Fitness Friday: Overcoming Holiday Weight Gain

Everyone hates the weight gain that the holidays typically bring. It's almost inevitable - there are so many gingerbread men and candy canes, and you just have to try one of every flavor...right?

This year, let's overcome holiday weight gain together. Below are five tips that I think will really help you keep off those extra pounds this holiday season!

1. Plan Your Workouts

....and STICK TO IT. 

I know, it's hard. But you can do it. If you put together your fitness schedule at the beginning of the week, you are more likely to actually get your butt off the couch and into the gym because it's now a part of your schedule. If you just say, "Well, I'll go when I feel like it"....trust me, you will NEVER feel like it. So do yourself a favor and plan ahead. 

2. Bake Vegan

Eating vegan is naturally a lot healthier for you, since that means no eggs or dairy will be in your cookies. That doesn't mean you can still eat five cookies, but it will definitely help keep your weight in check. Plus, if you've never baked vegan before, this gives you a chance to experiment! 

3. Use Alternative Sweeteners

Just make sure you use NATURAL sweeteners, like Stevia or Monk Fruit. Both are zero calories and are much better alternatives to sugar or Splenda! I also like to carry around a little squirt bottle of liquid Stevia in my purse. It's handy, and if you want zero calorie sweetened coffee, it does the trick.

4. Set A Limit

Decide how many cookies or scoops of macaroni and cheese you will allow yourself BEFORE you get to the party. That way, you already know your limit and will be less likely to overload on the crappy {yet delicious} food. Then, load up on the healthier options available - like fruit!

5. Plan Your Meals

Decide what you will eat when you aren't at a Christmas party, and then go grocery shopping so you have your supplies. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will be to stray from your plans. Make sure you plan healthy and light meals (like salads, or seared tuna steaks!) so you aren't already weighed down when you get to the party.

Hopefully those tips will help you fight the urge to overeat this holiday season!

What tips do you have?

What fitness printables would you like me to design?

UPDATES & KLUTCHClub Review!

Hey guys! 

It's been a week since my last post. A while, right? I've been swamped recently with stuff for school - I go back in two weeks, but the Newswire (our student paper) publishes its first issue next week for the freshmen who move in early. Crazy, right? So I have been really busy trying to get everything organized for that issue, like making sure we have a publisher, advertisements, stories, etc. Nuts! 

That being said, I haven't had much time to blog. Even now, I'm feeling a little pressed! I'm nervous about my Cincy Magazine internship, starting in September - and I feel like I will be turning down the opportunity because of the lack of time I will have in the school year. I really don't want to turn down this opportunity, but I feel like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be the only time I have to do homework (all of my classes are on Tues/Thurs, which means a lot of homework on those days). With the internship, I wouldn't be able to actually do much on those days until around 4:30pm, and on Wednesdays, I have a night class. Which means less time. What should I do?

I've also been down and out with something called Parotitis - basically, swollen spit glands. It sucked because I couldn't chew anything and it was really painful. How did this happen? From this stuff:

Don't use it!!!! Seriously. If you read the reviews on Amazon, other people have become sick from using this mouthwash. It's terrible. I don't understand why they don't take it off the market - it's from one of the ingredients in it, called CPC. Gross. Avoid at all costs. I had to take Amoxicillin for 10 days because of it. Thankfully, as soon as I stopped using it, I felt better. 

I've also been trying to get back into my faith. I tend to get fired up about it, and then let that fire die down - now it's time to re-kindle my love for God. Stuart and I are both working on it together - even since he went on a Catholic family retreat and heard a speaker named Justin Fatica, he has been more enthusiastic about what he believes. He's Catholic, and I'm Protestant - so we have differing beliefs, but I'm trying to be more open to learning about his. We are both starting a read through the Bible in one year program, plus I bought some Bible studies for me. I'm hoping Stuart and I can find a study to do together as a couple.

