I was desperate to switch up my shooting setup today, so I took to the frosty green earth. I was inspired by the feeling of being confined to the indoors in the colder months. As autumn slowly blows away and that certain chill in the air establishes its dominate presence, most of us huddle inside in thick blankets and around bursting fire places.Eventually it gets tiring always being tired and tucked up inside. It seems like going outside is too much of a task, but when you are feeling suffocated by your surroundings venturing out in the open land can be the most freeing solution.

One thing I miss from summer is eating outside, especially breakfast or lunch when you can absorb so much vitamin D. Today I wanted throw a winter spin on the idea of eating outside. The scene is a park bench where one is enjoying an afternoon snack of these perfect crunchy outside, chewy inside gluten free raw honey oatmeal cookies, a cup of steaming green tea, and the latest news. I challenge you to change up your winter routine this week. I cannot wait to get on the mountain soon. I'm dying for some outdoor exercise!

This cookie recipe is packed with oats. Even the flour is made from oats, which is becoming one of my favorite flours to put in baked goods. It has an earthy flavor and will slowly digest to give you long lasting energy throughout the day. That means these cookies could be enjoyed for breakfast and you don't have to feel guilty about it! 

Creating this recipe was a treat for me because oatmeal cookies have always been a cherished holiday treat for me. I find that most oatmeal cookie recipes are way to crunchy, but I still enjoy a crispy texture among the outside of the cookie. Raw honey is a fantastic, natural way to sweeten anything. It has lots of vitamins and is unrefined meaning it is as close to the honey comb as you can get. These cookies will surprise your taste buds, so give them a go for a healthier option this season!

Gluten Free Raw Honey Oatmeal Cookies

Yields: 12 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1/3 cup of raw cane sugar
• 3 tablespoons of raw honey
• 1 organic,brown egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla beans
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 & 1/4 cups of oat flour
• 1 cup of old fashion oats

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350'F. Cream the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the honey, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
2. Measure the oats for the flour and pour them into a food processor. Grind the oats until the are a powder and look like flour. If you do not have a food processor you can buy oat flour in the grocery store, but it is much cheaper to make your own.
3. Transfer the oat flour to a medium sized bowl. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and oats. 
4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients for approximately 4 minutes. You really want the cookies to be well mixed. Feel free to add some nuts or dried fruit.
5. Scoop out 2 tablespoon sized cookies. I like to shape or press mine into circles because these cookies don't spread too much.  
6. Bake the cookies for 10-15 until they are lightly golden brown. Allow them to cool before devouring them!