Sunbutter Cookies & Sleep Regression

We have a running joke around here that Savanna does not want Mommy to lose the rest of her baby weight. Before Savanna I used to get up and meet one of my best friends to run a couple of days a week.  I was very happy that I was able to do that until I was 26 weeks pregnant.  The belly actually didn't bother me that much it was just the extra weight started to bother my knees so I decided to just walk for the rest of my pregnancy.  Since I was in fairly good shape my entire pregnancy I thought I would get back into exercising fairly quickly and easily.  Boy was I wrong.  Postpartum was a lot more difficult than I thought, especially with a c-section and a few complications.  I wasn't even out walking until 8 weeks.  I never thought it would take me this long after to get back into running.  I finally started doing intervals on the treadmill at 12 weeks and then the last week or two I have been getting out when I have a helper.  When Savanna started sleeping through the night I wanted to get back my morning workout.  I love the early morning hours, it really starts your day and makes you feel great (if you are a morning person you know what I mean).  As soon as I made the decision to try and start getting up to workout, Savanna decided she didn't want to sleep through the night anymore.  Every time I set my alarm to get up and work out she decided to pull an all nighter.  Apparently there is a sleep regression right around 4 months.  We are hoping that is what it is and we just have to ride it out.  Every night is different now we had two solid nights so I set my alarm and last night she got up 3 times.  I decided though I just had to do it whether she got up or not so I finally went this morning and it felt amazing!  So I am hoping to do it a few days a week and hopefully Savanna will get back into solid sleeping eventually.  I am not sure what is worse never having solid sleep or having it and then having it taken away from you :) She is still young so I know I just have to have patience.  

Now on a totally different topic I wanted to share these Sunbutter Cookies with you.  I have been eating a lot of natural peanut butter and apples around here since it is a fast and fairly healthy snack / lunch some days. When I was at Trader Joes I decided to pick up their Sunbutter to try something different with my apples :)  I saw this peanut butter cookie recipe that was dairy free and soy free with out any adjustments so I decided to modify them and make sunbutter cookies.  They were delicious and a great treat, even Chris and one of his friends loved them!  I made half the batch with some chocolate chips which made them even yummier!  

Sunbutter Cookies - modified from 101 cookbooks peanut butter cookies.  I find that even though the sodium is about the same sunbutter is more salty than peanut butter.  I took out the salt and did not miss it at all, but you can adjust to your taste.  I also subsituted honey and brown sugar for the maple syrup since I did not think the maple flavor and sunbutter would go well together.  

2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour (or regular all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup Sunbutter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips - optional (dairy free and soy free if you need)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl whisk together the sugar, olive oil, sunbutter and vanilla

4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture and sit 5 minutes.

5. Fold one more time and fold in chocolate chips if using.  

6. Drop teapsoons (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto parchment lined cookie sheet and using a fork press down on each cookie

7. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool 5 minutes.

8. Enjoy - Makes - 2-3 dozen cookies