Recipes & How To

Oatmeal and Goji Berry Breakfast Cookies

Back in November 2021 I harvested some Goji berries from my single plant. Although thrilled, (I know they are considered a super food), I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. They are not like eating a blueberry you just picked off the bush, they are a tad bland but I really wanted to utilize those beautiful berries. I found a recipe and the breakfast cookies shown here are the end result. Yes, I dehydrated the berries and it seemed to take forever, then I froze the dehydrated berries until I had the time to experiment. I must say I am totally delighted. One of these cookies with my morning coffee is perfect and I do not experience one bit of guilt. How great is that? I have made these breakfast cookies a couple times now and if I don't have one of the original ingredients from the recipe I improvise with what I do have like sliced almonds instead of pumpkin seeds and almond butter instead of sunflower seed butter. I just feel so healthy after I've eaten one of these!

Ingredients WET:

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup sunflower seed butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Ingredients DRY:

1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup goji berries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions: preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper; combine and whisk together wet ingredients in a bowl; combine and whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl; fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture; wet your hands with a bit of water; grab about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll into a ball; place on the parchment paper and press down to shape into a cookie; these won't spread out like regular cookies in the oven; repeat for remaining cookies; bake for 15- 20 minutes; yields 12

Popular Winter Tonic

There are several recipes for this longstanding winter tonic. I could not find fresh horseradish this year (darn), so I added some fresh turmeric and a couple fresh rosemary sprigs. Nice! This particular recipe packs a punch but if it holds at bay the wintry colds and flu it is well worth the effort of making and taking. Typically at the first sign of a cold, take 1 to 2 tablespoons every 3 to 4 hours until symptoms subside. I've become accustomed to using fire cider on an almost daily basis over the years throughout the fall and winter seasons. It is a DIY tonic I always have in my refrigerator this time of year you, should try it. Fire Cider is truly an herbal legacy product. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh grated ginger root

1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish root

1 medium onion chopped

10 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped

2 cayenne peppers chopped

1 lemon chopped

unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup raw honey (to taste)

Optional Ingredients:

several springs of fresh rosemary

l orange chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh turmeric

Directions:

Prepare all of the ingredients and place them into a quart size jar. Cover all ingredients with apple cider vinegar. Use a piece of natural parchment paper or wax paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal. Shake daily. After 3-4 weeks use cheesecloth to strain. Next comes the honey. Add 1/4 cup honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add honey until you reach the desired sweetness.