Easy Breakfast Cookies

These are my go-to breakfast cookies! They are healthy enough to munch on a couple for breakfast, but  tasty enough for dessert too. Nobody wants to eat cardboard cookies, no matter how healthy! These are made mostly with nuts, oats, and flaxseed, and are sweetened with agave nectar, banana, and a touch of brown sugar. Each cookie is studded with dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and pumpkin seeds for a nutritious and scrumptious bite!

Hi everyone! I know it's been a super long time since we've chatted and I truely am sorry for that. Please forgive me as I've been a little preoccupied of late. The last several months haven't found me cooking a whole lot; mostly just eating fruit which is pretty boring and I confess would make an absolutely terrible blog post, but I've missed you all! If you happen to be at all curious as to what is seriously going on with me that I could have abandoned you for so long, there might be a little confession on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds, so be sure to check it out. Eeek! 

However, things will be picking up here again I hope and I'll be getting back into the cooking/blogging world a little more. One of the things I have been making are these breakfast cookies. Each time I whip up a batch they are different and lend beautifully to substitutions. I use different flours, seeds, nuts, and fruit depending on what I have on hand. I love them so much I figured it was about time I put them up here to share with you all as well! These cookies are so super scrumptious and embarrassingly easy to make. I hope you enjoy them as much as this cookie monster! 

Easy Breakfast Cookies

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 01/04/2017

These are my go-to breakfast cookies! They are healthy enough to munch on a couple for breakfast, but tasty enough for dessert too. Nobody wants to eat cardboard cookies, no matter how healthy! These are made mostly with nuts, oats, and flaxseed, and are sweetened with agave nectar, banana, and a touch of brown sugar. Each cookie is studded with dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and pumpkin seeds for a nutritious and scrumptious bite! NOTES: *If your peanut butter is a bit runny, you may need to add more flour as necessary.

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw walnuts
• ½ cup raw pecans
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
• ⅓ cup whole wheat flour (or flour of choice)
• ½ cup ground flax seed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup peanut or almond butter*
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
• 1 medium ripe banana
• ¼ cup agave nectar or maple syrup
• ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp maple extract (optional)
• ½ cup dried cranberries (or blueberries, cherries, etc.)
• ½ cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (or seeds of choice)

Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the walnuts and pecans until very fine; transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the oats through the salt with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the peanut butter through the maple extract to the food processor and pulse until smooth; transfer to the mixing bowl along with the cranberries, chocolate chips, and pumpkin seeds. Stir until the dough is just combined; the dough should be somewhat sticky.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone mats or parchment paper. Drop 12 cookies on each sheet (they shouldn’t spread much) and bake for about 12-14 minutes on the two middle oven racks, switching the sheets places halfway through. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges, but care not to overbake.
4. Allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes on the sheets before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight container. I like to put mine in the fridge.

Yield: 24 Cookies

Review of Tom's Of Maine Luminous White Toothpaste

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine . All opinions are 100% mine.

When Todd and I first went vegan over three years ago, we immediately began to replace our conventional toiletries, housewares, apparel, and accessories with vegan-friendly alternatives. It took some time; we didn't throw out our old products on the spot, but replaced them when they were used up.

For replacing toiletries like face wash, soap, shampoo, deodorant, lotions, etc. this meant finding natural products that did not contain animal products nor were tested on animals. For the most part, we had been buying items such as these long before becoming vegan. However, I still had a few products that didn't fit the bill and on occasion, it was harder than I thought to find cruelty-free, natural, and effective products! Toothpaste happened to be one of the items that I still had yet to find a decent substitution for. 

This is why I was so excited to test and review Tom’s of Maine new Luminous White ™ Toothpaste which is exclusively handpicked by Target for their Made To Matter collection. I don't know why it never occurred to me to check Target for the vegan products I had been seeking! The line's mission is to challenge brands to create products that meet at least one of five criteria: reduced sugar, dietary restrictions, clean label, and/or less packaging & closed loop; all of those are things that I myself look for in products, so I am super excited to support this new collection. It actually includes a ton of vegan brands!

Luminous White ™ Toothpaste is Tom's of Maine's most advanced natural whitening toothpaste. As I'm someone who has been scolded by my dentist to, "Try not to brush so hard..." I'm relieved to know that this toothpaste is completely safe for enamel and everyday use. Luminous White ™ Toothpaste is comprised of biodegradable and mineral-derived ingredients, water, and contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.It's also gluten and paraben free, and it's vegan; containing zero animal products. Tom's of Maine never tests on animals either, which is great.

