Holy Hannah CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES {sugar and grain free} updated

Yes, I still eat like a crazy person: no sugar, wheat, dairy, or soy products. I did take a break over the holidays, and enjoyed it...but definitely paid the price in aches and pains and other health issues. Now I'm back on track and trying to get my body to settle down and feel like it did back in November. 

Eating this way is not as difficult as it was in the beginning. I've found many great things to eat to keep from feeling deprived. These cookies were one of my favorite discoveries. 

A year ago, desperate for alternatives to carrot sticks and broccoli, I gathered a collection of cookie recipes from the Internet. Experimenting with ingredient combinations, I sought for something that might work for limited little me. The process yielded many failures: Cookies Andrew wouldn't touch and I nibbled at only to justify the cost of  the ingredients...cookies that made me gag and went straight to the trash with no hope of a future...

So, when I eventually pulled these out of the oven and tasted them for the first time, words welled up from deep within my sugar-impoverished soul: "Holy Hannah! These are delicious!" 

I very nearly cried. 

And my exclamation stuck. Several batches later, as I was jotting down the final recipe in my notebook of Candida-diet friendly foods, I labeled it in bold, joy-filled script: "Holy Hannah Chocolate Chip Cookies!"

These cookies, ladies and gentleman, are not just for health nuts. Soft, chewy, and full of flavor, they are enjoyed by little sisters, junk food lovin' husbands and picky brother-in-laws to boot.

Holy Hannah Chocolate Chip Cookies!

• 1 1/2 C almond flour
• 1/2 C GF brown rice flour
• 1/2 C oats (I use gluten free)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground sea salt
• 1/2 C melted coconut oil (I prefer slightly less)
• 1/3 C coconut glycerin or Yacon syrup
• dark chocolate or carob chips to taste

Drop into large mounds on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees. Yields 1 dozen. 

{UPDATE: I found an alternative that is just as tasty. Rather than chocolate chips, I add about a tablespoon of cinnamon with a drop or two of cinnamon essential oil. They taste just like snickerdoodles!}

{UPDATE II: Try adding 1/8-1/4 cup of applesauce (no sugar added) if the cookies aren't holding together very well. I think they're much better this way.}

DE-STRESS-IFYING 2014

7:00 AM. Fresh snow. Fog. -15 degrees. Power outage. School closures. 

Back in December, I stood at my kitchen window and watched the sun rise over this sparkling fog. 

It was so lovely and dreamlike I felt compelled to take exactly thirty-three pictures of the scenery. As you will probably get bored after ten, I narrowed it down. And since I don't have anything interesting to say about them except for variances of:

'Holy cow, I love our holy flippin' incredibly beautiful view..." 

I will instead babble about my thoughts for the new year.

2014 has begun on a solemn note: pressure from unexpected sources, stress, disappointment, discouragement, post-vacation blues, hormones, and stewed together with a little selfish feelin'-sorry-for-myself. 

Blah, blah, blah, right?

I'm hoping to rise out of this funk soon. In the meantime, setting new goals does help. They provide new direction and focus. And my focus for the year is: de-stress-ifying. 

My personality tends to be...intense. I feel things deeply and have a ridiculous need to be perfect. I make things happen when I set my mind to it, and things usually work out for me. But when they don't...especially after exerting all my energy to make it so...I feel like a big, fat failure in all areas of my life. 

I'm telling you, the stress will kill me if I don't get a handle on it.

(Sheesh, I'm already weary of this topic. Let's just cut to the chase!)

temple view

It negatively impacts my health in many ways, so this is what I'm going to do about it...

1. Exercise. 

With an emphasis on relaxation and meditation...om-ing and namaste-ing included, if necessary. (Though I'm still trying to understand what Denise Austen means by: "breathe out through your belly button.") 

I bought some yoga tapes at a thrift store, and I found that the local library has a nice collection. Losing weight it not the goal here. I just need to be healthier mentally so I can be healthier physically. I am making it a huge priority. 

2. Refrain from Gossip.

Being at peace with others will help my stress level. Speaking negatively of them will only compound any anger, annoyance, or frustration. There's no reason to spread it around and cause the problem to grow; just let it go.

3. Watch my Tone of Voice.

It's more than just not yelling at Andrew for tracking mud on my freshly mopped floor...ahem. It's also not letting annoyance leak out when the changing room attendant forgets about me trying on new bras in stall number 3, and unlocks the door to a wide-eyed line of embarrassed customers. She obviously didn't mean to, so just chill out and laugh it off. 

And just because this is the fifteenth time since recess that I've asked Bobby Jo not to lean back in his chair, doesn't mean I have to sound like an ogre. Breathe in...breathe out...stay calm and relaxed. Next time, just very calmly, kindly, even lovingly...take that darn chair away altogether.

4. Remember Family & Friends

Those I love the most are (usually, anyway!) some of my greatest stress relievers. I admire them, and I rejoice in their successes.We have fun together. As such, they deserve more attention. I need to be better at keeping in touch, remembering birthdays, and inviting old friends over. As the majority of our family lives far away, I see a lot of letter writing in my future. 

5. Stop Being a Socially Awkward Weirdo

Think of clever, hilarious, pertinent things to say in all situations. Be charming and confident. Laugh infectiously. Most importantly, learn how to prevent my face from turning scarlet every time I'm put on the spot or addressed unexpectedly.

Well, never mind. One shouldn't take on too much at one time, now should she? Maybe next year.