Take a minute here and think. Do you remember why you started blogging? Do you remember the person who inspired you or was it a passion for something else that spurred you on?
For me, it was both. You see, I used to share a blog with the hubs. Actually I just posted Gluten Free recipes for his triathlon buddies on there from time to time. Well that grew into passion for more Gluten Free cooking and with a little nudge of encouragement from him, I branched off into what is now COTTER CRUNCH. Although at times I think I should rename my blog as WINO WINDSAY…catchy eh?
Back to my point here……
Today I want to share my two passions, because without them, this journey would be incomplete.
My husband….He’s patient, wise, and just plain INSPIRING! Check out this awesome article about him on SLOWTWITCH. Yes I can brag all I want here. I married the man, didn’t I?
I could go on and on about him, but I’ll save that for a whole other series. Haha, just kidding.
But in all seriousness, words cannot explain the heart of this man. His actions SPEAK louder than words.
Pegasus Vineyard in Canterbury
Then there is the passion. The Gluten Free Passion. Believe it or not I am thankful for being Gluten Intolerant because it has created this passion and connected me with SO SO many good people (like YOU) and good companies.
Like LOVE GROWN GRANOLA.
This past year I’ve had the privilege to meet this TEAM and become a LOVE GROWN BLOGGER myself. Their passion for health and gluten free living is absolutely inspiring. I know I say inspiring a lot, but when I mean it, I MEAN it! I encourage you to go check out their daily blog or Facebook page to see for yourself.
And without further adieu, here is my Love Grown Cookie Contest Recipe. You know, the one with my secret ingredient.
 Don’t knock ‘em till you try them. 
Kiwi Christmas Cookies (GF)
Print
- Yield: 13 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ cup GF Flour
- â…“ cup corn flour
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- â…“ cup Love Granola (simply oats)
- 1 ½ TBSP Peanut Butter
- 1 tbsp Vegemite or Marmite
- 1 egg
- 1–2 tablespoon creamed honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (almond, coconut, regular, etc.)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- stevia (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all your dry ingredients together in one bowl and your milk/egg mixed in another. Slowly pour the milk/egg mix into your dry ingredients saving the peanut butter and vegemite for last. Make sure the vegemite and PB are at room temperature or slightly softened in order to mix well.
- Spoon mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and bakes at 375 F for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Makes a baker’s dozen.
Okay that about does it for my weekend rambling. Hope you’re getting all your holiday shopping done.
Who or what has spurred on your passion(s)?
Cheers,
LC
I just found your lovely blog and can’t wait to do some back reading! I am intrigued by this cookie recipe…what is Vegemite?
oh vegemite, its like peanut butter to the kiwi’s and aussies. haha. A yeast extract that very potent! I just learned to love it from my kiwi husband, but trust me, it took 4 years. haha. Good to use in recipes though.
http://www.kraftbrands.com/kraftvegemite/Pages/product-information-vegemite.aspx
so glad to “meet” you Cameo!
I remember the exact night I started blogging, and why – my roommate in college did it to get some experience writing, and eventually I realized how brilliant she was. I’ve changed a lot of things since that first “blog”, but I still do it for the same reasons 🙂
I loved the article on SlowTwitch, btw. I read it last week and yes, girl, brag alll you want! What a great feature on J 🙂
Well i am glad you realized that you were a BRILLIANT write as well, cause you are! so thankful i found you, and i REALLY mean that!
<3
I just pinned this recipe, I can’t wait to make them!! And I also liked your entry in the Love Grown Foods album! 😉 I’m grateful for your passion and for you, my lovely friend! Happy Monday!
Happy MOnday to you! its acutally Tuesday here. I know, weird. I hope you try these cookies. they remind me of you, which i love!
So grateful to know you.
Oh my goodness, love the article about JC!!!! i seriously think you and the hubs are a match made in heaven. you are both so passionate and kind!
Oh thanks Kim. You sure do know how to make us feel special. I am proud of him, no matter what comes from his career. His passion is what inspires us all.
Hope the back is healing well. I think NZ would be a great healing ground for you.
just sayin…..
Oh Lindsay, I just love how you are so passionate about life and so proud of your man. I always want to go hug mine after I read your blog. 🙂 Those cookies do look good. I’m still so intrigued by your secret ingredient.
I was passionate about inspiring others when I started. I hope I never lose sight of that. 🙂
oh go do it! hug your man, then make him these cookies. For some reason i think nutella might be a good addition rather than marmite that is.
Hope you had a blessed sunday!
Aww your relationship seems so sweet 🙂 Just like those cookies… yum yum!
hehe, thanks Alyse. Cookies and a sweet husband go hand in hand, right? 😉
You can brag all you want, you are a big part of where he has gotten and who he has become. I think passion comes from within and then is nurtured by the individual and others.
gosh Krista, that is one of the nicest comments. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for that support! And you are so right, that passion comes from within and the more you surround yourself with positive people, the more that passion gets nutured.
