cookies for breakfast

my children eat cookies for breakfast.

horrified?  concerned?  well, don't be! these whole food breakfast cookies are sugar, dairy, and guilt free.

one ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup quick oats

a dash of cinnamon (optional)

that's really all you need, but i like to mix in just a bit of one (or two) of the following for variety:

dried fruit

coconut

honey

peanut butter

chocolate chips

chopped nuts

bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

this makes 6 cookies.  you can easily double this, but i don't like the way they taste after being stored. they are best fresh and warm from the oven, and since they take about 16 minutes to make, i don't mind making a fresh batch every morning.  plus, we like to try different combinations.  (our favorite mix in right now is cranberries.) 

i memorized this recipe a few months ago when EVERYONE pinned it.

"skinny" oreo shake

1 cup 2% milk

3 oreos

1 TBL. instant vanilla pudding (dry mix)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

add all ingredients and blend until smooth.

i've been drinking a lot of calories lately, so i was happy to find this lighter milkshake recipe in a magazine while i was in a waiting room.  it's simple enough, and everyone in my house likes it.  i like to top it with fat free whipped cream and crushed oreos.  the original recipe calls for fat free oreos, but i like to use the real food oreos from sprouts.  i'm not sure of the calorie count (i didn't write it down), but it's nice to have a refreshing treat that i can make in place of the snow cones that i'm eating my weight in this summer.  :)

makes one shake.