put these cookies in the oven and I had to step away to write this post because I kept eating the dough.  I have a feeling these won't just be "breakfast cookies" they are going to be "anytime" cookies!  The real test will be how much my children like them, though!

Here it goes!

Vegan Breakfast Cookies (Adapted from Diary of a Mad Crafter)

• 1 1/4 cups regular rolled oats
• 3/4 cup coconut flakes 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of almond meal (I use Trader Joe’s)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 3  very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or line cookie sheet with foil.

Get the wet ingredients together, and then dry. Mix together until it comes together.   Using a 1/4 cup scoop, I dropped the dough onto my pan, and flattened them out with my fingers. If you get stuck to the dough, just dip your fingers in some water before flattening them.

Bake them for 20-25 minutes, or once they’ve browned. Let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then move them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

(Just to let you know, each cookie is about 215 calories, but high in healthy fats and protein!)

Update:  As I finished this post, they came out of the oven and I couldn't wait for them to cool.  They are oozy-gooey deliciousness!  Owen likes them, too!  Now, for the other kids...

Rediscovering George (Foreman)

When my husband and I first got married, we purchased the famed George Foreman Grill.  We used it to grill our chicken breasts and turkey burners.  Trying to be healthy, we cooked a lot of chicken on the grill.  BLAH!  We got tired of it.  Personally, I think it dries out chicken breasts.  Chicken  breasts really aren't bad for you, anyway, so I suppose the George Foreman Grill is overkill when it comes to cooking that.  Needless to say, the grill found it's way to the back of our cabinet and stayed there.  I recently had the thought that I needed to get the grill out to put with the items we are selling at our garage sell.  But, with our griddle going out, I decided to use George for making grilled cheese/turkey sandwiches.  Guess what?  They turned out amazing AND they were pretty much pan-inis!  While making breakfast for dinner (a regular at our house) the other night, I decided to try to cook bacon in the George.  I have to admit that I remembered you could do this because I had just recently watched the episode of The Office when Michael Scott burns his foot on his George Forman grill while cooking bacon at his bedside.  I cooked the slices for 4 minutes on each side and it was seriously the tastiest bacon!  It was perfect in texture and taste, and I am guess a whole lot healthier for us since it wasn't cooked in the fat.  So, I suppose I will keep George a little longer.  He has proven to be a faithful and healthful cooking companion!

5 Wonderful Years!

5 years...Then and Now

A few weeks ago, on July 2, Troy and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Seriously, I have no idea where the time has gone! I in no way deserve the amazing husband that God has blessed me with, but I so extremely thankful for him! I remember when our wedding day was drawing near and a few people would say to us, "Oh! You are getting married. (Insert snide laugh here) Just wait. Your lives will NEVER be the same!" or they would say something a long the lines of, "Get ready...the 'ol ball and chain!" To those folks who gave us that "advice," I beg to differ! Yes, marriage is hard work, but the pleasure and joy that comes from a good marriage is WELL worth the "work!" We don't tie each other down (or weigh each other down, like a ball and chain would), we strive to lift each other up---spiritually, emotionally, and even physically---i.e. keeping each other from eating that extra scoop of ice cream! :) When we first started dating, we had one goal in mind, namely, to strive glorify God more together than we could apart. I still am reminded of how good of a goal that is to keep! Sometimes, when we are in the midst of sleepless night with kids, mounds of laundry, a sink full of dishes, bills to pay, and a social life to balance, its hard to keep that perspective. But, in the end, it pays off!

I love my wonderful husband. God has given him a such a caring spirit, a tender heart, a keen sense of humor, and an amazing ability to communicate (which helps in the marriage!). Troy has an incredible sense of joy, rooted in Christ, and he has such an immense love for the kids and myself. I am so thankful for these last 5 years, and look forward to many, many more years of marital bliss! I'm sure, with God's grace, it will only get better from here!

For our anniversary get away, we left the kids with my mom and sister (THANKS A MILLION!) and headed to our favorite place---the beach. We got an unbelievable deal on an ocean front hotel room in Huntington Beach at The Shorebreak Hotel. The room was amazing. We just had to open our sliding door and there was the pier and the Pacific ocean staring back at us. The people at the hotel were very friendly. They even gave us a homemade card with the staff's signature and chocolate covered strawberries for our anniversary. They also gave us free Chardonnay, made a wine cooler for me, and gave us free water (the nice kind---in a glass bottle!). Seriously, folks. This is the place to stay! It was extremely relaxing, just the rejuvenation I've been needing for quite some time! We also went to Duke's and shared a Hula Pie for desert (YUM!). After spending a night at the beach, we headed to lunch and to see Knight and Day. All in all, we had a wonderful time! We need to do that more often!

We arrived to find this thoughtful card and these delicious chocolate covered strawberries!
The view from our bed.My complimentary wine cooler. Don't worry. I only had a few sips, so I avoided getting a migraine! Me and my guy relaxing!On the pier.
Our view from our table at Duke's. Beautiful!
Mmmm. Hula Pie!
Our breakfast on the balcony: Strawberry Kefir, Bagels with cream cheese, and fruit!
We loved our room!View from our balcony!

