Chocolate Chip "Cookie Dough" Balls

These are super yummy and taste amazingly like cookie dough! But these are much healthier for you. You could "almost" call them health food ;) ...but I wouldn't, ha! I adapted this recipe from one I found at http://ohsheglows.com

Makes approximately 20 1 inch balls
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted raw organic cashews

1/2 cup organic rolled oats
1/4 cup organic white whole wheat flour (unbleached)
1/2 tsp real salt
2 tbsp organic cane sugar
4 tbsp organic pure maple syrup (add gradually until desired consistency is achieved)
1/2 tsp organic pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup organic cacao chips
1/4 cup EnviroKidz organic Koala Krisp cereal (like a chocolate rice cripy cereal)

In a food processor, process cashews and rolled oats until fine. Add flour, salt, and sugar and pulse to combine. Add vanilla. Add maple syrup while processor is running, a little at a time. (If you wish, you could substitute 1 tb of maple syrup for 1 tb organic sunflower butter, that would be really yummy!) Occasionally check dough to see if it's a consistency to make balls. If too sticky, add more flour. If too dry, add more syrup. When your dough is ready, pulse in chocolate chips. Scoop dough out into a bowl and knead in cereal. With wet hands, form 1 inch balls. Store in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy! Yum!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is such a great fall dessert. And there's nothing better than a good homemade pie! This is really easy and SO good!

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat organic pie crust
3 large organic eggs
2 cups cooked pumpkin, or one can organic pumpkin
1 1/2 cups organic sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup organic brown sugar
1 ts ground organic cinnamon
1 ts ground organic ginger
1/2 ts organic grated nutmeg
1/4 ts organic ground cloves
1/2 ts sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place crust in oven to warm on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients thoroughly.
Pour filling into crust and bake 45-55 minutes or until firm. (I like to jiggle it to see if it's liquidy or set in the middle). Let pie cool on a wire rack.

For a special bonus, top with homemade whipped cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, pour in one cup of organic cream. Add about 1 TB organic sugar and a splash of vanilla. Mix until whipped cream consistency (5-10 minutes). Taste, and add more sugar and vanilla if you desire.

Coconut Macaroons

I never liked coconut until I made these! Hubby absolutely loves these! The kids gobble them up. So it's a winner all around!

Ingredients: Makes a dozen or so
2 organic egg whites
1/4 ts cream of tarter
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
2 cups organic shredded coconut
1 ts vanilla

Preheat oven to 335. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt until soft peaks form. Slowly add in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Remove from mixer. Fold in coconut and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, but keep an eye on them, don't let them burn, you just want light brown lines.

How to make natural food dye

Commercial food dyes are neurotoxins, so dying cakes and cookies is hard if you are avoiding food dyes. Ah, but it really isn't!!! There are some "natural" dyes on the market but if you've ever priced them, you'll be happy to know the options below are MUCH cheaper! Here are some suggestions for natural food dyes, and keep reading for a sample cookie frosting recipe. Please remember these are "food" dyes and may alter the taste so color and taste a little at a time. But to be honest, I've tried all of the below and the only one I noticed a taste in was the cocoa. But don't take my word for it, please taste as you go =) These can all be used for frosting OR batter.


Green: Juice spinach or kale

Purple: You could juice blueberries. Or I like to buy Wyman's frozen blueberries. If you let them defrost in a bowl, it will produce a beautiful purple dye.

Yellow: Tumeric

Brown: Cocoa powder

Pink: Pomegranate juice, cherry juice. Mash a handful of fresh raspberries and push through a sieve. Beet juice.



Orange: Carrot juice


Now I haven't tried this, but a friend of mine wanted blue and was surprised blueberries didn't make blue =) She had some green frosting, so she mixed the green and purple and ended up with an aqua type color. It actually looked really good!

Here's a great cookie frosting recipe. It dries hard and shiny. Great for all kinds of decorating on cookies.




3 cups organic powdered sugar
4 TB organic milk
1/2 ts organic vanilla extract
2 ts agave nectar OR 4 ts organic light corn syrup


In a bowl, stir together the milk and sugar. On a low speed, mix in the other ingredients until smooth and shiny. Slowly add in your food dye. I would suggest a teaspoon at a time. (If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar slowly. If it's too thick (after you've added the dye) add a tiny bit of milk at a time.)


The firetruck cookies below used 5 ts of spinach juice, there was no taste change: (The kids helped frost and we aren't perfectionists, haha, so disregard the mess)

"If you like pina coladas" ice cream

This ice cream makes me want to sing...If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain...
Really yummy and refreshing. Since it's made with coconut milk, dairy-free people can indulge!

Ingredients:
1 package frozen pineapple (comes out to about 5 cups)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk, I like So Delicious coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions.