Experiencing Freedom in Life & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (whole grain & sugar-free)

Disclaimer:

I’m in a very philosophical mood today.

I fear this will affect my post.  If you’re interested in the ramblings of an individual trying to find her way in life please read on and welcome!

If you’d like to skip to the cookies, you have my whole-hearted permission to scroll down and snag the recipe.    Last chance cause here I go…

Ok.

“The sky’s the limit”

In an effort to give us wings, the world has repeatedly told us, “you can be anything you want to be – just believe in yourself”.

On one hand this is true.  Not putting limits on your abilities can yield amazing results.  On the other hand…

Our humanity is easily overwhelmed with the enormity of this statement and the responsibilities that accompany it.

I can be anything I want to be?  Sorry, but that’s not quite broad enough! 

I know I’m not the only one to have felt the immense pressure to make the perfect decision that will launch me in this direction that will cause me to do that which will ultimately, blah blah blah.

Unlike what many of us were prepared to expect, life isn’t about constructing the perfect plan that you then execute with the skill of an experienced archer.  It’s edgy and messy and crazy and awesome.

To me, life seems to be about making decisions and running with them – changing directions as you need to and picking up interesting experiences along the way. 

Greater than “Me”

Throughout our journey to become all that we must become, we must cling to something bigger than simply, “belief in yourself”.  For me, belief in “myself” isn’t enough to carry the burden of big life decisions.

On our own we are not enough.  We must cling to God.  Pressing into him and letting him make us ever-increasingly into the glorious persons he’s had in his mind’s eye since Creation.

Ultimately he knows us and knows what we desire so much better than we do!  I’m learning that true freedom from this world’s trappings is found in recognizing my humanity, my “smallness”.

Surrendering my small mindset and the burden of success and perfection to the one true God who sees the whole picture and works me into it in a glorious way!

A Larger Story

Let’s daily offer up our small stories as a sacrifice to him, asking him to reveal his beautiful plan.  It will take your breath away!

As we lift our burdens to him our life is transformed from desperation to an adventure with our God who is intimately involved in our hopes, dreams, and thoughts.  Oh, how he loves us!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  – Jeremiah 29:11  (New King James Version )

We do have a future and a hope.  And it’s not up to us either.  Rest in that today.

And with that, we move onto a truly delightful recipe for Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies!    I’m a bit sensitive to peanuts so this is a rare treat.  Feel free to use roasted almond butter instead of the peanut butter and throw in a little almond extract while you’re at it if you like!  I got the basic recipe from my friend Joanie and made a few tweaks to it.

This is a whole grain recipe using chia seeds and flaxseeds for major nutrient boosters!  It’s also sugar-free with xylitol as the sweetener.  I’m new to using xylitol and this is my first post using it.  It gives excellent flavor without any bitterness, it acts just like sugar, and it inhibits cavities.  Sweet.  (haha)  A word of caution – consuming a lot of it may have an effect on your digestive system if you’re not used to it…

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Dry:
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 sea salt (If you’re using butter and peanut butter with salt added and want to keep your salt to a minimum, feel free to omit it here.)

Wet:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup xylitol
1 egg
1/4 cup natural peanut butter or *almond butter (Creamy or crunchy, either works – it’s up to you!  I used the Kroger brand.  It contained only peanuts and salt.)
1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract (Pure vanilla works well too.)
*1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (If using almond butter.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.  Stir up well with a fork.

Beat softened butter and xylitol together until whipped.  Add in egg and mix until smooth.  Combine nut butter and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly incorporated.  Gradually add the dry flour mixture and continue to beat until well mixed.

Drop onto lightly greased cookie sheets with a teaspoon.  (I’ve recently started brushing my cookie sheets with extra-virgin coconut oil to grease them instead of using olive oil or Pam.)   If you like, use a fork to make hash marks on top of the mounds of dough like traditional peanut butter cookies.   Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy warm out of the oven with a glass of almond milk (poured into a mini mason jar ) or chilled out of the freezer for a cool summer snack!

Also shared on: GraceLaced Mondays, Jam Hands, On The Menu Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Homestead Barn Hop, Make Your Own Monday, Must Try Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday, Handmade Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Healthy2Day Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Thriving on Thursdays, Full Plate Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Allergy Friendly Friday, Foodie Friday.

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Tagged as: freedom in life, peanut butter, summer time snacks, xylitol