A New Month, A New Me

What a month it's been! It feels like a lifetime has passed since I wrote the last ANM installment (although maybe that's because I accidentally postponed it by a week...whoops).

Without further ado...

Recipe I've made about half a dozen times already: Bulletproof Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. They taste incredible and are somehow completely guilt-free! The recipe is as follows (I've made notes where I prefer to modify it, but it's solid as is).

Ingredients:

2 cups blanched organic almond or hazelnut meal (note: not flour)
3 tbsp. grass-fed Bulletproof Ghee or butter (I prefer to make my own ghee from Kerry Gold butter, but Organic Valley makes good ghee if you prefer it ready-made)
3 tbsp. Bulletproof Collagen Protein (or any collagen protein you like, my favorite is Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate)
Stevia or birch tree-sourced xylitol to taste (I prefer to use monkfruit extract, even better if you use a blend of the classic and golden varieties from Lakanto)
2 tsp. vanilla (organic vanilla extract is a more affordable substitute)
1 pastured egg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
A pinch of salt
1/3 cup high quality, sugar-free chocolate, chopped (I use my go-to Lily's chocolate chips)
Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F. Grease and line two baking trays with parchment paper. (I just use the parchment paper, and it works like a charm)
2. Add the almond meal, collagen protein, salt and baking powder into a bowl. (Drop the baking powder into the center of your mixture for best results of step 3)
3. Pour the apple cider vinegar directly on top of the baking powder and allow it to react - it will go fizzy.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine evenly.
5. Taste the dough and adjust the sweetness if needed.
6. Begin rolling the mixture into balls and place them onto the lined baking tray. (or as a friend does, which is so much better, grab a cookie dough scooper on the cheap...total game changer)
7. Press the balls as flat as you like, they won’t rise much, so if you like them softer and chewier keep them quite full. However, if you like a crunchier cookie, press them quite flat using your hands to shape them.
8. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven when they’re ready and place the cookies on a wire cooling rack. (or shove the straight into your face as soon as you can get your fingers on them...)
*Store in an airtight container when completely cooled.*

Song on repeat...seriously though: "Severed" by The Decemberists

The Decemberists have been one of my favorite bands for many years now so I was STOKED to see them post this new song as a teaser to their impending studio album. It was completely not what I was expecting, and I still love it. Somehow despite leading with a synth-heavy vibe on this track, they preserve their trademark nautical feel with the sea shanty-worthy vocals they've become known for. I've got this track on repeat and I've yet to get tired of it. Catchy in a non-obnoxious way, with a grove that just sets the perfect mood for productivity (at least for me), it's certainly worth your time to check it out with an open mind. If you've been a die-hard fan forever, this may feel a lot like Radiohead fans felt with the release of In Rainbows, so take it with a grain of salt. I for one appreciate that they have evolved and grown over the decades (yikes...how old am I?) and so I'm rather impatiently awaiting the new album.

TV show I can't believe I'm just finding now: High Maintenance (on HBO and Vimeo)

Please don't judge me for this: not only am I late to the game, but I found the series from an article in The New Yorker. I know many people find it to be the epitome of pretension, but I subscribed recently and I'm unashamedly loving it. If that makes you think differently of me, oh well. Anyway, I was a huge fan of Easy when I binged it on Netflix a few months ago, so hearing that High Maintenance is supposed to make that seem like a high school production in comparison, I knew I had to at least check it out. I've only seen a few episodes so far, but I'm completely hooked. As raunchy as the subject matter is (and as seriously NSFW as the scenes can get...boy was I not expecting some of the graphic content), I can't get enough of this stylistic story-telling. If you're looking for something completely different (and not shy about sex and drugs), I would highly recommend trying this on for an episode or two. As it's an anthology series, feel free to pick and choose episodes in any order you like.

What I simply can't have enough of (and apparently I'm not alone): Kimera Koffee (temporarily out of stock, but discounted 20% on Pre-Sale!)

I've had this coffee before and enjoyed it, but it's expensive to make into a regular habit. When they had a deep sale last month I nabbed another bag and some k-cups to keep at work for when I need an extra boost (or when I accidentally leave my coffee sitting all alone on the table by the door instead of getting it to work with me...not that it's ever happened before...). The nootropic blend added to this coffee gives me even more motivation than straight caffeine and I find that it mitigates the "buzzy" feeling that too much caffeine can give me. I've been more productive earlier in the morning drinking this stuff and I've had none of the afternoon crash that can sometimes accompany the high-octane coffees I've tried. If you need some extra kick in your day, grab a bag of this and thank me later. If you've got a tough deadline to meet, may this be your guide! It's in high demand, so take advantage of the current pre-sale discount and get your bag before someone else does.

Book I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

It is embarrassing how long I have had this book and not read it. To add insult to injury: I've also owned the movie adaptation on BluRay for several years and have not watched it yet. I know, I'm a monster. Please forgive me. That said, though it starts out slowly (and maybe even a bit more verbose than I would prefer...which is saying something because Neal Stephenson is my favorite author), once I got into the meat of the book I couldn't put it down. I tore through it in a little over a week and I enjoyed it immensely. It reminded me why I love reading so much (and prompted me to begin a weekly "reading night" ritual). If you love reading and have somehow managed to avoid reading this book by now, please put it at the top of your list (which, if you're anything like me, is already a mile long). Trust me, it really is worth all the hype. Now, to actually watch the damn movie...

I hope you enjoy my recommendations, but more than that, I hope you send me yours! Seriously, if you've got something simple that has changed your life or that you're gaga for right now, shoot me a message; I'd love to hear from you! Who knows, if I try it I might feature it here (and give you a shout).