Simple Pleasures, Simple Treasures #4

December 21, 2016

12 / 21 / 2016

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Merry Christmas from My Kitchen to Yours – cookies, muffins, recipes, and love!

How is your festive cooking and baking coming along? Still trying to get every last item on your Must Do List done before the big day? Does this task feel like just one more chore to accomplish, rather than the fun it is intended to be?  I have a way to help you navigate that and give a beautiful gift at the same time.  One that won’t cost a cent.

The gift? Your time.  It is our most precious resource. Once it is spent, it can never be restored.  Time spent, particularly in the kitchen, cooking or baking with someone you love, is both a gift and a memory, and you get to eat the results of your efforts too!

See also: 7 Strategies For Putting The Simple Back Into The Festive Season

In a recent article on Popsugar, health experts claim that cooking together is balm for relationships, helping people stay together, be more present and feel less stressed. Food further has the power to nourish and heal, emotionally and spiritually. Preparing food with loved ones is a powerful tool that helps strengthen relationship bonds.

Recently I spent the day in my daughter’s kitchen, baking dozens of cookies, muffins and clean treats for our upcoming Christmas feast.  It was beautiful to work with her, creating foods we love, out of love.  Baby Grayson joined in the fun.  The newest member of our family, Grayson seems to savour the bustle in the kitchen, watching everything we do with interest.  In fact, she joined Rachel and I on our live Facebook event, and made a grab for an oatmeal cookie made from a beloved Eat Clean® recipe.

I will remember this day because of how I felt – warm, loved, appreciated – it was time well spent making memories with my family.  As the poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Let’s go for the feelings folks!

And now, please enjoy these Eat Clean® recipes.   We chose the easiest, most delicious recipes that friends and family alike will enjoy.  Savour Lucky Ginger Spice Cookies, Grandmother’s Favourite Oatmeal Cookies (the ones everyone, including Grayson, loves), from the Eat Clean® book series.  We also made Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins adapted from an Oh She Glows recipe.  You can find the recipe here. We made a few changes, using olive oil, honey and light spelt flour.  Finally, we made an Egg Nog Cookie recipe.

Thank you all for your love of Eating Clean®.  I wish you joy and peace for this holiday and always.

Warmly,

Tosca Reno

3 Healthy & Simple Christmas Recipes 


Lucky Ginger Spice Cookies from Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean® Diet for Family and Kids

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup grass fed butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch cloves
  • 1/8 tsp ginger
  • pinch nutmeg

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper or Silpat.
  • In medium sized mixing bowl, beat butter until soft.
  • Add sugar and molasses and continue to mix well.
  • Add eggs and beat until creamy in texture.
  • Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until combined.
  • Drop large tablespoons full of dough onto prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

Grandmother’s Favourite Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 2/3 cups grass fed butter or 1 cup butter + 1 cup coconut oil
  • 2 cups coconut sugar
  • 3 large free range eggs
  • 3 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 Tbsp good quality vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
  • 3 pounds old fashioned oats (about 8 cups)
  • 4 cups spelt flour
  • Optional: 1 cup dark raisins, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup chocolate chips

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
  • Cream butter and sugar together until smooth.
  • Beat in eggs, honey, vanilla and sea salt until smooth and creamy.
  • Using a large wooden spatula or clean bare hands, work in the flour and oats until well combined.
  • Add optional ingredients if desired.
  • Shape dough into large 3” balls.
  • Press down with a fork, into flat disks, about 6 per shoot.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
  • Cool on wire racks.

Festive Overnight Oats (for your holiday breakfast)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup large flake, gluten free oats
  • 2 cups almond milk or nut milk of your choice (egg nog works too)
  • 2 Tbsp whole flax seeds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1 pear, peeled, cored and grated
  • 1 pomegranate, peeled and broken into seeds
  • 2 mandarin oranges, segmented and chopped

Method:

  • Combine all ingredients, except fruit, in medium glass bowl or large Mason jar.
  • Mix well.
  • Set in refrigerator and let soak overnight.
  • In the morning, remove soaked oats from fridge and mix.  If you need more liquid, add more.
  • Then toss in prepared fruits
  • Serve chilled with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Tosca Reno

Author, columnist, motivational speaker, reality TV star, radio personality, consultant, mother and wife, Tosca Reno has been inspiring millions with the Eat Clean™️ Diet series and sharing the success she's had with weight loss and Clean Eating.

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