Happy Monday! On Mondays, Sarah or I normally share a weekend recap. However, this past weekend was pretty uneventful, which is A-OK with this lady. On Friday evening, I was planning to head to the gym, but I got a better offer I couldn’t refuse (AKA happy hour with a girlfriend). Then, Jay and I volunteered for Room In The Inn at our church later that night. I spent the rest of the weekend tackling housework, stretching it out at yoga, and snuggling with my pup.
Since that makes for a pretty boring blog post, I thought I’d share a couple of quick and easy recipes I made for EVERY member of the family to enjoy throughout the week.
Sweets are my ultimate weakness, so while I’m trying to cut back on sweet treats after the holidays, going cold turkey just isn’t realistic. These are healthier than a normal cookie, easy to whip up, gluten-free, and still satisfy my sweet tooth.
No-Bake Energy Bites
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or you could substitute a different chip, M&Ms, or raisins)
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine oats, chocolate chips, flax seed, almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; form into balls using your hands. Arrange energy bites on a baking sheet and freeze until set, about 1 hour.
Like I mentioned, I made treats for the whole family. I found this recipe for dog treats while perusing Pinterest the other day and had all of the ingredients on hand. Annabelle is the first dog I’ve had that isn’t very motivated by food, but she LOVES homemade treats. Her favorites are the cookies from the Bluegrass Barkery, and it is safe to say that she likes these pretty well too!
Peanut Butter Dog Treats (via Damn Delicious)
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups whole wheat flour, or more, as needed
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups flour at low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Place into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
One thing I have to admit is that I bought a new cookie cutter for these dog treats. I only have holiday-themed and round cookie cutters, so I stopped by Williams-Sonoma to see what fun shape I could find. I decided on the fire hydrant. How cute is that?! They are out of stock online, but they had plenty at my local store. My mom is probably rolling her eyes – I know it’s ridiculous…
Cheers to a great week ahead!
Laura
Kindly Kentucky 