It's National Cookie Day!

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

Today is National Cookie Day! And it's Christmas month. It's the perfect time to plan for holiday baking. But how do you incorporate cookies into a healthy living plan that focuses on eating real food?

I have four self-imposed guidelines for cookies and other sweet treats.:

1. I eat real whole food for at least 90% of my diet every day.The other 10% is flexible.It allows me wiggle room to eat occasional processed food with 5 ingredients or less, to eat out when I don't know what ingredients the restaurant uses to prepare the food, and to enjoy Christmas cookies.
2. I can eat whatever sweet treat I want as long as I make it myself from real food ingredients.This accomplishes two things:I know exactly what is in the food and I don't eat it nearly as often as I would if I grabbed a highly processed box of something from the grocery store shelf. Check your holiday recipe file. Do any of your "from scratch" baking recipes involve dumping various processed foods together? Boxes of cake mix, bowls of whipped topping, and packages of candy don't count as real food ingredients.
3. I substitute healthier ingredients for less healthy ones.
4. I add healthy ingredients to everything I bake to increase the nutritional value.

Easy recipe substitutions:

• coconut oil or olive oil instead of vegetable oils and shortening
• raw organic sugar, organic honey, real molasses, or real maple syrup instead of highly refined white sugar
• whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour

Healthy ingredients that are easily added to cookies and other sweet treats:

• coconut oil
• dried fruit
• fresh fruit
• ground milled flaxseed
• nuts
• nut butters
• oatmeal
• seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

These delicious cookies are full of healthy ingredients including oatmeal, nuts, honey, and flaxseed. They are a holiday baking time-saver because you can make two different cookies out of the same batch of batter: Raisin Nut Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.They are great for Christmas parties and the neighborhood cookie exchange. 

Preheat the oven to 325.

Cream together in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer:

1/3 c of organic coconut oil
1/3 c of butter, or butter substitute if you want them to be dairy free
1/3 c of almond butter

1/4 c raw honey

1/2 c raw organic sugar
3/4 c raw organic brown sugar 

Beat in:

2 eggs, use organic free range eggs when possible

2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract
1/3 c milk, use almond milk if you want them to be dairy free

In a separate bowl mix together:

1 c unbleached flour

1 c of whole wheat flour.
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T of milled flaxseed or ground flaxseed and chia seed combo 

4 c of rolled oats, regular not quick cooking

Blend the flour mixture thoroughly into the creamed mixture.

Scoop out half the batter into another mixing bowl.(approximately 2 1/2 cups)
Add 1 c of chocolate chips to this bowl.I like to use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips.They are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and peanut free.

Stir with a large spoon until the chocolate chips are completely blended into the batter.
Set this bowl aside.

To the batter in the other bowl add::

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c chopped almonds

1/2 c raisins
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Mix with an electric mixer until all of the ingredients are completely blended.

For each cookie, scoop out 1 heaping T of dough. Put the ball of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Leave 1" of space between each cookie. Flatten the cookie balls slightly with your hand, the back of a spoon, or a spatula. Grease whatever you use (including your hand) with a little butter or oil so the dough won't stick when you flatten the cookies.

Bake at 325 for 11 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and just starting to turn a golden brown on the top.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet. Use a spatula to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.This recipe makes about 80 cookies, 40 of each kind. Store them in an airtight container if you are planning to serve them within a couple of days.Store in a freezer safe container or bag if you want to bake them ahead of time to serve later.I like to freeze them and take out a couple at a time when I'm in the mood for a little sweet treat. Microwave two cookies for about 20 seconds for a warm treat or take as many as you need out of the freezer and leave at room temperature to defrost if you want to serve a plateful at a family gathering or party.

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J is for Junk Food

ABCs for healthy living are quick takes on simple strategies for creating a healthier life.