Creative Food Attempt

This morning I made Jackson some Mickey Mouse shaped toast with fruit for breakfast, and, guess what? He ate it...well, most of it! All that is left was the ears and the bananas on the ears. I used two different sized biscuit cutters to make Mickey and used apple slices and bananas to top it off. I put dried cranberries and Cheerios on the side so Jackson could make Mickey's face. He enjoyed it and so did I. Oh, and there were no painful pebbles in his diaper today! :)

San Diego Trip Day 3

Our third day was our last day in San Diego. A cloudy sky greeted us that morning as it did the day before. We checked out of our hotel and headed up to La Jolla.

Jackson really enjoyed the view we had from the room, even though it was just of a bus station parking lot and a couple of tall buildings. He loved being up high!Jackson always enjoys the ocean, no matter how cold it is! It was freezing---or at least a Southern's Californian's version of freezing!The Family in La JollaA picture I wish I had time to paint...We ate at a restaurant called The Cottage. It was absolutely amazing. I had eggs, apple sausage, an English muffin, and potatoes, all of which were delicious...especially the apple sausage. Troy had the same with Applewood smoked bacon, which was mouth-watering-good! They also have fresh squeezed orange juice there. It was a very nice touch! Troy and I tried a sample of their homemade granola, and I must say that it quite possibly may be the best granola I have ever tasted. Seriously. It was that good. I definately recommend this place! It was a wonderful end to our trip to San Diego!

Happy Birthday, Troy!

Troy turned 36 years young this week...and I didn't post any pictures! Due to the fact that my surgery was the day before his birthday, we didn't do much. We all took a great nap that day and I gave him a few gifts...a USC mug and a Tossimo storage thingy...oh yeah and I made blueberry muffins and peaches and cream for his birthday breakfast (how I had the energy to do that is beyond me). We ended his birthday with a delicious dinner of chicken kabobs, corn-on-th-cob, salad, and red cake, so thoughtfully provided by a couple in our church.
So without further ado, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TROY! I love you so much!!! And, I promise, next year, I won't schedule surgery the day before your birthday!!! :)

Blueberry Morning

Jackson ate blueberries for the first time this morning. He absolutely enjoyed the whole experience, including the bath he got afterward. I loved the bite-sized convenience of them! I knew you all would enjoy these photos, so here they are!

Birthday Celebrations!

Last Sunday, (Father's Day) was my birthday. Due to the fact that Father's Day was on my birthday, I celebrated all throughout the weekend! On Friday, Troy and I went on another date (yes, for those of you who are counting, that is two weeks in a row...woo-hoo!). We went to The Backstreet in Riverside. This restuarant is where Troy and I went on our second date and discussed the name Jackson for a son. It is an extrememly romantic and relaxing atomosphere! They also have amazing food there, too! If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for? Go!(Photo courtesy of backtreet67.com)

On Saturday morning, I went with Troy's family to Simple Simon's in Riverside. They have delicious French Toast there, as well as fresh squeezed orange juice! It was a nice, relaxing, and I must say, tasty breakfast!

After breakfast, Troy, Jackson and I headed to the beach to celebrate with Michael (my twin brother who happens to have the same birthday...go figure!), and both mine Troy's siblings at Corona Del Mar beach. I really enjoyed hanging out with the family! Robyn figured out how to make the perfect s'more and Troy made one for that was the most amazing s'more I've ever had...really! The best thing about this beach trip, though, was showing Jackson the Pacific Ocean for the first time. He was amazed by it and let out a whimper when we turned away from the waves to walk back to the fire pit. He scrambled to see every wave he could! I am so glad he seemed to love it!On Sunday, my actual birthday, we did a combo Father's Day/Birthday celebration with my family. We had pizza and Jenni made scrumptious No-Pudge brownies for me! (Thanks!) Overall, I had a great birthday weekend! Thanks everyone!

In Review: Fresh & Easy

About a month ago, the first Fresh & Easy Market opened in Riverside. This is a market chain that Tesco (UK) has created. Troy was looking forward to the opening for quite some time, and checked it out before I had the chance to go with him. So, I went to check the store out myself. I have been in Tesco Markets in the UK. Fresh & Easy markets are nothing like Tesco. They really aren't meant to be. I believe the point of Fresh & Easy is the convenience. There are pros and cons to the shopping experience there. There were several things I didn't like about the store. I didn't like how "fresh & easy" doesn't mean healthy. For example, their brand of frozen shepherd's pie has well over 1000 mg of sodium. In fact, most of their frozen and fresh meals are very high in sodium. Another thing I didn't like about the store was that they have everything to make a great pizza...except for pepperoni. The store in Riverside is very small, so other locations may carry pepperoni.
On the other hand, there are also several things I like about the store. They have name brand items for a great price. An Arrowhead 24 pack of bottled water is regularly priced at $3.99. That is the sale price everywhere else. For the most part, the cereal is pretty decently priced. The Hot/Lean Pockets are only $2.18, which is cheaper than Stater Bros. Their baby food products are also pretty cheap. I also have to give Fresh & Easy credit for making Self Check-Out so simple. To be honest, I'm always annoyed by those machines, but the ones at Fresh & Easy live up to their name...they are very easy to deal with.
Troy and I have tried many of Fresh & Easy's brand name items. To sum this review up, I'll just give you the scoop on those items.

