I know I'm not known for low-fat creations. I blame it on a lot of things, mostly The Pioneer Woman, Smitten Kitchen, and the hereditary gift of a high-metabolism that allows me to test decadent recipes with abandon. I keep hearing, however, that my body has all sorts of surprises in store for me this decade. I am warned that things will shift--both with my metabolism as well as my energy level. And I hear that the shift will not be in my favor. This is not happy news.
In preparation, I've come up with a two part plan as I head into the second half of my first year of my fourth decade. (didya follow that? Because I'm also all about keeping those neurons firing...)
Part 1: I've signed up to run the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon again. I didn't run a race last year and often found myself adrift, running-wise, without a goal in front of me. Charlie is running it as well, as are several good friends. We're also putting together a group to run the Run Amuck. Running in mud and tackling obstacles? Oh yes. Yes, please.
Part 2: Testing out some cooking blogs with a low-fat focus. My favorite thus far is Skinny Taste. The first recipe I tried was her low-fat chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. I could not believe that a recipe calling for merely two tablespoons of butter could yield a satisfying cookie. But it certainly did.
I also tried several main meal recipes from Skinny Taste and they were delicious, too. Hopefully this will keep me focused on healthy eating. And by the way, the fact that I ordered and recently received XX* boxes of Girl Scout Cookies is neither here nor there. As far as I'm concerned, it simply establishes that my friends have ridiculously cute daughters.
*I will not go on record providing an actual number
Low-fat (yes low-fat) Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbl unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups quick oats
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare two baking sheets (line with parchment or use baking spray).
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and the sugars (I used a hand held mixer, medium speed). Add the egg, then the applesauce, then the vanilla extract, mixing after each addition.
Stir (by hand) the flour mixture and the oats until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each cookie slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
*The recipe indicated making approximately 30 cookies but I got about two dozen.
Sandra