[oomph] makes. speedy turkey chili.

i'm all about the quick and easy. this turkey chili recipe from prevention magazine caught my eye for several reasons: speedy (duh!), no complicated ingredients, made use of avocado and greek yogurt, both of which i have an overabundance of at the moment.

the cool yogurt and avocado complemented the warm chili perfectly. and, of course, no chili is complete without cornbread! this jiffy corn muffin mix makes mini muffins in 10 minutes. all together a simple and fast meal that you can prep and get on the table in less than 45 minutes.

i tweaked the recipe using what i had on hand.

you can find the original recipe here.

speedy turkey chili

1 chopped onion

6 chopped red sweet mini peppers (like these)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground turkey

1 Tbsp olive oil

*saute in big pot until turkey browns.

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder

*add seasonings and stir.

1 qt low sodium beef broth

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes

*add remaining ingredients and cook 30 minutes.

avocado

plain greek yogurt

tortilla chips

*serve over rice with dollop of yogurt, avocado,

and tortilla chips.

(original recipe called for only 1/2 lb of ground turkey and 1 qt of broth. i normally use 1 lb of meat for my family, so i used the whole tray of ground turkey (about 1.25 lbs). the full qt of broth gave it a soupy consistency, which is fine, but you could probably get away with using much less.)

[oomph] makes. DIY protein bars.

i was originally going to post this in my marathon chronicles series since the reason i'm making them is to increase my protein intake during my training, but you don't have to be training for a marathon to make or enjoy these. 

i like simple, and it doesn't get any easier than these 4-ingredient, no-bake protein bars. plus, you'll save money making your own and have peace of mind knowing exactly what went into them. i'm not against store-bought protein bars when in a pinch, but many of them are high in calories and loaded with sugar.

no-bake homemade protein bars*

2 cups dry whole grain oatmeal

4 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup water or milk

i used whatever i had on hand - regular quick oats, chocolate protein powder, jif peanut butter, and almond milk. i added (chopped up) chocolate chips for extra yumminess.

mix ingredients together in a bowl.

line pan with waxed paper and press mixture flat.

refrigerate for 1 hour.

cut and store in refrigerator.

do you have a favorite protein bar?

have you ever made your own protein bars?

*i searched through tons of websites and recipes and cannot remember the exact site where this recipe came from.

[oomph] makes. succulent terrarium.

search and you will find a superfluous amount of succulent terrarium tutorials on the web. after browsing many of them,

i gave it a go for mother's day. my mom has the greenest thumb and can grow anything. she likes plants and enjoys being in her garden, so i knew that this was something she would appreciate. here's how ours turned out.

what i used:

small glass container

river rocks

all purpose soil

(decorative) moss

variety of succulents

decorations

start with a layer of rocks for water drainage.

*if you use an enclosed container, add a layer of carbon to control moisture, bacteria, and odor.

add soil, arrange plants, and add a layer of moss.

this bright green moss was leftover from mini-she's school project. it was perfect for setting the plants apart from the soil and giving the terrarium an overall finished look.

then personalize it with fun decorations.

mini-he contributed three marbles, and i made a tiny 'happy mother's day' sign out of construction paper and a toothpick.

outcome and thoughts:

overall, this was quick to make; it took about 25 minutes. we literally threw this together an hour before my mom came, so we used whatever we could find. there wasn't a great selection of plants at our local store either. arranging the plants was harder than i expected...i couldn't get them to stand up, and it was difficult to maneuver your hands in the small jar. i'd love to use sea glass next time for more color.

maintenance:

bright, indirect sunlight

water once a week - mist with a spray bottle or

drop in some ice cubes to avoid over-watering.

mother's day gifts for mom.

and, the winner of the $500 Visa Gift Card giveaway is:

Ruby Sparkles

 *     *     *

summer's almost here!

enter the firmoo sunglasses giveaway

[oomph] makes. a valentine's candy-gram.

need a last minute idea for someone special?

a candy-gram is easy and fun to make and will

most definitely put a smile on someone's face.

send this sweet note to a significant other

or modify it for the kids.

supplies:

foam board or presentation board

assorted candies

double sided foam tape

scissors

marker

decorations

your imagination

the fun part is writing the note.

with your candies in mind, think about what you

want to say and get creative.

it's sure to give you a few laughs along the way.

prep any decorations you wish to use.

lay out the candy and write your note around them.

tape your candy and decorations in place

using double-sided foam tape.

voila!

enter the 'share the love' giveaway here!