|
MAW Steve |
So, one thing about MAW Steve...he runs half marathons. Yep, I do! I have run 4 total of the past 13 months and I have about 4 more on my calendar over the next year or so. I am not quite sure what got me into running except for the fact that I was slowly gaining weight and was close to 300 lbs at my heaviest. The other thing reason was that as an Army Wife I got tired of one phrase that I used to hear from those lovely people who are not a part of the military community. Tell me if you have heard it. "I could NEVER be apart from my spouse for a WHOLE year."
My response to this statement is usually something like, "It's part of the life we live," or, "Thanks!" But the truth is that I really want to say something else to them. I want to say "How do you know? How do you know, what you could or could not do, until you are actually put into a situation where it HAS to happen?" The fact is that most of us military wives didn't think we could, would or should have survived our first deployments. Not only did we survive, we powered through more. My dear Soldier and I have gone through 2, but i know of families that are going through 3, 4, 5 or more.
So, in the same vain of How Do You Know, I started running. I signed up for races I started losing some weight. And it was the best thing I have ever done. Now, I must add a new diet to my list of changes. With all of the processed food out there and with the different ways our supposedly natural food is raised, grown and produced it is more important than ever to figure out a healthy diet. But I don't want to give up sweets and I may not have too.
Let me explain. Last weekend was the Walt Disney World Epcot 2012 Wine and Dine Half Marathon. My Soldier and I signed up and decided to attend the expo for the event on Friday afternoon. During the expo we met Erin McKenna, owner of Babycakes NYC in Manhattan. She is a Vegan and makes her living finding ways to make classic desserts in a way that people with any allergies could still eat. For those of us at the expo, she made Chocolate Chip Cookies, and with her permission, I am sharing the recipe here.
This recipe can be found in Erin's cookbook, "BabyCakes Covers the Classics. It is gluten free, lactose free, soy free, low calorie, low carb and vegan. AND BEFORE YOU SAY NO....I WENT BACK FOR 3 MORE because they were great!
Here is the recipe
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups GLUTEN FREE WG OAT FLOUR
- 1 cup GLUTEN FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- 1 cup Organic Sugar
- 1/4 cup FLAXSEED MEAL
- 1/4 cup ARROWROOT STARCH FLOUR
- 1-1/2 tsp XANTHAN GUM
- 1 tsp BAKING SODA
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup plus 2 Tb melted, refined Coconut Oil
- 6 Tbsp unsweetened Applesauce
- 2 Tbsp gluten free Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup gluten free, dairy free Chocolate Chips
Directions
Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, flaxseed meal, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Step 3 Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart.
Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and bake for 7 minutes more, or until the cookies are golden brown and firm. Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before eating.
Makes 36 cookies.
Another thought about these. For those of us who love sending baked goods to our Soldiers, this might be a way for Soldiers with allergies to also get some home baked love. Give them a chance...you will be happy you do. I know I was.
For more information on Vegan Baking visit Erin's website at www.babycakesnyc.com