Tuesday, February 14, 2012

This Guy...

Anyone out there think they have the best husband in the whole wide world?

Ah, sorry ladies and gentlemen.  You're wrong!  I snagged him up before any of you could.  Ha ha! Lucky me!  He's mine, all mine.

He's this guy...


He's also this guy...



And this guy...


He's also the guy that shovels the snow, mows the lawn, eats all the cookies (true story) and does ALL the driving (even that 18 hour road trip from Montana to Minnesota.  All.)  He goes to grad school full time, serves as a 2nd Lieutenant with the National Guard, hangs with Anna during the day while I work, often has dinner cooking when I get home and still manages to find time to snuggle up with me and have a glass of wine at the end of the day.

He's sweet, he's funny, he is compassionate, handsome, adorable, clever, hardworking and laughs so infectiously that it would make Oscar the Grouch smile.

He is the most amazing dad to Anna.  Man, those two are a pair.  My heart aches with joy and pride when I watch them together.  He is impossibly patient with her.  He teaches, he guides, he keeps her safe, keeps her smiling.

He is my best friend in the whole wide world.  I still get butterflies in my stomach when he calls me.  I cannot wait to get home at the end of the day and wrap myself up in his arms.  I know how lucky I am...I do.

So, even though we've never been big Valentine's Day celebrants, this is my love letter to you, today and everyday.  You are an amazing man Mace and I am honored to be married to you. Thank you for picking me.

As a tribute to my darlin' and Valentine's Day, I present to you these awesome heart healthy cookies.  I found these on Amy's blog over at Gastronome Tart and fell in love.  Still love you more Mace, but these are pretty darn good.



Oatmeal Quinoa (Heart) Cookie
Adapted from Gastronome Tart

Makes one giant heart cookie (or 12 regular cookies)

1/2 cup pecans
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup honey
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Toast pecans for 4-5 minutes or until lightly brown and fragrant.  Cool slightly then roughly chop.

Add pecans, oats, quinoa, cranberries, vanilla and honey in a large bowl, stirring to combine.  Whisk the egg whites and salt in a small bowl until foamy and then pour over oat mixture, stirring to thoroughly combine.

Scoop entire mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a large heart. Alternatively, scoop handfuls out and form into large balls and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into pieces and...

Eat it!!





39 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness. This is the sweetest post ever. xo.

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  2. What a sweet Valentines day post! Your daughter is going to love reading this someday :)

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  3. How sweet! Amazing husbands are hard to come by but I too have been blessed with one of those! Have a wonderful Valentines Day! Xoxo

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  4. What a lovely tribute! Wishing you an enchanting Valentine's Day :)

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  5. The other half does have a way of making every day a lot more special! This is a sweet tribute to your husband. Wishing you two the best!
    Also, I must have missed the first post on this-grains plus fruit says tasty as well as healthy to me and that is a good thing!

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  6. Awww, what a beautiful post! You made me cry, Maggie! :) Happy Valentine's Day! Hugs!

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  7. Awww, congratulations! Cute post!
    And looks so yummy!

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  8. I LOVE this recipe! I've begun using quinoa in sweeter recipes and am always so thrilled with the results. This is definitely making in on my recipe list!

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  9. Ok. Tears welling up in my eyes. How romantic and lovely (yes, lovely!). Mace sounds like an incredible man, but I think he is lucky to have you too. And I have a feeling he knows that already. Happy Valentine's Day. Oh, and the cookies look wonderful, too.

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  10. What a great guy and a super nice post. Happy Valentine's Day!

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  11. This is adorable, it sounds like you are the luckiest girl in the world, glad you have found this happiness :)

    and quinona in cookies, very interesting.

    Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!!

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  12. **sigh** I loved this post! I think Mace feels he's a pretty luck fella....Happy Valentines Day!

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  13. SUch a sweet tribute! The post AND the cookies. :)

    I need to get on board with quinoa cookies soon - everybody's doing it! DO you like them as much as "regular" cookies?

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    Replies
    1. They aren't really like a regular cookie...they're more of a granola bar consistency so...no not as much as a real cookie, but they're a good hearty delicious snack for sure!

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  14. Aww.. how sweet :)
    And quinoa in cookies!I must try that recipe!

    Adrienne @ Apples n Adrienne

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  15. Very sweet! My husaband does the driving too (although he loves road trips, me not so much!) I love the giant cookie, it's very pretty and healthy too! I haven't found any quinoa out here but I've heard Amazon will ship it here to FPO's. I friend and I are going to go half on a bag and I'm adding this recipe to the list of ones I'm dying to make with it. I hope you had a happy Valentine's day. It's always nice to spend them together when he could be far away.

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  16. A very happy - belated - Valentine's Day to you both. It's so wonderful to see happy and solid relationships. Nothing is better to celebrate, really! We're lucky that way, too. We've had plenty of Oatmeal cookies but never one with quinoa. Nice addition to the classic. Look forward to trying it!

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  17. What a sweet post, although I would argue that I have the best hubby in the world ;)
    Love these healthy cookies. I've never thought about using quinoa in a cookie - but I have now! Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself and your family in addition to this wonderful recipe.

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  18. OH my goodness, this was the sweetest post! It made my cynical little valentines heart totally melt! Lovely recipe too!

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  19. What a sweet tribute to your husband--and I love that first photo of him!

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  20. Happy Valentine's Day! What a great dedication post. Just loved it. Thank you for sharing...and thank you for visiting my blog. It brightens my day to hear from you! Hugs and love from Austin.

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  21. Oh how I love quinoa! Thanks for sharing :-)

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  22. what an adorable post! with all the sweet v-day posts to husbands out there from my blogger friends, i'm beginning to hope mr. table doesn't start to wonder where HIS post is... :) and i love the idea of quinoa cookies, too...SO going to try making this. looks delish, thanks!

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  23. Your recipe looks so delicious. Love all the ingredients in it. I am always looking for healthy recipes, and your is a very healthy one! I love your post! Your husband is a gift from above, you are a very blessed woman. I have a feeling that he feels the same about you:)

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  24. Can I have your husband? Just kidding, I love mine, but what a great post!

    Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!

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  25. Awwww, this is so sweet!! He sounds like a great guy and you are lucky to have each other! I love your quinoa cookies! I'm always looking for new ways to cook with it!

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  26. Oh yum it's like a granola-cookie with quinoa...kind of blowing my mind over here haha! And love your story, your happiness is heartwarming to everyone who reads this.

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  27. Oh, what a sweet post dedicated to your husband! I'm sure he loved these cookies as they sound like excellent oatmeal cookies with the bonus of quiona....mmmmmm.

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  28. The sweetest! I'm so glad that you are so happy. That's what it's all about <3

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  29. What a sweet post! :) You are one lucky woman!

    I wanted to thank you SO SO much for your very sweet comment on my blog post "Anorexic to Fit". It really means a lot to me!

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  30. What a SWEET and WONDERFUL post! The giant heart cookie looks marvelous.

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  31. Happy Valentines to one of my favorite Montanans. What a sweet post! I am so glad I have you linked to my blog as a "favorite" :-)

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  32. Beautiful words from a beautiful wife. Lovely words to one who does seem to be a pretty amazing husband to you! I have a feeling he considers himself the blessed one, too. ;)

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  33. Love how you made it into a heart Maggie! Looks fantastic!

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  34. FROM Molly in PA: While I do think Mace is pretty terrific, I think Raj could give him a run for his money--just sayin'.

    It's wonderful that you still feel this way. You two are an amazing couple. You three are an amazing family.

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