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Going Bananas!

These are no ordinary cookies...

These are no ordinary cookies…

My recent culinary obsession has been fixated on healthier alternative ingredients such as applesauce for sugar and garbanzo beans for…well, pretty much anything.

I confess: Pintrest has been the pinnacle of my online searches, as of late and I seem to find the most interesting recipes, tips and photos…sorry, Google. :)

It’s that time of the year where sugar laden cookie classics appear from the long traditional woodwork and pump legalized crack dosages in the form of sugar through blood streams across the nation. Somehow I justify my guilty consumption by the lack of sleep from dawn patrol sessions, holiday parties, the 80/20 rule and the time-swallowing gift “hunting and gathering” process. I’ve discovered battling cracked out lineups, trekking from parking spots located on Planet X and then doing the shoulder bump through aisles at the malls and stores are quite the calorie burners!!

In the midst of a sugar cacophony, I find these banana chocolate chip cookies are a simple cookie alternative that will ‘wow’ your pals, keep your stomach from boiling over and quell those guilty feelings as you squeeze into that wetsuit…if you feel that sort of thing during the holidays:

Ingredients:

Banana cookie swag: some consumption may be required.

Banana cookie swag: some consumption may be required.

  • 3 ripe Bananas-peeled (these serve as the substitute for butter)
  • 1 Tablespoon of a nut butter of your choice (I like almond or sunflower seed because the taste isn’t as distinct  as peanut butter)
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (yes these have a bit of sugar, however, add your favorite cacao alternative!)
  • Dashes of cinnamon (cinnamon junkie over here!)*
  • 2 teaspoon flax seed
  • 1/4 cup walnuts*

*This recipe is completely customize-able, so I add the walnuts and cinnamon because I think these ingredients go so well together.*

Directions:

The inside scoop on banana cookie goodness.

The inside scoop on banana cookie goodness.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and smash together with a fork. Make sure to break up those clumps of the bananas…unless your going for the chunky monkey effect. Spoon mixture onto greased up tray and bake for 8-10 minutes. Once the tops of the cookies are about a golden brown, remove from oven and let them cool for 5 minutes…if you can stand the wait. These cookies are pretty delicate, so letting them cool is essential. Once the cookies are cooled and your house smells amazing, consume at will.

WARNING: These cookies have been known to disappear if left out. No exact cause has been determined, however, it is believed family members, friends, co-workers and roommates are to blame.

How to Make the Best Coconut Smoothie

Going a bit coco-nuts

Going a bit coco-nuts

If you follow me on any social media, you know I’ve gone a little coco-nuts with my recent obsession with cocos. If one thing was consistent about my experience in Nicaragua, it was this:

Every morning my friend Katie would wake up at the crack of dawn to pry into one or two freshly picked young coconuts to create the most energy-inducing smoothie for our pre or post-surf sessions. For daily three-to-five hour surf sessions, this drink proved to be beneficial and never left us feeling hungry.

When our trip came to an end, Katie inspired me to take a crack at coconuts at home. So instead of caffeine with a standard breakfast,  I’ve been trying this smoothie every morning.

This ain't Jamba Juice

This ain’t Jamba Juice

I CONFESSI don’t use a machete to crack open my cocos, so I would like to caution anyone who decides to crack open a coconut for their first time. If you must use a fresh coconut, don’t jeopardize your digits and other appendages by whacking the coco with an 18-inch machete blade. Your fingers are more valuable than the 8-to-10 ounces of water and meat inside the coco. Be safe and use other tools to get into that coco. I use a large knife to shave off the top and a flat head screwdriver and meat tenderizer to break into the coco. *Many thanks goes out to my roommates who get to hear the incessant hammering :)*

Or you can simply purchase the water!

It cracked open nice and neat.

It cracked open nice and neat.

For this recipe, we will stick with the basic store-bought coconut water:

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces coconut water
  • 2-3 tablespoons of cacao powder (not to be confused with coco powder-unlike coco, this product does not contain any sugar)
  • 2-3 pitted medjool dates (the meat from these dates is thicker than other dates)
  • 1/2 banana
  • 2-3 ounces coconut meat
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

*Serving size: 1*

What you might get from one young coconut

What you might get from one young coconut

Directions:

Blend all of the ingredients together in your licuadora (blender) and drink immediately! You won’t be disappointed. :)  In this recipe, it is best to use a young coconut because there is more water inside and the meat is less fatty. Experiment with other ingredients, too! Add some flax seed or maybe your favorite protein powder! Spinach can make your smoothie creamier, not to mention packed full of iron. Berries are tasty, too. I threw in some papaya and it made my smoothie super creamy! Whatever your palate wants, give it a try! My friend created a gingerbread coconut smoothie from fresh ginger and coconuts. I hope I get to try it! :)

I bought freshly pressed cacao powder in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

I bought freshly pressed cacao powder in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

Some info on coconuts: According to the Library of Congress, the coconut is loosely considered to be a fruit, a nut and seed, although it is formally considered a ‘drupe’ to botany freaks. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering that encapsulates a seed. Drupes often have three layers and come in forms like avocados, peaches, pistachios and coffee beans.

Coconuts are also packed with protein, they have more potassium than a banana and contain tons of electrolytes and healthy fats–an overall amazing combination for surf fiends, like yours truly. However, if you are going for broke on your workout or surf sesh, do not solely rely on coconut water, as it does not contain much of the necessary mineral sodium that you loose when you sweat.

For me, I never felt fatigued after surfing my brains out…Coconuts or bust!!

After I got back to the states, my Christmas list went a little something like this:

1.) Machete or big knife

2.) Swiss Army Knife

3.) Hammer and nails

4.) Water Purifier

…you get the idea. My dad’s response:

“So you want a treasure map, too?”

Only if it leads to perfect waves and coconuts, dad. ;)

Young cocos await their fate on a black sand beach in Nicaragua.

Young cocos await their fate on a black sand beach in Nicaragua.