Cinnamon Raisin PB Cookies!

So, this morning I was trying to decide what I was going to do with my Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter from Peanut Butter and Co. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE peanut butter...but, this was not a fav of mine. I knew I wasn't going to eat the peanut butter, but I didn't wanna waste it.So, I decided to try and see what would happen if I made peanut butter cookies, but used the cinnamon raisin PB instead of regular PB. The result? Absolutely amazing. These are definitely gonna be one of my new favorite recipes! They were so easy to make too!
Here's the recipe:
  Ingredients:
-1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
-2 egg whites
- 2 T promise butter
- 1/3 cup(s) sugar
-1 cup cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup(s) quick cooking rolled oats
-1/3 cup(s) dark brown sugar
  Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, using a mixer, lightly beat margarine until soft, then add dry ingredients (sugar and brown sugar) and peanut butter.
4. Beat until smooth, scraping edges as necessary.
5. Add in egg whites and vanilla and mix well.
6. Now add the flour mixture and beat slowly.
7. Fold in oats using a spatula.
8. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.
9. These cookies don't spread very much so you can put them fairly close together.
10. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.
11. This recipe yields about 28 medium cookies.
12. Each cookie came out at about 82 calories- not too shabby!

Lemon Poppyseed Mini Muffins!

These are SOO yummy!!! The other day I was craving something anything lemon poppyseed, and went to none other than Pinterest (of course!) to find a recipe! I found a lemon poppyseed recipe that was perfect! I found it here! 
Here's the recipe:
  Ingredients:
-1 Tbsp poppy seeds
 -grated lemon zest, for this recipe, use 1 tsp
 -2 T lemon juice
 -1/4 serving(s) light vanilla soymilk
 -1 cup(s) white all-purpose flour
 -1/2 tsp baking soda
 -1 tsp baking powder
 -1/4 tsp table salt
 -3 T Cary's sugar free syrup
 -2 Tbsp sugar
 -1 T promise butter
 Directions:Preheat oven to 355 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix liquid ingredients (and poppy seeds), then combine and stir until just mixed. Don’t overmix. Pour into mini liners or spray a mini muffin tin with oil, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 cute lil mini muffins.

Update:

So, since I first made this recipe I've re-experimented with it-I really don't like to use white flour/sugar for things so if interested here is the "cleaner" version:

-1 cup spelt flour instead of white- spelt flour just will give it a nuttier flavor (if freaked out by the fact that they will be more of a brownish color than yellow-don't do this ;) ) 

-1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk - usually what I use for everything

-any sugar-free syrup

-unfortunately the 2 T white sugar are still in there- I haven't experimented with the 2 T stevia yet

-1/4 cup natural NSA applesauce instead of the butter

*Just a couple of ways to make them a little more nutrient dense.*

Enjoy!

It's Been A While!

So, earlier today I was thinking about starting up a blog-mainly because I LOVE to journal and it's a fun way to share different experiences and things that you like to write about (for me: Jesus, Health, Fitness) with anyone else who is even the least bit interested! ;) I went to create my blog and typed in my info and the website told me that I already had a blog!! Well, I started one last summer and...probably had it for about a month and poor little bloggy just kinda died. So, I figured why start another when I can basically pick up where I left off!? Things have changed quite a bit in the past YEAR since I've updated the blog! (Go figure) I GRADUATE COLLEGE (crazy, right?) in December!! I will officially have my Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Physiology and I also just became a certified Personal Trainer (something I have ALWAYS wanted to do)!! At this point in my life I am about to embark on an incredible journey that I feel like would have been completely impossible without the prayers of my friends and family. I was offered an internship-that I REALLY wanted- at UAB Children's Hospital! I will be working under a Clinical Nutritionist. I have orientation this Monday and I could NOT be more excited. Of course, the part of me accepting the internship was the easy part, but the real test will start next week when I begin my work with the hospital. I am a little nervous, just because I am a sensitive girl and can cry at the drop of a hat! I LOVE babies, little kids, etc and seeing them hurting won't be an easy part of what I'll be doing; however, I know the Lord has put me in this place for a very specific reason and I can't wait to see what it is.
    Like last summer, I will HOPEFULLY be chaperoning our sweet youth at my home church to Centrifuge in Jackson, Tennessee the first week of June! If my job permits, then I will be going! I can't wait. It will be my 7th year at Centrifuge and I have loved every year. It's always a great week to be able to worship the Lord in music, preaching, and PLAY!(or nap for the chaperones :) ) Centrifuge has always been very close to my heart because it's a refresher in my walk with Christ. I always learn something new that encourages me in my daily walk with Him. These are just a couple of things that are in store for my summer. I have a few other things planned also...like class(so,fun...) and DISNEY WORLD (one of my most favorite places on the whole EARTH) and family reunions (LOVE my sweet family) and a sports/nutrition kid's camp that I get to lead at University of South Alabama next month!
     Needless to say, the Lord is opening doors everywhere (!) and it's really exciting to be at the place in my life where graduation is soon and then grad school is next...but, at the same time terrifying because I have NO clue where exactly I'm going to live, work, etc. I keep having to remind my Type A personality self that I can't control everything-and that's okay because I'm not supposed to! One of my favorite verses that seems to fit:
*Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."*