Coconut Butter and Coconut Date Cookie Bites

Last week I knew I had several meetings out of the building and would be running around like crazy, so I wanted to be prepared, food-wise. I bought some Lara bars that were coconut cream pie flavor. It sounded too good to be true. It turned out to be absolutely delicious.So I started thinking about how I could make something similar. I googled and looked around. I knew the basic ingredients words dates and almonds and coconut and so I wanted to find something creative to do with dates and coconut.

I found this recipe And I was intrigued.

First I needed to make some coconut butter.

Luckily I almost always have some unsweetened finely shredded coconut from let's do organic. I added one cup of this dried coconut to my tiny little food processor. And started to process. It took a long time and the coconut went through several stages, just like it does as you're making a nut butter. It seems like nothing is going to happen to the coconut, but you just have to keep processing. In all it took about 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup of dry, finely shredded, unsweetened coconut to your food processor.

This is my tiny little food processor. It cost less than five dollars on a black Friday deal several years ago, and it has been a tremendous kitchen helper.

The first thing you'll notice with the coconut if it will start to look a little moist and little tiny clumps will form. Scrape down the sides, stir up the coconut and turn the processor back on.

Then the coconut butter will start to look wet but still not really sticking together to form anything that resembles a nut butter. Again, scrape down the sides, stir the coconut and turn the food processor back on.

Finally you have coconut butter. Transfer this to an airtight container maybe a half pint mason jar or a snack cup from Tupperware.

Now it's time to make the cookie bites.

I started with just the two ingredients that the original recipe had but I think my dates were drier then the one she used and I don't know that my coconut butter added enough moisture to keep things together. So I modified the recipe a bit and added a little coconut oil. My coconut oil was solid but by the time it processed and warmed up from spinning around in the food processor it was just enough moisture to hold it together.

Add about two thirds of a cup of dates to your food processor. These should be pitted unsweetened dates. Mine were very tough. It might be because I didn't buy the brand name kind! I once I realized the dates were to tough, I took them out of the food processor and cut them into smaller chunks using a knife and a cutting board. After I did this they processed very easily. Also add 2 tablespoons of your coconut butter, and a little under a teaspoon of coconut oil.

Process In your food processor until everything is uniformly chopped and mixed.

Next I added some 85% dark chocolate. You want to add this at the very end, and only process it a little bit so your chunks don't completely disappear. At a grocery store near me, called Aldi, I get this 85% dark chocolate and it is perfect because it comes in a large bar that is separated into five small chocolate bars inside. This is great for me because then I am able to portion the chocolate outs and not be tempted to eat an entire large bar! I added one small bar to my food processor.

Next dump the entire contents of your food processor out onto a working surface. I used the cutting mat from pampered chef, but you could also use a large piece of waxed paper or another silicone mat. Using a spoon you a small amount into your hand and roll it into a ball.

This batch made six cookie bites and I immediately ate one, maybe two. I folded the aluminum foil up to make a little pouch and stored these in the freezer

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Thinking about goals - where I've been and where I want to go

One year ago, on Christmas break, we were sitting in the waiting room of the Cardiac Surgery Center waiting.  For 7.5 hours we waited.   No news at all...just knew it was bad and they would need some time.   The surgeon told us he WOULD come out when he was done, but not in between and he didn't send any of his staff out, not the way he works.  SO we waited.  And waited.

My nephews and niece and sister and brother-in-law and my mother and aunt and uncle who drove in later in the day.  We waited, tried to read, play with the kids, watch TV, but waited.

And that 5 way bypass that my dad had that day was a success.  An incredible success.  In so many ways.  He has a healthy heart now, more controlled blood sugar. Dad has lost a lot of weight and is closer to a healthy weight than he has been in all my life. My mom and dad are eating healthy and exercising regularly. I am a healthier, active person who has lost 90 lbs.   I am a smaller size than I was when I started middle school - in 7th grade I was already a 14/16W and an XL/2XL.  

