Yummmmmm, COOOOKIES!

I've always felt that if something doesn't taste good, then what's the point? Healthy foods don't need to be tasteless or have a funny texture. There will be some adjustments (adding more fiber will have a cleansing effect - need I say more?), but as you continue to eat more healthfully the "side effects" will go away. 

Need a quick healthy power bar? This recipe can be made into cookies or spread out and cut into bars. Be sure to experiment on your own with ingredients you like best.

Don't dismiss the Chia Seeds if you've never tried them before. They don't add any flavor, just a small crunch and they hold the cookie together just like an egg. The Chia Seed is filled with Omega 3 Oil. Very few of us get enough omega 3, so here is an easy way to add it to your diet. The benefits of the chia is not diminished by baking. 

Did you know that Coconut Crystals have a low glycemic index? They aren't quite as sweet as sugar, but very close. If it isn't sweet enough you can add Stevia. Stevia is a plant that is 10 times sweeter than sugar and it is good for you! Go sparingly with the Stevia as it will have a bitter taste if you overdo it. 

When out of raisins, I have substituted fresh apple for the dried fruit and it works well.
#Each cookie has about 4 grams of fiber and approx 140 calories and is very filling.

Breakfast Cookie or Bar Recipe

1/2 cup peanut, cashew or almond butter (just leave out if allergic)
1/2 cup applesauce (or just puree an apple)
1/2 c honey OR 3/4 c. coconut crystals OR 15 dates soaked and pureed into paste (adjust for sweetness)
1/4 c chia seeds in 1/4 c water
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup coconut flour*
3/4 oat flour*
1/4 cup oat bran, optional
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup of dried fruit
1 cup nuts, and/or sunflower seeds
1/4 cup Maca Powder (for added energy)

Bake on cookie sheet with parchment paper (easy cleanup and more even baking). Using a small scoop (about 2 T) make round cookies. Smash each cookie with a spatula. (I put a sheet of parchment paper over the top and smash with another cookie sheet - less mess and easier). OR spread evenly on baking sheet (with parchment paper), after baking cut into bars or squares. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes - ovens vary. 
*Actually you just need about 1 1/2 cups total of some kind of whole grain flour: oats, bean, coconut (great fiber), millet, etc. Be creative.

A tribute to relationships: Old Bags ~

Having healthy relationships are just as important as having a healthy diet. Surround yourself with people that will keep you "real" and you have a support group!

We've tried to change the name - who wants to be an "Old Bag", but this one just stuck. We will forever be the "Old Bags". Together since childhood, we know and love each other regardless where life takes us. Other people come and go in my life, but my Old Bags are constant. We have held each other up and supported each other through scrapped knees, school explosions, algebra, college, weddings, childbirth, parent illnesses and deaths, and divorce. With the new age of internet and cell phones, Old Bags are never more than a click or ring away.

How do I explain how important this group of women are to me? They ground me. I will never NOT be an Old Bag. I will always belong to this special group. They will be honest with me no matter what, but with kindness because they love me. They will keep me honest with myself, because they KNOW me.

God put these special ladies in my life and I will be forever grateful. I love you Old Bags. 

Old Bags 1972

The Old Bags 1976

The Vineyard

I had the opportunity today to help a friend in his vineyard. I pruned back the new shoots on the vines. I kept thinking about the verse that says: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

God has to “prune” us because we are pointed in the wrong direction. And since each vine is individual, it must be pruned to it’s own bend or growth. The suckers have to be cut off because they rob us of good growth. Something that was a good growth last year, may not be the best for this year, it has to be cut out. And the thing I found most interesting was that the more mature the vine, the harder it is to prune. If it’s been growing in the wrong direction for a long time, it’s painful to prune.

I have always looked at that verse from the Branches (me), but today I saw it from the Gardener’s prospective. It was really hard to prune away what seemed to be a perfectly good branch, especially if it was already starting to bear fruit. I had to look at the whole plant and decide which would be the best for the vine. Then I had to tenderly remove the ones that would hinder the growth and production. The goal is to bear much fruit. 

I want to bear much fruit.....prune me Lord, tenderly. 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1-8 NIV