Recipe: For Real Healthy Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies (AIP, paleo, grain free, dairy free)

One of my favorite recipes from Danielle Walker is her breakfast cookies. I've shared before how I've remixed her recipe, and I've now come up with a great variation that we love! 

These are a favorite of all three of us. Lincoln loves to eat them, and we love how easy it is to hand him a cookie– and we SUPER love that they are dairy, grain and refined sugar free. The sweetness comes from ripened bananas and a few dates and they are a perfect breakfast on the go, snack stand alone or companion to an afternoon cup of tea while the baby is sleeping. I like to batch cook these guys and freeze them in sandwich baggies of 4-5 cookies. They don't stick together as much and I can just grab a little baggie and stick them in the fridge over night or grab one if we're headed out on some errands or an adventure for the day.

This fall I plan to experiment with spices to come up with a solid pumpkin spice cookie. I shall report back! Also, if you happen to pick up a tub of the Coconut Spread at Aldi, you can spread some of that on these bad boys and try not to eat 12 in one sitting. AIP pumpkin cream cheese roll. Not kidding. Also, just a disclaimer, these are not crispy or crunchy like you may be thinking a cookie should be. They definitely are more of a soft and crumbly cookie, which make them an excellent early food for babes and toddlers.


Ingredients (makes about 30 cookies):

• 4 super ripe bananas (mashed ~2 cups)
• 1 can pumpkin puree (~1.5 cups)
• 4 tablespoons palm shortening
• 6 pitted dates 
• 1 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• juice from half a lemon 
• 1 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• you'll need parchment paper or foil with coconut oil for greasing. 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Put bananas, pumpkin puree, shortening, dates in food processor (we have/love this one) and puree until smooth (30 seconds to a minute or so-- may take a minute to get the dates chopped if you don't soak or pre-chop ahead of time)
3. Add coconut flour, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda and lemon juice. Pulse to combine. 
4. Add coconut and dried cranberries. Pulse to combine. 
5. Scoop golf ball sized balls of dough onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil greased with coconut oil to keep from sticking. Flatten balls and shape into the size cookie you want, they will not expand in the oven. 
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cookies are brown all over and slightly firm to the touch. Cool on wire rack and store in airtight container in the fridge or freezer. 
7. Try not to eat them all in one sitting. 

Recipe: Comfy Chicken Casserole (AIP/Paleo, grain free, dairy free)

Four score and a couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon this recipe in the depths of Google. We made it pretty much per the directions and it turned out a little watery, but overall we were happy with the taste (so good) and decided we'd add it into our rotation of paleo dinners. It's pretty simple, basically just steamed broccoli and mushrooms chicken and bacon with a garlicky cauliflower puree and some herbs, baked all together.

A couple of days ago we revisited it, and this time left out some stuff, and changed it up a bit and it was AMAZING. All three of us cleaned our plates (even the 18 month old!) and Marshall went back for seconds and cleaned his plate again. This is definitely a recipe we will be doubling in the future and making when friends come to visit!

It has the taste and texture of comfort food, but made completely grain and dairy free and therefore nutrient dense and delicious for you and your people.

Some quick facts about my kitchen and how we cook:
1) I rarely have fresh spices/herbs. I currently have basil and rosemary growing in my garden (aka I haven't killed them yet) but I am forever using dried spices/herbs. So do that if you don't have fresh.
2) We don't really measure stuff.
3) We prefer steam in bag veggies to fresh, because EASY.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cooking oil or fat of choice (we usually use coconut or olive oil, or bacon fat) 
• 2-3 pounds of chicken, cubed/shredded and cooked 
• 1 bag of steam in bag frozen broccoli 
• 1 bag of steam in bag frozen cauliflower 
• 1 cup baby bella sliced/chopped mushrooms 
• 3 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled into pieces 
• 1 can full fat coconut milk (or just coconut cream) 
• 2 tbsp minced garlic 
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil (or a couple of leaves fresh if you have them)
• 1 tbsp dried/fresh parsley 
• some sea salt 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Cook the chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, bacon! Heat oil/fat in a large size skillet/pan on the stove over medium heat. If you haven't cooked your chicken yet, add it to the pan first with the 1 tbsp fat and salt. Once it's cooked thoroughly drain and set aside. Microwave your bacon, broccoli and cauliflower while chicken cooks.
3. Cook the mushrooms and combine everything in baking dish. In the skillet, add the last tbsp of fat and sauté the mushrooms. Once softened add the already steamed broccoli to the pan, careful not to add excess water. Add the chicken back to the pan, as well as the bacon pieces and thyme and basil. Sauté and combine for several minutes then add to a baking dish (8x11ish) careful not to add any liquid from the pan. 
4. Make the creamy cauliflower sauce! In a food processor (we splurged on this one for ourselves for Valentine's Day) add the cooked bag of steamed cauliflower (and any liquid that's in it) and the minced garlic. Puree until smooth (it will look kinda like mashed potatoes). Start with the cream from the canned coconut milk and add to the food processor. Add coconut milk as desired to make the sauce creamy. Creamy is good, but watery is not. Add up to an entire can of coconut milk, but we've had best results with half a can. Save the other half for a latte!
5. Add the sauce to the baking dish, garnish and bake! Spoon the cauliflower sauce over the broccoli, mushrooms + chicken. Sprinkle the top with parsley and bake at 375º for 30 minutes. 
6. Eat it up! Serve larger portions solo, or stretch it a little with a salad and a sweet potato. 

