I am so excited to tell you about these cookies, you just won’t BeANlieve it!

Gluten Free Chick Pea Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK, so that pun was really bad, but these cookies are really good!  They’re made with chick peas – as in garbanzo beans – STOPMAKINGTHATFACE!  They’re good! It’s true.

I have no problem making and eating “healthy” cookies or treats (like Secret (Spinach and Carrot) BrowniesBanana Oatmeal Cookies or Black Bean Brownies) but if it’s so healthy that it tastes healthy and no one will eat them but me (like White Bean Blondies), then there’s just no point.

Good news!  I’ve got an awesomely healthy delicious snack to share with you.

Bad news.  I’m not actually sharing this with you.  I’m only sharing the recipe.  If you want some you’ll have to make it yourself.

Good news: Zak is still on his juice fast.

Bad news: You can’t juice an avocado.

Good news: I am not on a juice fast.  I can eat all the chocolate avocado pudding I want.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Did you know yesterday was Earth Day?  Well, Monday is Earth Day, but we celebrated on Friday.  And I spent Friday thinking it was Earth Day.  Whoops.

Monday, Friday, whatever.  On Friday we got together with one of our homeschooling groups for a fun, low key Earth Day event for families.  Each family was invited to share something with the group – like a science project or even just an idea. We decided to demonstrate how we make one of our favorite healthy snacks – date balls!

I decided on date balls because they are round… like the earth.

Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld was one of the first books I read when I was beginning to learn more about cooking and nutrition.  (The Family Nutrition Book by Dr. William Sears was another one if you’re just getting started.)

I remember looking at her recipe for brownies with spinach and wondering if you truly couldn’t tell there was vegetables in them.  This was about a year before I discovered green smoothies and did not yet understand the invisibility powers of spinach when prepared the right way.

Day Three of Green

March 3rd, 2013 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (5 Comments)

It’s the end of Day 3 in this Month of Eating More Green Stuff challenge! Here’s a look at the greenery that showed up around here today.

The first green vegetable was spotted shortly after my (8 mile!) morning run. My favorite halved and roasted little green heads,

Brussels Sprouts Day 3

with some left over beef chili topped with a little shredded cheese and a few roasted sweet potatoes too.

Brussels Sprouts and Chili with Sweet Potato and Cheese

There was some unpictured, unexciting steamed broccoli consumed before running some errands this afternoon (“running errands” is code for “a trip to Wegmans”) and after a simple dinner of eggs and Ezekiel toast, I sipped on this green smoothie while putting together this post.

I have this habit of leaving the cupboard doors open in my kitchen. I don’t know why I do this, I didn’t even notice until a friend pointed it out. I didn’t really care about open cupboard doors until last week, when I kept catching these chocolate Santas glaring at me each time I walked by them.

Chocolate Santas

Stupid santas! Here I am merrily minding my own business, when suddenly I catch a glowering santa in my peripheral vision and BAM! Now I’m thinking “ooooh! chocolate!”, when moments earlier, chocolate had been the furthest thing from my mind. Probably about as far away as the thought of closing all my cupboard doors.

So yesterday was my “due date”, and here I am today, still pregnant.

40 weeks pregnant

This comes as no surprise really as I have never had a baby arrive before 40 weeks. This babe appears to be reading the notes the other two left behind, which must instruct all fetuses to stay put until I start making threats to name them Newton or Elphaba.

While we wait, I’m doing all sorts of important stuff around here. You know, like cleaning, doing laundry, playing Spider Solitaire, cleaning again, and most importantly, making cookies.

Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients

I have just returned from Iowa! Did ya miss me? Did ya happen to see a 5 month pregnant woman running through the Atlanta airport last night in an effort to catch her connecting flight back to New York on time?

If you did, let’s just pretend that wasn’t me.

No, instead let’s chat about Iowa! I was invited to speak at a conference called Women Blazing Trails for the non-profit group, Iowa Women in Natural Resources at the Springbrook Conservation Center in Guthrie Center, Iowa.

I have Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in my freezer.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in My Freezer

Blasted Halloween.

These are Maxine’s, and it was her idea to put them in the freezer. I think there is something programmed into women from birth to know that chocolate + peanut butter are best when cold.

I will not eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for breakfast, but I totally could.

Good thing they aren’t mine. And good thing I also have frozen bananas in my freezer.

I Do Have Frozen Bananas

Because frozen bananas + oats + cocoa powder are the start of something magical.

Cocoa Powder

Long Run Saturday

September 17th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (5 Comments)

OK baby girl, enough with the bike riding birthday breakfast bonanzas – you’ve got a marathon you’re supposed to be training for.

Steamtown Marathon Letter

Oh shoot, you’re right!  Well, it’s Saturday, so I guess that means we’re running long today, eh?

A few weeks ago I made my own version of Brendan Brazier’s Direct Fuel Bites for long runs. This batch was made much like the one I made last year – with dates, coconut oil and cocoa powder. This time I threw in a little dulse (for electrolytes), hemp seeds (for protein), chia seeds (for kicks) and shredded coconut (for fun).