Breakfast cookies

Let's talk about food. Specifically dinner. Do you like making dinner at the end of the day? I don't know about you guys, but I used to dread making dinner. Dread. Around 3 PM I would start thinking, "Hmm...what am I going to cook tonight?" And then I might start flipping through my recipe books or my Pinterest boards for dinner ideas. 4 PM would roll around and I still wouldn't have a plan (because it's not like I actually had all the ingredients for those recipes I was looking up anyway). Enter feelings of dread. Then between 4:30 to 5:00, I would start rummaging through the fridge and pantry. Shortly after 5 PM my husband would call and let me know that he was on his way home. At this point I would grab some sort of meat from the freezer, toss it in the microwave to defrost, and quickly throw a bunch of ingredients together and call it good.

It's not that I hate cooking, 

...but I hate the planning part. Enter Shrinking on A Budget. It's a weekly recipe planning service that focuses on weight loss, keeps your grocery bill relatively low, and even uses Weight Watchers points. SOAB (aka Shrinking On A Budget) provides recipes for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 snacks, 7 dinners, 7 sides to accompany each dinner, and 2 desserts. AND to top it off, a  categorized grocery shopping list is also provided. (!!!)

I love this! It's like SOAB knew what I was thinking before I even realized I was thinking about it! I love that I no longer have the late afternoon dinner-scramble. It's already planned for me! And I really love no longer having to write out a gigantic shopping list of ingredients to purchase. Instant relief.

So here's what I'm getting at...

My family and I have enjoyed some of these recipes so much that I want to share them. Not all of them. Just some of our favorites.

Today I'm sharing a recipe for Breakfast Cookies. These cookies remind me of oatmeal cookies. But more like a giant fluffy, fall flavored hunger-satisfying cookies. After you finish one, you'll be like, "Wow, that was so amazing I want another, but I don't have any more room." Dilemma. But the good kind. The combination of cranberry and pumpkin flavors are the perfect recipe to put you in the mood for the Fall season. So far this has been one of my favorite recipes. It's relatively quick and great to make ahead of time for a busy morning. And it's fun! Who doesn't like to eat cookies for breakfast???

Breakfast Cookies

 

2 Tbsp Craisins
1/4 cup Fiber One Original Cereal
1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats (not instant)
6 Tbsp Flour
1/4 cup of Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup baby pureed peaches (approximately a 4 oz jar)
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (or 1 egg if you don't have Egg Beaters)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop Craisins into small pieces. Set aside.

Grind Fiber One Original Cereal into a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor.

In a small mixing bowl, add ground Fiber One, old fashioned oats, flour, Splenda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, add baby puree peaches, canned pumpkin, and Egg Beaters.

Mix well. Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until completely blended. Slowly sprinkle chopped craisins into the batter, making sure they don't all stick together.

Spray a large baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, and spoon batter into 4 evenly spaced circles. Place pan in the oven for 12-14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Terrific, right? Now go to the kitchen and make them right now!

All of the Shrinking on a Budget meals have been shared with permission and I am not being compensated in any way for promoting the meal plans. I definitely recommend you check out her website. It has made my afternoons so much easier. Do any of you subscribe to Shrinking On A Budget?