Thursday, March 31, 2011

Date and Pecan Drops {Healthy Recipe}


I'm feeling a little blah right now.  Ever since Kellen and I got back from New York, my mind has been elsewhere.  I've had no motivation to exercise, do homework, or work.  I'm just super ready for summer to roll around.  This cold weather at the start of "spring" isn't helping either!

When I start feeling like this, I do a few things to get myself out of the "rut".

1.  Find inspiration elsewhere (E.g. Flickr, PostSecret, StumbleUpon):





2.  Make a list of things I'm looking forward to. 

My list right now consists of: 
1) The weekend/sleeping in/spending it with Kellen.  
2) Working a Taste of Home cooking show! 
3) Enrolling at Park
4) Summer 
5) A high of 78 on Saturday.  

They may just be little things, but that's all it takes.

3. Indulge in hobbies.  Today, I baked these cookies just so I could photograph them.  Now I'm writing.  I like to keep a journal other than this blog, too.  I think writing is a good way to keep things from bottling up.  

4.  Listen to music.  Right now my favorite is "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele... and the John Legend remake, too.   

5.  Pray!

What do you do when you're in a rut??

Anyway, I figured I'd give you all a break from the 3 cups of sugar, 3 sticks of butter, and who knows how much chocolate from the last post.  I've had a lot of people asking me for "healthy" and "low calorie" recipes lately.... so here you guys go!  They're pretty tasty if you ask me.  The ingredient list is a little random...





Date and Pecan Drops

1 cup cream of wheat 
1/8 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1/4 cup coconut flakes (I used unsweetened)

Topping:
1/2 cup Splenda
1 tablespoon honey or agave
*Sprinkles, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Mix all ingredients.
3.  Drop by 1/8 cup balls onto a lined baking sheet.
4.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  
5.  While cookies are in the oven, mix together topping.  Once you take the cookies out, sprinkle the topping over cookies.  *Don't turn oven off! 
6. Put cookies back in for another 2 minutes or so, while the topping caramelizes a little.
7.  Let cool, devour. :)



16 comments:

  1. When I'm in a rut I love to pick up a book...because it usually never happens! Or I love finding new things to read on the Internet...I love looking at sites like apartmenttherapy.com or cupcakesandcashmere.com. Sites that are creative totally perk me up because I don't have a creative bone in my body!

    Love your header by the way!

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  2. When I'm in a rut, I usually try to think of something I used to love doing but haven't in ages - like playing piano, or singing, or calling a friend I haven't talked to in awhile. I definitely get the feeling of "blah" post New York, though! I miss that place like crazy!

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  3. I love to switch things up when I'm in a rut. Eat something new, go somewhere I haven't been in a while, call an old friend, take an interesting class. It usually helps break me out and make me feel like I'm doing something new and exciting!

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  4. How are you loving the new camera?! And stumbleupon is my best friend. Especially when I sit at a desk for 5 hours with nothing to do. P to the S heard about you and Lindsey's plan. FLIPPING AWESOME. Can't wait for that! I told her I have to be the first customer though, no excuses. :)

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  5. I feel like I am in a rut - I need to follow your ways to get out!! These cookies sounds great, and it's a plus that they are healthy!

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  6. When I'm feeling down, a trip to Target cheers me up. It might sound materialistic, but seeing all of the bright home decor and kitchen stuff reminds me that I have a home, a husband and a good life in front of me. I don't even have to buy anything, although I always do. Maybe I subconsciously put myself in a rut so I have an excuse to go to Target? Nahhh... ;)

    Thanks for the love on my blog by the way!! I was totally shocked! <3

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  7. Oh my gosh! I love dates so much, and pecans are a definite bonus. The sprinkles give it a nice touch. It makes one feel good.

    When I'm in a rut, I like to bake for others - I find it therapeutic and by giving it to my lab mates, I don't over do it on the eating.

    Viva baking!

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  8. Those look amazing! I just discovered a bag of pecans in my freezer. They're my new favorite nut!

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  9. They look delicious, and I'm sure they must taste that way too! The cream of wheat is an ingredient I didn't expect, but when I think about it, it makes sense. We put oatmeal in cookies so it stands to reason cream of wheat would work just as well. :)

    What do I do when I'm in a rut, well...baking bread always makes me feel better, as does getting out in the sunshine. In the winter when the sun isn't out much, I like to make food that reminds me of summer and the tropics. So I'll make pina coladas, carve out a pineapple and put some fried rice in it, stuff some tomatoes, make colorful salads, etc.

    Aromatherapy also works wonders. Anything citrusy like tangerines, lemons, pineapple, etc. always lifts me up.

    Something about strawberries always makes me feel better too. :)

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  10. I definitely know what you mean about the cold and gloom getting you down. That teaser of warm weather we had a while back was nice, but it definitely made the cold that much harder to accept!

    I love the sound of these cookies, especially that you put sprinkles in them! Sprinkles make everything in life happier.

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  11. I usually turn to sweets and a few hours on the couch with the tv when I'm in a rut! A few hours of relaxing usually helps me out!

    These cookies look awesome!

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  12. I'm feeling blah too!! I need a cookie, or three :)

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  13. I run when I need inspiration. Sometimes I color in coloring books too. I don't know why, but it helps.
    I need these cookies. They seriously look amazing! I love anything coconutty. Do you have a recipes tab where you organize your recipes?

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  14. The date balls look GOOD!

    When I'm in a rut, it definitely helps me to look forward to all the good things coming my way. That really helps me get de-funked :)

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  15. Sprinkles in anything makes me happy. :) These cookies sound really yummy! When I'm in a rut, I clean out my cupboards or pantry. I always find something that I'd forgotten about that gives me inspiration. Hmmm...maybe I need to do that now!

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  16. youre the baking QUEEN!!! this looks so good!

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