Monster Cookie Recipe

Okay, so this doesn't exactly follow my "eating clean" plan...however I made them for my dad's birthday so I think that justifies it...that and my one cookie (or a couple) a day rule.

I have been making these cookies since I was little, they are freaking delicious and you can always change up the recipe to include your favourites like raisins or nuts. I have no idea where the original recipe is from, but I have altered it slightly over the years. I love that its flourless!

For the bakers out there, if you do not have one of these cookie scoops RUN,  don't walk, and get one or a couple different sizes, they will revolutionize your baking! I love mine, I have 2 sizes as below one scoops the size of a golf ball and another that scoops the size of twoonie. 

I used both sized scoops because sometimes its fun to eat a huge cookie and sometimes its fun to eat 5 small cookies and pretend its just like 1 big cookie.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (room temp)

1 1/2 cup peanut butter (regular or natural, although I think natural tastes better)

1 cup of white sugar

3 eggs beaten

1 cup of packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp of vanilla

4 1/2 cups of rolled oats

2 tsp of baking powder

chocolate chips (about 3/4 of a cup)

m&m's (about 3/4 of a cup)

Optional: Rasins, nuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or use baking mats.

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and remaining ingredients, but add chocolate chips and m&m's in slowly and only add what you need because when you are near the end of scooping, you will inevitably have a shit ton of chocolate rolling around your bowl and not much dough (or maybe I just eat this much dough) I just throw out what is left...You may think I should just add less of the chocolate, but there is the perfect amount in all the other cookies so this works for me!

Scoop onto cookie sheet (the cookies do not melt down so its okay to put them close together). Gently flatten and make for about 10-12 mins. Makes about 3 dozen, give or take the amount of dough you eat and this dough is delicious so go ahead and treat yourself! 

MMM

Monster Cookies! (these are the small ones pictured)

Eat Clean 2016: 5 Healthy Breakfasts

Eat Clean 2016...my every year goal lol which is often harder to achieve then I thought. I am on a train of terrible eating... I do eat healthily, but then I also eat a lot of other junk I should not. I.am.a.cookie.monster #sorryimnotsorry I LOVE cookies, I kinda feel entitled to at least one a day...but its when I add in a few chips, popcorn, or chocolate covered gummy bears as well that I feel like garbage. Who am I kidding I have also been eating a lot of bacon lately...as a once vegetarian, 2010 Alexandra is disgusted with 2016 Alexandra.

This is kinda my motto (which makes eating clean a lofty goal).

I am not trying to loose weight, but I want to feel good and be strong and healthy. I am not sure if I should do a elimination "diet" or just cut the crap out...but I already don't want to. In an effort to start on the right track I have been tracking my breakfasts to share fun recipes with you and ensure I think twice about my meals. Although my real problem is snacks...so next next I will come back to you with some fun healthy snacks *cue the pinterest searching*


Here are this week's breakfasts:

Lemon Blueberry Chia Pudding

Combine:

- 3 tbsp of chia seeds

- 1/4 of a cup of greek yogurt (I used coconut)

- 1/2 of coconut milk

- zest and juice of half a lemon

Stir and leave in fridge overnight. In the morning stir again and add 1/2 cup of blueberries. Can also top with nuts.

The Lazy Man: Shredded Wheat with Coconut Milk and Fresh Berries

Oatmeal with Granny Smith Apple, Cinnamon and  Sliced Almonds

Make oatmeal as usual but before it is fully cooked stir in 1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced and cinnamon. Once it is done top with a little brown sugar or maple syrup, more cinnamon, and nuts. 

Cup of Happiness! Shout out to Karen for  my favourite mug!  :)

Coconut Greek Yogurt with Strawberries, Blueberries, Pineapple, Chia Seeds, Slices Almonds and Kashi Coconut Granola

Taste Explosion!

Avocado Toast with a Fried Egg & Shot of Wheatgrass

Pretty straightforward: Top your favourite toast with mashed avocado and a fried egg. I also added my favourite spice - my obsession La Grille Vegetable seasoning...I put it on everything its amazing! 

What are your favourite breakfasts? 

Shopping time with Thirty-One

I have been oogling a utility tote from this company in random ladies grocery carts for a while…I finally tracked it down from  Thirty-One. 

This is it, although it comes in many colours and styles..here is the one I am eyeing up. It fits so much stuff, you can put it in your grocery cart, load it up for camp or weekend trips.

Thirty-One Deluxe Utility Tote

I am currently doing an online party. If you click on the link below you can preview everything and place your order online. There is also the info if you want to talk to the consultant or have any questions.

The party is open until Feb 27th. If you know anyone else interested please pass this link on to them. 

