Shut the front door.

Don't they look delicious?
I thought they were.
I was eating dough straight from the bowl.
At this point I knew they were going to be a hit.
I was also fairly certain NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON would guess the 'secret' ingredient.
AND
I was right.
No one guessed - well, no one except my friend Amber who is a pro at healthy eating and a pro at sneaking good for you stuff into food - and then it was only a guess.

Every last cookie was gone in NO TIME flat.

Here are the tally's from my house:
4 loved them and ask no questions.
2 thought they were just OK.
1 did not like them at all. 
(Yes, that does equal 7.  Yes, I do know how to count.  Grammy is visiting from the states!!)
Can you guess who didn't like them?  That's right, the one I made them for.  The one we are fearful is gluten intolerant.  She would have nothing to do with them.  In fact, she spit them out.  WHO DOES THAT?!?

Tally from Amber's house:
Totally WIN all the way around!
6 for 6 baby.

I got the original recipe here.  I modified it a bit to make it a little more sweet...
Next time I am going to double the recipe.

What you need:
Parchment paper
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained - that's right, I said CHICKPEAS!!
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 + 1 TBL maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Line 8x8 pan with parchment paper (Or you can use cooking spray, but I don't like that stuff.)

Toss all ingredients except chocolate chips in food process or (or vitamix) and blend those babies up!  It took me all of about 1 minute to complete this part from start to finish!

Once all your ingredients are mixed well fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes  - edges will be slightly brown and it will look undercooked.  Go with it anyway.

Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes.

While they are cooling sprinkle a little sea salt on top for a little sweet/salty blend.  I totally forgot to do this part, but I imagine it adds a whole new beautiful element to the blondie.  If you forget, don't worry, they are delicious the way they are.

Cut with a plastic knife (these have the consistency of a fudgie type brownie)

Don't tell anyone the ingredients and serve for dessert.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.
These babies are good.
I'm going to go ahead and say it....
I think they are better than my peanut butter cookies with gluten in them.
True story.

You guys might ask why the gluten free kick all of a sudden Trish? -- Well briefly:

Girl has always had tummy issues.  She is in the medical books.  Youngest child with giardia.  She developed 'issues' at 6 months old - it wasn't until she was 9 months old that they discovered she had giardia.   She was so young in fact that they had to MAKE an antibiotic for her.  We have no idea how she contracted it - we lived in Kentucky at the time and had NOT been out of the country.  Long story short I believe her 'issues' are related to this.  Call it mother's intuition.  Call it frustration, I don't know. I'm just looking for answers.  We have seen doctor after doctor after doctor.  We have seen specialist.  She has gone to physical therapy.  She has been on & off  meds her whole life.  It wasn't until I did the Whole 30 that it clicked....  Could food have something to do with her issues?  We took her off dairy for an entire month - symptoms let up, but didn't disappear.  Then we took her off gluten.  Symptoms are diminishing even more.  BUT do you know how hard it is to put an 11 year old on a gluten & dairy free diet when that said 11 year old LOVES, LOVES, LOVES dairy and gluten?  It's pretty damn hard.  We see ANOTHER specialist next week - I'm demanding they do allergy/food testing on her.  I'm tired of the doc's giving her meds and nothing else.  I feel bad that this is normal for my daughter. 

With that being said I have been scouring the internet for yummy recipes  I can make for her....well for us all since the entire family is trying to be gluten free (at home) with her.  I was a little leery of this recipe, but once I made them....HOLY GOODNESS!  They are a total winner!  I got the original recipe here.  You should make them even if you are not gluten free.

1 cup of natural peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350
Place all 4 ingredients in a mixer and mix on low.
Using a cookie scoop drop cookie dough onto cookie sheet.
Flatten with a fork in a criss-cross design.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Cool.

For an added bonus, slap some marshmallow fluff in the middles of 2 cookies.
Your kids will give you extra hugs after they run off all that sugar.  :o)

So after my Whole 30 venture I have been a little more concerned about what goes in my body....but with that being said I'm not a super freak -- yet.  :o)  I still LOVE dessert and salty things, I'm just being a little more cautious about what is giong in, especially since I'm trying to become a runner (when does the switch actually flip and one owns it and says "I am a runner"?  I'm still waiting for that day).   So one day about a month ago I was searching for a better alternative to my typical type dessert, Texas Sheet Cake, when I ran across this Martha Stewart recipe and thought I would give it a whirl!  I adapted it just a tad and I am pleased to announce that it is a winner in my book!  Even the kids love these, but really, who wouldn't?

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup natural peanut butter, almond butter or sun butter  (I've tried it with all flavors and peanut is our family favorite, even though they are all good!)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup dried cranberries, cherries or other dried fruit you love  :o)
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I use dark)

In a small saucepan over medium, heat honey, nut butter of choice, and coconut oil. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in cereal, oats, and dried fruit.  Let sit for about 5-10 minutes and add chocolate chips.

I used a small melon baller to drop the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper the first time, then I made bars the second time and the third time I used mini muffin tins which is what Martha suggested in the first place.  I totally should have listened to her because that was the best way to do it. 

Once you pick which way you are going to drop them, pop them in the fridge for about 15 minutes to let them firm up a bit....actually, just leave them in the fridge and when you need a littel something just pop one in your mouth.

Round 1
Just dropping them with a melon baller.
I couldn't decide which picture I like better, so I'm showing you both of them.  :o)

Round 2
I made them into bars.
They are not stiff enough to make bars out of.
They fall apart when you cut them, but aren't they pretty?
Bars win for beauty.

Round 3
Winner, winner chicken dinner!
The little muffin tins were the best way to go!

Happy eating!

These are REALLY BAD FOR YOU.
If you don't want to be tempted, STOP READING NOW.
You have been warned.

Trust me; I know how wrong it is to post Paleo Pancakes one day and 7 layer Magic Bars the next day.
Fire me. 
I'm human.
And these are crazy GOOD!
I know you want to lick the screen, don't you?

Do you want to know how to make them?
They are SUPER EASY.
So easy you might have to go out and buy all the ingredients tonight.
AND you might not even want to let them cool before you STUFF.YOUR.FACE.

Preheat your oven to 350.
Crush 1 package graham crackers (I do this in a food processor...so much easier if you have one).
1 stick of butter.  Yes, I said BUTTER. Melt that yummy goodness.

Combine butter and graham crackers and smash into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Next layer with 1/2 a bag of each:
milk chocolate chips
semi-sweet chocolate chips
white chocolate chips
butterscotch chips
If you like nuts toss a cup or two on now.
Sprinkle the top with coconut - between 1 -2 cups.
NEXT....open a can of Sweetened condensed milk and pour the ENTIRE can over the top of the coconut, covering every inch.

Pop in the oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until the coconut starts to turn a little golden (like in the picture).
Try to let them cool before eating.
Share with neighbors because you really don't want to eat the entire pan - plus random acts of kindness are too few and far between.  :o)