We have come so far....and it took nearly the worst thing possible to get us there.

Last year, around President's Day, once I was back to my routine and dad was healing and I was no longer traveling home every weekend, I was ready to change.  And Medifast did that for me.  

I made a 3 part goal to be healthier in 2012:

• lose weight (I thought I wanted to be around a size 14/16, not necessarily a weight goal) - little did I know I would make it smaller than that!   I couldn't even IMAGINE a 14/16 on me! 
• to be more active,  (I made a goal to finish (Walk/Run/Crawl if I had to) 12 5Ks in 2012.   On New Years Eve Afternoon I RAN my 14th 5K + 1mile race.  I can run an entire 5K without stopping now when I could barely run 90 seconds at the start).  I have learned to use running and yoga and exercise as my stress relief instead of food.
• strengthen my heart and build endurance.  

Now it's time for 2013 - another great year ahead of me.   I have been thinking long and hard about my goals for this year.  Finding it hard to decide on one, so I'm settling on a multi-part goal again this year:

• Continue healthy Paleo eating and drop closer to a healthy body fat%
• Continue running/yoga/zumba/gravity classes.   Get stronger!  Build more muscle and endurance AND Try a new class or two in 2013  - spin, TRX or kettlebells maybe?
• Run!  
• Running Mileage Goal - I will run 500 miles in 2013.  RUN, not just my everyday FitBit tracked steps.
• Train for Nike Women's Half Marathon - April 28.  My goal is to jog/run it.   I walked a 1/2 in 2005 and took forever, this one will be faster.
• Complete Warrior Dash May 18 - including climbing the wall.

I can do this - after 2012, I know that I can accomplish EVERYTHING on this list.

What do I eat for breakfast?

I often am asked, "WHat do you eat for breakfast then!!?" when I tell people I don't eat any wheats or grains. Traditional breakfast foods (donuts, pastries, toast, bagels, muffins, french toast, pancakes, etc) are all grain!

First, I cook a breakfast every morning. It means I have to get up a little earlier, but having a nice warm and yummy breakfast is important to starting my day right!

And secondly, I eat a lot of meat and eggs. Haha. Bacon, ham, even steak or chicken. I scramble, poach, fry in a pan, even have done baked egg cups. My favorite is definitely the frittata.

But I also changed the way I think about breakfast - it doesn't have to be a "traditional" breakfast food. Often times I eat something leftover from an evening or lunch meal.

This morning I had veggies with chicken breast when I got up. I cut up 2 tomatoes, a yellow bell pepper and the leftover veggies from last night's dinner (zucchini and broccoli) into bit size pieces. I sautéed a couple of chicken breasts in a pan (no oil), added the veggies and covered with a lid just till the pepper softened up. I added some seasonings (pepper, a steak-and-chops herb mix and some cayenne pepper).... and voila! A delicious breakfast. This made 2 servings.

 

This was delicious, healthy and so filling! What do you eat for breakfast?

 

Posted with Blogsy

Chili for a Cold and Windy Winter Day

So here in Virginia, it is VERY cold and VERY windy right now.   We have a high wind warning and it is blowing and whistling and neighborhood stuff is blowing into the yard and against the outside walls.  Not an awesome day outside, but a PERFECT day for a big crock pot of chili and curling up on the couch to watch some football!

Here is how I make it - I eyeball my chili measurements and taste things often.   If it needs more of something, I add it.  :)   Since I don't eat beans, I add lots of veggies to "beef" up the chili.  Yum!  I can't wait till it finishes!

First, cut up bell peppers.  I had great big peppers, so I used 2 green, 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow cut into 1 inch strips and then into 1 inch chunks.   It's important to not cut them too small because they will cook down a lot and I like some size to my veggies.

Next, I cut up yellow squash and zucchini.  I had medium to small squash and zucchini, so I used two of each.  I scrub them, cut them into about 1/2 inch slices.   For the fatter slices, I quarter them - everything else is just cut in half.