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

When I created strategies for healthy living,I wanted them to be practical and easy to integrate into my daily routine. I have an incredible sweet tooth. So, completely eliminating sweets didn't seem very practical.I found a way to include sweet treats in my diet without blowing the healthy eating part of my plan. Eating a lot of refined sugar can trigger increased inflammation in your body that leads to all kinds of diseases.I don't eat an excessive amount of sugar, but I haven't eliminated it all together either. For more info on the dangers of increased inflammation, check out this post  I is for Inflammation

I have four guidelines for adding sweet treats to my healthy eating plan:

1. I eat real whole food for at least 90% of my diet every day.The other 10% is flexible.It includes occasional processed food with 5 ingredients or less, eating out when I'm not sure of the ingredients used in the food, and sweet treats.
2. I can eat whatever sweet treat I want as long as I make it myself from real food ingredients.This accomplishes two things:I know exactly what is in the food and I don't eat it nearly as often as I would if I grabbed a package or box of something from the grocery store.(Boxes of cake mix, bowls of whipped topping, packages of cookies aren't real food ingredients.I was amazed how many of my "from scratch" baking recipes involved dumping various processed foods together.)
3. I substitute healthier ingredients for less healthy ones.
4. I add healthy ingredients to everything I bake to increase the nutritional value.

Easy recipe substitutions:

• coconut oil or olive oil instead of vegetable oils and shortening
• raw organic sugar, organic honey, real molasses, or real maple syrup instead of highly refined white sugar
• whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour

Healthy ingredients that are easily added to sweet treats:

• coconut oil
• dried fruit
• fresh fruit
• ground milled flaxseed and chia seeds
• nuts
• nut butters
• oatmeal
• seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

Love cookies? Two In One Oatmeal Cookies are delicious and full of healthy ingredients. They are a time saver because you can make two different kinds of cookies out of the same batch of batter: Raisin Nut Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

You can make a gluten free version of these cookies by using 2 c of gluten free flour such as coconut flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, and/or almond flour in place of the unbleached flour and the whole wheat flour.

You can make them dairy free by using almond milk and a dairy free butter substitute in place of the milk and butter.

You can substitute peanut butter for the almond butter. If you do, buy a brand of natural peanut butter that only contains peanuts and a little salt. Many commercial brands of peanut butter contain added ingredients including high fructose corn syrup, soy, sugar, and hydrogenated oils full of harmful trans fats. I prefer almond butter because it has more nutritional value than peanut butter.Almond butter contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, riboflavin, manganese, and other healthy minerals. Look for an organic brand that contains fewer than five ingredients. 

I use the flaxseed/chia seed combo travel packets for the ground milled seeds.I add one or two packets of this to almost everything I bake.The travel packets stay fresh longer than a whole bag of ground milled flaxseed. Measure the first time you use this to see how much of the ground milled seeds the packet contains.This can vary according to which brand you buy.

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat the oven to 325.

Cream together in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer:

1/3 c of organic coconut oil
1/3 c of butter, or butter substitute if you want them to be dairy free
1/3 c of almond butter

1/4 c raw honey

1/2 c raw organic sugar
3/4 c raw organic brown sugar 

Beat in:

2 eggs, use organic free range eggs when possible

2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract
1/3 c milk, use almond milk if you want them to be dairy free

In a separate bowl mix together:

1 c unbleached flour

1 c of whole wheat flour.
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 T of milled flaxseed or ground flaxseed and chia seed combo 

4 c of rolled oats, regular not quick cooking

Blend the flour mixture thoroughly into the creamed mixture.

Scoop out half the batter into another mixing bowl.(approximately 2 1/2 cups)
Add 1 c of chocolate chips to this bowl.I like to use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips.They are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and peanut free.

Stir with a large spoon until the chocolate chips are completely blended into the batter.
Set this bowl aside.

To the batter in the other bowl add::

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c chopped almonds

1/2 c raisins
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Mix with an electric mixer until all of the ingredients are completely blended.