This weekend was also a little crazy. I went with Stuart to Columbus for the weekend for his little sister's 4th birthday, which was a lot of fun! I took them some pretty little sugar cookies (I used this recipe). Aren't they pretty? Princess crowns, glass slippers, diamond rings and Tiffany tea pots! I had a lot of fun making them! Lydia (his sister) loved the cookies - she also got cute little bike for her birthday. Her brother (Simon - 2 years old) loved the cookies too! 

I will say this - I wasn't watching what I ate this weekend. Bad me. But now I'm back on track, counting calories and trying to eat healthier. Working out is escaping me, mostly because I don't have the time right now to dedicate to anything except my massive Newswire and back-to-school to do list. 

This lack of time means I'm quite a bit behind on product reviews. Whoops! That means I'll have quite a few coming your way this week. Let's start with another review of KLUTCHClub! You may have read my earlier review of this company. Well, they loved it so much that they sent me another box to review! How great is that?! Love this company!

What is KLUTCHclub? Well, its a monthly subscription service that provides subscribers with a box each month. That box contains over $50 worth of fitness, health, and wellness products like DVDs, workouts, snacks, makeup, and more. And you only pay $18 a month (or less)! You can subscribe for one month of one year, you choose. This is geared especially towards women. 

The above box is what I was sent this time - June's KLUTCHClub box. 

This box had quite a few things in it. One of my favorite discoveries was the Journey Bar (which I will also be reviewing shortly!). Journey Bars are basically savory nutrition bars, which are so cool since everything currently on the market is sweet. I absolutely love these. They use amaranth inside, which little round superfood seeds. Yum. The flavor sent in the box was coconut curry - and let me tell you - it was DIVINE. It tasted kinda like curry corn bread. I absolutely loved it. Try to find these sold in a store around you!

There was also a small bar of soap from Savy Boheme. It was an African Black Soap - fair trade and organic, like everything else this company sells. It was okay - I don't like bar soaps because they always make me feel really squeaky. However, if you like bar soap, you'll like this. 

There was also Japanese moisturizer from Yu-Be.  This is apparently the #1 selling medicated moisturizer in Japan. Who knew? I tried it on my hands, and I thought it was a little greasy. However, the packaging says it is also good to use on your lips and face for dry, cracked skin. It is a glycerin based lotion with added vitamins E, C, B2 and camphor. This kinda reminds me of Aquaphor or Vaseline. I think I'll try it on my heels, since they are so dry!

Next, Crum Creek Mills (I am also working with them on a review) sent one of their most popular items - Soy Nut Mix. If you like soy nuts, go for it. It's a decent snack mix - it has raisin, chocolate chips, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. However, it baffles me as to why it was featured on Dr. Oz and Oprah magazine. Hm. I think I just don't have a thing for soy nuts. I didn't really like this, but like I said, if you like soy nuts....give it a try! 

Finally, there were coupons - a free month subscription to My Barre3, $25 to Body Language Sportsware, and $30 off an OG Sack. I tried to My Barre3 workout, and I thought it was a challenging toning workout, but not for cardio. I'm more of a cardio person. My Barre 3 combines pilates and the ballet barre to get in a nice workout that will tone you and make you lean. Sadie, the creator, is a very fun person and I liked her personality a lot. If you are looking for a new workout, this is a good one to try! I haven't used the Body Language Sportsware gift certificate yet, because I really need to stop spending money, but all of their products look great. The coupon doesn't expire until September 15, so I'll definitely use it before then! And the OG Sack - well, I don't do enough yoga to utilize this, so I probably will not be using this coupon. The bags look cool though, and they have a special strap for carrying your yoga mat - check it out! 

Whew. There was your June KLUTCHClub! Are you inspired to buy your first box yet? If so, just click here to get started! 

Thanks again to the people at KLUTCHClub for being so patient with me. Look what I made from their box: 

Isn't it cute? I'm using it to hold books on my dresser in my room! And it's a great way to recycle instead of throwing the box away! Do you think I could win KLUTCHClub's Reduce, Reuse, ReKLUTCH contest? VOTE FOR ME PLEASE!!!

