[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. easy protein cookies.

i am obsessed with these cookies!

if you've been keeping up with my marathon chronicles series, you'd know that i'm trying to increase my protein intake during my marathon training...and i'm looking for variety. sure, the drinks are the best way to take in all that protein, but i can only handle so many shakes. this 3-ingredient cookie is so quick and easy to make, that i whipped up this batch amid the morning rush.

there are variations of this recipe all over the web, and i just had to try it for myself. i was skeptical that you could make a cookie out of just bananas, but you can. and it's good! 

i'm gonna be honest. not good as in gourmet, rich, gooey chocolate, sugary-sweet good...but healthy, getting-all-my-protein-and-it's-something-other-than-a-shake good. 

easy protein cookies:

1 large banana

1 cup oats

1 scoop protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)

optional add-ins:

walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, peanut butter

mix ingredients in a bowl.

drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

*approximately 4g protein per my nine cookies.

in this particular batch, i added a tablespoon of peanut butter and a few shakes of cinnamon, then topped the cookies with a couple of chocolate chips for sweetness. of course, you can play around with the recipe until you are happy with the consistency and flavor.

in fact, another variation is to use less oats for a more runny consistency and make pancakes.

and as always, you don't have to be training for a marathon to make these cookies. you can leave out the protein powder if it's not needed.

do you have a quick and easy recipe to share?

[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.

just another black dress.

finding the perfect basics, like a simple black maxi dress, can be an expensive task. you might purchase several wrongs before you find that almost perfect one. i would consider this the perfect black maxi dress except that it's two sizes too big. i have the straps tied up in knots, but i'll eventually sew them properly. until them, here's to another almost perfect black dress.

happy father's day to all the dads out there. and if you ladies want a simple side dish to add to your father's day meal, scroll down for a recipe.

what's something you buy repeatedly until you get it right?

roasted squash

- butternut squash, 1" cubes, 2-3 cups (find it at costco)

- minced garlic

-salt & pepper

- olive oil, 2-3 tbsp

- onion

toss squash/onion with oil and garlic, salt & pepper to taste, bake on cookie sheet at 350° for 25-30 mins.

(dress via local store; sole society shoes; darby smart bag; 9th & Elm necklace)

the cigarette pant + a smoothie.

just trying to get as much use out of this jacket before it gets too warm. wearing it here with JustFab's new ankle cigarette denim in white. these crisp white denims will be perfect in the spring with brights and fun prints. for now, i'm loving a neutral palette that provides a nice backdrop for statement pieces.

we didn't get to do half the things we wanted to do this weekend because it rained constantly. i felt bad that mini-he wasn't able to get out and do anything, so when he asked to make "jamba juices", we did. it was a nice change from the green (and orange) juices i've been drinking.

how was your weekend?

did you get to do everything you wanted to do?

wine night with the mamas.

smoothie:

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 banana

5-6 strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup almond milk*

sugar/agave/honey to sweeten (optional)

*original recipe called for 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup almonds which would give the smoothie a nice chunky texture. i didn't have almonds, so i just used almond milk instead.

(bag and denim c/o JustFab; Lulu's shoes;

LA Hearts jacket; shop lately necklace)

*     *     *

what would you do with $500?!

enter to win a $500 amazon gift card.

second winner gets 100.

leather-sleeved utility jacket.

this jacket is another score from the buy one, get two free promo i mentioned in my last post. these two jackets (this one and the varsity jacket) weren't on my radar, but i did love this striped sweater. so when i heard that i could get two items free, i didn't hesitate grabbing these two jackets. it was an ideal situation because i'm usually hesitant to spend money on cold-weather items. now i have these options in my wardrobe, and i didn't have to spend a dime on them. so what if i live in hawaii...these jackets will have their day(s).

i had an extra tub of greek yogurt on hand, so i made some yogurt pops...in a cake pop pan. this super simple recipe only calls for 1 cup each of blueberry yogurt and blueberries. i only had plain yogurt on hand, so i added honey to sweeten it. the minis loved them, and i have been loving them after my treadmill runs.

here's my modified recipe:

1 cup plain greek yogurt (i used fage)

1/4 cup honey (or agave)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

blend everything (or just mash fruits and stir into yogurt)

and freeze at least 2-3 hours. add your popsicle sticks

after they harden a bit.

