This year, I put on my big girl pants and hosted our annual girls Christmas Tea. It is a delightful morning when all the women on both sides of our immediate families dress up for delicate sips and delightful nibbles. Usually either my mom or mother-in-law host the event, but this year I actually stepped up to the plate. Gasp. If any of you know me, you will recognize that this is not exactly my strong suite. While I consider myself an adequate cook and a decent baker, I get intimidated by such parties as they definitely push me out of my comfort zone. But seeing as I am all too quickly approaching my thirties, I really can’t pull the “kid” card anymore. Thus, the whole troop came to our humble abode.
My decor was definitely lacking. Clearly, the purple napkins and touches hearkened to Advent and were not just leftover Princess Sophia birthday supplies. Because I would never do that. While the decorations left a little to be desired, the food was definitely on point if I do say so myself.
I was bound and determined to have a positively delicious, yet entirely nutritious menu, which of course in my mind is gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free. This also ensured that my tiniest little pumpkin could freely partake in all the goods, which so often she needs to sit on the sidelines due to her allergies. And let me tell you that she wasn’t the only one that ate hearty – there was hardly a morsel left.
Of course, the menu included a plethora of teas – herbal, chamomile, chai, black. I went minimally crazy scooping up every variety in the store so there was definitely an overabundance. Don’t be surprised that if my teeth have an attractive brown tinge in the New Year. Anyways, the food consisted of the following:
Individual chia pudding cups topped with fresh pomegranate seeds
Sausage wild rice dish
Baked apples with a cinnamon, almond crumble topping and a dollop of coconut whip
Chocolate chip breakfast cookies (recipe below)
And yes, there was not a stitch of dairy, gluten or added sugar. Boom. Everyone gobbled much to our delight, but we all walked away bloat, lethargy and food-coma free. Winning. Eating healthy can be delightful and easy. So take that.
BREAKFAST COOKIES
-Adapted from the Minimalist Baker
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- scant 1/2 cup almond butter*
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- scant 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more or less depending on preference and saltiness of your almond butter)
- 3 tbsp lightly crushed pecans
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries (more if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (non-dairy for vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl mash the bananas then add almond butter, pumpkin puree, baking powder, baking soda, oil, agave nectar, salt, vanilla and stir.
- Add oats, almond meal and flour and mix well.
- Add chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans (optional) and stir until well combined.
- Drop cookies by spoonfuls on a baking sheet and press down slightly to flatten. Make them as uniform in size as possible (generously rounded tablespoons).
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
- Rest on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an air-tight container to keep fresh for up to 5 days.
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