So Who’s Giving Up Bacon and Red Meat (‘Cause I’m Not) – But Really this Post is About Cookies

(in case you’re wondering, after a wonderful day of celebration and reflection yesterday, life is officially back to normal today)

So . . .yesterday the WHO announced that red and processed meats lead to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.  I was amazed by just how many people were talking about this announcement yesterday – teachers at the kids school, people at the gym, random people I passed at the mall.  Although I suppose I shouldn’t be; it was a great headline.  And while the information that the report was based on and the conclusions that were drawn are a bit tenuous (I spoke with an expert on this subject yesterday and I’m awaiting his formal “statement” on the matter), that didn’t seem to matter to the people who were abandoning their bacon and processed meats yesterday.

What I’m trying to get at is this: how is it surprising that when we take the meat from animals raised with high exposure to chemicals, and then process the meat from these animals with more chemicals into “processed meats” that these processed meat products are carcinogenic?

In this family, we’re going to keep eating our red meat.  And our bacon.  But we’re going to keep buying organic / grass-fed / pastured meats.  And get our bacon either from my brother (who makes his own without the use of chemicals) or from our butcher who also makes it (without the use of chemicals).

Ok.  I think that’s enough of a rant for today.  Except for the fact that I will say, as much as I, and the family, avoids processed meats, we also avoid processed foods in general (I refer to my statement about adding more chemicals to already chemical laden ingredients . . . how can that possibly be healthy????).  This of course leads to some pretty big issues around snack time for the kids.  They want the “fun” processed foods that all their friends get.

So, my quest for healthy but still “fun” and nut-free snacks continues.  I was inspired today by a friend’s pin. It was for gluten-free oatmeal cookies.  They looked good, the recipe was nut-free, gluten-free, sugar free, and seemed like it would work.  So, me being me, went for it . . . but with a few modifications.  I think they’re pretty good.  And I think the kids will like them too.  Guess I’ll have my answer in about an hour!  Oh . . .and due to my lack of gluten-free baking supplies today, I just used regular flour (it’s raining cats and dogs, and I just didn’t feel like going back out for gluten-free flour).

But seriously, these aren’t crispy or chewy cookies.  They’re more like a cross between a mini muffin top and a cookie . . .if that makes any sense at all.  They were super easy to make, and I’d make them again for sure (even if I’m the only one that eats them).

Question is now . . . are the kids going to eat the cookies because they don’t want to do their homework?  Or are the kids going to do their homework because they want to eat the cookies . . .