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15 minute grain-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

2018 May 25
by Rachel Turiel

“There is no shortage of grosbeaks,” Dan reassures me after a five minute lull in the morning siege on the feeder is followed by hordes of evening grosbeaks returning to their personal safehouse, where Col and Dan are poised to chase neighborhood cats off with BB guns. A small table of evening grosbeaks at the breakfast rush.

Here’s a different kind of bird (one of our new flock of chickens). Col took this picture and I couldn’t help thinking: one sweet, slightly-awkward and emergent adolescent photographing another.

As per May usual, we’re issuing daily quotas on consumption of greens. If you’re not eating a gallon of lettuce, chard, spinach, etc…you’re not pulling your weight. Full disclosure, there’s a 50% chance of finding an elm seed in your salad and a .549% chance of finding a small insect, marinated in salad dressing and still alive. Aphids don’t even count.

We seem to be having a few checking account issues currently, namely that money doesn’t seem to stick around there very long, but Dan reminds me that we still have apples in the root cellar in May, and maybe I’ll see if I can trade those apples for the kids’ soccer fees, like an old timey bartering community! (Actually, I am trading greens for the space I’m using to teach my current NVC class. Thanks to the lovely LeeAnn at Stitch).

The garden is a bit like a museum lately, delicate pieces unveiled by day, only to be covered at first whiff of nightfall. 

Rose was selected to represent her school in a 5th grade-wide community dance competition. She and her partner danced the merengue. Her partner wasn’t Dan, but he helped her practice.

Our days have been slightly crazy lately with everyone’s end of the school year presentations and graduations; Rose vigilantly at the table penning cards of gratitude to each teacher past dark; getting the summer issue of Edible magazine to the printers; my mind thinking that 3:00am is a good time to wake up and figure stuff out; and, carting teen chickens outside every morning, and back upstairs each night. Thank god for books and bedtime. I loved this memoir, about the author’s seventeen brushes with death, which was harrowing, entertaining, horrifying and ultimately inspiring. And then this gorgeous, incredibly-written novel about a family whose fifth son is transgender and how the family orbit changes to accommodate this reality.

The other day Col confided that he hates it when “Daddy assumes that when I ask for screen time it means I’m bored.” I asked him if he wanted to let Dan know this, and then maybe issue a request. Fifteen minutes later Col popped up in Dan’s workshop (where I was fiddling in the adjacent greenhouse). “Hey Daddy, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, earnestness turned up to eleven. And without making Dan at fault, Col squeaked out what’s up for him followed by the request that Dan not respond to screentime requests with assumptions of his boredom. Dan received him with gratitude and I could see Col’s personal power inflate. Later he said, “I’m so proud that I talked to Daddy.” And we celebrated that instead of nibbling on the empty calories of resentment, Col got to express his feelings to his Daddy, who was happy to hear what was true for his son. This is the exact model we use in my nonviolent communication classes – how to express what’s true for you while caring for the relationship.

Oh wait – you were here for the 15 minute cookie recipe? Here it is!

These cookies are super delicious, only take 15 minutes to make (including baking, but not clean up), and are approved by my children who are highly suspicious that I am hiding kale in everything I bake. Thanks Steph, for the recipe!

Grain Free Peanut Butter Cookies 

Heat oven to 335F
Combine in large bowl:
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar (brown or white or mix)
a splash of molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto greased cookie sheet, press down with fork and bake for 7 – 10 minutes @ 335F.
Hippie Version
Sub out almond butter for peanut butter
Add 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Reduce sugar to 1/3 cup
Add 1/4 cup raisins
***********
Love and cookies,
Rachel


7 Responses leave one →
  1. Jenn permalink
    May 25, 2018

    I laughed out loud when I read the note you left with your cookies! I just might have to borrow that as it so applies to me too. :)
    Can’t wait to try the cookie recipe!

  2. erika permalink
    May 25, 2018

    Great post as always Rachel! Love the story about Col making a request to Dan, so sweet and beautiful.

    So your photo of cookies that you posted last week gave me an incredible cookie-craving that has not gone away even after making some last week (not your recipe, will definitely try!). Last weekend when Col was over, I mentioned your photo-induced-cookie-craving and said the cookies looked sooo good. I asked what he thought. He said, “yeah” – more nonchalantly than I expected. I said, “What? They weren’t amazing?” He said, “there were 2 kinds and one was really good and the other not really.” I said, “was one a healthier version?” Col, “probably”. Made me laugh so hard! I’m always substituting something healthier in every recipe.

    • Rachel Turiel permalink
      May 25, 2018

      Oh, Col. So beautifully himself. :)

  3. Sheri permalink
    May 27, 2018

    Yum! I made the kid version (with some shredded coconut). A very tasty treat! Thanks for sharing! Issuing requests is such a peaceful idea. Love the food and food for thought :)

  4. Jennifer permalink
    May 30, 2018

    I had a good chuckle with myself when I read the recipe for the “Hippie” version and realized they weren’t called that ’cause of the weed content! May still have to try them, though! :)

  5. m moon permalink
    June 3, 2018

    Lol :). Love the two cookie recipes. I am sorry i just turned the oven off. It is really too hot here to turn it on again. Definitely I will try the hippie ones. Do I really need to cook them?

    • Rachel Turiel permalink
      June 4, 2018

      Oh goodness no. Eat that shit raw.

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