For each cookie, scoop out 1 heaping T of dough. Put the ball of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Leave 1" of space between each cookie. Flatten the cookie balls slightly with your hand, the back of a spoon, or a spatula. Grease whatever you use (including your hand) with a little butter or oil so the dough won't stick when you flatten the cookies.

Bake at 325 for 11 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and just starting to turn a golden brown on the top.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet. Use a spatula to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.This recipe makes about 80 cookies, 40 of each kind. Store them in an airtight container if you are planning to serve them within a couple of days.Store in a freezer safe container or bag if you want to bake them ahead of time to serve later.I like to freeze them and take out a couple at a time when I'm in the mood for a little sweet treat. Microwave two cookies for about 20 seconds for a warm treat or take as many as you need out of the freezer and leave at room temperature to defrost if you want to serve a plateful at a family gathering or party.

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Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

These delicious cookies are full of healthy ingredients like oatmeal, nuts, honey, and flaxseed. They are a holiday baking time saver because you can make two different cookies out of the same batch of batter: Raisin Nut Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.They are great for Christmas gatherings or anytime you want a healthier cookie throughout the year. Check out yesterday's post, 5 Ways to Make Christmas Treats Healthier, for more holiday baking ideas.

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat the oven to 325.

Cream together in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer:

½ c of organic coconut oil

½ c of butter, or butter substitute if you want them to be dairy free

½ c raw honey

½ c raw organic sugar

½ c brown sugar, use raw organic brown sugar if possible

Beat in:

2 eggs, use organic free range eggs when possible

2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract

In a separate bowl mix together:

3/4 c unbleached flour

½ c of whole wheat flour.

(You can make a gluten free version of these by using 1 c of gluten free flour such as coconut flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, and/or almond flour in place of the unbleached flour and the whole wheat flour.)

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 T of milled flaxseed, or use 1 or 2 travel size packets 

3 cup of rolled oats, regular not quick cooking

Blend the flour mixture thoroughly into the creamed mixture.

Scoop out half the batter into another mixing bowl.

Add 1 c of chocolate chips to one of the bowls. I like to use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips. They are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, peanut free.

Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended.

To the other bowl add:

½ c chopped walnuts

½ c chopped almonds

½ c raisins

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended.

Drop the mixture in both bowls by 1 heaping T onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 325 for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and just starting to turn a golden brown on the top.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for two minutes on the pan. Use a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.This recipe makes about 80 cookies, 40 of each kind. Store them in an airtight container if you are planning to serve them within a couple of days. Store in a freezer safe container or bag if you want to bake them ahead of time to serve at a family gathering or Christmas party. 

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5 Ways to Make Christmas Treats Healthier

Joy to the World

Christmas is coming and I love to bake holiday cookies and treats.I also love being free from fibromyalgia symptoms. A big part of my recovery plan involves skipping processed food and eating real food. Christmas cookies are not high on any nutritionist's list of the healthiest foods out there. However, my recovery plan focuses on practical ways to move toward a healthier life and completely giving up holiday baking is not practical for me.I have found a few ways to hold on to our family Christmas baking traditions without completely ditching my goal of eating healthier food.

1. I make sure I continue to eat plenty of real food during the Christmas season.

Before I refocused my eating plan, it was not unusual for me to consider a holiday party plate to be nutritionally balanced if it contained an equal amount of sweet and salty treats. I now know how much harm that can do to my body all the way down to the cellular level.So, I stick to my plan, even during this festive time of year. I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink ginger tea, and have protein at every meal. Eating a few cookies and treats in addition to my regular diet is a different thing altogether than eating treats in place of real food.

2. I create festive platters of fresh fruit and raw vegetables. 

Family and friends enjoy having more than cookies at holiday parties. I've discovered I'm not the only one trying to eat healthy during the holidays.There are a lot of fun ways to present the nutritious goodies.I served a fruit plate at Thanksgiving shaped like a turkey and my grandchildren absolutely demolished it. Need inspiration? Check out this Christmas Fruit Tree and Joy Veggie Plate I found on Pinterest. These two dishes are great for family celebrations and to take to potluck parties.