That's all for now, guys. Thanks for reading all of this, and enjoy your summers! 

Much love, 

July Foodie Pen Pals

Everyone! It's time for another month of foodie pen pals! This month, my pen pal was Carolynne from Chicago, IL. She didn't disappoint with her box. She even listened to what I said when she asked about things I love! 

I told her I was interested in flavored honeys recently, and she sent me a bottle of blueberry blossom honey. After trying it, I realized it was just honey harvested from blueberry plants - not blueberry flavored But still delicious! I used it on some banana chips I made a week ago and they were delicious. 

She sent:

 garlic sesame crackers

pecan caramel turtle

blueberry blossom honey

freeze dried tropical fruit

Qbel bar

Reed's Ginger Chews

Oatmeal Apple Currant cookie 

Something exciting was that the cookie was from a local vegan bakery! How cool is that? It was really moist and delicious. Full of flavor. I loved it. I already know I love those ginger chews, so that was exciting. The freeze dried fruit made a great snack while I was working on the school newspaper, and the pecan turtle was very chocolate-y and caramel-y. The crackers were crunchy and delicious. I still haven't tried to Qbel, but I can't wait. That is something that I have been wanting to try for a long time!

Not to mention, Carolynne has great handwriting. 

Thanks for the package, Carolynne! 

Wanna join the foodie pen pal fun? Here's the details - just email Lindsay to sign up!

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.

- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved! 

Much love, 

May Foodie Pen Pal

It's my favorite time of the month - FOODIE PEN PAL REVEAL DAY! Woohoo! It was a great box this month, sent to me by Niki from Salt & Pepper. Thanks so much, Niki! Here is a look at what I received! 

"Powder Clouds" Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Citrus Sea Salt

"Holy Chocolate" Hot Chocolate Mix

Nancy Drew card

Isn't it all super adorable? The cookies were delicious and were gone within a couple days. The powder clouds were similar to mexican wedding cakes (yum) and the peanut butter cookies were from Niki's favorite bakery in San Francisco - Miette. After looking at the website, it's no wonder it is her favorite bakery - it's adorable and the food looks scrumptious! 

I think my favorite thing in the box was the citrus sea salt. I have long been wanting to try flavored sea salts but never want to spend the money. Thanks Niki! I can't wait to try it. I still haven't tried the hot chocolate, either, but the package makes it look very appetizing! 

Finally, I laughed when I saw the Nancy Drew card - I used to LOVE reading Nancy Drew books when I was younger. This was great, and the card is adorable! I loved it. Overall, a great package and a great experience. Thanks again, Niki!

If you want to see what I sent to my foodie pen pal, Dena from 40 Fit in the Mitt, be sure to head over to her blog to check out my package! 

Wanna join the foodie pen pal fun? Here's the details - just email Lindsay to sign up!

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

***If you’re in the UK, please contact Carol Anne from This Is Rock Salt at rocksalt@thisisrocksalt.com to get involved! 

Much love,

Product Review: Cookiehead

Welcome to another fabulous product review! There will be quite a lot of these coming up in the next few weeks, including Zevia, Bearded Brothers, So Delicious, Snapz, Rush Bowls, Better Beans, Thunderbird Bars, and more! Many of those include giveaways - so be sure to keep checking back!

Today, I bring you Cookiehead products! I have to say, the Cookiehead line is much more extensive than I knew - the company features a wide variety of brownies, cookie, & muffins to enjoy. Each product is packed to the brim with whole grains and yummy, healthy-for-you foods, like sunflower seeds and spelt flour and flax seeds! Products are also full of fiber and omega-3s - how much better can it get?

I'll tell you. The packaging on the products are so stinkin' adorable! That was the first thing to catch my eye and draw me in.

Mmmm....don't they look yummy?

