More snow! It never stops apparently!
New York is doing it's best to break me into a real winter. We actually set a record for January snow fall. Lucky me! I keep saying to the hubby "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize we moved to Minnesota."
I'm just a smart ass like that. And for the record, I'm handling the weather quite well. Better than I expected really. I have my magical battery powered heated boots to thank for that!
In the spirit of the season, I've been having a crazy cookie craving. I hardly ever have your regular, empty-calorie sweets anymore, much as I love them. But with more focus on nutrition and how my body reacts to such things (physically and emotionally), I've abstained for the most part, and haven't missed the stuff.
My new love is dark chocolate, rich in antioxidants and zinc. Organic dark chocolate with a high percentage of Cocao is amazingly good for you. If your usual temptation is in the form of a Hershey bar, it may take a while to develop a pallet for the real thing, but I invite you to give it a try. I like just a few squares at a time, savoring each bite mindfully.
Ok, back to cookies. I came across this recipe for more healthy chocolate chunk cookies on the popular blog Not Eating Out In New York (I feel like I could author such a blog at this point, seeing as how moving to NYC drains you of all resources and results in a lot of eating in :).
These morsels have a base of organic peanut butter, chopped dark chocolate and whole grain oats, and whole wheat flour. All items I happen to have on hand.
I picked up Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Truffle bar recently. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Perfect balance of creaminess and rich body. There is something immensely satisfying about chopping up a big hunk of chocolate. You don't get the same feeling from just pouring in a bag of those chips, believe me.
These were delightful! I love the denser texture that whole wheat flour gives to baked goods. They feel more substantial in so many ways. Try them next time you feel the need to bake a batch. Guaranteed kids will never know the difference and will be better for everyone who gobbles them down.
Enjoy!
Recipe for Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Choc-Oat Cookies