Morning Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan and GF)

My legs have decided to take on a mind of their own. They refuse to move under my command and would much rather lounge about while sucking mercilessly on a bottle of ibuprofen. They scream when I try to take a few steps. If I manage to retain  a sort of shambling walking speed, trying to slow down or turn seem to be impossible for them.

I wasn't in any accident or trama. I simple took part in one of the best experiences Vancouver has to offer.

Six hours. Over one hundred teams of two. Fifteen secret locations. And a whole lot of running.

Mr. C and I took part in the BC Lung Association's biggest and best fundraising of the year - The Rush Urban Scavenger Hunt (and Race!). At stake (besides your pride) is a trip around the world. The competition was fierce - the winners completed ten checkpoints in 3 hours and 28 minutes. We came in at 4 hours and 50 minutes, fifty-second overall. Not too shabby. Especially because we didn't argue (or strangle each other) once during our run. And here's me thinking we'd be aiming for a divorce after this.

Anyone who has run an adventure race like this will tell you that it really beats up your body. Welp, my body is certainly beat up. I ran the race with very little sleep and very little to eat - now I'm paying for it. Loved the experience (hell, we've already signed up for next year), hate the delayed onset muscle soreness. I've been hobbling around like a baby giraffe whose trying to figure out how to walk. Not pretty.

In order to make my body feel a little more forgiving - and to try and recover all that energy I've burned - I made some of my favourite vegan and gluten free cookies I've come across. They're based on what I have for breakfast in the morning when I'm weight lifting: oatmeal, chia seeds, flax, cinnamon, and (if I'm feeling spunky) a hand full of raisins. Hopefully they'll give you a bit more fuel to get you through your busy day.




Morning Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan and Gluten Free)adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Makes about a dozen cookies
1/2 cup quick oats1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon sea salt1/4 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamon2 Tablespoons chia seeds2 Tablespoons ground flax1/4 cup raisins2 Tablespoons melted vegan margarine2 Tablespoons soy milk
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In your food processor, pulse together your oats, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, chia, and flax until combined and roughly ground. Add your margarine and milk and pulse a couple times more. Toss into a bowl and mix in your raisins. 
2) Spoon tablespoons of batter onto your cookie sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes, or until golden. Let cool fully on the cookie sheet. Enjoy.