(jacket via pacsun; denim c/o JustFab; vans shoes;

Patty's Closet tee; necklace via ShopLately)

a few to try:

*     *     *

need to update your wardrobe for spring?

enter to win a $500 Amazon gift card

hooded jacket + brussel sprout salad.

say you buy a jacket because it's better than or slightly different from the previous one(s) you purchased...but you continue to wear the previous one(s). is that still considered a quest to find the right jacket? or is it a jacket obsession? i originally wanted a green military/surplus parka and bought this one, but it wasn't olive green. so i got this one, but it's way too hot. then i found this one, but it's more like a shirt. well, this one came along...love, but it's camo. finally, i stumbled upon this one. it's green, hooded, lightweight, and has a drawstring waist. perfection? or perfect till the next one comes along?

i finally had a chance to make a brussel sprout salad since seeing recipes floating around the blogosphere. after a random google search for recipes, i took bits from a couple different ones depending on what i had in the kitchen, and whatever methods would be the easiest. scroll down for my recipe.

Brussel Sprout Salad

20-25 brussel sprouts

1/2 medium red onion

1/3 c grated parmesan (or pecorino romano)

chopped roasted almonds (or toasted walnuts)

dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

remove any bad leaves, cut off the ends, and soak in water.

for the dressing:

simply add all ingredients to a jar, cover, and...

thinly slice red onion and soak in water for 15 minutes.

slice brussels by hand (or mandolin slicer), chop almonds.

toss everything together and serve.

i forgot to take a good picture of the salad,
but here's one from my phone.
 i really enjoyed this salad. you could add cranberries for a little sweetness...add anything you want, for that matter. i'm thinking kale would make the ultimate "green" salad.

(mossimo jacket; nine west heels; juicy couture bag)

try these:

experimenting with extremes. blues.

i recently had my first jello shot. i mean, how could i resist when my neighbor served them like cute lemon wedges. after we devoured them, she proceeded to make beverages with the fruit she scooped out by throwing them into vodka + lemonade.

talk about not letting anything go to waste.

i wanted to see how many blue things i could throw into

this outfit. pretty much everything except the shoes. wait...darn...come to think of it, i do have

a pair of blue heels...haha.

looking forward to hanging out at my

friend's beach house this weekend.

what are you guys up to?

vodka-infused gummy bears and jello wedges.

here's a recipe i want to try:

pink lemonade jello shots

12 lemons

1 cup pink lemonade

2 packages plain gelatin

1 cup vodka

cupcake pan

- cut lemons in half, scoop out insides

- add lemonade to saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over juice,

let sit for 2 minutes

- heat lemonade over low heat, stir until gelatin dissolves, about 5 minutes

- stir in vodka, pour into lemons

- refrigerate, about 4 hours

- slice and enjoy

(source: tablespoon.com)

in case you missed it:

experimenting with extremes . florals

experimenting with extremes . animal prints

experimenting with extremes . stripes deux

try these:

twelve down.

december is gone, and in looking back at my resolutions,

here's a quick recap of the month:

sleep early - same as last month...i'm always up later

than usual during the holiday season.

exercise - does shopping count?

girl time - check! a couple of christmas get togethers with the girls, a couple of wine nights with the neighborhood mamas,

and a few drinks with an old high school friend.

 read - eek, no reading AGAIN this month.

one-on-one mini time - both minis were on break from school, so we spent a lot of time together. i did have some one-on-one time with mini-he as we put together all his lego sets.

try something new - check! learned some new crafts,

participated in a christmas card exchange hosted by

sunny days & starry nights, and made homemade salsa!

organize posts - check! caught up on a few reviews for the gea boot and the jola boot from JustFab, shared jane's addiction's latest album, and even got in a giveaway for some cool items that were part of the dobel tequila + perry farrell collaboration.

(you can enter the giveaway here)

how was your december? did you try something new?

christmas card exchange.

mini-he can put together the lego sets by himself now!

homemade salsa...a friend's recipe:

bunches of cilantro, anaheim pepper, onion, garlic, garlic salt, lime & lemon juice, and tomatoes all in a food chopper.

glittered paper rolls made into flowers.

spontaneous wine night with the neighborhood mamas...

this was my favorite of the night.

(f21 sweater; DIY skirt; zara shoes)