The summer after I graduated from college, I drove down to Southern California to celebrate with a weekend at Disneyland. I bought a special “hopper pass” ticket, which let me switch between both the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks, to spend as much time on all of my favorite rides as possible.
Although I preferred the milder rides of Dumbo, Peter Pan, and It’s a Small World as a little girl, my adult self gravitated towards the roller coasters, like the Matterhorn, Space Mountain, California Screamin’ (as it was called back then!), and Thunder Mountain Railroad (“This here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!”)… Along with plenty of other thrilling and fun rides too!
Because I went to Disneyland to perform with my band classes at least once a year from 7th through 12th grade, I actually knew the entire layout of that theme park better than my hometown. I had all of the pathways (and shortcuts!) memorized, which really helped me navigate through the crowds, avoid the most jam-packed walkways, and minimize down time between rides.
To avoid wasting time by standing in long lines for food, and therefore to squeeze in even more rides, I also carried lots of snacks in my purse. On the drive down from Northern California, I realized that my hotel was just a few blocks away from a big grocery store, so although I had packed a few options in my car before leaving home, I still headed there shortly after checking in to grab a few more things.
I filled my shopping basket with nonperishables like dark chocolate and soft-baked granola bars, and I also headed to the produce section to pick out some fresh fruit for breakfasts. As I reached for a bag of green grapes (one of my favorites!), I noticed a little sign promoting a sale on peaches…
Just $0.99 per pound!
I nearly squealed in excitement. My family and I still hadn’t baked my grandma’s famous peach pie that summer, even though it was already mid-July, because we hadn’t seen any good peaches at our local grocery stores… So I quickly grabbed as many as I could, figuring that they’d be almost perfectly ripe by the time I drove back home a few days later.
However… I failed to realize just how tempting those peaches would be on my 8-hour drive. It took so much willpower to leave them in the bag and save all of them for the pie! I ended up eating a few chewy oat-filled granola bars for my breakfast and road trip snacks instead that day, and although I loved their sweet flavors and soft texture, I still craved a big juicy peach to go with them.
Finally, far too many years later, I finally figured out a great compromise… These Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies! They have a soft and chewy texture like the granola bars I loved back then (and the same texture as regular “dessert” cookies too!), and they also have the same irresistible flavors as my grandma’s peach pie: juicy fruit, cozy spices, and her special secret ingredient!
Yet unlike those store-bought granola bars, these healthy breakfast cookies contain no dairy, refined flour or sugar. They’re just 69 calories too!
Continue reading & see the rest! ›› Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies {Dairy-Free!}
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