Saludos!

We are off to Mexico for two weeks - tis the January ritual!  Stay warm friends and family.  Some great blogs on the horizon!

Easy, addictive and vegan - who knew?

I know I write this often, but I've found, yet again, my favorite cookie!  This time, it's different.  It's real and it's awesome!  First off, it combines chocolate, oatmeal and walnuts.  Need I continue?  Secondly, it's vegan, which mean it avoids the foods I know I am allergic to, so it's a pleasure to eat.  And thirdly - it's a pleasure to eat!  Try them.  The only "different" ingredient would be coconut oil, but I find most natural food stores carry coconut oil because of the currenthealth benefits" it provides. It's a bit expensive, but splurge - you are worth it!  And I'd love to hear your feedback :-)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut oil
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ⅓ cup boiling water
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
• ¾ cup chocolate chips (vegan)

Directions

1. Beat coconut oil until soft. Add sugars and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix well.
2. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Blend into mixture. Stir in the rolled oats, nuts and chocolate chips.
3. Drop 1 tablespoon amount on a lined baking sheet and separate about an inch apart.  You can also indent them with a fork. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Done.

Happy New Year!

From me to you, a wish of health, happiness and continued growth for 2013!

The new year brings more than just your chosen new year's resolutions.  It's a time of hope, anticipation and excitement of the year ahead, a new slate, a clean start or lofty ambitions.  Whatever the season is for you, embrace it, celebrate it and try to take it with you over the following months.

Speaking of resolutions, I typically resist the urge to set my own.  This year, I set one in November, a bit off calendar, but it's set nonetheless.  I am focusing on my health this year, as I firmly believe everything comes from that and without it, well, everything else is pretty useless!  And to get the ball rolling above and beyond the regular check-ups, I discovered a new service at a local Pharmacy - the Hemocode test is now available here in Canada!  For us Edmontonians, that means a simple visit to your nearest Rexall Pharmacy, a finger prick for a blood sample and leave the store a lot lighter in the wallet!  What it buys you is a test for food allergies and intolerances of over 250 foods and additives, a guide to better health set out by a Naturopath, including a how to reset your body, vitamins designed to assist in repair and of course, recipes that avoid the food that doesn't work for you. 

The end result: awareness and better health, and if followed, some people finally shift those few pounds that were once impossible and the discomfort of food: bloating, sickness and a general feeling of constant unwellness, subsides.  For those of us with intolerances, and supposedly 3 -4 out of 10 people reside in that group, the knowledge and tools are priceless.  Now, I'm just waiting for those test results to roll in....

So a toast to your health for 2013!