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More Veggies in March Challenge + Giveaway!

Since going paleo last August, I've been learning a ton about my body and what foods work the best for me to set me up for success. I'm coming out of 5 strict weeks of AIP (I've had coffee and chocolate since entering week 6...sigh, another story, another day) and have really come to realize that my health is truly less about what I cut out, and more about what I add in. 

That being said, I'm not ready to dive back in to a Standard American Diet, but I honestly haven't been eating copious amounts of vegetables. I have at least one veggie per meal usually (not always at breakfast though), but I am a far cry from the USDA's recommendation of 2-3 servings a day and even farther from the widely accepted paleo frame work of 5-9 servings a day. Eeep. I truly wonder what my health would be like today had I been eating 9 servings of veggies a day this whole time! 

It's strange though, once you make your own health journey "public", people in similar situations start coming out of the woodwork. I have had countless conversations both in real life and via social media lately with friends with their own health struggles as of late. Struggles ranging from suspected food sensitivities, GI troubles, thyroid issues, extreme fatigue, eczema or dry itchy skin... It's just kinda crazy how all the women I seem to come into contact with in my general age group are all dealing with these things in one way or another and have either under the guide of a doctor or dietician or their own research (thanks, Internet) decided that cutting out various food groups may be the answer they are looking for. 

So I'm neither a doctor, or a dietician but here's what I've gleaned from my own experience: 

1) Sugar ruins us. 

2) Vegetables save us. 

I don't think there's a doctor or a dietician that would argue for sugar or against vegetables (except obviously in allergy situations, but– obviously). 

All that to say, in March I am challenging myself (as part of my monthly goals) to eat more vegetables and I want you to do it with me! Don't give up anything, so if you eat a donut for breakfast every morning keep doing your Krispy Kreme thing but pair it a sweet potato or a green smoothie or something. (Side note: Juicing is kind of a gray area because the fiber is part of what makes vegetables awesome so I recommend eating the actual vegetables and not just drinking them, but again– Not a dietician or doctor, so do you. )

So here's the challenge: 

• Plan your 2-3 (or more!, I'm personally shooting for 5) servings of vegetables a day, raw, cooked, however you like them.
• Eat them all up!
• But, before you eat them– take a picture of them and post on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the tag #moreveggiesinmarch so we can be inspired for meal planning by each other! 
• Follow me (@weareblog) and my friend Lauren (@almostcasual) on Instagram to be entered into an awesome veggie giveaway (you don't have to eat a single green thing to be eligible, just follow us):
• Super cute custom veggie watercolor print by Lauren at Almost Casual 
• Reusable veggie cooler tote
• $20 giftcard to Whole Foods 

Periodically throughout the month I'll be posing on IG and here on my blog to "check in" and see how you're feeling. Is eating veggies breaking the bank? Do you feel any different? Is your family on board? 

And as always, I would love to hear from you on Instagram or in the comments here. 

Happy Veggie Eating! 

The 'What' and 'Why' of Going Paleo: Less Sugar, More Vegetables

It has been a gradual process, but we have been eating what the internet refers to as paleo for almost six months now. I haven't been super open about my health struggles on Instagram or Facebook (let's be real, those are the highlight reels, and there was nothing about eczema on my earlobes that I wanted to remember) but I have been posting a lot about food we make, which has prompted many questions from friends and followers. So here's a few non-reasons we went paleo:

1. because I wanted to lose the baby weight 
2. because it is trendy and I like to post pictures of my food with #hashtags 
3. because we have so much money we wanted to eat steak 3x a day

I've shared some about my eczema explosion postpartum but diet was one of the ways we did an overhaul on our life, mainly for my benefit. I was covered in raw, weeping eczema sores from my knees to my earlobes and conventional medicine couldn't offer me anything but oral or topical steroids that nearly guaranteed a rebound effect. So I went to the depths of the internet and came back with Paleo.

