Egg Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last weekend, Golan and I had the pleasure of spending Memorial Day at our friends' house in Elizabeth. We had a lovely day out at their place filled with sunshine, animal lovin', and amazing food. Although I live in the suburbs and rarely venture into Denver, it is always a treat to head in the opposite direction and relax in the country.

As our friend's were providing most of the good eats, it was only right that I bring some sort of dessert. There were a few variables in play here: Our host doesn't eat eggs and we weren't sure just how many people were actually going to be there. Neither of these things are a big deal but I decided to keep things simple with a classic chocolate chip cookie. These are great because you can make as little or as many as you need (unlike a pie or cake which takes a little more work to meet a large range of attendees) and you can switch out ingredients as necessary.

These cookies were particularly exciting for me. I got my inspiration from this crispy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies recipe on Oh! She Glows. As I am not vegan- I only needed the egg free solution- I didn't follow this recipe too closely. Instead, I created my own recipe loosely based on the inspiration. GUYS- I CREATED MY OWN RECIPE! This is a big deal. I have tried to do this in the past and let's just say that no one was asking me how I made them.

And yes- that is my measure of success in cooking and baking. If someone has a genuine interest in your recipe after they have eaten the food, you have succeeded. But seriously all modesty aside, these little guys are the best cookies I have made in a long time. They are chewy and buttery without losing their shape when you pick them up. Great on their own but with the firm (not hard) texture they would be ideal for dipping into a tall glass of milk.

Without further ado- I give you my first cookie recipe! 

Egg Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

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Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 12 Minutes

Yield: 22 Cookies

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Ingredients:

- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 teaspoons water)

- 1/4 cup butter (slightly softened unless you want to spend 10 minutes creaming it later)

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1 cup white whole wheat flour

- 1 cup almond flour (I found mine in the bulk bins at Sprouts but this is pretty easy to find)

- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

- Splash of milk (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and prep baking sheet *

2. Mix your flax egg in a small bowl and let sit for five minutes

3. Cream together butter and both sugars **

4. When butter and sugar are fully combined, add flax egg and vanilla extract.

5. Mix in all remaining dry ingredients until fully combined. It was at this point that I realized my dough was a little dry so I added a splash of milk. 

6. Mix chocolate chips into batter.

7. Roll out 1-inch thick balls of dough and place on baking sheet roughly two inches apart.

8. Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will be puffier while in the oven but will flatten out as they begin to cool.

9. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.

NOTES:

* I like to use parchment paper for the easy clean up but you can use a spray oil or whatever it is that you prefer.

** This is where you would use an electric mixer if you have one. I do not have one so I simply used the flat of my wooden spoon to thoroughly cream together the butter and sugars. While this does take longer and your arms might be a bit sore, it will still work just fine to do this step by hand.

 And there you have it! My very first recipe. Whip up a batch any time and be sure to send me photos on social media and comment down below if you try it out. Also, please share any of your favorite egg free recipes or baking experiences! This is my first experience with it and I would love to know more. As I am fairly new at this, any and all suggestions or comments are welcome.

Be sure to follow the Fashionably M. French Facebook page for updates or you can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Thanks for reading! x

My Skin Savior: Midnight Recovery Concentrate

At the ripe old age of 22, I have come to the conclusion that it is always a good idea in invest in skincare. I have struggled with my skin for many years (mostly blemishes and the subsequent pigmentation with a bit of dehydration). For the longest time, I tried to stick with drugstore brands. I was convinced that there was not a "high end" or "luxury" skincare brand that I could afford. However, I have come to find that there are a number of skincare brands that use quality ingredients that are well within my budget.

I follow a group of beauty bloggers and ALL of them, at one point or another, raved about the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. This little blue bottle touts claims of restoring your skin's appearance and leaving your complexion smoother and more radiant by morning. It uses pure botanical oils which gives it a wonderful fresh scent. Out of curiosity, I googled the product and held my breath as the page loaded the price.

And I was pleasantly surprised. The 1 oz bottle is $46.00 and the 1.7 oz bottle is $70.00. I know that that might still sound expensive to some of you but trust me when I say it is worth it. I usually get the 1 oz bottle and it lasts me MONTHS. I had my first bottle for about a month or two before it spilled in my travel bag and was completely emptied. It's safe to say I was devastated and may or may not have kept the plastic baggy and wiped all of the remnants out with cotton swabs. This stuff is that good. Now that I have a fresh bottle, I apply three or four drops (depending on the condition of my skin) to my moisturizer before applying it in the evening.

As for the claims it makes, they have all held true. My skin was noticeably more radiant and hydrated after just a few days of using the product. I have had a poor experience with serums in the past and was concerned my skin would react poorly again. But there were no bumps or irritation in sight and my skin has continued to improve. It doesn't irritate my incredibly sensitive skin and does not make me break out (My diet on the other hand...). I included the picture above, hyper-pigmentation and all, to show the healthy glow that this product gives my skin. When you struggle with blemishes and dehydration like I do, it can be incredibly difficult to actually achieve healthy skin beneath the imperfections.

