Mmmm! I don't know about you, but I LOVE Gingerbread Cookies! Well, I love pretty much anything that has ginger in it, but Gingerbread Cookies evoke emotions of holidays with family. They just SCREAM "warmth & coziness". I also love something delicious that makes my tastebuds get excited and my tummy happy. So I surf the internet, especially Pinterest. Pinterest has become my BFF. HAHA! Multiple food, drug and chemical allergies and sensitivities have that effect, just so you know. When you can't go out to eat without either getting sick, having an allergic reaction or both, you pretty much are on your own. I've noticed there is a fast growing community of people in the same boat. It is reassuring to know you aren't the only one out there who has become "allergic to life", but then you feel awful for being glad you're not the only one. 😢
Just 10-15 years ago, if you had multiple food allergies and were looking for alternatives that wouldn't cause problems, your food was hard to get down because there was NO taste or it tasted disgusting. But now? Oh, man! So many people that are having problems or have a close friend or loved one decide to become nutritionists and/or food scientists and boy, are there some amazing food combinations and recipes that make you prefer to eat healthy! Besides, if you've become dependent on mostly convenient, fast, packaged processed "crap" (because no, if it is more than 3 ingredients and put together in a lab, it's NOT "food" and should not be eaten) then eaten healthy for even just several days, those 3 days make you feel so good and so light that soon as you start eating the crap "food" again, you don't feel near as well as you did.
But this recipe here? It is delicious, nutritious and you'll be happy you tried it! As usual, I did modify it a bit. It is a recipe from Melissa and Marcus at My Whole Food Life. I love molasses for sweetening for it's nutrition, low GI and health benefits (which are many!).
I make mine up 2 mason jars at a time (four 1/2 cup servings).
Gingerbread Cookie Overnight Oats
Ingredients (per jar):
1/2 C GF Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 Tblsp. Chia Seeds
3 Tblsp. Hemp Seeds
1 Tblsp Flax Seeds, ground (OPTIONAL)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp Ginger, ground
1/4 C Organic Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
1 Tblsp Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 C Milk (I tend to use a local fresh raw milk, but coconut milk, almond milk or hemp milk are good options)
Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Divide into individual size containers (BPA-Free plastic would work great for kids; I tend to use small yogurt size glass jars).
4. You can add toppings if you like. I use Creative Snacks Co. Organic Coconut Bites that I stir in right before I dig in. Other options would be raisins, nuts, or cranberries.
That nutrition information is just the very basic info. The nutrition provided by the seeds is enough to fuel a body right through the morning up to lunch! A few stats are posted below, along with links to check out all the health benefits.
And these darlings here are wonderful! They make the tastiest addition. As a standalone snack, they are delicious. They have a taste and texture reminiscent of peanut brittle, only better.
Since you can make these for up to 4 days ahead of time (if making these for multiple people, I would go with 5 days for the school/work week). So easy to just grab and go and SO nutritious! Way better for you than store bought cereals with all their added sugars, colors, flavors and preservatives! These don't take long to make either.
Hemp Seeds Benefits:
1. Improves digestion.
2. Helps to balance hormones.
3. Improves metabolism.
4. Helps with arthritis and joint pain.
5. Helps with weight loss as it is a natural appetite suppressant, helps you feel full longer and reduces sugar cravings.
6. Great for digestive health; eases constipation and feeds the probiotics in your gut, helping secure a healthy immune system.
7. Helps with hair, skin and nail problems.
8. Helps to prevent and reverse cancer.
9. Improves cardiovascular health and helps to lower blood pressure.
Read more at Dr. Axe.
Chia Seeds Benefits:
1. Can prevent premature skin aging.
2. Great for digestive health.
3. Reverses inflammation, regulates cholesterol and lowers blood pressure.
4. Helps treat diabetes.
5. Energy and metabolism booster.
6. Stronger bones.
7. Helps you build muscle and lose weight.
8. Helps fight breast and cervical cancer.
9. Great for dental health.
10. Excellent for pregnant and lactating women!
Read more at Dr. Axe
Oats Benefits:
1. Lowers cholesterol levels.
2. Oats antioxidants reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. May enhance immune response to infection.
4. May stabilize blood sugar.
5. Substantially lower type 2 diabetes risk.
6. Protective against breast cancer both pre and post-menopausal.
7. Highly protective against childhood asthma.
8. Well-tolerated wheat alternative for children and adults with Celiac disease.
Read more at George Mateljan at The World's Healthiest Foods
If you give this a try, drop me a line and let me know of any toppings or add-ins you tried!
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