3. I avoid using processed ingredients when I bake cookies and treats.

A lot of my old holiday recipes included ingredients like a box of cake mix, candy bars, packaged cookie crumbs, and boxes and tubs and cans of things filled with all kinds of potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients. Once I started reading labels and learned all the ways the things we eat can harm us, I couldn't just ignore the truth that processed food products are often filled with chemical preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and other ingredients that research studies have linked to numerous health problems.

Baking from scratch is not as difficult as I imagined it might be. Most cookies and treats can be made from simple ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, milk, butter, nuts, and fruit. Here are a couple of ideas for using real ingredients instead of processed ones.

Does your recipe start with a box of cake mix? Just stir together 2 c flour, 1 1/2 c sugar, 1 T baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt and - Voila! - you have a homemade cake mix.

Want to decorate cutout sugar cookies? Use fruit juice instead of artificial dye to tint the icing. Decorate the tops with chopped nuts and dried fruit.

Does your recipe call for coconut or chocolate chips? Most packaged coconut contains artificial blue dye. Some chocolate chips contain high fructose corn syrup. Try organic versions. I like Wild Oats coconut which contains one ingredient: coconut. And I use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips which are great for families with allergies since they are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and peanut free.

4. I add nutritional ingredients to everything I bake.

Nutritious ingredients can be easily added to your favorite recipe. Use whole wheat flour for half the flour called for in the recipe. Replace part of the flour with oatmeal. Try almond butter and other nut butters instead of peanut butter. If you use peanut butter, buy a kind that contains only peanuts. Use real butter instead of margarine. Replace part of the butter with a few tablespoons of organic coconut oil. Add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your baked goods. I toss one or two pre-measured travel size packets of ground flaxseed into almost everything I bake. Add chopped nuts and dried fruit to up the nutritional level of your cookies.

5. I reduce the amount of sugar in every recipe.

Nutritionists have widely varying opinions on using sugar. Some say that sugar is fine as long as it is used in something you make yourself from real ingredients instead of in something you buy that is full of artificial ones. Some say that you should never use any sugar at all because it has been linked to increased inflammation in some people.

I limit the amount of sugar I eat. I used to eat sweet treats every single day, including packaged cookies and candy. Now I eat sweet treats I make myself and I only bake on holidays and other special occasions. And I eat one or two cookies at a time instead of losing track of how many I've plucked off the buffet table.

I use raw organic sugar, raw organic honey, or real maple syrup instead of refined white sugar. I reduce the amount of sugar in everything I make and you can't tell the difference. If the recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar, try making it with 1 1/2 cups instead. 

Between now and Christmas, I'll be sharing specific recipes for Christmas cookies and treats on the blog. Merry Christmas!

Want to stay connected?

Like my Facebook page: Practical Healing in a Toxic World  to find lots of practical ways to move toward a healthy life.The page has recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

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Healthy Valentine Sweet Treats

I have been focusing on eating whole real food as part of my chronic illness recovery plan. I suffered from severe fibromyalgia pain and debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome for three years.  Since changing my lifestyle, I have been symptom free for one year and two months.

I have found that if I eat whole real food 95% of the time, then I can give myself some leeway the other 5% of the time. Fresh fruit and whole unsalted nuts are my usual snack choices.  It is important to be practical as you move toward recovery from chronic illness. And every now and then part of that practicality for me includes indulging in a little sweet treat.  

From November to February we are plunged into several food-centric events: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Super Bowl Parties, and coming up soon - Valentine's Day. 

