Running for Charity & Cookies!

It's summer break! I am simultaneously excited about and overwhelmed by spending all summer long with both girls at home. In the last week alone, we have  gone to the zoo once, the beach once, and the seaquarium twice. The playground has become an almost daily occurrence. I'm exhausted by the end of the day and, needless to say, so are the girls. But, oh are they having fun. My brain can't keep up in its efforts to record into memory all the funny, sweet, and cute things the girls are doing.

To help combat the long days and give us a healthier sweet snack, I came up with this Whole Wheat Protein Chocolate Chip Cookie. I've made these cookies twice in as many weeks and everyone in the house loves them. Well, almost everyone because Alex says "they taste healthy." These cookies fall on the thick-and-chewy spectrum of chocolate chip cookies. I don't taste healthy like Alex does, but I do taste deliciousness, especially when they are eaten straight out of the oven.

In other news, I decided to run for charity for next year's Disney Princess Half Marathon. I'll be doing the Glass Slipper Challenge, which is a 10k (6.2 miles) on Saturday and the half-marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday and I am really excited. I've never ran that much in back-to-back runs so the training is going to be fun. My goal is to raise $3,000 for Give Kids The World so if you can make a donation, please do so! And please feel free to share. This is my Fundraising Page. I'm nervous about running for a cause this time around and really hope I am able to meet my fundraising goals. Talk about giving myself an extra challenge! Now all my training runs will have much more meaning. 

Protein Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Me! 
Yields: 12 Cookies
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbs unsalted butter, softened 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract

1- to 3/4-cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine with the flours, protein powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for a minute.

Mix in the dry ingredients until combined and then stir in the chocolate chips. (The dough may appear sandy but it comes together once packed into the cookie scoop.)

Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough and place on the cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool some before eating. 

Enjoy!