Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Lactation Cookies

Jane Hanley's Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Lactation Cookies:

1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Coconut Oil
1 C granulated sugar
1 C light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP flaxseed meal
4 TBSP water
2 C flour (can use whole wheat, I use all-purpose)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 TBSP brewer's yeast
3 C oats (I used a combination of Bob's Red Mill steel cut and thick rolled oats)
2/3 C dried cranberries
2/3 C white chocolate chips
2/3 C flake coconut

Heat oven to 375.

Mix flaxseed and water together and set aside.
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and brewer's yeast.
Mix butter, coconut oil, and sugars until light. Add in eggs, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla (and a splash of coconut extract if you want) and the flaxseed mix to the blended sugar. Mix well.
Add the sifted flour and blend well.
Stir in the oats, cranberries, white chocolate chips, and coconut. Make sure it's well combined.

Bake on cookie sheet 8 to 12 minutes (I always use parchment so the cookies don't stick but on my dark, non-stick cookie sheets, 8-9 minutes is usually enough time while on my Pampered Chef baking sheet they take more like 11-12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies).

Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Note that I don't closely measure the cranberries, chips, or coconut. I mostly eye-ball it. And, I don't use nuts but crushed macadamias or walnuts would probably be a good addition too. I have also made this recipe using coconut oil in place of the butter as well. Finally, the longer you let the batter sit, the less the cookies will spread when they bake as the oats will absorb the oil.

christmas crunch granola.

6 c. rolled oats
1 c. raw sunflower seeds
1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 c. raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1 c. unsweetened coconut
1/4 c. ground flax
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. unsalted pistachios, shelled + chopped



Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix oats, seeds, almonds, coconut, flax, cinnamon & salt together in a large bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat oil with brown sugar and maple syrup. Stir to combine, pour over oat mixture, and mix thoroughly. Toast for 20-30 minutes, tossing gently every 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Add cranberries and pistachios. Store in an airtight container.

I made the recipe 3x. I saved a little for myself, of course, to enjoy for our simple Christmas morning meal. It is wonderful accompanied with plain Greek yogurt and a juicy Harry & David pear.

from: Nutrition Nut on the Run
I made 1/3 of the recipe, which made 10 servings (40 grams), each being 211 calories.

Chicken or Turkey Salad with Cranberries & Pecans

I adapted my favorite chicken salad recipe from Ina Garten by swapping out most of the mayo with Greek yogurt to dial down the calories and increase the nutrition. A hint of honey balances the tartness of the yogurt. Cranberries and pecans are added for some flavor and crunch. Fresh tarragon is my favorite herb to add to chicken salad. It's the finishing touch in this recipe.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Use as a sandwich filling with lettuce.
Serve a scoop over a bed of lettuce or mixed greens.
Add a small dollop to crackers for a quick appetizer.


EASY VARIATIONS:
Plain chicken salad -- omit the cranberries and pecans
Swap out the fruit -- in place of the cranberries, try grapes or apples
Swap out the nuts -- in place of pecans, try sliced almonds, walnuts or pine nuts

Step 1.      Assemble the ingredients: 

      cooked chicken or turkey breast, chopped or shredded

      greek yogurt 

      fresh tarragon leaves

      celery  

      dried cranberries 

      chopped pecans 

      salt & pepper

      honey      

Step 2. Chop the tarragon & celery.

Step 3. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir until combined.
DONE! Serve the chicken salad on a bed of lettuce or use it as a sandwich filling.

via The Yummy Life

* Note about the chicken or turkey: Use leftover chicken or turkey, buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, or cook your own chicken.   

Click to view recipe for chopped, roasted chicken

   

Cranberry Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark

Servings: 14 • Size: 1 oz (roughly 3-1/2 x 3-1/2") • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 126.6 • Fat: 8.1 g • Protein: 2.6 g • Carb: 15.3 g • Fiber: 2.1 g • Sugar: 10.7 gSodium: 1.1 mg


Ingredients:

4.5 oz shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
2.5 oz dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
7 oz dark chocolate bar (calculations based on Hershey's Special Dark)

Directions:

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe measuring cup; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 15 seconds.

Add melted chocolate to nut mixture, stirring until just combined. Spread mixture evenly on a jelly-roll pan lined with foil; freeze 1 hour. Break into pieces.

Bark should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge or a cool room. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.

from Skinnytaste