Funfetti Cookie Dough Bites

My husband has been wanting funfetti cake for awhile, but I try my best not to purchased pre-packaged items any more and have been baking from scratch as much as possible. I also have been trying out subbing flours, sugars, oils, etc. in an attempt at being "healthier" with our occasional treats.

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Funfetti Cookie Dough Bites 
egg & nut free, can easily be made dairy free with milk substitution, and gluten free with flour substitution

• 15 level tablespoons of whole wheat flour
• 1/8 + 1/16 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 twists on my sea salt grinder
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil (melted just to liquid, not hot)*
• 3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• confetti sprinkles- amount of your choice, I just eyeballed it
• small handful of dark chocolate chips
• 3 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 3 teaspoons raw sugar
• 3 teaspoons milk*

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Mix all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, sea salt, sprinkles, sugars) together in a bowl
3) Add wet ingredients (coconut oil, vanilla, milk) and stir until soft dough forms, similar to play-dough
4) Fold in the chocolate chips (I used my hands)
5) Form into 1/1.5 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet
6) Bake for 8min
7) Remove from oven but let cool on pan for 5min

The recipe made 10 bites for us, we stored the leftovers on the counter in a plastic container. I'm sure you could store them in the fridge or freezer as well. If you wanted them warm just pop them in the microwave for 5-10sec.

*If you aren't a fan of coconut I suggest using a different type of oil or butter as a substitution. My husband and I agreed they were a bit dry and could probably have used a tiny bit more milk, you'll have to play around with to get the consistency you like.
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While they are yummy on their own, I think they would be delicious crumbled over vanilla Greek yogurt or some homemade coconut ice cream!

Do you enjoy trying new recipes? Subbing ingredients? Let me know if you make these and what you think and/or what you changed!
-Tay


This recipe is adapted from ChocolateCoveredKatie.com

Miyazaki Japanese Garden.

Little man and I are on the hunt for things to do around here, rain or shine... and sadly it's been WAY more on the rainy side. I always try to find interesting things to do in my area and google/yelp are sometimes my best friend.

When we arrived it was raining really hard, luckily for me baby had just fallen asleep so I let him snooze while I caught up on some reading, er... Facebooking, hehe. It finally started just drizzling so I got him out and in the Ergo so he could wake up slowly.

This garden isn't very big at all, but it has some really cute features. The entrance and red bridge obviously stand out but I liked the little waterfall and stone sculptures.

How's the weather where you are?
Do you like finding unique places in your area?
-Tay


Little man's outfit:
Button up - Taj Clubhouse Honolulu
Slippers - Locals

Fit Friday! - Mommy & Baby.

Welcome to the first installment of "Fit Friday!" I've partnered up with one of my Island Besties, Adrien, over at Freckled & Free. Every other Friday she's going to bring you a quick easy to do workout to fit into your busy lives! 

If you do the workout let us know in the comments, if you use Instagram you can also hashtag #daringdandelion #fitfriday and tag @thedaringdandelion.

Time to sweat!

-Tay

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Seven Moves for Mommy & Baby  
As moms we do not always have time to make it to the gym. These moves will not only give you a nice mini sweat session but will also give you more bonding time with your little one. Who doesn’t want more reasons to kiss and love on their baby?
-Adrien

#1  Forearm Plank
Lay baby on their back between forearms resting directly below you. Make sure when you are in plank form that you have a straight line from neck to feet. Hold for 1 minute.

#2 Push-ups
Lay baby on back and hover over them in a push-up position (modified push-up position pictured). Lower yourself to baby and give them a kiss. 3 sets of 15.

#3 Russian Twists
Seated on the floor with legs bent hold firmly to your baby and twist from side-to-side. 3 sets of 15. Side-to-side = 1 rep.

#4 Upright Row
Hold baby facing out, or facing you. Make sure your elbows come above your shoulders when lifting. 3 sets of 15.

#5 Bicep Curls
Hold baby firmly under arms and curl arms up bringing baby to your face for a kiss. 3 sets of 15.

#6 Standing Twister
Hold baby a few inches from your body and twist sie-to-side. Hold for one breath on each side. Remember to keep your core tight the entire time. Left-right = 1 rep, repeat a total of 30 times.

#7 Shoulder Press
Stand up and hold your baby, then lift baby up in the air engaging your shoulders. If you want and your baby is a dare devil you can toss your baby slightly into the air - sure to produce a giggle & smile! Now you have the correct term for a move your baby already enjoys. 3 sets of 15.