When Cookiehead agreed to send me some products to review - they were very enthusiastic, I might add! - I couldn't have been happier. They sent me a wide variety of things to try - and full boxes of each! Boy, I was excited!

Let's start with my favorite, shall we? Sprouted Grain Mini Brownies, made with sprouted spelt flour!

These are probably the best store-bought brownies I've had. They are so rich in dark chocolate, very moist, and only 53 calories a piece! I eat these like it's my job. It's a wonder I still have some left! They also have 8g of whole grains per serving, and are milk-free and kosher. I highly recommend these.

Next: Flax Snax Cinnamon Honey cookies, Dark Chocolate Chunk cookies, & Coffee Chocolate Almond cookies!

While I only got to eat one of the cinnamon honey cookies (my mother devoured the entire box in half a day...), they were yummy! They had a very unique flavor - I think I just wasn't expecting such a strong honey flavor, but it was definitely prominent. I also loved the hint of cinnamon, and the flax seeds were visible. Also, these cookies have 8g whole grains and over 1000 mg omega-3 fatty acids in each serving - amazing!

The coffee chocolate almond cookies were my favorite of the 3 cookies I was sent. The coffee is very strong, and with the chocolate, these cookies taste like a mocha you can bite into.  I also love that, in both these and the dark chocolate chunk, there is a nice crunch from the sunflower seeds. Which, I might add, I was definitely not expecting in a cookie! Still, it was a nice surprise, and I loved it. 

As for the dark chocolate chunk, well, they were just as stellar. You really can't go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie. All cookies were moist and contain 9g whole grains, 2g fiber and protein, and 250mg omega-3 fatty acids per serving. What healthy cookies!

Last up: Cranberry Orange Grainy Brainy Wakey Cakes. What a name!

I was a little disappointed that only two mini muffins weighed in at over 200 calories (I don't remember the exact number, but I believe it was 260+ calories?). Still, these were delicious. And totally worth every calorie. These had an intense orange flavor, crunchy sunflower seeds, and yummy dried cranberries. These, like the brownies mention earlier, are also made with sprouted grains. 

Overall, I applaud this company. Great work. Keep making healthy, kid-friendly products, and stuffing them full of nutrients! I highly recommend ordering some online if you cannot find them in a retailer new you! 

The Daisy Rating

5/5 daisies

Much love,

Product Review & Giveaway: Lucy's Gluten Free Cookies

I think it's time for another giveaway, don't you? :)

When I heard about Dr. Lucy's new line of gluten free/vegan cookies, I knew I had to try them. I had tried the chocolate chip cookies once from Starbucks and thought they were delicious, so I knew I was bound to love the new Maple Bliss, Chocolate, and Ginger Snap varieties! Lucy's was very generous, and sent me six boxes of the new flavors to review - 2 of each flavor! Isn't the packaging adorable?

Maple Bliss
This was my favorite flavor. Reminiscent of pancakes, the maple is strong but not overpowering, and the cookies (much like all of Lucy's flavors) are very crunchy and satisfying. Nice and sugary. It also reminds me of eating maple sugar candies, the maple sugar shaped like acorns? Does anyone know what I am talking about? Delicious. You would have no idea this cookie was gluten free!

Ginger Snap
I also have a soft spot for gingersnap cookies, so these were great. I loved that there were whole pieces of crystallized ginger in the cookies; they added an extra punch that I was not expecting. I loved the strong ginger flavor, and the added ginger pieces made these a better alternative to your typical gingersnap cookie.

Chocolate
How can you go wrong with chocolate? These cookies have a solid chocolate flavor and seemed to be the favorite among my friends. Not much more I can say about these. They were yummy!

Overall: The regular cookie connoisseur would have no idea these are gluten free. In fact, my friends couldn't tell; I took a box of each flavor to my staff meeting on Monday, and my team loved them! One RA even said "tell those people they get a 10/10, because these are really good!" They get a thumbs up from everyone here in Ohio :) They are very crunchy, and even though I'm a half-baked cookie kinda girl, I really liked these. I also like that you can eat three cookies for 120 calories - it makes me feel like less of a fatty when I eat multiple!

