Chocolate and Banana

This was a pretty fabulous day, full of more highlights than I can count.

1. Waking up at 5:00am and keeping my eyes shut for 4 extra minutes
2. Reading The China Study while tackling 5 miles on the elliptical
3. Feeling motivated and strong for 10 minutes of abs + weights
4. Eating a glorious green monster smoothie, with more kale than my heart could ever dream of, and more toppings than my taste buds could ever imagine
5. Eating a colorful bowl of veggies and garbanzos with avocado
6. Coming home to muesli in the mailbox and my hubby's marathon shirt!!! Or, the Adidas shirt he ordered from England that he'll wear for his very first marathon (IN ALMOST 1 WEEK!)
7. Eating spaghetti squash + purple cauliflower, burning it a little, but realizing the burnt effect added even more flavor than the italian seasoning did
8. Forgetting my grains, again, at least at dinner... and eating a mug of oats + cinnamon as a nighttime snackaroo
   
9. Making 30+ chocolate banana cookies for tomorrow's work party - and having the delight of telling everyone the cookies are sweetened only with ripe bananas + raisins! These babies taste insanely delicious!

and... proof:

Chocolate & Banana
Heavenly Cookies!


there were dozens of them...


they called my name from the recipe books...


and I got right down to it.

Please do:

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
  
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds/flaxseeds/wheat germ (optional)
• 1 tbsp roasted almond butter
  
• 3 good ol' dashes of cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 dash salt

1. Bake on parchment paper lined baking sheet for 14 minutes on 350* until bottoms are golden brown and not burnt to the crisp :)

It's perfection, I promise.

thank you to: this lovely.

But I trust in Your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for He has been good to me.
Psalm 13:5-6