Disclaimer: Adrien is a Beach Body Coach, however all the moves listed are done at your own risk. Please ensure that your baby can hold their head up on their own before attempting any of these moves. Be sure to consult a doctor before starting any exercise program. The Daring Dandelion along with Freckled & Free assume no responsibility for injuries that may occur while completing the moves utilized in this workout.

Busy bee.

I managed to get the baby to play on his own so I jumped on the computer behind him and started clearing out all those unwanted e-mails and unsubscribing from lists that I probably only joined in order to enter a contest.

I love that my desk directly overlooks the deck in our back yard, as I looked out earlier I noticed this little bug crawling around inside the screen (guess I better check for holes). I couldn't really tell if it was a beetle or spider, then all of a sudden it started flying around. So I leaned in really close to the window to examine, and what do you know - it was a baby bee!

The poor thing has been struggling to get out the entire time I've been sitting here. It made me wonder, how often do we get ourselves into situations without having a "way out" (aka: a back-up plan)? How often do we say "yes" because it seems like the right thing to do even though we really don't have the time or resources to fully invest? How often do we put everyone and everything in front of ourselves?

When I was going through a really bad bout of anxiety my husband bought me this book, 100 Great Ideas to Relax and Reduce Stress. I like all the ideas the book has to offer but I found two great lists inside that I've made into printable cards for you to help implement time management and balance into your life.

Click on the cards to view full-size then right-click and choose"save as" or "print."

Ladies... I'm not advocating being lazy, skirting out of responsibilities, or leaving your husband and kids to fend for themselves (although I know plenty of guys that are great cooks!), what I am saying is make sure you give yourself time to do something you love, something that relaxes you, something that calms you and allows you to refresh... don't overload your schedules just because!

How do you relax, unwind, refresh?
-Tay

WhiteFive Designs - Guest Post.

Candi was one of my campus pastors during my time in Arizona State's XA (Chi Alpha). When she's not busy helping lead the next generation or wrangling her three adorable kiddos, she makes amazing signs and re-purposes vintage items with the help of her husband Shawn.

Last month she contacted me wondering if I would be interested in writing a guest post for her awesome "Live Brave" series on her blog...

Check it out here:

WhiteFiveDesigns.com

America.

 "It's cities and farms, it's open arms, one nation under God...

It's America!"

Sadly, I don't believe this is the kind of America we live in anymore... our nation is so divided over race, flags, LGBT marriage, state's rights, the ten commandments, and so many more items that I could go on all day.

Maybe for today we can all sport our red, white, and blue outfits, BBQ with our family and friends, enjoy some fireworks, be thankful for the freedoms we do have and those who sacrificed for them.  

Maybe for one day we can just enjoy this beautiful place we live.

May God Bless you and your family today!

-Tay

 "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new."

Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT

Hello. Hello.

Aloha!
I am not new to blogging in any form but I finally decided I needed a place to call " home" that wasn't confined to a certain niche or subject. I had a LiveJournal (remember those?) before they were "cool," I have a personal blog for my family, for my senior internship in college I wrote about being an MWR Intern, and for a few years I dabbled in the MilSpouse Blogging World, but ultimately didn't continue any except for my family one.

So why Daring Dandelion?

DARING

Definition: Adventurous or audaciously bold.
While I am admittingly neither of these all the time, I strive to be daring in this crazy ever changing life of mine!

DANDELION

"If a Christian would take the form of a flower, what would it be? Some would say a rose, some might say a tulip, and yet others would say a daffodil. I on the other hand, say that a Christian is called to be a dandelion, because a dandelion has all the attributes of a Christian witness.

• A dandelion is the first sign of hope in the spring
• A dandelion is the first expression of love, for it is the first "flower" usually given to a mother by a small child.
• A dandelion makes itself known in the neighborhood quickly.
• A dandelion is not conscious of class and equally casts itself on the rich and the poor.
• A dandelion provides beauty and color where nothing else will grow.
• A dandelion can be cut, trampled, dug up, or pulled up and still bounces back with its witness as though nothing happened.
• A dandelion is a victim of slander, for some people call it a weed, but it pushes on undaunted to conquer the world.
• A dandelion is very neighborly.

Wouldn't it be great if we would all act and witness like dandelions?"

     - Author: Unknown

Copied from my ABOUT page, just in case you ever want to revisit this!
-Tay