No-Egg Non-Dairy Oatmeal Flax Seed Cookies

Boys! Boys! Boys!

Please don't be scared by the title of these cookies, I know it does not sound too appealing but there is a reason for such a descriptive name.  As you may know I have two boys, ages two and three, but I also watch a friend's one year old boy a few days a week.  Of the three boys two are allergy kids; my two year old is allergic to peanuts and dairy and my borrowed one year old boy is allergic to eggs and has some dairy issues.  I have Epi-Pens in every bag I carry and it really is time to invest in some good reading glasses so I can easily read all the tiny ingredient listings to keep up with these kids.  All in all it is not too hard to handle the allergies, the only hard part is finding yummy treats that these boys can all eat together.  I have Google searched "dairy free", "egg free", and "no egg" recipes but it really only pulls up a few vegan recipes and weird, way-too-crunchy type of recipes. There are everyday recipes out there with out eggs or dairy but no one notes it in the title or the recipe so the search engines don't find them when you type "diary free".  So there you have the explanation for my very unappetizing title for these very tasty cookies.  If I can help desperate moms with allergy kids find cookie recipes I will feel I gave something to the world. 

Quick shout out to the FLAXSEED

Big discovery:  Flaxseed Meal.  This may not be new news to all, but Flaxseeds are a pretty new idea for me.  My husband's family has an unfortunate history with colon cancer, so I am always looking for the best super food to encourage happy colons, my new sister-in-law introduced me to Flaxseeds.  Love them!  Not only is it a "super food", but also when mixed with a little water, it can be used as an egg substitute. Here are some Flaxseed Fun Facts:  the flaxseed contains important Omega 3 fatty acids, lignans and both soluble and insoluble fiber. I am not very experienced in healthy eating so I had to Google lignans, they are a natural plant hormone that are especially beneficial to men's prostate health and so much more.  Who knew?  For more on the wonders of Flaxseeds check out this WebMD article. 

Egg Substitute formula:

1 TBS Flaxseed Meal + 3 TBS Water = 1 Egg 

Perfect for baked goods, probably good in meat loaf.

No-Egg Non Dairy Oatmeal Flax Seed Cookies 
Source:  modified recipe from Vegetarian Love to Know

Ingredients

1 cup (1/2 stick) Crisco Butter/Shortening Stick (dairy free) or 1 stick of butter (for the diary people)
1 cup brown sugar (preferably dark)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbs water
2 tbs Flaxseed meal
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups rolled oats
optional:  raisins, chocolate chips, M&Ms, mini-marshmallows or anything else delicious!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream Crisco/butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy.  
3. In a small bowl whisk flaxseed meal and water till mixed, let sit a minute or two to soak up the water. 
4. Add the flaxseed/water to the butter/sugar and mix well.  
5. In separate bowl mix dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and oats.  
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix throughly.
7. Fold in 1-2 cups of your favorite "extra", we used chocolate chips.
8. Using spoonfuls, place balls of dough on a prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or desired crispness.  Remove from pan and cool on a rack.
10. Enjoy!

Afternoon snack: Oatmeal Cookies and a tall glass of soy milk.

Johnsonville Pastaville Winner: Baby Bella Sausage Cupcake Surprise

In my continuing effort to learn from my contests entries and losses, I made the winning recipe from the Johnsonville Pastaville Contest (FYI, the winner was not my entry).  The top three winners were in this order; Baby Bella Sausage Cupcake Surprise, Sweet & Spicy Italian Stir Fry and Pappardella with Sizzled Sausage and Mushrooms.  The first thing I noticed about the this group of winners is they are all very simple and use common ingredients.  They were also very common flavors or types of dishes you might see or eat regularly; a red sauce/spaghetti meal, an Asian stir fry and a beef stroganoff type dish.  Most of the sponsors want easy meals that will appeal to a wide audience and the average home cook can make, however you never know just how simple they really want it.  I have seen some contest winners that have simple recipes but one weird or uncommon twist to them, so you never know.  All three of these dishes use everyday ingredients that I already had on hand, so it was easy to whip this up on the fly.

The Baby Bella Sausage Cupcake Surprise were a perfect little spaghetti treat.  When preparing the dish it felt like it should have more spaghetti so I might have slipped a few more noodles in than the recipe suggested.  Definitely a nice treat and a great way surprise for the kids. I will make it again with maybe a few new things mixed in and fun toppings. Congratulations Victoria Lee!  Enjoy this victory!

Recipe Link:
Baby Bella Sausage Cupcake Surprise