😉
love the love you have for your husband, you two are so cute!
oh thank you. I know i am mushy at times, but hey, at least i’m honest. haha.
You can and should brag about James all day long…I am sure he brags about you all the time:) YUMMY COOKIES and hope you two are having an amazing weekend!
everybody needs their own cheerleader, right?! enjoy that time in Cali!! Wish i was there or vice versa.
What a wonderful post! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to try these cookies! When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, she stayed so strong throughout the entire battle she faced! She inspired me so very much to embrace life, live fully and healthily, and to enjoy every second of it! She definitely is one of my biggest inspirations and helped spark by interest in blogging! I wanted to be able to write and have a place to share healthy recipes and talk about overcoming obstacles and living life healthfully and fully every day! Each day is such a gift and I hope I can encourage someone else through blogging that no matter what obstacles they are faced with, it is possible to remain healthy and overcome them!
Gosh amanda, thats just plain awesome! What a story to tell and what STRONG purpose you have behind blogging. I admire you mother and her strength. I can see where you get it from.
i think what has spurred my passion for blogging is the community! last night we are out having a drink and i am going on and on about you and heather and your spouses. crazy! like I know you……well maybe i do 🙂
love that you are so proud of your hubby and love your gf food girl…..we appreciate it!
hehe, i do the same with YOU! i love talking about this community and how amazing each person is. I promise to get to Cali and visit you someday! Thats a deal!
Have I told you lately how much I love your positive attitude? Because I do !!! 🙂
Oh lisa, i wish i could hope over the “ditch” and come visit you!
Yay for cookies! 🙂 Anything with Love Grown in it is great if you ask me. They look nice & fluffy!
I love reading about your passion for GF eating – although I’m not gluten intolerant, it’s still interesting to bake and cook in all sorts of methods, including gluten free. Keep up the great work!
oh thanks liz. I agree, its fun to get creative in the kitchen when you need to. You are so good at that. I love all your wonderful creative recipes. Especially the GF friendly ones. hehe
I just love it when you talk about your husband, you two are SO sweet and loving towards eachother, I totally admire that about you too! The love and adoration is so very clear, I dig it!
and i love it when you talk about yours. I feel like we are equally blessed with great men. Now if we could only get us all together. haha.
What a great twist on this post – what and who you are passionate about and what’s driven you. I once again am struck by the strength of your marriage and the love that it’s cemented by. It’s so inspiring, truly, from the depths of my heart! As for me, beginning my blog? I guess I would say I was passionate about starting to talk about my divorce and what I was learning and it really helped me work through so much during that time. I still read old posts and am blown away sometimes. And PS those cookies look awesome!
Jo, thank you! you are such a light in my life and i cannot thank you enough for your words of encouragement. I am so glad that you started blogging because it allowed me to “know” you. <3
awwwh so sweet!! Blogging for me started with Oh She Glows – HUGE inspiration to me (still is)!!!
PS. like I said I would totally try those cookies!
Gotta love Angela. She is amazing, i agree! And i am glad that she inspired you to start blogging. I used some of your great recipes before!
The cookies look rockin! I want to make them soon!
I love that you and the hubby are so fit and focused. Makes me smile!
thanks Melissa. I think he does most of the focusing for us. hehe. Let me know if you try the cookies.
🙂
I’m jealous that you have access to such great gluten-free products! It sounds like you and James are adjusting nicely and he’s loving being back home for a bit with you.
The cookies look intriguing. I know I can get Vegemite at World Market so maybe I’ll give them a whirl : ) And yum, yum on that granola! I am a granola fan and make mine every month. My boys love it!
Nicole
oh yes, get thee to world market!! i bet you’d like these nicole. Hope this season is slow and meaningful for you and your sweet family.
xoxo
Y’all are so cute! He def seems like a pretty cool dude : ). Does he have any single brothers!? Let’s see, I started writing as just kind of an outlet. I’d been reading for a couple yrs and just decided to start my own…I write about nothing specific but it works for me. And I’ve “met” some pretty amazing people, including YOU!
<3
he does, but he’s younger and you’d be taking care of him like we do. haha. I will look for a good kiwi man for you here, k?
😉
Great article on James!
I started blogging because my girlfriend was sick of me telling her what to blog about on her blog. “Just start your own!” So, I did. Now I’m inspired by people who genuinely want to live a healthier life.
Glad things are going well in NZ!
haha, sounds like me. those people gave you a good nudge to start and we are glad they did!
This post was so sweet to read, I love your love for good food, the hubs, and blogging + friends!
I think I would try the cookies if I could get my hands on some vegemite :p
i’m hoping you’d like it just as much i did. hehe. Happy Sunday to you and jimmy. <3
Your passion for life is inspiring!! I love the sweet dedication to your husband. Husbands truly are the best and I too feel so fortunate to be married to such an amazing man!
