[image via Tumblr]
This is it. The home stretch. Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? We’re almost there!
Today marks the beginning of Week 13 of our 14 Week Summertime Slim-down Boot Camp.
Before you get started this week, I want to share some of my favorite Instagram posts that you all shared over the past 13 weeks.
[image via Pinterest]
11 weeks down and 3 to go!
Today starts week 12 of the boot camp and I’m so proud of all of you for working hard and sticking with your workouts thus far.
This post is sponsored by Under Armour.
You know what’s beautiful? That thanks for Under Armour and FitFluential, I’ve got a bunch of new workout gear on its way to my mailbox right now.
But you know what’s EVEN MORE beautiful? The fact that over the next few weeks, together, we’re all going to set goals, push and encourage each other to achieve them, and all along the way, define “What’s Beautiful” on our own terms..
Under Armour Women is hosting the What’s Beautiful Campaign from now until June 21st in order to inspire and motivate women all around the world to push past their comfort zones and achieve what they once thought was impossible. They’re calling it a “competition to redefine the female athlete.”
I believe in baking.
Baking for friends. Baking for family. Baking for coworkers. And even sometimes, for myself.
By now, most of you know that I believe in healthy baking. I’m always looking for replacements to high-calorie sweet treat staples like butter, sugar, and eggs.
Except during the holidays. Because I also believe that if you bake a batch of cookies to gift to a friend, they might start to reconsider your friendship if you skimp out on all the tasty goodness that things like butter and sugar can bring to all the best baked goods.
Which is why I took a healthy, vegan, Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookie recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie and added my own little twist to it. And by twist, I actually don’t mean the swirl topping, I mean butter. I added butter to the batter. So sue me.
You won’t. At least not after you try one of these heavenly, chocolate-filled treats of wonder. It’s almost Christmas. It’s time to celebrate. Plus, 2012 might also be the end of the world, so please, just live a little. And most importantly (more important than the end of the world) remember that it’s always OK to indulge every now and then.
And these cookies are the best way to do it.
(Just saying.)
Ingredients:
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 + 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 T coconut oil
5 T butter (I used unsalted), melted
chocolate & white chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. In a large bowl, mix together the first six ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a thick, fudgy dough is formed and all of the flour is absorbed.
4. Place the dough in a plastic bag and mush it all together into one big ball using your hands. Freeze for 15 minutes.
5. Break apart the dough to create small cookie shaped pieces and place on a greased cookie sheet. (Note: Use a conservative amount of dough for each cookie. Their circumference will increase as they bake.)
6. For “Polka Dot” cookies, press chocolate and white chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie before baking. (For regular chip cookies you can simply fold the chips into the dough before freezing.) *And for swirl-topped cookies, place 2-3 white & chocolate chocolate chips on top of each cookie after removing from the oven. Let sit for 2-3 minutes. When they have softened, take the tip of a small spoon and very gently press down while making a light swirling motion.
7. Bake at 325F for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for an additional 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Imagine being really hungry. Like, you just got back from a long run and your stomach is growling for some protein-packed, nutritious replenishment hungry. Now imagine being able to satisfy ...
This week I realized that living in New York City is going to be a huge test to my patience. One big, huge test, mostly being administered by tourists. Because ...
On Thanksgiving, I baked up a batch of The Lean Green Bean’s “Cranberry Sweet Potato Cottage Cheese Muffins” for my family. I didn’t tell anybody what was in them. I ...
What if I told you that every single one of you could all go out for a run with me right now? I don’t know about you, but to be ...
A lot of Hungry Running was accomplished during the wonderfully weathered Fall month of November. And a lot of new jams were added to my iPod along the way. Here’s ...
Is it Winter yet? Not really, right? OK good, because I’m still talking about Fall. Fall and pizza. Pizza and fall . These are two of my most favorite things. ...
