Two Tart Treats! (Lemon Muffins and Lemon Cookies) and Fun Events

 

Zesty Lemon Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 c whole wheat flour (or 2 c ground oats "oat flour")

1 lemon (chop off ends, then chop lemon into pieces including peel, remove seeds)

10 pitted dates

3 large, ripe bananas

1/2 c ground flaxseed

Combine dry ingredients, making sure there are no chunks of baking soda or powder remaining. In food processor or blender, mix bananas, dates, and lemon chunks. Next, incorporate wet and dry ingredients, just until all the dry is wet, careful to keep it fluffy, by not overmixing. Divide evenly into a muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Muffins will come out of silicone "tins" better after cool.

Also, you will probably have a large dollop of batter left that you can cook in microwave for 45 seconds to get a preview of your yummy treats! You can also do this with the cookies below!

If you don't mind a somewhat denser muffin, using oat flour will make your muffins even healthier!

Zesty Lemon Cookies with a Cherry on Top

3 c chickpeas (I prepared in slow cooker from dry, would be about 2 cans)

24 pitted dates (Costco sells a large bag of organic, pitted)

1 c oats

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon (about a 1/4 c)

1 Tbsp vanilla

Optional: dried cherries, unsweetened

Warm up the chickpeas and dates in the microwave (1-2 min) for ease of blending. Then combine all ingredients in food processor until well mixed. Put scoops onto a cookie sheet. I use a silicone baking sheet over a metal baking sheet. These cookies don't change size during baking so I can fit 26 cookies on one sheet. I put unsweetened dried cherries into the middle of some of the cookies, for a cherry on top! ☺️Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Upcoming Events

A Potluck on Monday:

Fresh-You Classes at Health 360:

Happy Earth Day 2026! Our Power, Our Planet, Our Plate!

Our Power, Our Planet: Why Your Lunch is the Ultimate Climate Action

• While big policy changes matter, the "power" truly lies in our daily choices—especially what we eat.

• If you want to see the global impact of these choices, one resource to check out is the Plant Based News YouTube channel. You can see exactly how a plant-based shift is cooling the planet and saving trillions of gallons of water, and so much more. See PBN intro below.

• The Fresh-You Call to Action: "Did you know that switching to a plant-based meal just once a day can save roughly 1,100 gallons of water? 🤯 I challenge you to try switching one meal to plant-based foods today!

"Earth Day Watchlist"

Feed Your Mind this Earth Day for a Greener You

• Watch Vegan 2022 if you want to see how our collective lifestyle choices are already reshaping the world.

• Watch Plant Based Treaty if you want to see how we can change global policy from the ground up.

• The Fresh-You Call to Action: "Which video inspired you most? Tell us in the comments!"

Plant Based News YouTube Channel

Whether you’re a long-time vegan or just curious about why everyone is talking about oat milk, Plant Based News (PBN) is the go-to digital hub for the modern plant-based movement.

Founded by Klaus Mitchell and Robbie Lockie, the channel has grown from a grassroots project into a multi-award-winning media powerhouse.

Here is a quick introduction to what makes the channel a staple in the community:

The Mission: "Impact Media"

PBN doesn't just share recipes; they position themselves as an impact media platform.

Their goal is to educate and inspire by unpacking the complex data around health, environmentalism, and animal ethics through high-quality storytelling.

What to Expect on the Channel

With over 1,500 videos and a global following, their content library is incredibly diverse:

• The "Vegan 20XX" Series: Their flagship annual documentaries that chronicle the year's biggest shifts in global culture, politics, and the food industry.

• Exclusive Interviews: High-profile sit-downs with leading figures—from doctors like Michael Greger and Neal Barnard to celebrities, athletes, and environmental activists.

• Breaking News: Rapid-fire updates on industry shifts, such as new plant-based product launches, legislative changes, and the latest climate reports.

• Health & Science: Deep dives into nutritional research, often featuring "reactions" or breakdowns of current dietary trends (like the rise and fall of certain diet fads).

• The PBN Podcast: Long-form conversations that explore the philosophy and personal stories behind the world's most influential plant-based voices.

Why It Matters in 2026

As the plant-based industry has matured, PBN has shifted to cover more nuanced topics—like the role of AI in animal advocacy, the rise of cultivated meat, and the intersection of lifestyle medicine and chronic pain recovery.

Whether you are looking for evidence-based health advice or a deep dive into how plant-based living is affecting global biodiversity, PBN provides a professional, "mainstream" news-feel to a movement that was once considered fringe.

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Quick Tip: If you're new to the channel, their "Most Popular" tab is a great place to start, particularly their short documentaries on body transformations or their deep dives into the environmental impact of various industries.