Rate yourself and rake yourself, Take all the courage you have left

SO I AM BEYOND THE CABIN FEVER STAGE.  MY WINTER DAYS OF LOUNGING ARE OVER.  THIS WEEK I HAVE BEEN ON A KICK OF PROPER EATING AND EXERCISE - (MINUS THE BIRTHDAY CAKE I HAD AT WORK. OOPS.)  I DISCOVERED THIS WEBSITE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TRACK CALORIES AND ACTIVITY FOR FREE. IT IS BASICALLY LIKE WEIGHT WATCHERS ONLINE BUT BETTER ON MY BANK ACCOUNT.  IT IS CALLED MYFITNESSPAL.COM AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE.  THE COMMUNITY AREA IS EXCELLENT.  I JOINED A "CHALLENGE" LAST WEEK THAT WAS CREATED BY ONE OF THE OTHER MEMBERS.  SHE PAIRED US UP WITH FELLOW FITNESS PAL MEMBERS AND CREATED TEAMS. AND EVERY MONDAY WE WEIGH IN AND SHE KEEPS TRACK OF WHICH TEAM IS IN THE LEAD.  HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE HAS DEFINITELY KEPT ME MOTIVATED TO PUSH MYSELF.  I DUSTED OFF THE TAE BO BOOT CAMP DVDS THAT I HAVE NEVER EVEN TRIED YET.  IT KICKED MY ASS!!  I DID IT AGAIN TODAY, PLUS ANOTHER "WALK AT HOME" DVD BECAUSE I WAS FEELING SO GREAT I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP.  YAY!! AT LEAST I HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS MONDAY BESIDES THE DREADED JURY DUTY!!!

AFTER I DID MY HOUR OF EXERCISE I TREATED MYSELF TO A FRESH GLASS OF CARROT AND ORANGE JUICE.  WHEN I BEGAN JUICING I WAS TOSSING THE PULP INTO THE GARBAGE SIMPLY BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO CREATE WITH IT.  THEN I FELT BAD SO STARTED FEEDING IT TO THE BIRDS OUTSIDE.  TODAY I DECIDED TO MAKE A GO OF A RECIPE WITH IT.  I HAD NO CONVENTIONAL FLOUR ON HAND, WHICH WAS WHY I HAVEN'T TRIED BAKING WITH THE STUFF YET.  BUT I IMPROVISED TODAY, AND PROBABLY MADE A HEALTHIER SNACK IN THE END. 

 WE JUST BOUGHT 10 POUNDS OF RAW ALMONDS, SO I PULSED THEM IN MY BLENDER WITH SOME WHOLE FLAX SEEDS.  I TOOK THIS "FLOUR" AND ADDED SOME STEEL CUT OATS, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, BAKING POWDER AND PUMPKIN PIE SPICE. I ALSO ADDED 2 TABLESPOONS OF "HEMP POWER" - WHICH IS A RAW HEMP POWDER THAT IS FULL OF PROTEIN AND OMEGA FATTY ACIDS, AMONG OTHER NUTRITIONAL POWERS.  I ADD THIS TO MY JUICE SOMETIMES, FOR SOME EXTRA STAYING POWER IN THE A.M.  IT ALSO SAYS IT CAN BE A FLOUR SUBSTITUTE. SO I GAVE IT A GO IN THE COOKIES.

IN A SEPARATE BOWL I HAD THE CARROT AND ORANGE PULP.  TO THIS I ADDED SOME AGAVE NECTAR, A LITTLE MAPLE SYRUP, SOME "EGG" ( 1 TABLESPOON OF GROUND FLAX AND 3 TABLESPOONS OF WATER - TRY IT SOMETIME! IT IS THE PERFECT EGG REPLACER IN BAKED GOODS)   AND A TOUCH OF VEGGIE OIL AND SOME BROWN SUGAR.  I ALSO CHOPPED UP A SMALL GALA APPLE AND THREW IT IN THERE.  

I ADDED MY DRY INGREDIENTS TO THE PULP BOWL AND MIXED WITH A SPATULA.

THEN I DROPPED ON A GREASED COOKIE SHEET ( I USED SPRAY)  AND PUT INTO MY 350 DEGREE PREHEATED OVEN.  I BAKED FOR ABOUT 7-8 MINUTES.  THEY DID NOT SPREAD OUT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PLACING THEM TOO CLOSE TOGETHER.  ALSO, THEY REMAIN PRETTY MOIST BUT BECOME LESS FRAGILE AFTER COOLING ON A RACK.  PERHAPS THE OIL WAS NOT EVEN NEEDED? NEXT TIME!!

THIS LITTE EXPERIMENT PRODUCED COOKIES THAT TASTED LIKE CARROT CAKE BUT MUCH HEALTHIER FOR YOU.  BONUS - VEGAN TOO!!!!  AND IT MADE MY HOUSE SMELL DELISH.  THESE CAN BE A NICE SWEET TREAT OR EVEN SUITABLE FOR BREAKFAST.

P.S - MYFITNESSPAL.COM HAS A SPOT TO CREATE YOUR OWN RECIPIES.  I PLUGGED IN MY INGREDIENTS FROM THESE COOKIES AND THIS IS A SCREEN SHOT OF NUTRITIONAL STATS -   NOT BAD!!