Cinnamon Raisin Coconut Cookies (Gluten Free)

It feels so good to be back in my kitchen again! I have missed it so much. Since the Cassandra and Helen were born one year ago, I haven't had much time for anything, really... let alone cooking! Which means our diet hasn't been perfect or even anywhere near perfect. Really, we've been in survival mode. So, it feels SO good to be cooking and baking again and I'm very excited to share this recipe with you!

I've made these cookies several times for different essential oils classes I've hosted at my house. (Yes, I'm totally diving head first into oils. I've become one of "those" people...) 

These cookies are so delicious! You can add chocolate chips, or just enjoy them like this. The inspiration for this recipe came a favorite cookbook of mine, Cooking with Coconut Oil: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Recipes for Good Living (the same one these awesome coconut flour pancakes are from!)

Give this recipe a try! I know you'll love them. Unlike a lot of recipes that use coconut flour these cookies are actually nice and moist because of the addition of the coconut cream concentrate. So good!

You Will Need:

• 1 1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 2/3 cup arrowroot flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut cream concentrate, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 pastured eggs
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 8 drops cinnamon essential oil
• 3/4 cup raisins (or chocolate chips!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

2. In a large bowl combine coconut flour, arrowroot flour, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda. (And dried cinnamon if using) Stir throughly.

2. In a medium bowl combine melted coconut oil and coconut cream concentrate. Add honey, eggs, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and cinnamon essential oils (if using). Mix thoroughly.

3. Slowly add wet ingredients to dried and mix thoroughly. Add raisins and stir.

4. Drop by two tablespoons full onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool thoroughly before serving. Enjoy!

Check out my absolute favorite brand of coconut oil! Hands down. Order it for the first time and you get this Coconut Oil cookbook for FREE! 

The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito

The newest cookbook to join my beloved kitchen collection is The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito. There was really no way I wasn't going to love this new cookbook. I've been enamored and in love with the Basque culture since I visited that area between Spain and France back in my teens. Their country is absolutely beautiful, their culture is rich, their history is tragic and fascinating, and their food is simple but amazing. 

When I discovered Mark Kurlansky's The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation I knew I would forever be in love with this group of people, as well as have a lifelong dream to travel the entirety of the Camino de Santiago. I had the pleasure of hiking a section of it when I visited that corner of the world and it was some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen. Someday I'll be back...

Needless to say, when I saw that the owners of one of Anthony Bourdain's favorite New York restaurants - the Basque-inspired Txikito -were publishing a cookbook, I had to check it out. 

The cookbook has definitely not disappointed. I would treasure it if only for the pictures of this beautiful country and food! The recipes take simple ingredients, and bring out more flavor than ever imaginable. It's definitely a welcome addition to my cookbook collection!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. This post may contain affiliate links. 

Blessings from God

Sometimes the endless possibilities, the million different ways things could have turned out, knock the breath from my body as I pause, shaken, before a floodgate.

Love is insane. Loving is insane.

Love, in all its forms, all its idiosyncrasies, makes no sense. How can we love someone so much that it physically hurts where our soul presses on our bodies?

How is it possible to love someone so small? Someone we've never met? How is it possible to cry over our abated fears, the possibilities, while rejoicing in life?

Working with life means we are also working with its mirrored twin. 

Surgery is a serious thing. No matter how many white walls, how many sets of stairs, how many machines buzzing, drugs pumping... we are still flesh being opened with sharp instruments. And sometimes we don't make it out. 

Dust to dust. 

No matter how much metal, plastic, or fabric they place between us and the earth. Eventually, the earth will win. 

Dust to dust. 

We cannot escape the earth no matter how tall our buildings, how far into space we reach, we always have to come down, down, back into the earth. For that is where every one of us will rest.

If we knew what would come of loving? If we knew what would come of living? Would we start on this path? Would we love knowing how much it would hurt? Would we love knowing how scared, how completely and utterly helpless we would feel when we come face to face with lifes mirrored twin?

I think we would.

They say every day is a blessing. They say every day is a gift. But what is the gift for? The questions too big to try and answer. What is the answer?

Blessing from God, do you know the answer? In your beautiful eyes I see promise. I see purpose. I see family. I see so much love for the new dawn.  I see love.

Love is insane. Loving is insane.

Blessing from God, I will strive to be grateful for this new day with you. For every day is a gift. For ever day is a blessing from God.

For Corban Ray Stollar, 5/24/16