They don’t call it the Grand Canyon for nothing. Since 1919, this amazing National Park is home to some of the most spectacular views and outdoor experience this majestic planet has to offer. It has unmatched vistas offered to visitors along the rim. For the experienced hiker or for those who just want a nice stroll, the Grand Canyon bids excitement and adventure for every one of the five million annual visitors.

At its deepest, the Grand Canyon is 6,000 vertical feet from rim to river and in some places rim to rim is as much as 18 miles across. We can get a spectacular glimpse of millions of years of erosion in one breathtaking moment of the Grand Canyon.

Hiking and adventure are just a few hours away from the Wasatch front. Exercise is something we all could use, and it can feel less like exercise when hiking the terrain of the prodigious Grand Canyon. Don’t forget to take plenty of water for hydration and snacks to keep your body energized with enough nutrients and calories. A recommended and enjoyable snack to take with you on your summertime adventures is the Trail mix cookie. A friend of mine gave me a fantastic recipe for this delicious snack. With the recipe she sent me this note:

A while ago, my parents were talking about some of their adventures when they lived in the Grand Canyon, and (being the foodie I am) I was particularly attracted to their mention of trail mix cookies. They were not only a delicious dessert, but were healthy enough to be eaten as snacks on hikes! This mother’s day, I decided to bake my mom my take on those nostalgic cookies.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup flax seed
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Cream the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, honey and eggs together.
3. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt.
4. Add to the creamed mixture gradually and beat until blended.
5. Stir in the oats, fruits, seeds and chocolate chips.
6. Mix well.
7. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Go out and enjoy the beauty of nature. But don’t forget to take a good snack like the trailmix cookie.

Recipe by Becca Bobzien

To contribute your own recipe contact me at dayton@wasatchveg.com

I’m totally loving the new whole grains movement. I’m an ingredient label reader, and have been doing so on bread labels for the past couple years. However, as an avid baker and cookie maker, I’ve been resistant to adopt whole grains simply because I was afraid they wouldn’t be quite the same as “regular” cookies. So I set out on a mission…make a whole grain, nutrient-rich cookie that even my picky husband would enjoy. Part of this was taking the core of a good cookie recipe and including tasty, yet healthful, ingredients to make a cookie. I also made my first purchase of whole wheat flour, which I’d been resisting only for the fact that I was afraid of changing a formula I’d worked years at perfecting. So instead, I threw all the old recipes out and started anew with a recipe I made up on the spot, and it actually turned out pretty good. If it’s a little too “wheaty” for you, you may want to use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup white flour.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Oat Cookies

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried whole blueberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, blend together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Cream together butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry mixture to creamed butter. Stir in oats. After oats are fully incorporated, fold in blueberries and white chocolate chips. Blend together well.

Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls of dough, place on prepared cookie sheet and gently smash down. Sprinkle tops of unbaked cookies with white sugar. Bake for 13-14 minutes. Cool on rack.

By Kim Bedwell