Scrumptious Sunflower - Hemp - Sesame-Seed Cookies

For my first blog recipe I'm posting an old favourite cookie recipe.... oh so good..

These are crispy and sweet and if you like the taste of sesame seeds you’ll love these! Two of these will go a long way. Seeds are a great source of protein, Vit. E, iron, zinc, and other minerals. Sesame seeds (and tahini) are a great source of calcium. Hemp seed nuts/oil are a great source of Omega 3-6 fatty acids (the good fats). Oats are a great source of B Vitamins, magnesium, fibre and more. Always buy raw (and unsalted) nuts and seeds (and whole grains) and store in containers/jars in the fridge. These treats are a good source of protein and fibre!

Makes 2 dozen

½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
1 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
¼ cup raw (not toasted) sunflower seeds
¼ cup shelled hemp seeds (also known as hemp seet nuts) (ie. Manitoba Harvest brand)
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup organic Thompson raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º and lightly grease 2 cookie sheets (or use parchment paper). Set them aside.
Place the maple syrup and tahini in a mixing bowl, and cream them together. Then stir in the oats, sunflower seeds, shelled hemp seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and optional raisins and mix well. Drop the dough onto the cookie sheets by rounded spoonfuls (you’ll make approx. 24) about an inch apart. You’ll notice that the cookie seems very crumbly – just use the spoons to shape. Flatten each cookie slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. (If you have a hot oven, turn the oven down to 300º after the first 5 minutes and turn baking sheets around, especially if using parchment paper). Keep an eye on them!

After taking them out of oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 full minutes. Do NOT touch before they have cooled or they will break! Once they have cooled, and set –they will keep their shape. Carefully loosen them (once cooled) and transfer to a cooling rack using a metal spatula. Cool the cookies completely before storing them. Enjoy! Freezer friendly!

Choose to Feel Happy.....

Welcome to my blog! Although this will primarily be a holistic nutrition blog .... Holistic health includes mind, body and spirit.... and so it is for this reason that I begin with an inspirational quote on attitude which is so important when it comes to how we deal with stress and people on a daily basis. I have to remind myself of this as well.

Keep this in mind.... and watch how your attitude affects your life:

"ATTITUDE" by Charles Swindoll

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes."

A great first step in changing your attitude.... is to experience more gratitude.
I am feeling especially grateful this weekend, as it has been 1 year since we arrived home with our daughter on Family Day weekend... Happy Family Day to all!

Keep well,
MaryLisa