THE BEST OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

A version of The Vegan 8's recipe for Fall cookies with my own twist!

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats (**if using regular oats, add 2 tbsp oat flour)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• A few dashes of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Wet ingredients:

• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoon pure grade a maple syrup
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon packed vegan buttery spread 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 flax egg
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. (minus the raisins)
3. In a large bowl, beat together the wet ingredients until creamy. Then, carefully fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Then fold in raisins.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scooper) onto the prepared sheet pan. Chill dough at least 30 min.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and the tops are slightly cracked. Let them cool at least 10 minutes (they will continue to cook) and transfer them to cool completely on a rack.
6. ENJOY!!  And sometimes I even made a Oatmeal Creme Pie with them by adding frosting in the middle!

CHICKPEA STEW

Turn on the insta pot to the saute function. Add in the following ingredients to saute for several minutes.

Add in

• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 dash (or a few) of cayenne
• 2 1/2 tsp paprika

Then add in the rest of the ingredients, stir till combined. Cook on High for 10 minutes, let it naturally release for 10 min, and then release the valve.   Serve over brown rice and ENJOY!!

• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed)--I use fresh chickpeas and just measure out the equivalent amount
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 10 oz baby spinach
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and Pepper

OREOS (Raw & Vegan!)

For the Cookie:

1 cup almonds
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 cup medjool dates (pitted)
1/4 cup maple syrup
water for consistency

For the Cream filling:

3/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
dash of sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

1st: Make the cream filling.  You may need to scrape down the sides a few times.  Then put in refrigerator to harden.

2nd: Blend the almonds 1st.  Then add in cacoa.  Blend.  Add the rest of the ingredients, scraping down the side when needed.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. 

3rd: Make tablespoon size cookies and place on parchment paper. Place in freezer to harden.

4th: After about 15-20 minutes, place filling on one side of the cookie, top it with another cookie.  Finish the batch and place cookies back in freezer to harden.

5th: After about 20 minutes, ENJOY!!!

"NO TUNA" SALAD

• 
  
• 15-20 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained (kind of smashed up)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 teaspoon Dijon or spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced pickle
• 1 apple, diced
• Salt, Pepper, paprika to taste

Mix all ingredients together.  Eat as is or enjoy as a sandwich!! 

CHOCOLATE FRUIT DIP & COCONUT FRUIT DIP (Vegan Friendly)

Both of these dips are AMAZING and seriously will be gone in a heartbeat...whether you are making it just for yourself or for a gathering, everyone will love them!  

Chocolate Fruit Dip
Put all ingredients in a blender (may need to scrape it down a few times) & blend until smooth!
2 avocados
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 tablespoons almond milk

Coconut Fruit Dip
Refrigerate 1 can of coconut milk overnight.

The next morning, scrape out the thick cream on top & place in a blender with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla extract. 

Blend until smooth (may need to scrape it down a few times).

ENJOY both dips with your favorite fruit!!  Seriously this is going to be my go to thing to bring to parties this summer!!

SWEET POTATO PIZZA CRUST

For the Crust:

3 medium-large sweet potato, baked and skin removed (I used my insta pot and it was so fast!)
2 cup oats, ground in a ninja blender or coffee grinder
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes2 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 Tbsp pizza seasoning
Coconut oil, to grease cast iron

(Adjust quantities based on how big your pan is!)

• 
  
• Blend all ingredients together until smooth in a food processor or Ninja Blender.
• Smooth out the crust ingredients into the oiled cast iron pan till it is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then flip and back for another 15-20 minutes.

• Spread sauce on top, then cashew parmesan cheese , then vegan cheese.  We use a cashew nut cheese that tastes ridiculously good!
• Put back in oven until warmed up and cheese melted.  ENJOY!!

80 DAY OBSESSION LAUNCH- NEW WORKOUT PROGRAM!

​I am so excited to announce that the 80 Day Obsession challenge packs are officially LIVE!! That means you can finally get your hands on the tools and accessories you need to CRUSH this program with me in my Beta Launch Challenge Group!   I have been talking a lot about this program but in case you are curious what it looks like, here is a little promo video of it: VIDEO Autumn is the creator of 21 day fix (along with many other programs) and I can honestly say that program changed my life in the way I was eating, portion control, what I was eating, and the kinds of workouts I was doing!   To be a part of the group, you must have Beachbody on Demand and you must commit to replacing one meal a day with Shakeology. Having Beachbody on Demand gives you access to EVERY SINGLE WORKOUT PROGRAM Beachbody has ever created (plus new releases) for 1 year...literally cheaper than a gym membership at less than $10 a month!  Hello Game Changer!   Don't forget the BONUS incentives... If you order between Dec.14 and Jan.14, you will automatically get a $10 discount on your challenge pack order. (From Beachbody) You get a $10 amazon gift card from ME!   If you are a CURRENT COACH OR CUSTOMER, here are your challenge pack options: Shakeology & Performance Mega Completion Pack - click here to order Shakeology, 2 Energize, 4 Recover, Portion Fix containers, shaker cup, bands, sliders, intro guide, calendar

Accessories & Performance Bundle - click here to order
2 Energize, 4 Recover, Portion Fix containers, shaker cup, bands, sliders, intro guide, calendar




Shakeology & Performance Combo Pack - click to order
Shakeology AND Performance Stack, Portion Fix containers, shaker cup, bands, sliders, intro guide, calendar




Performance or Shakeology Completion Pack
click here to order Performance version
click here to order Shakeology version
Shakeology HD OR Performance Stack HD, Portion Fix containers, shaker cup, bands, sliders, intro guide, calendar





Obsession Accessories - click here to order
Portion Fix containers, shaker cup, bands, sliders, intro guide, calendar

​

If you are a SIGNING UP AS A COACH...