Most healthcare professionals will tell you that unless you test positive for a food allergy, eczema is not related to or caused by certain foods that you eat. This is somewhat true. Some people have true food allergies and have a reaction when they consume foods, this reaction being eczema. We see this all the time in infants. Breastfeeding moms cut out eggs, dairy, soy, etc. from their diets and some babies see almost immediate improvement within days. I do not have any food allergies. I've been tested several times throughout my life and I have none. I did go "gluten free" for a spell in college and "felt great" and did a Whole 30 during my first few years post-grad and had "tiger blood", but nothing diagnosed ever from a healthcare professional that says I should avoid any foods. So, eventually I was back on the Standard American Diet as I was for most of my life.

I can report, however, that for most of my life I have felt bloated, had a bellyache, been tired, been sick, had eczema patches, been grumpy and not slept well. So I diagnosed myself: unhealthy. How do you get healthy? You eat less sugar, more vegetables.

So we began eating these things: meat, fruit, veggies, fish, nuts, seeds, and natural sugars only. I am definitely an 'all or nothing' personality and struggle with "in moderation" so it is a lot better for me to just say: I do not eat ________. I eat before I go to parties, we don't really go out to eat without researching and planning ahead of time (which has saved us a ton of money), and we have invested in a total of three cookbooks that rock.

So at almost 6 months (with a little splurging around the holidays) paleo I am almost totally clear from eczema, and at least 80% healed compared to where I was this summer. The insides of my arms, hands, right wrist and the backs of my legs still have spots that just will not go away, but I know that eventually they will. I am not bloated, or have a belly ache, or am hungry in between or after meals, or grumpy for no good reason (I actually got my husband to admit this). The most striking of them all is that I've gotten over two colds in like 3 days or less which is really uncharacteristic for me. Especially in the winter, I usually get sick and stay sick for the entirety of the season, needing no less than 3 z-packs. I literally have woken up with a stuffy nose and two days later been totally normal. 

 I don't believe that Paleo is the answer to all the things (and I really hate 'labels', so I cringe every time I say 'I'm paleo') for all the people, but I do think that our world would be a lot different if everybody ate a little less sugar and a lot more vegetables. I honestly think people would be a lot nicer to each other, and would probably feel a little better. So, back to my non-reasons:

1. I did totally lose the baby weight (and quite a bit more) and bought a pair of pants a few weeks ago in a size that I haven't seen since middle school and it totally freaked me out. The weight loss was a nice distraction from my eczema this summer, I will admit since I gained 70 (yep, that's SEVENTY) pounds while I ate baked brie for nine months growing baby Lincoln.  I have stopped losing and have maintained the same weight for two months now so I'm feeling good about that, definitely think this is 'my size'. I am most definitely not depriving myself of anything as I am eating super nutrient dense foods and lots of them. So if you are wanting to lose weight, I defer back to the "less sugar, more vegetables" statement above. Also, I still don't really exercise intentionally, but I do chase a toddler around and carry him all over every day. 
2. #whole30 is so trendy and you know #vegan and #organic and #pastured and #freerange and #paleo and #dairyfree and #sugarfree #holistic and all  the other foodie health buzz words that actually really drive me crazy. My account on both hashtag relevant social media sites is private, so I don't do a lot of tagging because no one can see my pictures if they are looking for #paleo anything. Occasionally I'll post a picture of say, a chocolate chip cookie, and I'll #paleo it, but really it's just to avoid the "is this paleo?" question that will inevitably follow. If it's #notpaleo I'll hashtag that as well, just you know, so nobody thinks I've got some magical recipe for #paleotequila. And sometimes I just make up dumb unrelated hashtags for funsies. But yes, you're totally right, it is a health food trend that can be misunderstood and used inappropriately, but I really believe at the heart of the paleo movement are really good things: less sugar, more vegetables. 
3.  We do 90% of our grocery shopping at Aldi (there are not enough words for how much I love that store) and on Wednesdays they do "special meat buys" where you can get like 5 pounds of chicken for like 7 dollars. It's unbelievable. Steaks are discounted 50 cent a pound and I actually bought two boxes of organic spring mix (I realize, not meat) for 50 cents each and I have no idea why. The dates were great on it, I think it was just overstocked, but seriously. I will bring a quarter and my own bags all day every day to spend ~$100 a week on groceries to feed us real food. And we used to do steaks once a week, but that was expensive so now we do it once a month and it's great. It is amazing how inexpensive it is to eat less sugar, more vegetables. 

