Day 38- Oh Happy Day! (One day late...sorry!)

Today was a great day.  It is so nice to wake up every morning now and have energy and feel good.  My eating now is a breeze and has become 2nd nature.  Yay!  I made it through the toughest part.  I think that is the test.  Once you can get through the tough part, then you are home free.  That is why I have failed so many times before.  I never stay consistent, and always have failed after just one week.  As you know, I had an off day last week with the baby shower, but I dusted myself off and got right back on track.  Super great feeling! 

Later on today, I went to my son's school for Parent Teacher Conference.  I am always glad to hear that he is nice and polite and does a good job in school.  I couldn't ask for a better boy!  He is my whole world. 

Tonight I taught Zumba at the church.  There was a big crowd, to my surprise.  It has turned into such a great class, and I am so glad that I can share the joy of Zumba with the people here in the community.  They truly seem to love it and I see new faces every week.  I even taught a little bit of my ZumbAtomic to my friend's little boy after my main class was done.  It was so much fun showing him and he was full of life and smiles while we were dancing.  Dancing and music are magical.  Everyone should be able to enjoy the wonders of both of them.  Fortunately, I have been blessed with both all of my life.  Without them, especially music, I would be a lost soul.  I think I speak for a lot of us here!

This same friend of mine shared a recipe with me, and I would like to share it with you.  It is wonderful! 

Healthy Thumbprint Cookies:
Makes about 30 cookies

Fill these oat and nut cookies with your favorite fruit juice sweetened jam. Strawberry, raspberry and apricot jams are particularly good. Ingredients:

1 cup almonds or pecans
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fruit juice sweetened jam

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put almonds and oats into a food processor and pulse until coarsley ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, oil, syrup and salt. Stir to combine well. Roll walnut-sized balls of the dough in the palm of your hand to form each cookie, then arrange on 2 large baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Press your thumb gently down into the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Spoon a scant teaspoon of jam into each indentation.

Bake cookies until golden brown and just firm around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to let cool completely, then serve immediately or store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Per serving (2 cookies/46g-wt.): 210 calories (110 from fat), 13g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 4g protein

I will continue to share recipes on here as I go along.  I am always up for a variety, so recipes are good! 

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast-

1 bowl brown rice crispies with almond milk and blueberries

1 c. green tea

32 oz water

Mid-morning snack-

1 hard boiled egg

16 oz water

Lunch-

3 oz baked salmon

1/2 mashed sweet potato

Small spinach salad sprinkled with balsamic vinegar

16 oz water

Mid-afternoon snack-

20 almonds

16 oz water

Dinner-

Smoothie with 1 c. almond milk, 1 scoop greenberry shakeology powder, 1 apple and handful of spinach

16 oz water

After-dinner snack-

1/2 c. sugar free jello