The wonderful people at Lucy's is offering YOU the chance to win one box of each of their new flavors! One lucky PD reader will win, and here is how you can enter (leave a comment for each entry!):

1. MANDATORY- Tell me what your favorite Lucy's cookie is, or which flavor you want to try the most! 

Want more ways to win? 

2. Follow Lucy's and Passing Daisies on Twitter 

3. Subscribe to Passing Daisies by email

4. Follow Passing Daisies on GFC/Blogger

5. Follow me on Pinterest & repin something from the board "Passing Daisies" 

6. Like Passing Daisies on Facebook

7. Like and stumble through Passing Daisies on StumbleUpon 

8. Tweet about this giveaway and tag @cityxlights13 as well as linking to the giveaway (can do this once per day for bonus entries)

9. Pin this post on Pinterest

There you go! Giveaway ends on SUNDAY, MARCH 18TH at 11:00PM and the winner will be announce the next day (Monday, March 19). Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or another winner will be chosen. Please leave a valid email address with your first entry. 

Thanks guys! Have a lovely day! 

Much love,

Product Review: Rawxies

Happy Friday, everyone! It's time for another product review.... Rawxies! 

But before we get to that, another update on my workouts! I have been really looking forward to my workouts recently... this is not normal for me. Usually I loathe going to the gym. However, since I've started the Couch to 5K program, I've really been excited to push myself and get closer to running a 5K! 

Hopefully today I will be able to go to Ault Park and check out some of their nature trails, which will be where one of my future 5Ks takes place. I'm really nervous about it. Depending on how I feel when the race date approaches, I may not run in that 5K. It seems geared toward serious runners, which I am not yet, and I don't know if my first run should be an intense, 3.6 mile trail run. I will determine that later, though. 

I've also been consistently working on my arms, and have just recently added thigh and ab workouts. I definitely feel like my body is changing; hopefully by the end of Lent I'll be looking fab from eating no sugar or fatty foods! (Which has been going well so far, by the way!) I hope to post my arm routine soon for you guys to try!

Now on to the review. The wonderful creator of Rawxies, Callie, agreed to send me some of her scrumptious looking raw cookies to try. 

I was sent one of each flavor: Chocolate Cacao Nib, Lemon Poppyseed, Banana Nut Bread, Cranberry Pecan, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Cinnamon Walnut Raisin. 

My favorites, from best to worst, were: Lemon Poppyseed, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Walnut Raisin, Banana Nut Bread, Cranberry Pecan, and Chocolate Cacao Nib.

That's not to say any of them were bad. Actually, they were all pretty delicious. The Lemon Poppyseed and Mint Chocolate Chip were definitely the best, though - one tasted like a muffin, the other like ice cream! All cookies tasted like their names. 

The wrapper for the Lemon Poppyseed Rawxies

The Lemon Poppyseed Rawxies

I definitely appreciated all the natural, organic ingredients. All very pronounceable and recognizable things! And I just love the heart shape. Too cute! 

Overall, I definitely recommend this product. Delicious and adorable - what more could you want? These are perfect for a snack or breakfast. 

The Daisy Rating

4/5 Daisies

What is your favorite raw snack? 
Much love,

New Years Resolutions 2012 and Funfetti Cookies

Happy New Years Day, everyone! What did you all do for New Years? Did you party hard? Did you drink the night away? Hang out with friends? What are you resolutions?!

So many questions! Here are my resolutions for the year!

1.      Drink 1 glass of green juice every day

2.      Spend 15 minutes with God every day

3.      Work out 3x a week – even if only for 10 or 15 minutes

4.      Passing Daisies – 10,000 views a month

5.      Eat 2 pieces of fruit daily

I'm not sure exactly how some of those will work. For example, green juice. Since I live in a dorm, i don't have a juicer. I have been buying bottles of Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness fruit smoothie recently, but that can get expensive. I'll buy a large bottle before returning to school, but what happens when that is gone?! 

