Jamie Grace - God Girl (Lyric Video)

My 6 year old daughter introduced me to this song recently.  It's a sweet song, but hearing her sing it makes it even sweeter!  Her knowing how much she's loved and letting the whole world know how she wants to live out her life...that's pretty cool!
"God Girl" by Jamie Grace

Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

I feel a little like a slacker with this whole blogging thing!  I'm not sure what happened, but if I let a little more than a couple of weeks pass without blogging, then I almost forget about it altogether!
I've made some fun, yummy recipes in the past few weeks, but have not remembered to snap a pic or jot down the recipe.
Can you believe it's nearing the end of the school year already?  I remember thinking the school year was soooo incredibly long when I was little, and now it's either a holiday, inservice day, or some "day off" every time I turn around!  If I was in charge {which I'm not}, I'd get rid of some of those silly days off and shorten the length of the school year so the kids have more summer!!  My kids can't wait for summer and honestly, I'm looking forward to a change of pace as well.  I'm sure it will be here before I know it!

I usually seem to start out really strong at the beginning of the school year with making breakfast for my kids.  Then around this time of year, I'm throwing out granola bars or cereal in a hurry...no planning whatsoever!  So this morning I decided to make these breakfast cookies.  They have very few ingredients and are really healthy.  I added a little powdered sugar glaze to make my kids feel like they were worth eating :) I got the thumbs up from my pickiest little breakfast eater and from my husband!
Try these...they were delicious!


Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies {recipe slightly adapted from Perry's Plate }


INGREDIENTS:  {makes about 12 cookies}

• 1 cup flour {I used all-purpose flour}
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp. flaxseed
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• scant 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts {I used pecans}
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed just until melted
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp. brown rice syrup *if you don't have brown rice syrup, just add a few more tbsp. of maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.  

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Whisk to combine. Add nuts and carrots to dry ingredients.  Mix well.

In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil and butter over low heat just until melted.  Add maple syrup and brown rice syrup to the pan. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until well combined.  

Drop by 2-tablespoonfuls on prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are barely golden brown.  I shaped the cookies a little with my hand to make them nice and tight and round.

**To make the powdered sugar glaze: whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar and about 2 tsp. of milk until the consistency becomes easy to drizzle.  Use more or less milk to adjust thickness.

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

We loved this pasta salad!  It was a fun spin on an asian salad and was great as a main dish, just serve with some french bread.  I think it was the dressing that made this taste so yummy!  It may seem like a lot of dressing, but pour it all on because the pasta will soak up a lot of it.  I added a few extra things to the recipe just to add some crunch.  Next time you head out for a picnic or a potluck, make this!

SESAME CHICKEN PASTA SALAD { recipe adapted from HERE}


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 {16 oz} package bow-tie pasta
• 1/2 cup canola or olive oil
• 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut up into chunks
• 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced {I added some of the green parts as well}
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly in a dry pan
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted lightly in a dry pan
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

  Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat; add sesame seeds and sliced almonds.  Toast until golden brown and set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water.  Add pasta to large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and next 6 ingredients.  

Add sliced green onions, cooked chicken, sliced bell pepper, sesame seeds and almonds to the bowl with the cooled pasta.  Stir to combine.  Pour in the dressing and mix well.  You can serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

I really wish I knew how to take better pictures. I'm lacking in that category, but I guess that comes with time, which is something else I'm lacking right now!  So, for now I apologize for my weak photos.
My kiddos have been off for Easter Vacation for a week now and we've still got one more week to go!!  I have to admit, it's been really nice having a little change of pace.  Being sick last week, I was actually able to stay in bed a little longer than normal and my kids even let me!
My boys have a friend over tonight so I made these cookies for them. Ok, I really made them for me.  I'm a lover of all things chocolate-y.  Especially a good brownie.  I've been looking for a really good brownie/cookie and I honestly think I've found it in this super-simple recipe!  You will not regret making these little treats...trust me!!

FUDGY BROWNIE COOKIES  {Recipe slightly adapted from Craving Chronicles}


INGREDIENTS: {makes 18-24 cookies}

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder {I suggest sifting the cocoa powder}
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup {1 stick} unsalted butter
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips {I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao}

DIRECTIONS:

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and chopped bittersweet chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and Sugar at medium speed until light yellow in color and satiny, about 3-4 minutes {this is important}.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.  Add flour mixture and beat on low just until incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips by hand with a spatula.  

Scoop dough with a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.  {The outside will be set but the centers should still be soft and slightly under-baked}.  Cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.