Starting to feel Festive, Coffee Date and Protein Cakey Cookies
Happy Friday guys! And happy start of the Winter solstice which I am really pleased about so that the days can finally start getting lighter again!
I think I am finally starting to feel a little festive..about bloody time! It does feel like Christmas is very near now though which has made me a bit more excited. I am travelling back home on Sunday to see my family for the Christmas period which whilst I love my family with all my heart, I do find anxiety provoking I will not lie. Not just that it’s Christmas meaning there’s more food and the gyms are shut for a couple of days which I can admit that can cause a little anxiety but I’ve learnt to treat myself well and relax so hopefully that will be okay. It’s more a general anxiety every time I visit my hometown really. My past is still there and as you have all learnt from my history, it’s not a pretty one and I do still have a lot of negative memories from places I go, even in my own home, where there are traces of my illness. I find that every time I go home I end up seeing someone who knew me back then, whether it is a nurse who treated me or a fellow patient I was inpatient with. There are just things there that get to me and it can hurt.
That saying, I am looking forward to feeling the love from my family, seeing a Christmas tree to get me in the festive spirit (I have not put my own up in my apartment!), hopefully making some treats for me and my family to share, getting some presents and I also have my birthday (eeek!) and of course New Year.
So this week has been a winding down for Christmas week for me. Along with maintaining my morning planks (now up to 5 minutes 10 seconds) and gym routine, I have been wrapping presents, getting things ready to take home and yesterday I had the most lovely coffee date with my bestie (with her little cutie!) and the gorgeous Laura who I have seen a few times now and definitely need to see more often! I feel so incredibly honoured to know these two inspiring girls through blogging..just shows what an amazing thing it can be when you can meet people who you have such a connection with just through the internet!
As well as a good old chat over coffee we also exchanged a few Christmasy gifts which definitely made me feel more festive 
I received some of the most amazing grainless pistachio and berry cookies from Laura which I couldn’t wait to scoff last night! As soon as I get a recipe for these I will be making more that’s for sure *hint hint Laura!* 
It made a nice change to have something baked as I have been more focused on raw food experimenting recently.
Raw Nanaimo Bars, Raw Garlic Sundried Tomato and Spinach Flax Crackers, Raw Cheesy Kale Chips
Although last weekend I did actually do a little baking experiment whilst I had things dehydrating. Both me and Emma really enjoy the Purely Twins blog and I particularly like it as they are gluten free too, as well as doing some raw stuff and they inspired me to start planking more often. I had saved their second cookie cake recipe but decided to make a few changes, omitting chocolate chips as I didn’t have any (would add raisins next time…), using stevia instead of xylitol, adding protein powder and peanut flour as I’m still working on a higher protein diet to assist my strength training and I made them into actual cakey cookies rather than one big one.
They turned out great and I will definitely make them again!
Protein Cakey Cookies (makes 12)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup buckwheat groats ground into a flour
- 1/4 cup flax meal
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup peanut flour
- 1/3 cup powdered stevia (Truvia)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
Pre-heat your oven at 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine the pumpkin puree, and water. Ground the buckwheat groats into a flour and add along with all of the other dry ingredients until combined well.
Drop equal amounts of the mix onto a tray (I used a Yorkshire pudding tray as they make good cookie sizes!) and bake for 10 minutes.
Are you feeling festive?
What are you doing for Christmas?
I love all the photos of treats. I actually haven’t had many holiday treats yet. I just realized that. I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas, but I’m finally feeling festive as well.
Also, you’ve inspired me to start planking every morning. It’s been a week and I can already tell it’s helping. Great idea!
Love the new header girlie! And those cookies look delicious! I definitely want to try them out! I don’t have protein powder though…do you think I could sub in something for it?
Awh thankyou!
Maybe just more buckwheat groat flour/ground flax/peanut flour? x
your cookies look great!!!
xoxo
I get how you feel when you say the ‘traces of my illness,” i feel it whenever i go home, which is not that often. But I love my family so that outweighs the negative memories.
Your treats look delicious!
& I’ll be in Mexico for Christmas
It was lovely to see you sweetie pops! I miss you already
I know what you mean about seeing traces of your illness when you go home. I still get a bit of anxiety about sitting at the dinner table with my family. I can’t wait to try one of your bars – man they look good!! and your cookies look fab too – I’ve read Lori and Michelle’s blog since I got into blogging and. like with you and Laura, I always feel inspired when i come to the end of a post 
I will call you over xmas lovely and love to your dad. Go and make him a caravan of dreams platter 
it’ll make him feel better 
love you lots xxxx
Aww it was so fab to see you too! Those raw bars, OMG I had to wrap them up in foil for the freezer or they would all be eaten! So good
The recipe for the cookies is up on the blog right now under the cranberry and macadamia ones. I was feeling quite festive but then seeing you and Emma on Thursday and going round the shops then wrapping gifts yesterday has made me very Christmassy indeed! Hope you have a good time at home and that you don’t have any anxiety inducing encounters, I can imagine how tough they must be but just remember how awesome you are and how gorgeous you look, have a great one xxx
Those raw nanaimo bars look amazing! Do you have the recipe?
Totally feeling festive now, done lots of christmas “baking” and I’m home for 2 weeks now, so I am really getting into the spirit.
Oh girl, I totally get how you’re feeling about going home. These reminders of the past can easily get in the way of truly enjoying Christmas and family time. I hope this year’s going to be awesome and relaxing for you! Seeing how far you’ve come I’m sure it will be.
Those Nanaimo bars look fabulous! Did you create the recipe yourself? I’d really like to give raw recipes a try while on Christmas break (and in general but I have more equipment at my parents’).
I bookmarked that recipe, it looks like a delicious snack! I actually haven’t felt festive at all either, despite the Christmas tree and other decorations up all over our home. I think it’s the lack of snow around these parts. As much as I dislike the cold, a beautiful white snowfall definitely helps set the holiday mood! I’ve been baking a lot which certainly helps though
Happy belated Birthday, Nicky! I hope you had a great day filled with lots of fun.