Processed food and calorie laden options abound during these holidays and celebrations. But there are many ways to enjoy healthier choices and still not feel deprived of sweet treats. One of the most delicious treats you can make is fresh fruit dipped in chocolate. There are many organic chocolate choices.  I like to use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips for dipping, coating, and baking. Enjoy Life chips are organic and they are dairy, soy, and gluten free. Strawberries are my favorite fruit to dip in chocolate. 

Select fresh firm looking berries.  Buy organic strawberries if possible.  If you buy the berries at your local supermarket there is an easy way to remove some of the chemical residue from the fruit. Fill a large bowl with 1/4 c of vinegar and 2 quarts of cold water. Add the strawberries and soak them for twenty minutes.  Drain the berries in a colander and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Let the fruit air dry for fifteen minutes.  Pat dry with paper towels.   Store in an airtight container or bag with a paper towel placed on the bottom to soak up any remaining moisture. This method keeps the strawberries fresh and firm for one to two weeks.  I also use this vinegar soak to remove chemical residue from other fresh fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, apples, lettuce, grapes, etc. 

Take out the number of strawberries you want to dip in chocolate.  One cup of Enjoy Life mini chips is enough chocolate to coat one large container of strawberries.  Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Stir the chips frequently until completely melted. Keep the melted chocolate over warm water while dipping the berries. Dip the bottom half of each berry in the melted chocolate.  Shake to remove excess chocolate. Place on waxed paper or on a cooling rack and leave until the chocolate is firmly set.  Serve immediately.

I have modified many other dessert recipes to make them more healthy.  I do not eat dairy and I have family members who do not eat gluten, peanuts, or soy.  When I am making sweet treats for my family, I make our favorite recipes changing some of the ingredients to make them fit our dietary needs.

You can make any cookie or candy recipe healthier by adding whole rolled oats, dried fruit, almonds, walnuts, and milled flax seed.  Here is a list of things you can substitute in recipes to make a healthier version of your favorites.

Flour.  Use whole wheat or unbleached instead of white flour.  Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milled flax and 1 tablespoon of organic wheat germ to each cup of flour.  Substitute whole rolled oats for half of the flour called for in a recipe.

Gluten free flour. I have had the most success with mixing alternatives to wheat flour rather than using just one kind.  My favorite combination is for each cup of flour called for in a recipe use 1/3 cup of almond flour, 1/3 cup of coconut flour, and 1/3 c of gluten free flour.  I like King Arthur's but there are several brands to choose from.  

Sugar  Instead of white refined sugar, use unrefined organic raw sugar and raw local honey. For every cup of sugar called for in a recipe, I use 1/2 cup of raw sugar and 1/2 cup of honey.

Butter and solid shortening.  For every cup called for in the recipe substitute 1/3 cup of solid coconut oil, 1/3 cup of Earth Balance butter substitute, and 1/3 cup of olive oil.  I like Earth Balance because you can use it to bake, saute, or spread on bread and it comes in a dairy free and soy free version.  Olive oil is the healthiest oil you can use. 

Peanut butter.  Use the same amount of almond butter instead of peanut butter. Almonds are packed with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and protein. 


Milk.   Use almond milk in equal amounts to the milk called for in your recipe.

If I want to make sweet treats when  I do not have a crowd coming over to help us eat them, I make a batch of brownies or cookies and freeze them for my husband and me to eat.  I take out only one brownie or cookie at a time for each of us to defrost and enjoy. Eating them at this rate, one batch of cookies or brownies lasts us a month or more.  I like to make brownies using the substitutions listed above.  I add several kinds of chopped nuts, milled flax seed, and almond butter to make them more nutritious.  Our favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip.  I add lots of nuts, whole rolled oats, dried fruit, and organic chocolate chips to my favorite cookie recipe to make a healthier version.

My Valentine wish for all of my friends who suffer from chronic autoimmune diseases is that you will find ways to get healthier and feel better.  That happened for me when I eliminated chemical products from my home, stopped eating processed food, and started eating whole foods rich in nutrients.