Sharing the Love 03/15/12

Here are a few things/recipes that I've been loving lately...

1. Joel is a creative genius. My kids and I love his paper crafts and villages. Makes me want to build a paper city like the school kids did. And it's refreshing to see his creativity from the male perspective.

2. Chocolate-Covered Katie. Mmmmm...I made her recipe for Deep Dish Chocolate Cookie Pie which was good but the texture was a little too dense/beany for me so I tweaked it a bit...I like this texture better. It's also very forgiving if you don't get the measurements exactly (that's how I roll). I also tend to like this better cold, oddly.
Check out Katie's recipes though. You won't be sorry! She has tons of simple, tasty treats.

Cookie Pie
1 can chick peas 540mls - rinsed
1 cup oats (I use big flake, not instant but whatever you have is probably fine)
1 cup peanut butter (we only have brand name sweetened pb here. I'm sure you could use unsweetened or almond butter if you prefer)*
1/2 tsp baking soda
2tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1-2 bananas
1 tsp cinnamon (optional, but why wouldn't you??)
1 tsp vanilla extract ( I happen to have vanilla stevia on hand, so I add a few drops of that instead)
1 cup chocolate chips

*I don't add any extra sugar (other than what's in the chocolate chips) so you might want to adjust for sweetness if you use unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter.

Add everything together, except chocolate chips, in a food processor. Whiz until smooth. Add in chocolate chips.
I scoop it all into a 9 inch round cake pan. I tried them in an 8 inch square pan but it was very thick. I line it with tin foil so I can pull it out easily.
Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

And one more quick recipe:
Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites
(by raw I mean not baked, not using specifically 'raw' ingredients)

1 cup almonds
1 cup oats (big flake)
Whiz them in the food processor.

Handful of dates (I soak them in hot water ahead of time to soften and add the water to the mix too - about half a cup? This also worked with raisins)
Add to nuts and oats along with cinnamon/vanilla if you like.
Blend until it starts to stick together.

1/3 cup of chocolate chips
Add these last and just blitz them a couple of times if you want them to break up a bit.

Form the mix into small balls or 'bars' and refrigerate or freeze them. Yum. Grab and go.

I've seen many variations of this recipe floating around, so this is just what I had on hand. You can use different nuts (cashews or walnuts), or add raisins, or coconut or cocoa, or check out more of Katie's recipes!
A good friend of mine made some with cashews and dates rolled in coconut. Delish.
Also, I've figured out that my kids will pretty much eat anything with chocolate chips. Handy!

3. Have some fun with Colorstrology!
Whether you believe there is anything to it or not, I think it's refreshing to see yourself in a different light. It just makes me think look at things in a new way. And the Pantone colors are gorgeous. Fun.
p.s. I couldn't find a way to paste it up here, but my color is Grape Royale!

4. Get Happy!

5. And if you're not reading Momastery already, head on over there!

Grateful 07/03/12 Precious Body

1. I spent most of the weekend watching a webinar with Sue Bryce (it was free to watch live and you can purchase the series now). There is a lot of photography information out there but it has been a long time since I felt like I was taking in such a wealth of relevant information. Despite our pitiful internet connection and trying to stay up late and go to church and feed the kids and not lose feeling in my butt, it was fantastic!
She has a lot to say about photography and life and loving and accepting ourselves. And I loved it! Love her.

2. I purchased a ring a few years back that is inscribed with the words, Precious Body. It was made by a woman/artist who was struggling with cancer. I don't know how her struggle turned out, but it still reminds me to be thankful. My body is not perfect but it is powerful and strong. It is capable of miracles. As is yours.
I've made people!

3. And some more good inspiration via A Cup of Jo speaking to the state of motherly bodies:

Their new bodies are substantial and meaningful. And these are the bodies that rule the world. They are the epitome of womanly, with a heft that is curvy and vibrant to the touch. These are the bodies that say “go to your room!” and “I deserve better than that.” and “I will love you with a fierceness you have never seen.”

And nothing against having a great figure, or being petite, or working hard to look fantastic. It's just nice to see more than one plastic standard of beauty in the media. Hurray!