The healthiest most simple oatmeal cookies EVER!

Time is winding down to my next half marathon, Miami Marathon & Half Marathon. My feeling this time compared to my first two half mary's is so nonchalant. I'm not trying to PR or anything so I'm just looking at it as my long run of the week.  Last week I ran a couple times up to 5 miles and this week I plan on doing a nice walk tonight, a 3 to 5 mile run tomorrow, and then some treadmill work on friday.  Nothing spectacular. My last long run was of 11 miles so I know I should be fine as long as I take my time and enjoy it!  I'm from Miami so I'm excited about running around my city! The scenery should be pretty awesome!

I was so proud of myself Friday for getting through this insane treadmill workout! I was in the gym (at my complex) yelling at myself. I imagined Jillian Michaels yelling at me. Side note for my Biggest Loser fans - I'm team Rachel! I hope she wins. She has done amazing!!!

Now onto food. Cause I know that's why you're here. You want those cookies don't you? Well keep reading! Linking up with What I Ate Wednesday and thought I'd share may awesome eats from the past week. Being eating a lot of salad's on the Blogilates New Body Makeover meal plan. They have all been pretty yummy. Last night was my first time having steak in a salad and it was good!

Southwest Chicken Salad(top left),
Spinach salad with boiled steak (bottom left),
Chicken and Avocado Salad (right)

This week I also made these scrumptious cookies thanks to Blogilates and my delicious egg muffins that are perfect grab and go for breakfast! 

So yes these cookies.

They are the healthiest most simple oatmeal cookies EVER!

Ingredients:

1 banana (make sure it's ripe!)

1 cup of dry oats (I used quick oats)

1/4 cup of dried cranberries (or raisins)

Makes 12 cookies

Set oven to 350.

Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl

(I cut up the banana to make this next part easier)

Now mush everything together.

Yes it will get sticky and icky but keep mushing.

Feel free to use a fork or something instead … oh too late?

Once your finish mushing everything together, scoop it onto a cookie sheet or piece of foil paper.

Bake for about 15 - 20 mins or until slightly golden.

Enjoy!

xoxo, Preshii


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Taste of Fall #2: Phenomenal Pumpkin Chili

I tend to enjoy the Fall season. The weather gets nice - usually make great beach days in Florida -, I start getting in the Holiday spirit, and for the most part when I think of Fall I start to also think of Food. I mean Fall does = Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season approaching in general. And the Holiday season is always full of good food. So I decided I wanted to do something special on my blog every Thursday during Fall. Taste of Fall! 

Every Thursday I plan on having other bloggers come over and Guest Post with Fall Inspired Recipes. Some may be healthy, some may not but I'm hoping they will all be yummy! With that said, let's get to our Guest post!

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Hello! My name is Robin and I am 31 years old living in beautiful Denver Colorado and I have a confession- I do NOT like eating veggies. I wish I did, really. I could blame it on my mom, who managed a fast food restaurant my whole life, but in my heart I know it’s my own dang fault.

All that being said- last night I ate my veggies. They were in the form of chili, but normally I pick around the pieces I don’t want and leave the sad remnants of what could’ve been a nutritious meal in the bowl to feed to the disposal.

Not last night. I ate ALL of it. Twice.

So here you go, the best chili I have ever had (and like any good recipe, it was passed down from a friend who got it from another person who got it from someone else and so on….)

Seriously, so easy. Make it. Eat it. Love it.

Pumpkin Chili

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb hot Italian sausage (I used a sweet Italian sausage)

1 29 oz canned pumpkin

1 14 oz canned tomatoes with green chiles, drained

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper (I doubled the green and skipped the yellow. Yellow is expensive.)

1 medium onion (I used a white one)

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp chili powder

salt/pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute garlic, peppers and onion in olive oil in large pot.

Step 2: Add both meats and cook until they brown. Add the salt and pepper to make it yummy.

Step 3: Add remaining ingredients, stir to incorporate, and simmer for 30 minutes.

So there you have it my friends. 

The day Robin ate her vegetables, brought to you by her friends from Nerd Fitness.

Robin @ http://unquenchablelaughter.wordpress.com

and on Twitter @foreverlovewins

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Thanks for sharing Robin!! This seems so simple and easy to make! I've never had chili with italian sausage so can't wait to try it!! Make sure you all visit Robin on her blog as well and show her some love! 

This is also like a mini link up.

No rules. 

But if you have a Fall Inspired Recipe you want to share, link up!

Also if you want to Guest Post the recipe, email me at thecoilybombshell@gmail.com!

xoxo, Preshii


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Taste of Fall #1 : Crockpot Apple Butter

I tend to enjoy the Fall season. The weather gets nice - usually make great beach days in Florida -, I start getting in the Holiday spirit, and for the most part when I think of Fall I start to also think of Food. I mean Fall does = Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season approaching in general. And the Holiday season is always full of good food. So I decided I wanted to do something special on my blog every Thursday during Fall.

Every Thursday I plan on having other bloggers come over and Guest Post with Fall Inspired Recipes. Some may be healthy, some may not but I'm hoping they will all be yummy! With that said, let's get to our first post of the season!

This recipe is from Angela over at Happy Fit Mama. It sounds really yummy! I've never had apple butter but I think I must put my crockpot to use very soon!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

8 apples cored and chopped

1 cup unsweetened Organic Apple Juice

cinnamon

1. Core and chop the apples.

2. Place apples in crock pot. Sprinkle with as much cinnamon as you want. (I like LOTS).

3. Set the crock pot to high for 4 hours.

4. After 4 hours, add the unsweetened apple juice. Stir.

5. Let apples cook for 4 hours. Stir every hour.

6. After 4 hours, apples should be browning. Pour the mixture into a food processor. Blend till smooth.

That's it! Really simple recipe. Angela says her and her family has been enjoying the warm Apple butter on toast and in oatmeal! Angela also has a yummy looking healthy pumpkin donut recipe on her blog so make sure you check that out as well!

