
Chocolate chip cookies. Is there anything better? Well before I share this awesome dairy free, {vegan}, gluten-free recipe with you… I wanted to share a thought I had while making these delicious bites. If your not a close friend, or don’t care, go ahead and stroll down to the bottom for the recipe.

Staging these cookies on gorgeous cake stands reminded me of a funny exchange of texts I had with a dear friend recently. Mother of four, she text me one night “what are you doing?” I text “sitting by candle light, listening to silence” she replied “ugh. I wish I were doing that.” I responded with “ha, well what are you doing?” Humorously she goes on to explain how she is watching her four kids perform skits, loud singing, costumes strung across the floor, chaos, she explains. And of course, I respond with “ugh, I wish I were doing that.” We learned something that night. Here we were, each of us, experiencing magical moments in life and we were tempted, dare I say, engaging with the “grass is greener on the other side” mentality. It is way too easy to look at someone else’s life and think “lucky”. But what if you were right where you were suppose to be tonight?
As I was making these cookies, listening to Adel, anticipating a lovely quiet date night at home with my honey I was struggling with thoughts like, “I wish I were so tired from being up all night with a baby that I had no energy to bake”. For the first time in my life I kinda wish I couldn’t fit into my jeans, because maybe that would mean there were a little life that was both Rob and I combined. But instead, I am in the kitchen with lipstick on, listening to Adel, about to enjoy a beverage and a quiet relaxing evening with my husband. I vulnerably share this with you because I don’t want this food blog to ever promote jealousy. If you look at these gorgeous pictures, just remember, they are just pictures. They never show you the pile of dishes in my sink or my frizzy bun on top of my head. (Your welcome) They just show you one moment of our day. Our perfect day filled with ups and downs just like everyone else. For my dear single friends, I remember thinking, “When I have a husband, then I wont want anything in the world! I will be so happy that this world won’t be able to contain my contentment.” Sigh. Ya. Well once again I am faced with the reality of human nature, that is, you always want more. So all of this to say, if your reading this and you have baby diapers falling out of the diaper genie, or maybe blocks are all over your hardwood floors or maybe your alone, room mates in the other room or out on a date. Maybe your sitting next to your husband and the house is eerily quiet… In whatever season of life you find your self in, I hope you can enjoy it. It is just a season. Not forever. A gift.

Health{ier} chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients
1 cup oat flour (if you do not have this, you can of course grind gluten free oatmeal until it resembles flour)
1/2 cup gluten free flour (I “invested” in a bag of ‘cup for cup’ gluten free flour and its incredible! Quiet the investment however)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar in the raw plus 2 teaspoons (love the texture the larger sugar granules added to the cookies!)
1/3 cup dark chocolate chip (vegan chocolate chips allows this to be completely dairy free!)
2 tablespoons canola oil
4-5 tablespoons rice milk
Instructions
Mix dry ingredients together, add oil and milk. Add chocolate chips.
Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes.
Enjoy!