Friday Favorites: Paleo Cookbooks

I've been paleo (no grains, dairy, or refined sugar) since August and am about 3 weeks into autoimmune paleo (paleo + no seeds, nuts, eggs or nightshades). Since our big family diet overhaul / Operation Beat Eczema,  I've discovered a few things about myself in the kitchen: 

1. I really love cookbooks. The more pictures the better! It makes meal planning a blast and let's you know how close you were to being successful when it is done. In another life I'd like to be a cookbook photographer. I lose lots of time looking at the pictures in my cookbooks. 
2. I hate reading recipes from my phone or the computer. I will actually print them out and write all over them and put them in a binder for later. 
3. I don't actually enjoy cooking. I LOVE to eat, and to make something that is simple, or that I have made 100 times before so I don't have to think about it... but trying new recipes and being all detail oriented is not my favorite (and this is why my husband is amazing). I meal plan, grocery shop and lay all the ingredients out and he cooks.  It's a win-win. 

The following books have been super helpful in our food journey so far. They not only have recipes, but many of them have lots of "science" information that explain different foods, why you should/should not eat them, ways to substitute items, and personal stories of those that authored them. All around, great reads, great recipes! 

I've been interested in the concept of paleo for several years since reading It Starts With Food in 2012. Link to purchase on Amazon here. This book goes through the iconic "whole 30" and each food group included and not included and breaks down the science behind each. It was a fascinating read. It really made me question lots of things and a few months later I decided to do a Whole 30 challenge, and made it like 25 days. I lasted until my students did a food project in Spanish III and brought in cakes and cookies and brownies and I almost literally, "fell face first into a dessert buffet" (as Stacy Toth would say).  After the fact I realized I wasn't actually paleo (I ate a ton of legumes inadvertently) but I all in all slept a lot better and lost a ton of weight, which was really all I was after at the time. This was an excellent foundation for my postpartum days when I needed to cut out inflammatory foods, I knew exactly what to do! All in all, it's a great "challenge" but I don't recommend doing it if all you're after is weight loss. If you go back to your old eating habits afterward you will feel worse and your world will be turned upside down. Ignorance is bliss, my friends.

The back of this book has meal plans and recipes, although I never used any of them. They also have a ton of great grocery shopping, meal planning and go-to guides on their website for free. Definitely a must-read before you start paleo-ing blind! 

Against All Grain is amazing, and Danielle's story is amazing. She has changed her life and is fighting ulcerative colitis, a GI autoimmune disorder with her mostly paleo diet. Personally, she has done extensive elimination dieting so she knows exactly what foods are triggers and healing for her, and her diet isn't the cookie cutter paleo/whole 30 (nobody's should be exactly the same -- more on that later!) but her recipes are all grain, dairy and refined sugar free. Her heart is in this book! So much of our culture and childhood memories are about food, whether we like it or not. Baking cookies as a family, spaghetti night, chicken noodle soup when you're sick... you name it, she has an AMAZING recipe for it. Her recipes are simple, fool proof and consistently good. I recommend getting this one first, as it has a lot of the "basics" in it (mayo, broth, nut cheese, etc.) and the most amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe. Link to purchase on Amazon here.

This sequel to Against All Grain, these are all grain and dairy recipes that are focused on batch cooking and simple, quick meals. Some of our absolute FAVORITES come from this book. There is also an allergen free chocolate chip cookie recipe for those that cannot have eggs. It comes with weekly grocery lists and plans, but I prefer to pick individual recipes. Just like her first cookbook, there is a consistency in excellence to all of her recipes. We've never had a flop! 

Danielle has a huge social media following and has a ton of her recipes posted on her blog for free. Find her on Instagram @againstallgrain. Rumor has it that she has a cooking show in the works! Find  Meals Made Simple on Amazon to purchase here.