For the meat, I used 1.5 lb of ground venison that my cousin killed a few weeks ago.  I love having healthy meat in the freezer!   Brown it on the stove top.  And then add the seasoning - 2 Tbsp of chili powder, 2 tsp of oregano, 2 tsp of cayenne pepper, about a tsp of fresh ground salt and pepper.   (Usually I add a tsp of cumin too, but I seem to be out!)  Add the seasoned meat to the crockpot.

Finally, tomatoes.   Usually I use the tomatoes I canned back in August, but this year I have used most of them up!  I used two large cans of whole peeled tomatoes - use your shears and cut the whole tomatoes in half.    And add one pint of fresh canned tomato juice (our tomatoes were red and yellow this year, so we have orange tomato juice!). I don't even stir this up for now, leaving it layered for the first bit of cooking.  Cover and let this cook on high for about 25 minutes, then stir and reduce to low for about an hour.   The veggies will soften and release some more liquid, and the volume of chili will reduce.  It is so yummy!  Taste it to see if you need more cayenne or chili powder.  Most likely I will add some more fresh ground pepper and salt at the end.

And to wrap up, just a few notes.   We don't eat onions or garlic, so I leave that stuff out.  A lot of recipes call for adding the onions in the bottom of the crock pot first, letting them soften in there, and including some garlic if you want.  It adds a whole new flavor level if that is something you enjoy!

Merry Christmas

I hope you and your families have had a peaceful, calm and creative Christmas Day!

We had a fun time with the niece and nephews, creating a few crafty inspirations:

First up is this awesome Gingerbread Cookie Tree.  My mom found a kit with star shaped cookie cutters, but it sure could be done with the cookie cutters you have around the house.  AND we used a box of Krusteaz Gingerbread Cookie mix!   Couldn't be easier.  We made 3 of each size of cookie.  Also, mix up a small batch of "ornamental frosting" - this is what we call "cement icing" in our house.  

Delicious sugary goodness.  

(Note:  I stayed Paleo through this whole thing! 

 I didn't taste a single bite or a lick during the whole process!)

Give each of the cute kids in your life a butter knife or icing spreader and explain that a lump of frosting on the middle of each cookie and a gentle press down (with fingertips only!  Not whole hand smashes!) is what needs to be done.  Lots of concentration and cuteness is needed!

Continue to stack up the cookies from largest (remember to stick that one to the center of the plate!) to the smallest.  The very smallest cookie gets to stand up vertically on the top. Don't forget to take lots of pictures of the cuteness!

Then use the rest of the icing in a plastic bag and snip off the end of it to dab frosting on the "leaves" or "needles" or tips of the stars.   Let your cutie pies decorate with sprinkles and jimmies and little non-pareils and whatever else you like! 

And whatever you do - be sure to keep an eye out for a super cute little sister who can sweet talk her momma into letting her "bite!??" the tree! 

Another delicious treat we enjoyed was inspired by Farm Fresh and Active - chocolate dipped mandarin wedges.  YUM!  I peeled and separated the wedges of the mandarins - we used the Cutie brand.   Then I dipped them in melted Enjoy Life Mini Chips - these are gluten, dairy and soy free chocolate chips - and placed them on waxed paper.  Then I popped them in freezer for about 30 minutes (or as long as you can stand to wait!)   These were SOOOO yummy and so much healthier than those crazy chocolate oranges we used to always get in our stockings!

And as you can see by the top picture, of course I played around with  my camera and the bokeh that I could capture with my Mom's colorful Christmas Tree!  Totally different from the images that I captured of my twinkling white lights!   I found the easiest way ever to do it here - from It's Always Autumn.

What did you do that was crafty this winter break?

Want to Make Your House Smell AMAZING?

So, I don't want everyone thinking all the recipes and crafts come out perfect EVERY time.   There are times when life gets in the way or something goes awry and it turns out awful.

