Tis the season... for cookies!

Happy holidays everyone! With tree decorating and Nat King Cole playing in the background, it is officially Christmas season (however unreflected that is in my shopping list!). In honor of the season I thought it my duty to bake some cookies. So I set out in search of Christmas cookies. I found some recipes I had tried before, but kept looking for something more novel. Finally, I settled on this recipe from Fed & Fit. They looked like a hearty and delicious cookie that would fit the snowy day we're having here in New England.  Because I don't currently eat chocolate, I replaced the chocolate chips with raisins, which turned out well. However, I did find that before I even baked them, the cookies were a bit chewy. After baking, they came out even more tough. Any suggestions? Was it because I replaced the chocolate with raisins? Please reply in the comments section if you have an idea. I would also recommend shortening the cooking time with the raisins down to 10-12 minutes. So, here's what I ended up with: 

Raisin Walnut Cookies
3 cups sifted almond flour
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp. Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then in a separate bowl melt the coconut oil. Add the honey, egg, and vanilla and whisk together. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. I baked them on a Silpat sheet liner, but parchment paper would work as well. 

Serve up with a cold glass of almond milk and enjoy!

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Merry Christmas to all! 

Christmas: Hope, Joy, and Yum!

Disclaimer: This post has little practical information. Just a loving rant to my family.

I love Christmas. Always have. I have fond memories of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter under our family Christmas tree, waking up my brother in the wee hours of Christmas morning and tiptoeing down to our stockings, and the smell of mom's cinnamon buns wafting over from the kitchen after we opened our stockings. Not to mention listening to Nat King Cole's record "The Christmas Song" over and over again (still my favorite Christmas album!). Though some of these traditions have fallen by the wayside (pretty sure my brother's wife may not like me jumping on their bed at 5:30 in the morning), my affection for Christmas time remains. It being my first married Christmas (hooray!), a conversation with my husband led me to reflect upon why I can't get enough of this holiday. Two thoughts occurred to me. The first thought was how many people's outlooks on life change during the holidays, especially in the first weeks of the season. Suddenly, our focus shifts from getting through the routine of the daily grind to those who are in need and to those we love. If only this joy could remain for the rest of the year. Think how much better our world would be.  The second reason I love this season is because of the hope that it offers. At the heart of the season is the birth of Jesus, a helpless babe born to a young couple, who could not have foreseen how their child would change the course of history and who continues to offer hope to our broken world. Hope and joy -- two reasons I love Christmastime.

This year gave me another reason to love Christmastime. I admit that following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet can be tough during holidays because of the sheer amount of sweets that inundate us. But this year, my family went above and beyond to ensure I had "BFF" (Becca Friendly Foods) at our celebrations. I was overwhelmed with the amount of options I had to choose from! So I wanted to take a moment to thank my family for all the work they do to support me and being on my diet. Thank you mom for the yummy pumpkin muffins and for all the hugs. Thank you to my in-laws for all the delicious options for our Christmas fondue and for welcoming me into your wonderful family. Thank you to my sweet sister for the delicious coconut flour cookies (I can't get enough!). And thank you to my husband who never ceases to amaze me with his continuous support, through good times and bad. How blessed I am. I love you all.