Fresh & Easy Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix- I really got my hopes up on this one. The mix comes with a crumb topping, so I was excited to make it. Well, the muffins had no blueberry taste and they were dry. Two thumbs down.
Fresh & Easy Dark Chocolate Bars & Milk Chocolate Bars- These candy bars proved to be delicious and quite a deal at $ 0.38 each!
Fresh & Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough- This dough is fresh and easy...seriously. It tastes great and it is really easy to roll out to make a pizza. Its also a great deal at $1.18 each (although, just a month ago when they first opened, they were only $0.99)Fresh & Easy Spanish Rice- This rice had absolutely no taste at all. It's an insult to the Spanish.
Fresh & Easy Canned Olives, Corn, Green Beans, Peaches, Pears, etc. - All their canned veggies and fruits are great tasting and most of them are only $0.79 -$1.49.
Fresh & Easy Fajita Veggies- These veggies are in the "fresh" produce section. They are already cut up and slightly over $2...worth the price if you don't have much time.
Fresh & Easy Strawberry Lemonade- WONDERFUL! You can taste the real strawberries in this! It is pricey though. It is $2 for a small bottle (it serves about 2).
Fresh & Easy Lemonade- After taste the Strawberry Lemonade, it is nothing to write home about.
Fresh & Easy Roasted Garlic Sauce- Great taste and price (I think it is $2.79) If you like garlic, this sauce will suit you!
Fresh & Easy Pizza Sauce- This sauce is a great price ($0.99), but has no taste and it is somewhat bitter. Troy added sugar to it when using it on pizza.
Fresh & Easy Peppermint Water- This water has no sugar in it, just mint and water, and it is very, very refreshing. It also works great to soothe a sour stomach. The price is great too...only $0.79.
Fresh & Easy Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded, 8 oz)- Although I prefer my mozzarella shredded a bit thicker than this package of cheese, it is a great price at only $2.18.

So, there you have it. After looking at this list of food reviews, I think I liked more than I didn't like. I hope you all found this review interesting! Tesco is opening up 48 Fresh & Easy stores, so there is bound to be one opening up by you sometime soon if you live in California. I encourage you to try it for yourselves!

The Great Escape!

With temperatures Inland soaring to 110*F (and at times, over that), I felt like I was going to go crazy. Pregnancy really does make a difference when it comes to cooling off. In weather like that, it is nearly impossible.
In attempt to escape this unbearably hot weather, Troy and I decided to head towards the ocean Sunday evening. We booked a hotel room in Costa Mesa and made plans to go to the beach the next day. My main goal for this "escape" was to stay cool. When we slept in the hotel room on Sunday night, we decided to get our money's worth and set the air conditioner to 62*F. I can definitely say that it felt soooo good to sleep in that temperature. It was well worth the money! Even if we had set our thermostat to that temperature at home, it wouldn't get past 80*F in this hot of weather. Monday morning, we slept in as much as we could (for me, that was exactly 7:19am), and for Troy, it was about an hour later. We got ready for the day and headed towards Balboa Island where we had researched a restaurant called Wilma's Patio for brunch. We were a bit disappointed to find that the temperatures even on the island were approaching 100*F. Despite the heat, we were still able to enjoy a nice meal there. I had an omlette and fresh fruit and Troy had a pancake, egg, and ham breakfast. The food was good and the service was great. I definitely want to go back there.
After our bellies were full, we took the ferry across to Balboa Peninsula. We then found a shady spot on the Peninsula and just sat there for a few minutes to enjoy to cool ocean breeze. That felt amazing. That breeze was exactly what we came there for. Just down the peninsula is a spot known as "The Wedge." Two currents come together here in a "V" shape (or wedge shape) to create huge waves. If you stand at the edge of the sand, the water pops up and gets you wet. Troy and I had so much fun getting wet. It was so refreshing! I think this was the most fun I've had in a long time! The saddest part of the trip was having to come home to the heat. Let's hope its almost over like the weather guys are saying!

Troy's Birthday

Troy's birthday was yesterday. I made him his traditional birthday breakfast which consists of fresh peaches and cream, topped with wheat germ, and on the side, homemade blueberry muffins. Mmmm! It really isn't a healthy breakfast at all, so we only eat it one day a year. There is nothing better than a fresh, juicy, sweet peach in the summer. Well, I'm sure there are things that are equal to it. The blueberry muffins are wonderful as well. I found the recipe on AllRecipes.com and everyone who has tasted of the muffin's sweet goodness couldn't just have one bite. I promised the recipe to many!
To finish Troy's birthday off, we had some friends and family over for Taco Salad and birthday cake. The cake I made was called Hawaiian Wedding Cake and it is basically a pineapple cake with a topped with a light vanilla frosting. I also topped it with mandarin oranges. The cake wasn't as "pineappley" as I thought it would be. Other than that, it was good. It was a nice light cake for a change.
Overall, Troy's birthday a great day! I really love my husband and I love to see him happy!