RAW CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I love to play with my grandchildren and that includes cooking. I had a few opportunities this summer. Here is a video of the first, while visiting with my 2 oldest grandsons. 

Harrison, as a typical teen, is always hungry and of course he loves cookies. I came up with something a bit healthier than your usual chocolate chip cookie. 

RAW CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 Tablespoon Chia seeds
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix everything together till well blended. Make into little balls with your hands, spoons, or a cookie scooper thingy. If you have any left, keep refrigerated in an airtight container or plastic sealable bag. 

RAW GLUTEN FREE NUT CRUST

Here is a gluten free pie crust I came up with. It's yummy with or without the pie filling.

3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup almonds
1 Tablespoon raw sugar
2 Tablespoons almond butter
1/4 butter or coconut oil, melted

Put nuts and sugar in food processor and ground them up well. Mix with almond butter and melted butter (or coconut oil) and press into pie crust. Add filling. Does not need to be cooked. I made this for my cousin MaConcha's Key Lime Pie and it was delicious.

Dare, Dream, Do

My friend Whitney Johnson's  new book, Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream, was launched this week. 

It contains a three-step model for happiness and personal advancement:

 1. DARE to boldly step out, consider disrupting life as we know it.

 2. DREAM of the possibilities, which will in turn give life to these possibilities      ......what ever your dream might be. 

 3. DO, she teaches us how to bring our dreams to life. 

The book is full of interesting and inspiring stories of women who have "dared to dream and do". I am amazed and thrilled to say she even included the story I tell in my other blog: mmmmCuba about the tales my mother told us as children in Cuba, about an adventurous frog named Antoñica, and how that helped me achieve a dream. I had been following Whitney's blog, she learned of me from a mutual friend, and reached out to me. She was the friend who "encouraged and coached" me as I prepared to fulfill the dream of hosting a TV show. 

I got the book a few days ago and I am loving every page, highlighting much. I want to give it to every woman in my life!

You can download a free chapter here. 

Fried turkey

My cousins fried a turkey and it was the most delicious turkey I have ever tasted! Here is Miguel with the turkey. He did the frying under a beach umbrella, during a Florida downpour. MaConcha, who is the most amazing cook, injected the turkey with "Mojo", (Cuban marinade) I know that made it even more delicious.

I came home and told my family about it. Skyler immediately wanted to fry our Thanksgiving turkey. Missy found out where to get a fryer. Preston researched how to safely fry a turkey . Here they are drying the turkey with a hair dryer.

Sometimes I worry about Skyler's "reckless exhuberance", so I probably reminded him several times of the dangers of hot oil and the importance of lowering the turkey into it slowly. He built this contraption so as to be able to lower the turkey from a distance.

I was concerned that the stick would break, but it worked out perfectly, and since I had brought home some "Cuban Mojo" from Florida, the turkey was amazing!

I use Mojo to marinade pork and beef also. Since I can't find it in my area, I usually have to make my own. You can see the recipe on my Cuba blog:

http://mmmmcuba.blogspot.com/mojo-criollo-cuban-sauce-marinade.html

I Love Spring

I love Spring! The increasing light, the flowers and the expectancy of more warmth coming our way. Awakening....creating....

I realized the other day that we often assume stuff, about circumstances, about other people, and we are just guessing, making it up. So if I'm just making it up anyway, I might as well assume the best! Great things are coming my way, people have great intentions, etc.

I love this "Energy Man Moment" from Dr Sue Morter
, about how "The Universe" responds to us:

Yep.

I don't know what I want...Yep
You don't Love me...Yep
I'm pretty worthless...Uh Huh
I fail because of what you did...Yes
I'm hurt...Um Hmm
I'm angry...OK
I'll show you...Yep
I'm worth more than this...Uh Huh
I belong here too!...Yes
You don't even know me...OK
In fact, I'm a fabulous person...Yeppers
I have good ideas and great Love to share...Um Hmm
It doesn't even matter what you think...Yeppp
I am a good person...Yes
I have so much to be thankful for...Uh Huh
Not matter what I say, you say Yes...Yep
So it's just up to me then...Uh Huh.

You can read more of Dr Morter's messages here

Utah Mosh Pics

My son Skyler has a lot of energy. He is taking 18 hours at BYU, plus he has several businesses he runs. His latest adventure is entering a contest for which he had to build a website. Here is what he has done, it brings most of his businesses together.

Utah Mosh Pics

Right now he needs to get as many links on other blogs as possible, to progress in the contest. So if anyone can post about it and put it on their blog, it will be a great help. Thanks!

Insights on Being an In-law

I love my children's spouses. I have often said that if I'd gone out to find more children to bring into our family, I would have choosen each of them. Here is a wonderful article by Daryl Hoole, on Meridian Magazine, that I want to remember:

Insights on Being an In-law