November 10, 2021
The most meaningful season
The holidays are such a magical time as nothing brings friends and family together like the spirit of the season. Like you, we celebrate some time-honoured traditions and look forward to embracing new rituals to sprinkle in a greater sense of purpose and fun.
To help inspire others, volunteer your time as a family at a soup kitchen or a food bank, start a canned food drive in your neighborhood or go shopping together and purchase toys for children in need.
In addition to giving back and doing some random acts of kindness in our community, we eagerly await our annual visit to a nearby farm to pick out the perfect tree for the living room (and support the local economy too!). Completely biodegradable and recyclable, you can’t beat the smell of pine needles and natural woody musk of a freshly cut Douglas Fir.
Have you ever made your own Ginger Bread House? All you need are some graham crackers, some royal icing and candy from the bulk store.
If there's a dessert that speaks most to the holiday season, it is cookies - reach out to your friends and neighbours to start a baking exchange. To help spread the cheer, here is the Tavares family recipe for healthy chocolate cookies to make your swap a sweet success.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups of super fine almond flour and 1/2 cup (32 grams) coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil and 1.5 cup (150 grams) coconut sugar
• 12 tablespoons (98 grams) natural almond butter at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (213 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions – Bake time 11 to 14 mins:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the fat, sugar, almond butter and vanilla extract at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
3. Beat in the eggs on low and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Add in chocolate chips. If you used coconut sugar, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or until the dough is firm.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough into balls. Press the cookies down lightly with the palm of your hand.
Remember during the busiest time of the year, let’s make time for what truly matters.