I started blogging as a way to reflect on my journey of anorexia recovery and infertility. I knew that if I had been through it there were others out there that had also been there or currently going through the same journey. Blogging is also therapeutic for me. Love the connection it brings to others in the blog world. 🙂
adn thank goodness you did Britt. I’m sure so many women find your blog a gift of encouragement. God uses our trials for that reason, right?!
xoxo
All so true Lindsay. In a way, well no, I’m not thankful for my eating disorder one bit, but I am thankful for the lessons it has taught and the connections I’ve made and the people I’ve met because of it
well said! you wouldn’t wish it on anyone else, but it has made you stronger and brought great people into your life.
I’m with you on being thankful for the gluten issues. It’s made me SO much more aware of what I eat and so much more passionate about wellness in general.
yes, because at least we can connect and share in this together. right?
<3
What a sweet post…
I love your passion!
and i love yours, you story is a good one. You should tell it more. <3
Oh, and I started blogging as a way of organising the bazillion recipes in my head – awesome bonus to be able to connect with groovy people like yourself! Always been passionate about REAL food and convincing others that healthy food not only tastes amazing, but makes you feel amazing too 🙂
and i am so glad you did! love being able to connect. speaking of, connect with me tomorrow for sure! christmas market sounds fun! Just shoot me an email. <3
You’re awesome – all my favourite things in a cookie – might have to try a vegan version? Yes yes! How is your schedule this week? Was thinking about taking Misty to the Xmas markets at Riccarton House tomorrow afternoon if you are keen (weather permitting) or else fancy a breakfast date at the Lotus heart either Tuesday or Wednesday morning? I leave Thursday morning and would love to see you again!
Awesome post!! I love this topic!! I started blogging because of my food allergies and then I realized AS I was bloggin healthy treats, I LOVED being seen and helping people….I had low self esteem forever and FINALLY felt free and loved. So it changed into just “me” and life coaching and everything else evolved from it!
xxoo
and now look at you! WOW! such an inspiration to us all and i am so glad i can get more healthy and TASTY recipes from my dear friend Kris.
Now I have another excuse to buy marmite! I love trying fun ingredients in baking. This is officially on the “to make” list!!
I got into fitness because I wanted to get into shape for softball. I loved working out though! Then I started running, and that just made me feel amazing and opened up tons of opportunities for me, so I just went with it!
i’m hoping you’ll like it, maybe? its very “different” so to speak. haha. Let me know if you try out marmite.
and i love how your fitness and brought on your athletic talent, awesome!
I don’t know how I missed that slowtwitch post… I’m on there all the time! Well I guess not as much recently as I haven’t been racing.
My blog originally started as a way for me to keep track of race reports and training and whatnot. I used to post in the Runners World “College Dailies” forum, as well as some of the other boards, and was inspired to take it a step further. 🙂
i have a lot of tri friends who did the same thing. and i am so glad they did! Love that we connect through various way Erika.
My mom getting sick spurred my passion to learn more about health/nutrition, which eventually led me to blogging. Sometimes there is a silver lining to dark times.
thats lovely Maryea, well you know what i mean. that silver lining. Dark times can bring for good character in a person, which you have. <3
I remember the exact moment I started blogging, which is either sad or cool, I suppose. I was sitting on my couch one night reading blogs and thought, I could do that. I had no clue what I was I doing. I’d never made a webpage before, didn’t know how to create a link, I just started a blog on wordpress and learned as I went. Still am actually.
I’ve thought about giving it up when I get busy, but I’m too passionate about it. And I have too much to say. Not always of true significance, but still.
what would i do without my sarcastic Katie? I need that daily dose in my life. Thank you for not throwing in the towel.
p.s.
Glad I have another person obsessed with mustard and weird cookie combos.
I’ve never had vegemite, but the cookies still look really good! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
vegemite takes a required taste, thats for sure. but its good! i like it with butter. Let me know if you try it Lori!
I just love how much you care for your man, you guys are SO awesome! 🙂 Thanks for giving me a warm-fuzzy smile heehee
These cookies sound rockin. I don’t think I’ve ever put granola in a cookie, but if it’s Love Grown, I KNOW it’s gonna be good 😉
it gives me warm fuzzies too. Glad i spreaded that love. Are you home and loving it? bake up some granola cookies!
Hahaha…not quite first 😛 xyx
Oooh…so stoked to be first to comment, lol! :-p I love hearing you talk about your hubs, I think it’s beautiful to share a love with someone and to have them return it to you as well, so thank you for sharing , adn I am so happy for you! <3 Yup, you're right, he is inspiring 🙂 And I wish we had love grown granola here in the UK, it sounds amazing! 😀 Yum cookies! Or as my kiwi would say – sweet-as! 😉 xyx
almost the first one! the fist international blogger. hehe. I wish i could send you some love grown granola. Maybe I can leave some here in CC for you for when you return!
I love how passionate you are. It’s so inspiring and I love the adoration you have towards and for James. It always makes me smile.
Well good, cause it makes me smile too! sorry to hear about the run this morning. Get on that tp massage ball ASAP.