While I haven't been using Luminous White ™ Toothpaste long enough to comment on its whitening ability, I can say that I really appreciate that it doesn't have a strong minty flavor. There was a little 'whitening' aftertaste to it, but what else would you expect from a whitening toothpaste? Subtle in flavor, this toothpaste is a more of a paste consistency as opposed to a gel consistency (I'm anti-gel toothpaste). I can't wait to see the whitening results as time goes by! 

So, if you're like me and searching for an effective, natural, and cruelty-free toothpaste that you can feel good about... look no further. Don't forget Luminous White ™ Toothpaste exclusively at Target. Have you discovered this new toothpaste or any of the items from the Made To Matter collection? With Tom’s of Maine®, there’s something for everyone in your family – Wicked Cool!TM Deodorants, Luminous White ™ Toothpaste, and Men’s Naturally Dry North Woods™ Antiperspirant. Free of artificial dyes, fragrances, flavors and preservatives, Tom’s of Maine products are good for the planet and are Made to Matter® - handpicked by Target. What did you think? I'll be excited to try more. It's great that stores are listening to their consumers and offering an easy way to discover products that matter to them and align with their values and morals: products that are good for the planet and good for us too. 

Pumpkin Tom Kha (Coconut Lemongrass Soup)

This soup is inspired by the Lao Pumpkin and Coconut Tom Kha at my favorite local restaurant, Pho Lena, in Anchorage. It’s basically Tom Kha Gai without the chicken and with pumpkin instead. I add tofu for a protein boost! In Alaska, it can be difficult to find some of the very specific ingredients for Tom Kha so I’ve included commonplace substitutions. I have to use ginger, lime rind, and canned mushrooms because galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and straw mushrooms aren’t accessible. Still, the soup is absolutely divine!

I'm almost scared to post this recipe, but I have to because it's one of my very favorite soups and I'm not ignorant to the fact that many folks aren't able to source authentic, specialty ingredients; especially those of us in rural areas (and especially in Alaska).

Does this mean we can't or shouldn't try to replicate our favorite ethnic dishes? I don't think so. In no way am I claiming this Tom Kha to be authentic, however, I think it's a pretty darn good replication with ingredients one can get at any local grocery store. It's my hope that you enjoy it as much as I do and if you're able to find galangal, straw mushrooms, and kaffir lime leaves... um...send me some in the mail, please. Pretty please?

It's my great joy to share this recipe with all of you small-town kids who struggle with making pretty much anything 'authentic'. I refuse to be constrained to tofu noodle soup because my store doesn't care bird's eye chilis. Who's with me!?

Pumpkin Tom Kha (Coconut Lemongrass Soup)

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 10/28/2016

This soup is inspired by the Lao Pumpkin and Coconut Tom Kha at my favorite local restaurant, Pho Lena, in Anchorage. It’s basically Tom Kha Gai without the chicken and with pumpkin instead. I add tofu for a protein boost! In Alaska, it can be difficult to find some of the very specific ingredients for Tom Kha so I’ve included commonplace substitutions. I have to use ginger, lime rind, and canned mushrooms because galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and straw mushrooms aren’t accessible. Still, the soup is absolutely divine!

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin or delicata squash (2 cups cubed)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can of full-fat coconut milk
• 1 stick of fresh lemongrass
• 1 1-inch piece of galangal or ginger, peeled and micrograted
• dash of crushed red pepper, to taste
• 6 kaffir lime leaves or 1 1-inch piece of lime rind
• ¼ cup brown sugar (optional)
• ½ lb fresh straw mushrooms or 1 8oz can of sliced mushrooms, drained
• ½ of a 14 oz block of firm tofu, cubed
• 2 limes, juiced (¼ cup juice)
• 3 tbsp vegan fish sauce or 1 tbsp soy sauce, to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Deseed the pumpkin and cut off the ends. Slice into wedges and steam for 15-20 minutes until just tender. Set aside to cool. Slice off the skin (leave skin on if using delicata) and cube.
2. In a large soup pot, bring the vegetable broth and coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium high heat then reduce to a very low simmer.
3. Slice the lemongrass in half lengthwise and bruise with the back of a measuring cup. Add the lemongrass, galangal, crushed red pepper, lime leaves, and brown sugar to the pot and stir; simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and tofu, simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and basil. Remove from heat. Serve hot and topped with cilantro.

Yield: 4