I made these, I swear... then ate them, all.

Ok- so skipping the middle part of these cookies and twisting the original recipe a bit, I've come up with a delicious healthy cookie I want to share with the world! Or the five people who read this blog. Still- these are so good, I managed to eat half the batch last night!

It makes around 16 cookies and the calories float around 125 each (for those who care). It's back to school time, so you know what that means.. after school snack time! yumm

Spiked Oatmeal Cookies

cooking spray

1 1/4 cup quick-cook old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2 tsp flaxseed meal

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey if you don’t have agave- I used 50-50 as I was running out of agave)

2 large egg white

2 T. unsalted almond butter

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 C cup (total) dark mini chocolate chips, raisons, coconut, pecans (or whatever floats your boat—dried cherries are delicious too these were just what I had around)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray 2 baking sheets with olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together agave, egg white, almond butter and vanilla. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients all at once and combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter equally into 16 mounds and arrange evenly spaced on prepared baking sheets. Using the back of a slightly dampened spoon, flatten each mound into 2.5 inch circles. Bake 9-10 minutes, until golden. Cool on sheets for an additional 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, cookies will keep fresh for 2-3 days.

These taste like heaven on my healthy cookie tasting chart. Seriously, most taste like cardboard gone wrong, these on the other

Honeymoons are fun, or at least supposed to be

James and Jes are off in Mexico, taking what we all thought was to be a well deserved honeymoon.

Nope, not even close.

James and Jes are off exploring the Mexican Medical system, racking up bills that aren't going to disappear fast. Good news is that they are OK. Bad news, they're OK on their honeymoon.

They'll be home next week with lot's of stories that we will be sure to fill you in on, we'll keep you posted on stories of turds in the pool as they come in.

Until next time..

See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

For those in and around the studio, you may have had the privilege to meet our dear BDHQer Donna. Brown hair, coming in at around 5' something inches (maybe less, but I'll be generous here).

She has left us for Toronto, following her heart, but has clearly lost her mind.

Hey D- no one likes Toronto, so come back.

Enough said about that, we wish her the best of luck in both baby and home making, and hope that she returns soon with a fabulous wardrobe filled with things you can't get on the island.

Dilly Dilly Dilly

Summer is leaving, so quick, grab on to as much dill as possible and whip this little sucker up to impress your family and friends.. Or at least me, if you would like to have me for dinner (I'll even pretend to be surprised). Thanks to 101Cookbooks for this one, and thanks to me for paying it forward! ha

Carrot and White Bean Dilly Salad (ok, so not the title from where I got it, but still delicious)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

more olive oil (or ghee) for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
3 cups cooked white beans
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil or a spoonful of ghee (I love ghee with carrots). Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. All told, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans as well heated through. If you are using beans that weren't canned you can allow them to brown a bit as well (just cook a bit longer, and stir less frequently) - they can handle this in a way that most canned beans can't. If you need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan - do so.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side.

She's a big girl now

Vis owns a house! All to herself! She doesn't have to share it though I'm sure that will change once it's all decorated... it's closer to down town then any of our other houses, so it'll most likely be the BDHQ bunk house.. but Trumps shottied the bottom bunk because last time she slept in bunk beds she has bruises for weeks from the fall.

As for house warming gifts.. gift certificates, cash, starbucks cards.. all will do, it's up do you, and minimum donations of $25, she has to be able to buy something with them!

Holidaaayyy (like in the song)

Michele has officially left the city, taken her sweet little bum back east to Ontario for a little Nascar and Bud Light. But don't worry, the studio is still open and Lovisa is still around to make sure you get your daily dose of burpies and jump squats.

M has been cutting off her jeans all week long and working on her abs for her new crop beaters (she cut them herself... they show how to do it in 17 Magazine), and has finally landed out there safe and sound for what's bound to be, for lack of better words, an interesting week.

Remember when this happened..

Probably not well if you weren't there, but it doesn't matter, if you look close enough at this shot, you'll feel it... face. now. close to the screen.

Kidding

James and Jes have taken off for there well deserved honeymoon, two weeks in Mexico should bring them both back with blistering skin and a good hangover. I don't think they have protein shakes down there, so Jimbo might have to suffer his way through Pina Coladas and Margaritas with a side of chips and salsa instead of oatmeal and banana... poor guy

So if you don't see him for the next two weeks, don't worry, we haven't lost him, we're pretty sure he's pool side with an umbrella drink and the wifey.. or somewhere fun where the ocean is more blue..

Mermaids or Mermen..

We all have party tricks, some are clearly better then others, but this my fellow bootcampers is the best kind of surprise to keep tucked away (in your shoe).

If you guess the trainer, we'll each give you a high five and maybe a slap on the ass, and just to make things clear, James paints his toenails too. Oh wait, if you can guess where this happened we might even throw in a drink!