The start of a healthy (er...uh ish..uh hopefully) blog!

Recently I've stumbled upon (no, not using stumble upon, though) many blogs written by other food loving teenagers. The surprising thing was that these blogs not only focused on food, but also healthy food and exercise. I know this is not unusual, but the funny thing was that I had a lot in common with these health-conscious-food-loving-teenage-bloggers. Not only do I love food, but also good-for-you (aka healthy) food and exercise. I just thought no one would want to see or hear about these other interests. But now, after reading some very intriguing blogs, I've realized my blog doesn't have to always be about buttery, flaky, baked goods, it can have a balance of exercise, wholesome food, and those sweet indulgences everybody needs. So while I'm not going to stop posting my sinfully delicious baked goods, I'm going to start posting about the other foods I enjoy, such as edamame salads, whole grain breads, or that funny story about yesterday's run.

I thought I'd start with some vegan chocolate chip cookies. I know, they're not much healthier than normal cookies, but I've got to start somewhere, right? It's all about baby steps, and actually, if you substitute applesauce for the oil and whole wheat flour for some of the all-purpose, then you've got a delicious cookie with not too much fat and a little more fiber. Don't worry, if you're looking for super healthy nutrient packed foods I'll try to post about those too. Oh, and definitely don't worry about a shortage of buttery baked goods. I'll still post those too! :)

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Vegan Cookies Take Over the World
Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup oil (or applesauce)
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond meal (optional-I had it in my pantry, but it gave the cookies an interesting look..)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F
2. Combine sugars, oil, milk, and cornstarch mixing well for 2 minutes until mixture resembles caramel (I was surprised, it actually does). Stir in vanilla
3. Add 1 cup flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in chocolate chips and almond meal
4. Roll in to balls then flatten slightly. Bake for 8 minutes until browned on the edges.