You will use this link to order your challenge pack. First, you will fill out the coach sign up information on the front page and then you will order your challenge pack on the second page, which will waive your $40 coach sign up fee. 

(plus get 25% off of all future purchases through beachbody!)

AFTER YOU PURCHASE your challenge pack, please email me so I can get you added to the Beta Launch Group on Facebook!

Lynn Gugliuzza
LynnG258@gmail.com

CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER SWIRLED ICE CREAM

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Swirled Ice cream

It is as good as it looks. Amanda and I have a HUGE sweet tooth at night and we are always so tempted to steer off of our meal plan. This was the perfect solution to make and have in the freezer.

Chocolate layers: Frozen bananas blended with a little almond milk.

PB layers: PB mixed with a little almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup

Chips are dark chocolate vegan chips.

This is 100% vegan, 100% full of flavor! Now…to see how long it actually lasts in the freezer 

SHIFT SHOP RESULTS

Seriously I feel like a Ninja right now with all of my energy, mental clarity, and determination. 

*BETTER habits have formed!! 
*I FEEL less bloated 
*My energy is through the roof
*I am a lot happier

I am now taking on round 2 and continuing this momentum I have gained. 

-Program is so much fun
-Takes me back to my college soccer playing days
-The modifier is a great option
-The trainer just INSPIRES the HECK out of you!!

I loved being in an accountability group with other challengers going through the 1st round of this program. We kept each other motivated and are getting some MAD CRAZY RESULTS with this 3 week rapid results program! (More result pictures in comments)

IT. WORKS!!😮

Interested in the next round?? Send me a message NOW!

Meal Plan for 1st week of June

We are ready to rock the 1st week of June!  With several social life events over the past few weekends, temptations have been everywhere!  We have had cheat meals here and there but this week we will surely be on track.  

We will be following the 21 day fix vegan meal plan option with:
5 Green containers (veggies)
3 Red containers (protein)
3 Yellow A containers (carbs)
1 Yellow B container (carbs)
1 Purple container (fruit)
1 Blue container (healthy fat)
1 Orange container (seeds/dressing)
2 tsp (oils)

For the actual meal plan, I have added that below along with the grocery list for 2 people.  We will be sure to hold each other accountable this week, even with the healthy treats we always keep in the fridge.  Even though there are healthy, we should not be eating several each right before bed!

For the meal plan we have been loving a lot of raw vegetables lately so it is mostly tons of washing veggies and chopping.  Watch the video to see what that meal prep fridge looks like afterwards. Have a great start to June and get ready for summer!!

Meal Plan for the week!

Meal plan for the week is kinda boring, kinda repetitive but with this nice weather we want to spend less than an hour doing meal prep this week. So that means lots of raw veggies, minimal variety, and quick meals. 

With any meal we make, I don't include what spices we use but we always add a little flare to it. Our two favorite go to's are homemade cajan spice mix, and an Italian mix. Have to keep the taste buds happy so that is how we do it!

💥Help us out for next week and suggest a meal that we can try!!

SIMPLE GRANOLA BARS

2 mashed up bananas

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (or your choice!) (or raisins)

Mix all ingredients together.  Place in an 8x8 pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  

Let cool then cut into 16 squares.  You can top with melted chocolate and unsweetened coconut flakes if desired!

No sugar, no oil, no flour, no butter...just pure goodness!! ENJOY!

Vegan 21 day fix meal plan

Another week of going vegan!  It honestly has been a pretty awesome journey so far.  One thing for sure I am noticing is that I am sleeping a lot better!  (wahoo I love sleep!!) There is no reason for us in particular for doing this, just something we wanted to give a try.  

After completing the 21 day ultimate reset in November, we felt really good not eating animal proteins.  Then we read an extremely interesting study called the China Study (highly recommend getting the audible version as it sometimes can be boring and a tough read).  It just helped us put some things into perspective.

But by all means, this is not 100% of the time.  The biggest thing we have "cheated" with is cheese.  Occasionally we will have something with cheese on it as a cheat meal but then get right back on track the next day.  Surprisingly, a new guilty vegan friendly pleasure is cashew parmesan cheese! 

1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (cheesy flavor)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Blend it all up and you have cashew parmesan cheese!!







So...meal plan for the week is here!  Can not wait for all of this food because it is simply delicious!! 

