Flourless Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies (vegan)

This is such a great chocolate chip cookie recipe to have on hand. In my opinion it is right smack dab in the middle of "healthy cookie" and "vegan junk food" cookie. If you love peanut butter, you'll really want to try this one. Enjoy! :)

Flourless Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies | VEGAN RECIPE

(makes 12 cookies)

1 T ground flaxseed meal

3 T water   

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (organic preferred)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter OR almond butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 T maple syrup

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the ground flax and water and set aside for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the coconut, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.

3. Add in the nut butter, vanilla, and maple syrup to the bowl with the flax egg and stir until well combined. It will be thick!

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well.  Knead dough to make it all come together. 

5. Form the dough into 12 balls about the size of golf balls. If any chocolate chips fall out add them back in.

6. Press down on each cookie a little bit until its about a 1/4 inch thick. 

7. Bake on 350°F for 12-14 minutes.  They will be super soft and fragile so let cool for 5-10 minutes!

8. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Pineapple Berry Smoothie

Pineapple Berry Smoothie | Vegan

(makes 2 servings)

1 cup frozen fresh pineapple

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1 cup OJ

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Pour into two serving glasses and top with a few blueberries and some fun straws!

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar Recipe Video (2 Ingredients!)

I love watching hummingbirds in the summertime. They bring so much joy and life to my front porch. Every summer I always make my own hummingbird nectar because the red nectar they sell at home improvement stores contains harsh chemicals (sodium benzoate, fd&c #40, etc.) that I just don't want to feed to my hummingbirds. Instead, I make a super simple homemade recipe using just two ingredients I always have on hand: sugar and water.

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar Recipe (2 Ingredients!) + a few tips!

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe:

1 part sugar : 4 parts water

To fill multiple hummingbird feeders, I would recommend doing 4 cups water to 1 cup sugar that way you have enough nectar and then divide the mixture up that way too. Store leftover nectar in a mason jar in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Tips to make your Hummingbird watching more enjoyable:

1. Change out old nectar every 2-3 days in the really hot summer months with new nectar to prevent bacteria from building up.

2. Sanitize feeder really well with hot soap and water using small brushes to get in all the nooks and crannies so that you prevent bacterial growth.

3. Purchase an ant moat (they are usually about $5) to prevent an ant infestation in your feeder! Don't skip this step. Ants can be very problematic when having a hummingbird feeder. They can quickly infest the feeder in just a short amount of time - they LOVE sugar! Don't forget to refill the ant moat with more water every few days as it will evaporate.

4. Place hummingbird feeder in a sunny area if possible. If you don't have full sun, a part shade/part sun area will do just fine too.