Yesterday as I was cleaning out my fridge and kitchen I found a partial bag of clementines.  I had forgotten about these...oops!  They are hard as rocks and some are brownish on the outside...  What a waste!  I think the bag just got hidden and of course, out-of-sight and out-of-mind!

I also had 4 cinnamon sticks I got from MamaOrganics premium at a race I ran back in the fall.   They were packaged in a box with organic soap, oils, and clay.   I felt like the soap smell got on the cinnamon sticks so I was nervous about cooking with them....

So, I didn't want to pitch them so I decided to make a potpourri simmer pot on the stove this morning.

I cut those 8 little rock hard clementines in half (they were nice and juicy on the inside still, maybe a little shriveled) and added the 4 cinnamon sticks to a medium sized pot.  I covered them with water and turned them on medium high to come to a boil.  Then I reduced the heat and let them simmer at a low boil.

It is seriously delicious smelling in here!   The orange, cinnamon, YUM!   If I had some Vanilla beans I would throw them in there, and maybe some whole cloves too!

I think this is a nice way to make your house smell wonderful without all kinds of leftover "stuff" in your pantry/fridge.   What would you simmer?

I needed to do something - Random Acts of Kindness

My heart is breaking for the victims, the classmates, the teachers and staff, and the whole community of Newtown, CT.   As a teacher, the fear and the sadness seems so close.   I am a learner, a questioner, a person who needs to know why - and that means I watch too much "news" coverage.  

Today I needed to turn it off and do something positive out of this tragedy.  

A teacher on an online community I visit often posted the suggestion to do Random Acts of Kindness and this perfect quote:

The world is dark and light is precious - Kate DiCamillo

This relates so well to my very favorite quote:

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it - Edith Wharton  

I went out today to spread the light!

28 purposeful Random Acts of Kindness.  

One for each life that was lost in Newtown, CT on Friday 12/14/12.   Small, kind things to do for others for no other reason then to be kind.

1 and 2. Gave the two baristas at Starbucks each coupons for a free order of chips and salsa at Applebees (love their faces!  They were so excited, teenage boys).

3. I gave a coupon for 40% off one item to a lady and her husband at Michael's.

4.  I paid for my purchases at Bed Bath and Beyond with a giftcard.  It had nearly $5 left on it afterwards, and I gave it to the woman behind me in line.  She didn't believe I was doing this and asked three times if I was really sure!?   The man at the register was smiling so wide!

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.  I let people out of driveways/store parking lots merge out into traffic in front of me.   It was great to see it spread - I let one person out and watched her let three others out.

11, 12 and 13.  At 3 stores I went to I found carts in the lots (not in the corrals) so I returned them to the front doors so they wouldn't damage anyone's car and workers wouldn't have to track them down before they leave tonight.

14.  I hung clothes back up at the clearance rack at Old Navy - there were so many lying on the ground where people had just shuffled through and knocked them off the hangers.

15 and 16.  I donated 2 large bags of clothes to Goodwill.

17.  I bought a bag of Ghiradelli chocolate for the men at Goodwill that work in receiving.  They are outside in the cold and lifting anything and everything out of folks' cars.  The two men were soo excited!

18.  I walked into one of my favorite women's clothing stores and gave a woman looking at the sale rack a rewards coupon for $15.

19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.  I parked far away (near the very end of the lots) at each of 6 stores/plazas I visited to leave close spots for the folks who need them!

25, 26, 27, 28.   I held the doors at four of the stores I shopped at today.    I held for several groups of people with bags full of purchases as they were leaving the store.   It was pretty awesome to see how thankful they were for such a small act!   And they were all surprised that I still stood there to wait till they got all the way through.

Also, through my day today I made a point to smile and say hello to people.  I live in a busy suburb, near a major city and people are busy and there is a lot going on.   Most people smiled back, a few spoke and several just watched me.  Smiling and saying hello to people helped me hold back the tears that had been falling all morning as I watched the coverage.

What can you do to spread the light in our world?