A few days after getting home from our honeymoon, Jim and I drove my car [and SO many boxes] from Minnesota to North Carolina. We figured that since we were already making such a long trek, we may as well visit Lawrence, Kansas along the way! I went to school at the University of Kansas and loved living in the most amazing college town for four years. I've been itching to show Jim around the town and campus since it was a place so dear to my heart. We drove the eight hours from Minnesota to Kansas and spent a quick night in downtown Lawrence. Although it went by fast it was worth the drive!
Jim at the KU Union
Me outside of the apartment that I lived in for three of my four years in Lawrence
After leaving Lawrence, KS our next stop was a small town in KY where Jim's sister and husband live. It was a beautiful drive through Kentucky and I enjoyed seeing the expansive beauty that God has given to our country. While at Jim's sister's place we enjoyed a delicious dinner [it's always nice to have a home cooked meal when you've been on the road for a few days] and some tasty cookie desserts. Jim's sister had made a very delicious 'trail mix' cookie and gave us a few to take along with us for the last day of our roadtrip.
Within a few days of arriving at our final destination, and settling into our home, I couldn't resist giving the recipe a go! It's a must share:
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tbsp. chia seeds [use for gluten free version]
1/4 cup flour -or- gluten free flour [use for gluten free version]
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. molasses
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup mashed banana (about two bananas)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk [I used almond milk]
4 tbsp. butter [I used coconut oil]
STEP ONE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, add the coconut oil/butter and melt on the low setting. Add the coconut oil/butter, molasses, applesauce, mashed bananas, vanilla, and milk to the mixer and mix well. Add in the spices and flour and mix well.
STEP TWO
With a rubber spatula, mix in the oats, seeds and raisins. You can either drop by rounded tablespoon-full onto a cookie sheet, or, as I chose to do, use a muffin tin for a to-go version of the cookie. I inserted standard sized [and cute!] baking cups into each of the muffin slots. Spoon as much mix into the cups as you desire. The mix will not expand once baked, so however much you put into the cups is the same size as it will be after it has baked fully.
STEP THREE
Bake for 20 minutes. After the trail mix cookies are done baking, remove them from the oven and allow to cool. After about 15 minutes of cooling in the pan, remove the cookies and let them complete their cooling on a wire rack.
And enjoy!
The 'cookie' is a perfect post workout snack, or something to nibble on when the afternoon tummy-grumbles appear.
So tomorrow is Jim's 25th birthday! I've got quite the day planned for him. Well, not activity-wise since he'll be at school, but I've got some amazing ideas for his breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! He's not a big birthday cake fan, so I'm planning to attempt one of his favorite desserts : )
Stay tuned to see how it all turns out!
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