This is the newest to our collection of cookbooks and all of the recipes are autoimmune protocol compliant, a great cookbook for those with nut or egg allergies! This book has more "out of the box" recipes, not a lot of recreations of classics, but we already have a few favorites (hello pesto chicken pizza, clam chowder, "cheesy" broccoli soup, oven fried chicken and turkey jerky). Our only complaint for this one is that it seems to make smaller portions which doesn't leave a lot of leftovers, especially if you're feeding one husband and one tiny toddler that eats like a teenage boy. There is talk of doubling recipes in the future. Many of these recipes are budget conscious and many are designed to be 5 ingredients or less or 30 minutes or less. Great for on-the-go busy people, and has some wonderful breakfast recipes (carrot + raisin n'oatmeal is the bomb!). Both authors have very active blogs and a social media presence, and I really love Sarah's podcast The Paleo View.  Click here to find The Healing Kitchen on Amazon. 

There you have it, my favorite paleo cookbooks! Happy Friday! 

2016 Goals: part one

Last year I made some pretty loose and lofty goals for myself. Part of my annual tradition of "goal" setting is, of course, reflecting and processing the previous year. Last year, I had, like, just given birth so I didn't actually write these goals until Lincoln was a few weeks old, and it's kind of funny to read what I thought this year would be like. I was throwing all these fun buzz words around like "simplify" and "freedom" and trying to make those my theme for the year. If I could give 2015 a theme word for what is was really like it would be survive. Which, I totally did, so great job, Me!

2014 goals
2015 goals (part 1 and part 2)

My loose and lofty 2015 goals review:

• Financial Freedom:
• pay off the bottom Sallie Mae Loan (currently $2,976.95)  We did this! 

• get the balance second smallest ($8,203.68) under $5k!  It is holding steady today $4364.79!
• Simplify:
• Wardrobe. I got rid of a TON of clothes and did sort into seasonal capsules. I am adjusting to my new lifestyle of not really going anywhere, ever, and so my need for 'real' clothes is non-existent these days. 

• Baby stuff. We donated a TON of stuff right after Lincoln was born and have done a better job of saying "no" to things that are passed our way. Somehow the pile continues to grow and toys continue to materialize out of seemingly nowhere...

• Kitchen stuff. We did get rid of some kitchen things we didn't use and packed up our "fancy dishes" and my inherited china from my great-grandmother to make our kitchen space a bit more functional. We also replaced some of our pots and pants for awesome new ceramic ones, and increased our small kitchen appliance collection by one blender and waffle maker. These were great choices. 

• Food.  This is REALLY simplified. Due to my autoimmune issues postpartum I no longer eat the vast majority of processed food on my paleo diet. So, we have SUPER simplified in this area in that 99% of what we eat is fruits, vegetables and meat. We have, however, complicated it in that sometimes we have to go to three different grocery stores to get what we need for the week. Aldi, Target and either Trader Joe's or Whole Foods depending on what is needed. 

• Beauty routine.* This was not an intended area of change, but because of my skin I had to purify and simplify my skincare routine like crazy. I quit most everything cold turkey during my major flare in July but I've done a major overhaul on my face care, overall skin care and hair care. It's crazy! While I still occasionally wear Bare Minerals make-up for 'special occasions', I'll share my routine in 2016 with apple cider vinegar, shea butter, jojoba oil and some other oils and a shampoo bar. It's gotten pretty granola around here...
• What Matters Most.  This year was definitely a reality check in terms of what really matters most to me. Family is hands-down number one and I've had to rank rest, relaxation, and eating well shortly underneath them. 
• Have more fun. I did have fun this year! Having a kid in your house is a very fun thing. Watching him learn and grow has been SO much fun (moreso once he started sleeping through the night...) and I can't wait for what is coming! Lately he has been such a goofball, silly faces, constantly hiding behind things, and trying to talk to us. Occasionally he throws a tantrum or two (like, if you don't let him gnaw on the metal AppleTV remote...) but these also make me laugh. 

All in all, I'd say 2015 was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and it felt like a long time, but it was really, a very a short time. This year threw some curveballs (eczema, postpartum depression and sleep deprivation– to name a few) and all at the same time it held the most magical moments that I will treasure for my entire lifetime. First smiles, laughs and steps. The first time Lincoln played peek-a-boo on his own. The first time he exclaimed "DONE" at the dinner table. The first time he slept through the night (this, this was my favorite thing ever). Finding my groove working from home. Stealing Lincoln snuggle moments and 'outings' whenever possible. Spending track-out playing as a family, napping when we can and watching movies. Learning to cook even more and exploring (way) out of comfort zone new foods. Experiencing physical healing from eczema and learning how to rest and care for myself. Attending Elevation Church in Raleigh and becoming a member of the photography team, which pushed me to learn how to shoot in RAW, edit in Photoshop and how to shoot with a Mark ii (life goals, there... all within a two week span).  We paid off more debt, learned how to survive with me getting a paycheck four times a year. We soaked up a wonderful holiday season with our families while Lincoln was loved on by all of his wonderful grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. What a wonderful year! It's been a wild ride but I am so grateful for it and the way God has carried, taught and loved me. And  this was just THE FIRST ONE with our little guy. The best is yet to come!

