Gooey Butter Cookies...

Butter, cream cheese, sugar, fresh vanilla bean, can't go wrong, you know these little beauty's will be amazing, nuff said.

Gooey Butter Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 8oz package cream cheese
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (optional but so yummy)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of one small orange
• Confectioner’s sugar for rolling and dusting

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, butter, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla extract. Incorporate the flour mixture.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Scoop roughly 1-ounce balls and toss in the confectioner’s sugar.  Place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment, a couple of inches apart.  Bake at 325° F until they spread and puff slightly, about 12-16 minutes.  They will be really soft in the center.  If they start to brown, they’ve gone too far.  Cool to room temperature.

These cookies taste better to me cold out of the refrigerator..... cookie doughy yummi-ness. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not big on Valentine's day. Never have been but Asher always gives me flowers and takes me to a nice dinner and I truly do love that he is that way but this year we agreed not to do any of that but Asher didn't hold up his end of the bargain. He brought flowers to me while I was at work and later that day when I got home from my hot yoga class he told me to get ready and that we needed to leave in 20 minuets (which it not enough time for me to get ready with a shower, makeup and hair) so I jumped in the shower and threw on some clothes and out the door we went no makeup and all to our favorite restaurant Isabella's Ristorante in downtown Redland's.  I really enjoyed our impromptu date and I love that man more and more everyday!

Asher's kissy face cracks me up!

Call Me Green....

I've been feeling a little green lately and I must say I feel great. Amazing how adding some spinach to everything gives you such a boost!

1. Farmer market veggies chopped up for my green egg scramble

2. Super yummy breakfast

3. Enjoying my green smoothie after a long day of work

4. Ginger Tofu noodles, soooo good!

Adding greens to my smoothies always turned my stomach but I decided to really give it a try and it's not that bad. I have not ventured into any other greens like chard, arugula or kale mainly because those never taste good to me in anything but who knows what next week will hold for my green loving taste buds. 

For my Green Smoothie I use:

2 Frozen Bananas 

About 2 cups of frozen Mango and Pineapple (fresh or frozen mango always makes the smoothie extra creamy and smooth)

2 heaping handfuls of Spinach

a pinch of Stevia 

A few dates and teaspoon of Maca powder(for an extra energy boost, it truly does work for me)

And a little water and a splash of almond milk to blend the ingredients.

You know you want to try it, so go make one!

xoxo