A "Healthier" Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

My family and I have been on a whole foods journey this year in an attempt to cut out processed food and just be healthier in general. We buy local meat and eggs, drink milk and use butter from a local dairy, and buy other things organic as much as possible. We are not perfect at it by any means and we do allow ourselves to eat "bad" things in moderation from time to time. For the most part I cook from scratch using whole foods and healthy ingredients 5 or 6 nights a week and we typically eat leftovers on one night and maybe grab something quick once a week. I drink my lunch every day which consists of various green smoothies made with kale or spinach.. I LOVE my green smoothies! My husband bought me a Vitamix for Christmas and I use it every single day! Best...Gift...Ever! I also use it to make our own nut butters, soups, and we've even made ice cream in it. School lunches are a work in progress and I plan to blog more about that later. Another thing I've changed is my morning coffee. I love my Bailey's Hazelnut creamer but, like many other things, it is just filled with junk and a bunch of stuff I can't pronounce. I have recently started making my own coffee creamer using just a few simple organic ingredients. I admit it's not exactly the same but I'm liking it more and more each time I use it :) All of this to say that sometimes you just need a sweet treat and that's ok. Instead of reaching for store bought snack foods which are packed with all kinds of unpronounceable ingredients, preservatives and loaded with sugar I like to keep ingredients on hand to make my own goodies. At least this way I know exactly what I'm eating and I can control what goes in it. I try to stay away from white sugar and bleached flour. I feel a little less guilty this way! This is one of my go-to recipes when my sweet tooth strikes :) I modified it to remove white flour and sugar. They are a hit with the whole family!

Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I use white whole wheat b/c it has a milder taste)

1 cup organic rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup organic raw cane sugar

1/4 cup organic sweet cream butter

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 large egg (I buy pastured eggs from a local farm)

1/3 cup chocolate chips (or raisins if you prefer a healthier option) These are also great as a plain oatmeal cookie!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and gently whisk together. In a separate large bowl cream together sugar and butter until well blended (3-5 min). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto a nonstick cookie sheet about 2" apart. Bake at 350 for 11 min or until golden brown. Best served warm with a cold glass of milk :)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

What's for Dinner: Beef & Veggie Spaghetti

Last night I cooked using my first lb of meat from my grass-fed beef order...and it was delicious!! This recipe was a HUGE hit with everyone in the family! Even the girls who can sometimes be finicky were scarfing this one down!! Score!

 Beef and Veggie Spaghetti 

10oz cooked whole wheat spaghetti 

1 lb ground beef 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup green bell pepper- diced 

1/2 cup red bell pepper- diced 

1/4 cup red onion- diced 

2 cloves garlic- diced 

1 (14.5oz) can organic diced fire-roasted tomatoes- drained 

1/2 tsp dried oregano 

1/2 tsp dried basil 

1/4 tsp sea salt 

1/4 tsp black pepper 

2 1/4 cups cheddar cheese 

 Cook Spaghetti according to package directions, drain and set aside covered. In a skillet over medium heat add olive oil, bell peppers, onion, and garlic and saute until veggies are tender. Remove veggies from heated skillet. In same skillet brown the ground beef until no longer pink, drain and add cooked veggies. If cooking with grass-fed beef be sure not to overcook since it tends to cook faster than conventional beef. Add tomatoes, cooked spaghetti and all spices to the beef mixture. Continue to cook briefly until all is heated thru. Mix in 2 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Transfer all to lightly greased casserole dish. Bake 15 min at 350 degrees. Remove and add remaining 1/4 cup cheese and continue to bake 5 min until cheese is melted. Serve hot!! YUM!!