This is also like a mini link up.

No rules. 

But if you have a Fall Inspired Recipe you want to share, link up!

Also if you want to Guest Post the recipe, email me at thecoilybombshell@gmail.com!

xoxo, Preshii


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Spinach Pizza Recipe + WIAW

Food makes me happy and I am glad that I now have a healthy relationship with it. 

So that I can enjoy it without overdoing it. 

Here are my favorite eats from the past few days. 

I had a phenomenal salad from Designers Green. It's this real exclusive salad and sandwich please. 

By exclusive I mean there are only 2 of them so yup, exclusive.

On Sunday I relaxed at the park and ate me some Italian Ice. So yummy and it has no fat, no high fructose corn syrup, and is only 15 calories per ounce. Can we saw awesome?!

Apparently I'm a danger to myself.

I am learning that I need more recipes. I keep eating the same things over and over again. I can be so lazy but I want new healthier eats. Eating the same ol, same ol makes me have unhealthy cravings like for I don't know - french fries or something gooey like a cupcake. Then I will really feel like a busted can of biscuits.

I am also too lazy to go to the grocery store because honestly I kind of sort hate grocery shopping. I really wish I could get it delivered. It would be so much more easier on my wonderful life. So yeah being lazy meant I had to really think about what I wanted to eat for dinner because I'm pretty much low on things that make me saw ohhhh. But long and behold I decided on a stirfry. I had some zucchini, squash, and okra in the fridge and then remembered I also brought one white potato the other day just to have.

So I whipped up this goodness.

WIAW: Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread.

What I Ate Wednesday?!

A little bit of this and that.

Here are a few things I ate these past few days.

Friday night rambling + Banana pcakes!

This week has been so busy but not busy. Boring but not boring. All of that if you know what I mean. I've procrastinated a lot with school but I'm pretty much all caught up now. One more month before I'm done with my first semester of grad school - THANK YA JESUS!

true story O_O

In the morning I'm going to my first TRX class. TRX was first developed by the Navy SEALS and is supposedly an intense workout. "It is a total-body suspension-training workout, which means it involves working against gravity to perform moves that activate different muscle groups – all while the upper or lower body is suspended above ground." o_O . So I'm EXCITED... sooooo excited .....

......

So I just finished making and eating some banana pancakes. They are so simple and you could probably go make them this very instance. 2 ingredients: Eggs & a banana.  I liked them but maybe not good idea for dinner. Good snack option though! 

You take 2 whole eggs &1 banana. Mix them together smoothly and then on a greased pan or griddle, make them pancakes baby!

Sidenote: anyone else suck at flipping pancakes? No? Just me. Oh ok. 

Yup total and utter complete fail.

I got the recipe for my new obsession Blogilates. Here is a video of Cassey showing how to make them! 

Anyway enough of me procrastinating, back to homework I go. Blah. With a little bit of TLC channel. It's wedding Friday. I'm addicted to these shows. Say yes to the dress, four weddings, something borrowed, etc. I love wedding shows. Don't judge me.

xoxo, the coily bombshell

Lasagna SANS Pasta!!!

I now have a friend who is finger tip less thanks to this lovely recipe. Please use caution and follow all directions when using a mandolin. We had to learn that the hard way when my friend sliced off a small piece of her pinky fingertip skin. It's okay to laugh. She lived and we still ate well.

This was my first VERY first time making Lasagna and I decided to make it sans pasta. Instead of pasta, Zucchini was used. Making it less in carbs and giving you more vegetables yet tasting just as amazing! I promise you won't even realize there aren't any noodles!

Zucchini Lasagna

Things needed:

9 x 13 casserole baking dish

Mandolin slicer to slice the zucchini 

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% lean beef or extra lean ground turkey (I used ground turkey!)

3 cloves garlic diced

1/2 onion diced (used a sweet/yellow onion)

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper (I also added in red pepper flakes for a little spiciness!)

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick

15 oz part-skim ricotta

16 oz part-skin mozzarella cheese, shredded 

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (I found this at Wholefoods but could be other places. Basically parmasan cheese!)

1 large egg

Directions:

Using a mandolin slice up the zucchini into thin slices. If you're anything like me and this is your first time using a mandolin they may not all come out looking amazing but don't worry they don't have to be perfect! Once done, sprinkle with salt and set aside. The salt will cause a lot of the moisture inside of the zucchini to come out.

Next, season the meat with salt and pepper and then brown/cook the meat. When cooked drain in a colander to remove any excess fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add canned tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.

While that is simmering, blot of the excess water that has appeared on the zucchini and then grill them. 1 to 2 mins per side. I used my George Forman grill but you can probably use a pan or an actual grill if you have one. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well. 

In a 9x13 casserole spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil. I had about 3 rows of sauce, 2 rows of zucchini, 2 rows of ricotta, and 3 rows of mozzarella. 

Bake 45 minutes covered at 375°, then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 - 10 minutes before serving. Then enjoy!!!

Servings: 8 yummy ones!

Calories: 345 calories per serving according to Skinny Taste! 

This recipe is compliments of Skinny Taste

What is your favorite Italian Dish?

Have you ever tried making a "healthier" lasagna?

xoxo, the coily bombshell