Part two with 2016 goals coming tomorrow. Happy New Year!

Breakfast Cookie Remix | autoimmune protocol + paleo

Hi there, it's me. I'm still alive. It's been a busy season here for me, and blogging has taken it's natural place on the back-burner. Le sigh. I think of a good blog entry at least once a day and make a note of it, and of those it would seem actually .05% make it all the way to this point. So, you know it must be good if I am actually planning, writing, editing, including pictures AND posting it. Huzzah!

And, it is good. Get excited! So, first, some backstory: I've been paleo for about 3 months now and have seen some improvement in my skin, but I am still "flared" in areas and am having occasional new flares so the internet told me to take the plunge into the autoimmune protocol. I researched this months ago and we felt like it would probably be the best choice based on my symptoms, but honestly going from eating a standard American diet to AIP was quite unrealistic for me and had "crash diet failure" written all over it. Paleo lifestyle and then a casual descent into AIP seemed more my pace, and after a trial run a few weeks ago I am 80/20 paleo for the rest of the year (like I cheated and had some dairy on Thanksgiving and it was tasty, but I've pretty much had a bellyache since then) and then the week after Lincoln's birthday party I plan to do 8 weeks AIP and then some reintroduction of common allergens. This is mostly because while I was a complete and total zombie during my AIP week (no coffee is brutal), my skin was almost totally clear by the end of the week, not itchy, inflamed, red or uncomfortable. It was unreal and amazing! But, I was such a zombie without coffee and having total withdrawals I know there is no way I can make it through the holidays without my Nespresso, so... January it is. Clearly, I'm an addict, but that's another post for another day...

So here's the meat! The excitement! The breakfast cookies that rock my world! If you follow me on Instagram you'll have noticed that just a few weeks ago Lincoln decided that he liked solids. Like, a lot. So I went on a quest to feed him and myself in a way that introduced him to a variety of food groups (minimal dairy, no refined sugar and avoiding gluten as much as possible) without having to prepare two separate meals/snacks 5 times a day. Enter Danielle Walker's Allergy Friendly Breakfast Cookie. The first time I made these I stuck close to the recipe but found that I was NOT a fan of dried apricots nor did I know what a currant is (and I still haven't looked it up..). But they were good! And I was mid-AIP week and withdrawing from coffee/delicious things and anything shaped like a cookie was good to me. Then, I let Lincoln have some and he LOVED IT. So, I made another batch, this time adding 2 oz. of pumpkin puree and some cinnamon and nutmeg and the rest is history. I made a double batch the other weekend and froze some so we'd have some extra should I run out in a pinch. They are a super easy texture for Lincoln to eat and although they are crumbly, you can squish the pieces together like play-dough to put it back together. Each time I follow the recipe less and less closely, like if I have an extra banana, I'll throw it in. The palm shortening does a good job of holding things together so its okay if you're not super exact. These are the perfect addition to a morning cup of coffe, an after-nap snack for your little one, a healthy pickmeup with an afternoon cup of tea, a late night "sugary" indulgence or most recently for us, a road trip snack. Enjoy!

AIP Breakfast Cookie (Remixed from Danielle Walker at AgainstAllGrain.com)

Ingredients:
½ pound ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed, 2 small bananas)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons palm shortening (or ghee)
2 oz pitted dates (about 3 or 4-- if you want to puree them into the cookie soak for 5min first)
3 oz pumpkin puree
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp lemon juice
½ cup finely shredded dried coconut
2 tablespoons raisins


Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a food processor or blender, puree the bananas, dates, pumpkin, applesauce, and shortening until it has the consistency of baby food, about 30 seconds.
• Add the coconut flour, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda, lemon juice and pulse until combined.
• Add the dried fruit and shredded coconut and pulse twice. Don’t run it long enough to puree the dried fruit, just enough to incorporate it.
• Spoon golf-ball sized balls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Flatten the cookies and make them the shape and size you want prior to baking, they will not expand while baking. 
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for later!