Ok, so I have to confess a little bit here. I totally forgot to post yesterday being Monday and all do to the holiday. My apologies for that. To make it up to you I think I have a pretty tasty recipe that you can try at home and I think you even may be impressed at the fact it is “HEALTHY“. Whole grain oatmeal raisin cookies with a couple of unique ingredients that I have been dying to try for a while now.  Agave nectar and apple juice in cookies really keeps them on the healthy and lighter side by avoiding the heaviness of the oil and the sugar.

Let me know what you think of the recipe but I think they turned out quite good. They are chewy in texture as well as being soft. They are nice right out of the oven or slightly warmed in the microwave.  I like 18 seconds of warming time depending on your microwave of course.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 Cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 Cup organic unbleached white flour
• 2 Tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 Tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 Cup raisins
• 1/4 Cup flax seeds
• 1/2 Cup low Fat Plain Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Apple Juice
• 1/4 Cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
• 1 Tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, raisins and nuts.
3. In another bowl or blender combine remaining liquid ingredients.
4. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients.
5. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons, about two inches apart, on to the baking sheets.
6. Press each cookie with moisten fingers or a spoon to flatten.
7. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
8. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.



9. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For an even softer cookie, I like to slightly under cook the cookie as it will continue to cook internally after you take them out.  The apple juice and yogurt will also aide in the moisture department.

So there you have it, a fun healthy recipe you can try at home.  I had to test the cookies out of course as I watched the Olympics.  They turned out just as I hoped.  Is anybody else following the Olympics closely?

Stay tuned for a post that you will not want to miss tomorrow.  It is all about Zesty and Opensky giving back to all of you.  Have a fantastic Monday Tuesday and I will talk to you bright and early in the morning.

Take care

zesty

According to the latest Community Health Survey, on average we consume just over one portion of Milk and Alternatives per day.  That is not even close to the recommended daily intake for each age group:

• Children 2-3 and 4-8 need 2 servings
• Children 9-13 and teens 14-18 need 3-4 servings
• Adults 19-50 need 2 servings
• Adults over 50 need 3 servings

Milk products are our best natural source of calcium and they contain up to 16 essential nutrients that contribute to a healthy body.  I think milk products are even better than most people realize.  A balanced diet that contains enough Milk and Alternatives is associated with healthy bones, healthy blood pressure, and a positive outlook on life.

With all the chatter of milk and alternatives I thought it would be fun to have a little quiz.  I am going to throw down 5 questions below and you let me know in the comments if they are true or false.  I will tell you all the answers tomorrow.  I think this might be a fun way to interact so make sure you tell all your friends and maybe even post it on your blog or mention it on twitter/facebook.

Pop Quiz

Answer TRUE/FALSE in the comments to participate in the Quiz.

1. One string of cheese gives you less than half of serving
2. Two 100g single-serving containers of yogurt are just a little more than one serving
3. It takes almost 25 milkettes in your coffee to equal a serving
4. The milk people put on their cereal usually adds up to about a half of serving only
5. A 500ml container of flavored milk equals 2 servings

I hope you have a great Tuesday and I will for sure talk to you tomorrow.  I have a fun announcement this week once all the details get ironed out.

Take care

zesty