Skinny Monkey Oats Cookies

If you have a couple of ripe bananas sitting on your counter and want something sweet but don't want to wait on a loaf of banana bread to bake then these cookies are for you! Loaded with banana, peanut butter and chocolate and a healthy treat, you won't be sorry you tried them out.

Skinny Monkey Oats Cookies
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 14 servings
Serving size: 3 cookies.

3 whole bananas
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 Tbsp reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup natural apple sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or lightly spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium size bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Let batter stand for 15-20 minutes (this helps soften up the oats and will give the cookie a nice chew).
4. Using a teaspoon to scoop, drop batter onto cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. 

Per Serving 3 cookies:

Calories: 105
Calories from fat: 29g
Fat: 3g
Saturated fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 2g
Sugars: 6g
Sodium: 10mg

Source: skinnymom.com

Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn

I am a huge snacker, some days I realize I haven't really eaten a meal I have just snacked all day! Eating like that can definitely get me in to trouble so I try to keep healthier snacks around for those days when I just want to snack! Popcorn is great and full of fiber, you just have to be careful of what you put on it. While my grandma is completely happy using her air popper to make a batch of popcorn and she will eat it plain, that just doesn't work for me. I have tried it and just can't do it! So luckily there are some healthier and delicious ways to top it. If you love coconut and almonds you will love this recipe! Perfect combination of salty and sweet, I think I will have to make another batch today!

Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn
 Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup popcorn kernels
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/2-1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 ½ cups unsweetened toasted coconut chips
1 cup Blue Diamond Toasted Coconut Almonds

In a large pot with a lid, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add in 2 or 3 popcorn kernels, when those pop you know the oil is hot enough. Add in the popcorn kernels and sprinkle the sugar over them.  Cover and stir or shake the pan until the popping slows down. The popcorn should be done popping in about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the kettle corn into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss. You may want to start with a little less salt and then add more depending on how salty/sweet you like your popcorn. Add the toasted coconut chips and Toasted Coconut Almonds.

This recipe is still great even if you don't have or don't like coconut chips and the toasted coconut almonds. You can also sub regular plain almonds or roasted and salted almonds. If you don't want to spend the time toasting the coconut in a pan or in your oven just throw it on without toasting, it's still tasty. And if you want the popcorn a little sweeter use sweetened coconut. You have lots of options here!

Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Start Lifting Weights Now!

Women need to be lifting weights, it's as simple as that. I know many of you out there are thinking but I don't want to get bulky. Well no need to worry, you won't! You need muscle mass and lifting weights is the fastest way to get that while burning fat and effectively losing those stubborn pounds that your body is hanging on to. Here are three great reasons to get in the gym today and pick up those weights!

Post-workout benefits: When you add weights to your workout your body recruits energy. Lucky for you most of that energy comes from stored fat, just like in a steady cardio workout. The difference though is that weight lifting requires double the energy! It will feel like you are working less but even after you leave the gym you will be burning more calories. Every time you lift weights you are challenging and "damaging" your muscles and it takes extra energy to repair them. This is called the EPOC effect. Weight lifting not only burns fat, but it maintains and builds muscle mass whereas in steady cardio training, you’re losing fat and muscle together.

Strong muscles equals strong bones: Women who lift weights have a higher bone density. Any time you add stress to your body it has to respond by adapting. Surprisingly bones are not perfectly rigid structures,  they grow and adapt to your physical activities. When you are building up skeletal muscle you are also building up bone strength which is critical for women, especially those over 50.

Power up your weight loss: We all get to that dreaded point where we hit a plateau and those pounds just won't budge. If this happens to you, or to avoid this happening, add in weight lifting once or twice a week. This will change the way your body utilizes fat and calories, it is almost like it shocks your system. An important thing to remember is that you shouldn't rely on the scale to show progress, it's smarter to break out that tape measure instead! Muscle is denser but leaner than fat. So the number on the scale may not be moving but the inches will be coming off.

Source: Skinnymom.com

Sunny Delight-Light Lemon Bars

Lightened up lemon bars are the perfect easy treat. I often will cut back on the sugar to make them a little more tart. I love a good lemon bar that isn't too sweet and is perfectly tart! Try these hot from the oven. Let them cool about 10 minutes after you take them out and then dig in, they are so good warm!

Light Lemon Bars
16 servings

3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 T
2/3 cup granulated sugar plus 3 T
1/2 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
1 T water
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 T powdered sugar

Coat an 8X8 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour and 3 T sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Pat mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, combine egg and egg white. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining sugar and flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 T water and baking powder. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until it is slightly thickened. Pour mixture over baked layer in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes more or until the edges are light brown and the center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into 16 bars. Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition facts (per bar):
100 calories
1g protein
17g carbs
3g fat

Some other great variations of this recipe:

• Spoon fresh berries on top for a burst of color and antioxidants. My favorites are strawberries or raspberries!
• Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves to the flour and sugar when you're making the crust. It may sound odd but the earthiness of the her compliments the zestiness of the lemon.
• Garnish with toasted coconut. You can prepare the coconut flakes in a 350 degree oven in a single layer on a baking sheet for 6-8 minutes, stirring once.