I did get my own Cuisinart Compact Portable Blender/Chopper for Christmas, which I plan on using frequently in my dorm room to make smoothies. Perhaps I can simply swipe some spinach and broccoli from the caf and throw it in with some fruit and juice or almond milk for a smoothie!

Working out will be a little sketchy too... but hopefully I can keep up! 

Now... time for a delicious cookie recipe that is colorful and full of fun... funfetti, that is! This cookie tastes just like funfetti cake mix! Try it out for yourself! 

Funfetti Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Earth Balance Buttery Spread

3/4 cup evaporated cane juice

1/4 c. rice milk

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour

2 t. vanilla extract

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

3 T. sprinkles of choice

Directions: 

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a large bowl, cream Earth Balance and sugar. Add rice milk and vanilla and combine. 

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. 

4. Divide dough in half and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into logs and cover in the wrap. Place in fridge to firm up for at least 2 hours. 

5. Remove logs from plastic wrap and roll in more sprinkles if desired. Coat every part of the log with sprinkles.

6. Slice dough into 1/2'' slices and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are a light golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

Much love, 

Coconut Lime Snowballs

Ready to try something EXTRA delicious? These cookies literally melt in your mouth - now if that doesn't make you want to try them, I'm not sure what will! 

These snowball cookies have an extra "oomph" because they contain lots of lime juice and coconut flakes! I used a dried, unsweetened coconut flake for these. It makes pretty many, too - at least 2 dozen or so, I'd say! Perfect for Christmas, New Years, or whenever! 

Coconut Lime Snowballs

Ingredients

• 1 cup(s) of Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 2/3 cup(s) of powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. of vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1 tbsp. of Earth Balance Soy Milk
• 1 3/4 cup(s) of all purpose flour
• 1 cup(s) of finely chopped walnuts
• 3 T. + 1 tsp. of lime juice
• 3 tbsp. of coconut flakes
• 1 1/2 cup(s) of powdered sugar (for rolling)

Directions

1. Beat together Earth Balance spread and powdered sugar in a bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
3. Place tablespoon sized balls of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.
4. Roll each balll in powdered sugar.

What is your favorite way to use limes?

Much love, 

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

How was everyone's Christmas?! What did you all get?!

I got a LOT of great stuff, including: gift cards (Whole Foods, gas, Anthropologie, Target, iTunes, Sperry Topsider, Starbucks, and more), candy, chocolate, Goldfish [I'm not *completely* dairy free], books and cook books (Vegan Pie in the Sky! and Thrive! and Thrive Foods! And Skinny Bitch: Home, Beauty, and Style!), documentaries (Forks over Knives and Food, Inc.), a new Bible (NIV/Message parallel Bible with my name engraved on it), Audrey Hepburn move & coffee mug, money, a Cuisinart portable blender, and more! Great Christmas! Christmas Eve was a little.... terrible, spent crying with a headache and feeling sick, but let's not get into that, shall we? :)  

Someone requested the recipe for these cookies I showed in my last WIAW - here you go! I hope you enjoy them!

• Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 flax eggs (2 T. flax meal mixed with 6 T. water)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 T. Royal Harvest Caramel Flax Oil
• 2 T. Royal Harvest Chocolate Flax Oil
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. In a large bowl, beat Earth Balance and sugars until light and fluffy.
• 3. Add vanilla, flax eggs, and flax oils. Mix until combined.
• 4. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. 
• 5. Bake NO MORE than 10 minutes or they will become VERY crispy. You could probably even bake them for 8-9 minutes if you like. Just do not cook them longer than 10 minutes!
• 6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Feel free to decorate tops with sprinkles prior to baking if desired.
• What cookies did you bake for Christmas?
• Much love,
  Rachael