Ultimate Reset Week 2 Update

I will admit that the 2nd week really flew by.  A HUGE improvement we made was how we did meal prep.  We would plan the week by prepping for a few days and and writing post in notes on the days that we had to buy fresh groceries along with what meals we had to prepare for the following couple days.  This saved us a lot of stress during the week and a lot of money on not wasting food.  Especially that we are eating fresh fruit every morning, things just need to be fresh!


Another food prep tip is buying a big tub of lettuce (spring mix...whatever) and put the salad toppings in mason jars so you can just grab and go throughout the week.

So the meals...

Still YUMMY!!  Some favorites are posted below so you can get a taste of what it all looks like and to PROVE it is NOT a starvation cleanse by any means.  It still is A LOT of food :)

Results are I am now down 8 pounds and staying strong through week 3!  I really thought I would be bitchy without caffeine and without alcohol but surprisingly I am just so happy and mentally thinking clearly!  I have found strength that I did not know I had through the yoga in the morning (ummmm Warrior 3...hello!) It is challenging and helping me build muscles I swear I have never worked before.  My balance has improved significantly, especially given that I have a week right glute. Yoga has also helped with my neck flexibility as when I sleep on my stomach sometimes, my head always had to be to one side.  Now I can face my head left or right without pain!

One HUGE physically result that I could not be happier about (especially since I will be on a beach in 10 days) is that my acne on my face and even more so on my back has cleared up!  Seriously I never have seen my back like this...even Amanda noticed and was so amazed. (and super excited for me :) )  

So...last week and I can't help but say this has only made Amanda and I closer and stronger together by sharing this journey!

Edamame and Roasted Corn Succotash with Lemon Kale

Garlic Veggies

Fresh Fruit Bowl

Mediterranean Beets with Coconut Collard Greens
(SHOCKED I liked the Collard Greens but WOW!)

Quinoa Lentil Pilaf

Taking August by Storm

I slipped back into old habits. 

I was going to the gym for about an hour and a half every day.

I was not planning a specific meal plan.

I would only randomly do a Beachbody workout.

What happened because of all this?  NO Results. NO Progress.

That ends tomorrow.  I am committing to the home workout program 22 minute hard corps.  I am committing to my meal plan I have come up with for the week.  There are NO EXCUSES.  If you want something, you have to go out and attack it.  Take charge and don’t look back.

I will be following the 21 day fix meal plan containers and it is posted on my blog here:

I have had DAMN good results with this program before and look forward to don’t it again.  Come join me.  Shoot me a message!

Food for 1 day (plus a shake with 1/2 banana and flax)

Meal Plan

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

1 cup of oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup raisins

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

dash of cloves

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 honey

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

1. Add all dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients. Make sure to add the raisins last so they do not get mashed up.

2. Using a cookie scooper, place on cookie sheet with a cookie mat on it OR spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.  

3. Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees.

4. Let cool a little, then remove and enjoy!!

No excuses to eating healthy!

A few days early but 3 year anniversary dinner and dessert was on point tonight!! Have to throw surprises at her sometimes!

Kept it healthy and made Chicken stuffed with sautéed spinach and ricotta alongside zucchini noodles and homemade marinara sauce. Dessert was raw vegan carrot cake with coconut creme topping.

Seriously there are no excuses to eating healthy. I LOVE carbs and LOVE sweets. But this is a meal that makes sure both of those cravings are satisfied while not killing my waistline. 

➡️Email me if you want in on the next 21 day healthy eating/fitness accountability group!

KIND BARS

1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons PB
pinch of sea salt
1 1/3 chopped walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds (or any combination you want!)
1/2-3/4 cup dried blueberries and craisins (or any combination!)

1. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, leaving it hanging over on 2 sides. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl mix coconut flour, honey, PB and salt together until smooth.
3. Mix in chopped nuts.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. Spoon mixture onto the parchment paper and using the flaps of parchment paper, press down and spread mixture evenly.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Let cool, place in fridge and then cut!

ENJOY!

CARROT CAKE BITES

So excited to share this one as carrot cake is one of my favorites!  Coming up with a healthy alternative was my goal!

1 1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup ground walnuts
1/4 cup almond meal
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup PB
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
handful of crushed walnuts
splash of vanilla extract

Mix it all together, make into bite size using a cookie scoop (about 20-23), freeze, and enjoy!!!

SPICY CAULIFLOWER BITES

So we made this one a little different from the recipe in the FIXATE cookbook that goes with the 21 say fix meal plan but I like it because it adds crunch!

6 cups cauliflower florets

1/2 tsp sea salt, divided into two separate 1/4

1/2 cup hot pepper sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp corn starch

2 tsp ground chili powder

1/4 tsp ground smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbp organic grass fed butter

3 cups celery sticks (we chopped them)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Place cauliflower on sheet and spray.  Season with 1/4 tsp sea salt.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

While that is cooking combine hot sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch over low heat.  Add in spices and whisk to blend.  Heat mixture over med heat, stirring frequently until thickened (about 10 min).

Take cauliflower out of oven and pour sauce over it (while still on the baking sheet) then return to even for 5 min.

We mixed in the chopped celery but you don't have to. ENJOY it!!