 

Click here to view catalogue:

This is the link tote for anyone interested…they also have a deluxe version: https://www.mythirtyone.ca/507060/shop/Catalog/ItemDetail/3121?refCategory=S105&isSummary=False

Optimism 101: Baby Update

1 month post miscarriage and I am finally feeling like myself again and in the spirit of that, here is everything I am loving about NOT being pregnant right now (I call it Optimism 101)

- drinking WINE 

- eating spiced meats with wine

- having energy

- drinking WINE

- hot baths

- eating raw cookie dough

- not wondering if I can or cannot eat something
- going snowboarding

- feeling goooood! 

For now, we are going to try and enjoy every minute of this!

I ended up having a d&c in January, which compared to the miscarriages i've had at home, was surprisingly pleasant, you wake up and its just over. This is not to say I wasn't heart broken, empty and a hormonal disaster, because I sure was, but I had the most amazing team of doctors and nurses and with my mother by my side. I could not have been in better hands!

Recently new is the ability for doctors to send the fetus away for testing to see if their was a genetic abnormality. Our doc. has no luck with his patients even getting a result, however last Friday, after I completely forgot about this I got a call from him saying they did get a result and it was a genetic abnormality - Trisomy 16. It happens in 1% of pregnancies...1bloody percent! (I feel like I'm winning the shit lottery) lol There is no telling what happened with the other ones, but it may have been the same (I should buy a lottery ticket). The good news is that this means I am not left wondering if its something with me like needing more progesterone or taking aspirin etc, its something I could have done nothing about.

Our doctor says there is nothing to say our next pregnancy wouldn't be normal, but then again after 4 we aren't ready to find out. He is sending us to meet with a Fertility Dr in April who specializes in multiple miscarriages. He will do some testing and our doctor thinks he will either recommend rolling the dice and trying again or genetic IVF. Which means not only a petrie dish baby...but petrie dish baby where you hand select and screen the ingredients. The IVF process seems so far away, expensive and intense - so for now imma just drink my wine in the hot tub with spiced meats and raw cookie dough haha ;) maybe not in that order! 

Trip Recap and Shalini's Wedding coming soon! 

Happy Valentine's Weekend!

Why I got off Facebook and have loved every minute of it!

Last March admit our second miscarriage I was aimlessly scrolling through my Facebook news feed when I decided I had had enough. I deactivated it that day and stayed off until I rejoined for a week this fall, remembered why I left...left again and have loved every free minute not spent on it. I am encouraging you to do the same, believe me...it will make you a happier person!

I joined Facebook (circa 2005?) to connect with friends and family near and far. I have lived a couple different cities and countries during my studies and it was such a great way to keep and touch and share with my closest peeps.

Somewhere over the years however it grew... It grew into somewhere that anyone you had a class with, met at a party once, knew a friend of yours, became your Facebook "friend" with access to all your info. I used Facebook to share photos and life and suddenly I felt self conscious about all these people I didn't know well, having access to anything I posted. 

I slowly removed "friends" (people I did a project with once or don't talk to) and eventually upped it to anyone I wouldn't stop and chat with if I saw at the mall. This brought the amount down, but still there was something no longer satisfying about the platform.

This past year was certainly my most difficult and what I found on Facebook was a whole bunch of phony-baloney, that left me feeling worse than I did before I logged on. (Not to mention all the garbage ads, stupid videos and other crap that now fills up your news feed.)

Everywhere I turned people were loading their happy pregnancy announcement and it made our struggle seem more difficult. This is not to say I was not happy for friends and their exciting news, rather it was that Facebook presents on this small, seemingly perfect view of people rather then the truth. For me it seemed all these people had it so easy when in reality their journey to this happy moment may have been a struggle.

Mark Zuckerberg posted this pregnancy announcement with the back story of their journey, which I thought was really refreshing. In this world of social media if we share honestly more than just a perfect glimpse of our lives we may actually find people we can connect with and share in the good and not so good times.

I should clarify that I am not down with the people who take this to the other end of the scale and post their ever changing relationship status and use it to expose things that should be kept at home. You know what I mean, we all had a someone on our list that did this lol

 Plus now facebook is full of ads and filler garbage...what are you really getting from it?! #nothing 

This all still applies if you are not struggling from infertility. No one needs 900 likes on a picture, or maybe you do, but trust me do a break and see how wonderful life is without it! You get to run into people who say "did you hear...?" and you can genuinely say "no, I didn't tell me!" (It is exciting!) You can find other things to do with your online time...like blogging or pinterest.  Maybe you are thinking "Yes I can do this", but your next hesitation may be people won't be able to contact you or you will miss out on invites from the group convos, TRUST me - people will find you elsewhere and you will be free of mile long ridiculous group convos! #canigetanamen!

So go deactivate and be happy 2016!

* I should say I do use and love Instagram. The difference to me is its a clean slate of close friends you can have follow you, it's just pictures and I think it's a more honest, snap shot of daily life and memories. It's less complicated, less time sucking and more enjoyable then Facebook. The other great things is being able to follow bloggers and celebrities or companies that you like. I hope I don't sound hypocritical but there is my 2 cents.*