Despite lingering throat soreness and a tickly cough that keeps me up in the night, I am feeling a bit better each day. I’d say I am about 80% healed. The flu just seems to be leaving my body very. very. slowly.
My flu fighting plan includes:
- Juicing first thing every morning (ginger, lemon, grapefruit, carrots, cucumbers, beets- are my go to’s)
- Gargling with warm salt water 3 times a day (now I’m down to 1-2)
- Neti Pot (1-2 times a day, as needed)
- Oil of Oregano drops (few drops, 1x a day) + Echinacea drops (1ml, 2-3 times a day)
- Continue with usual Vitamins (what I normally take: Probiotic, vegan vitamin, B12, Calcium/magnesium, Vit D)
- Fresh lemon and ginger tea (Grate 1” piece ginger and steep with a tea steeper + juice half a lemon + hot water + maple syrup to taste)
- Japanese Sencha tea
- REST (This is the hardest part for me…I am not a ‘rester’)
Whether actual physical healers, or mental placebo healers, it’s probably a bit of both. I’m just happy to be feeling better.
I’m really ready to bid farewell to April though. It was not a stellar month for me. An injured sciatic nerve, a bad flu, and a record amount of rainfall all knocked me off my course.
I’ve been feeling pretty down lately because my exercise has been totally side-lined and I’m feeling really out of shape. I keep telling myself that this is just another pothole or obstacle along my journey and it will pass. I miss running. I miss Body Pump. I miss endorphins. I miss the Hot Yoga class that Ange and I planned to try out. But it will come…in time.
I think I’m going to call the month of May ‘getting my groove back’ month. :)
Despite a crummy April, this breakfast was a good way to end the gloom and doom! And we woke up to sunshine for the first time in 2 weeks.
My breakfast inspiration came from Tina’s hot off the press Carrots ‘N’ Cake book. I was sent this book as a review copy from the publisher last week.
Tina Haupert, who has been blogging at Carrots ‘N’ Cake for a few years, wrote this book to share her healthy living journey. The book contains over 50 of her go-to recipes (many of which are vegetarian and a few of them are vegan), as well as her workout and healthy eating tips.
I took it as a sign that the very first recipe in the book happened to be vegan. :)
And cookies.
And quite healthy cookies at that!
So I whipped them up this morning and made it into breakfast.
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Banana Oatmeal Chip Cookies
Lightly adapted from Carrots ‘N’ Cake book.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used spelt and added 1 tbsp)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp chia seed
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (or canola or olive oil)
- 1/2 banana
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick mat.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, chia seed, ground flax). Now add in the liquid ingredients (milk, maple syrup, vanilla, oil) and stir well.
3. In a small bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the mashed banana, chocolate chips, and walnuts into cookie mixture.
4. Spoon onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches apart. I made 6 large cookies and baked them for 14-16 minutes at 350F. You will likely need to adjust the time based on the size of the cookie you make. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.
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I adapted this recipe lightly based on what I had lurking in my pantry…
- I added a tbsp of chia seeds
- I used spelt instead of whole wheat
- I used maple syrup instead of agave or honey
- I used coconut oil instead of canola
- I used 1/2 a banana instead of 1
- I reduced the chocolate chips down to 1/4 cup
They turned out delicious- big, pillowy soft, fluffy, and lightly sweet. Like a bowl of oatmeal in cookie form. Thanks Tina!
For breakfast, I had a bowl of Nature’s Path Spelt Cereal, with almond milk, buckwheat groats, and a cookie crumbled over top. And some Japanese Sencha on the side.
Shortly after breakfast, the deck guys arrived to install the deck beams around 8am. Not having the experience or equipment to do it himself, Eric hired the pros to install the 22-24 deck beams.
The rest of the deck, Eric plans to do on his own, with the help of myself & friends here and there.
We were really worried when they dug by the well, but thankfully no pipes were broken!! Here’s hoping that everything goes smoothly today!
I hope the sun is shining where you are!
Giveaway!
If you’d like a chance to win a copy of the Carrots ‘N’ Cake book, leave a comment below and I will select 1 random winner on Monday. Goodluck :)
I am very excited to read Tina’s book. I love so many of her recipes. Especially this one!!
Glad to see you’re starting to feel better! I’m glad that May is here too. I was pretty much done with April in the middle of the month. :-)
Those cookies look amazing!
I’m vegetarian and often cook vegan. I’d LOVE the chance to win this cookbook! I’m going to try that cookie recipe right NOW! :) They look delicious!
Those cookies look great!
I’d love to win a copy of Tina’s book :D
is this giveaway open to U.S.? I plan on getting Tina’s book one way or another(:
those cookies look delicious! good luck with your May goals!
I think I’m going to bake those cookies today! I’m always looking for super healthy recipes like that, and this is one is perfect!
p.s. Your blog and one of your recipes (sweet potato pancake, I think?) was featured on the front page of a local weekly newspaper here in Milwaukee! Isn’t that cool? I thought so.
I would love to have a copy of Tina’s book!
I love the blog, and I’m sure the book is great as well!
Feel better soon!
Cereal again?? Hope it kept you full!
I think you got me sick…..hahaha! But I’m actually glad that you’re sick at the same time as me because all these “recovery” posts are exactly what I need. And I definitely need to work on getting my groove back as well. Here we go May!
hehe ;) Hope you feel better SOON!
Glad you’re feeling better! I find myself in cooking/veg eating slumps frequently. I get tired and all I want to do is a quick veggie burger and relax!
I would love to win Tina’s book!!
I am really excited to make those cookies. They look like a nice compromise for eating comfort food while getting back on track.
I love making healthy cookies! People don’t even notice the difference.
Oh man, I just saw this post after a weekend visiting my boyfriend, and it’s awesome you are giving away Tina’s book!
it was also AWESOME to read your posts knowing that you are already feeling better! Yay for getting over sickness
Is it too late to enter? I am catching up on posts from the weekend and I LOVE Tina and her blog!
How delicious! Please enter me in the contest x
Glad you are feeling better and ready to start a new month.
Phews! No broken pipes is a relief. Next time, be sure to call (or click) before you dig. In Ontario it is a free service. They will let you know if any water, gas, electric, phone, or cable wires are in the area you plan to dig:
http://on1call.com/index.php/homeowners/
I’d love to read Tina’s book! Those cookies look good and hearty. Im all for healthy cookies!
Wow,I love your site. I am trying to be a vegetarian but find it a little difficult – everyone around me loves protein. Yikes!!!!! Please enter me in your cookbook giveaway, if I can slowly get everyone on the bandwagon it would make life easier.
I would love to receive that cookbook!