All in all this product is a big win in my book! The scent is light and fresh and it feels glorious on the skin AND it does what it says it does. What more could a girl ask for? In fact, I have fallen in love with Kiehl's as a whole since I started using this concentrate. I now use a Kiehl's moisturizer and eye cream and am looking to purchase their facial SPF for the summer.

Let me know in the comments if you have any "holy grail" skin products or brands that you love! Thanks for reading and don't be shy- get in touch!

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Hello, Parsel

As many of you know, this blog is still growing and developing. I am always looking for ways to improve upon Fashionably M. French and am fully aware of just how far I still have to go before I get this baby where I'd like it to be. Recently, in doing my research, I found this neat little thing called Parsel. Parsel is a platform that allows little old bloggers like me to have a one stop shop for my readers. 

WHAT THIS MEANS:

• This means that instead of going through each post and clicking individual links to items you are interested in, they will all be in one place! Simply head over to the shop tab and you can either browse collections or all products at once. 
• Parsel is a secure platform and allows you to check out right on the shop page. You can add items from various retailers and still just have one smooth check-out process.
• If an item is out-of-stock, Parsel will get in touch and refund your payment. Parsel also takes care of things if you would like to return or cancel an order as well!
• Yes- I will be receiving a small portion of any sales made through Parsel. But not to worry, that doesn't change the pricing! (see below)
• All of this and more can be found on the Parsel FAQ page here. 

WHAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN:

• You are not obligated to shop the tab simply because it is there. There is never any pressure to purchase any of the items I mention. I have only implemented Parsel to make things easier for you guys! 
• Parsel does not up the charge for their shoppers- the price you see in the Parsel shop is the same price as the retailer selling the item. 

After looking into it, I determined that Parsel would be the perfect addition to Fashionably M. French. If I ever mention a specific product in a post, that item will more than likely be available in my Parsel shop. As I have not personally bought anything through a Parsel shop, I only have the reviews from other bloggers to rely on. So far so good, but if you have any concerns feel free to get in touch! This will be a learning experience for all  of us. Happy shopping! x

Valentine's Day Treat :: Yogurt Covered Strawberries

In the spirit of being prepared and planning ahead, I have already begun looking over holidays and special days in the year. First up is Valentine's Day. This is the time of year when we all see our single friends post about their anti-Valentine's parties a la "Valentine's Day" and those in relationships begin to upload sappy photos to Instagram and gush about their love life. I am proud to say that I have found a happy medium. I am in my third year of a wonderful loving relationship but I spare everyone on social media from having to read about it all of the time.

Last Valentine's Day, Golan and I thought we would go out and have an absurd amount of food at one of our favorite pizza places nearby (Hellooooo, garlic knots!). Turns out that this particular establishment had decided to create an entirely new menu for Valentine's Day. Not only did they not disclose this vital piece of information when we made the reservation, but they didn't even have pizza available! Not that that mattered much because, after being seated, we waited almost half an hour and were never greeted or even given a glass of water. Needless to say, we decided to leave and try to find another place to eat. We were dressed for the occasion after all and determined to have a romantic evening. Fast forward another hour and we had driven across town and had called all of our favorites with no luck. We ended up eating at Red Robin. We had to eat somewhere or things would have gotten ugly. The food was less than spectacular and our evening ended in the mall food court downing Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

After last year's fiasco, Golan and I have decided to stay in this Valentine's Day. What's better than a Netflix marathon, comfy pajamas and yummy treats? Yeah, I couldn't think of anything either. We have been taking the whole "New Year New You" thing pretty seriously and that means sticking to our clean eating. I would love nothing more than to sit down with a spoon in a big tub of icing but that doesn't exactly look good in my food log. So I decided to try something new! Say hello to one of my new favorite desserts: Yogurt Covered Strawberries. 

This was very much a trial and error process. I tried to make some of the strawberries look like hearts (only some of them were successful) and I thought I would stack one on top of the other (those ended up looking very phallic which might be great for a bachelorette party but not for a cozy night in with my boyfriend). Eventually I just settled for cutting the tops off and popping them on a stick. I loved the way these simple ones turned out and had fun experimenting with different ideas. Get creative and see what you can come up with! I would love to see what your creative minds can think of so please share what you make on Instagram and Twitter. Now, on to the actual recipe.

Voila! Now you can enjoy these super simple treats any time. I recommend taking them out of the freezer to thaw a little before eating them. Golan didn't wait to eat one and he chomped down on a little brick of ice. Let me know if you have any healthy recipes for Valentine's Day. Also, be sure to post your photos of this recipe on Instagram and Twitter and tag me! I would love to see what you all do. 

Please be sure to subscribe via Bloglovin' and follow the Fashionably M. French Facebook page for regular updates. Thanks for reading! xo

All of the little bits and bobs used in this post were found at Target. I went a little mad in their dollar section located at the front. I found the white paper straws with pink hearts, the bronze metal pail, the "Happy Valentine's Day" stamp, the lace heart stamp all for under five dollars! This is not sponsored - I couldn't find links online to any of these items anyways. I just thought I would throw that in here just in case any of you wanted to take a look! <3