Gluten-Free *week one update*

Hi guys!!! Hope y'all are all waking up on the right side of the bed this morning. ;) I know I gave a semi update on my gluten free status yesterday...but I wanted to do a full post on it today with a few extras. I will try to do this once a week for those who are interested in becoming gluten free with me!!

Week One: Improvements

My skin is clearing up!!

(Yep that's it so far but I'm not giving up that easy!)

Week One: Favorite Gluten-Free Foods

-Yoplait Whips! yogurt (Have y'all had these?? They are like mousse and taste like you're eating dessert! YUM!)

-Carrot sticks and garlic hummus

-Eggs over medium and grits...yep together. ;)

-Wendy's Chili and Baked Potato with chives....okay and the Frosty!

-Grilled salmon with my homemade sour cream/dill sauce, steamed asparagus and quinoa

-Chocolate!

-Nachos (corn tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, chili)

-Steak Asada Tacos (grilled steak, lime, cilantro, onions, chipotle sauce on corn tortillas) SO GOOD!

Week One: Gluten-Free Recipe to try

Gluten Free Pumpkin Coconut Custard   (I read that pumpkin is super good for you and I wanted to find a good gluten free pumpkin recipe. Doesn't this sound DELICIOUS?! I can't wait to try it!)

Week One: Gluten-Free Link

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef  -  Anytime you search for gluten free...you will find this blog! I believe she came out with a book too! I can't wait to try out some of her many recipes!!

Week One: Thoughts

I am so excited about how easy this transition has been for me. I was so scared to try it and I just put it off thinking that I could never do it. I'm so glad that I got over that and tried it out. It's actually VERY easy. I haven't been having a hard time with it at all and you won't find someone who likes to eat as much as me!! I am having fun finding all kinds of new foods and recipes. I can't wait to see what else starts improving!!!

I am pondering giving up dairy for a while too to see if that helps me even more. I know that I'm somewhat lactose intolerant but not terribly so. It will definitely be a bit harder to be gluten-free AND dairy-free. I am trying to cut it back slowly for now and I will try going off of it completely at a later time.

Anyone who is looking to start going gluten free...click here for some info. Remember to ALWAYS check with restaurants and look at ingredients before assuming something is gluten free. They add that junk to EVERYTHING!

Caramel Apple Spice

Have y'all ever tried the Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks??? It is SO GOOD! I love flavored coffee...but every now and then I love a good apple cider. Last Fall I tried the CAS from Starbucks for the first time and fell in love! I would crave it at least once a week. I decided I better learn how to make it at home to save some money. Now that it's Fall again I broke out my recipe and started at it again. Yummy yummy yummy!! Here's the recipe so you can make one for yourself!

Caramel Apple Spice

No sugar added apple juice

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Dulce de Leche to taste

Whipped Cream

1. Heat the apple juice and spices until boiling. Let steep for 5-10 minutes.

2. Pour in a mug and add Dulce de Leche to your liking. (I use about 2 tablespoons)

3. Stir it up, add whipped cream and squeeze more dulce de leche on top. 

**Starbucks sells the cinnamon syrup that they use in their CAS but I prefer to make my own cider. If you want a more Starbuck's authentic taste, add their cinnamon syrup to steamed apple juice instead!** 

I think I'll make one now especially for my birthday, sit on the front porch swing and enjoy the crisp Fall morning before getting ready for my FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL!

 Hope y'all have a fabulous day!

B is for Brownies!

Good morning lovely blogger friends!! I am so excited to write this post. I made a new friend a couple of days ago and I'm ecstatic about it! We have so many things in common and she is as sweet as pie. Most of y'all probably already know her...Summer from B is for Brown!!!

If you haven't heard yet, Summer is doing a "brownie" button bake-off!! Of course that was right up my alley so I had to get in on it. If you don't know Summer's story, click here to read it. She has quite a way with words and it will help you better understand the reason for the "brownie" button. It also means a great deal to me so I was even more excited to do this. Click here to read all about the bake-off!



I already baked my brownies and designed them into my idea for a button but I haven't edited the picture into a button yet. I'm not even real sure how to do it but I'm going to figure it out eventually. LOL While I don't want to spoil the game by showing the picture just yet, I figured I'd give y'all the yummy recipe I used so you can join in on the fun!


Chocolatey Brownies

1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of iodized salt



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9" glass pan with cooking spray.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla extract.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring quickly until completely combined.

4. In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt.

5. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until combined.

6. Spread batter into pan.

7. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and brownies pull away from sides.

8. Cool completely before cutting.

The deadline to enter the bake-off is September 30th so get baking y'all! :)

Broiled Asparagus with Lemon-Basil Dressing

I love love love asparagus!!!!! It screams summer to me and also has great health benefits! I usually stick with my favorite way to eat asparagus, still crisp with a hint of lemon and butter, but I thought I'd try a little something different last night for dinner. Here's what I came up with and it was easy and delicious!!




Broiled Asparagus with Lemon-Basil Dressing

1 bunch of asparagus spears, trimmed
4 teaspoons of olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Dressing:
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon of dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons of crushed or slivered almonds
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste





1. Preheat the oven's boiler on high and set the oven rack 6 inche from the top.

2. Toss the asparagus and the next 3 ingredients together.

3. Spread on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 7 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

4. Prepare the dressing by whisking all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

5. Once the asparagus is done, place it on a serving plate and pour the dressing on top. Toss asparagus so that the dressing completely covers it. Serve! The asparagus is a still a bit crisp and definitely a bit tangy with a taste of yummy cheese. I think y'all will love it!

What's your favorite way to cook asparagus??

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's Superfoods!!!

That was way cornier than I hoped it would be...hahaha. Now that bathing suit season is coming up,  flattening my tummy is at the top of my things to do list. Sit-ups and crunches are great, but adding these belly flattening foods into your eating routine can get you on your way to a sleek, sexy stomach. Here's a list of foods from Self Magazine and how they help.




Avocado - fights fat

Blood sugar peaks can signal your body to store fat around your midsection but monounsaturated fats stop the spikes, thwarting fat accumulation. Half of an avocado contains 10 grams of the healthy fats. Dip veggies in guacamole for a flat-ab snack. Try this recipe I found on Goodhousekeeping.com.

1 can of (15 to 19 ounces) white kidney beans (cannellini), drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon of (or to taste) lime juice
1 jalapeño, seeded
1/2 cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup of coarsely chopped sweet onion 
Salt
1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
2 plum tomatoes
1. In food processor with knife blade attached, puree beans and 1 tablespoon lime juice until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl.


2.In same processor, place jalapeño, cilantro, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; pulse until juicy and thick.


3.With spoon, scoop avocado from peel into bowl with beans; mash with fork until mixture is blended, with some chunks remaining.


4.Cut each tomato crosswise in half. Squeeze halves to remove seeds and juice. Coarsely chop tomatoes. Stir tomato-and-onion mixture into avocado mixture until blended. If you prefer a little more zip, stir in additional lime juice to taste.






Green Tea - revs metabolism

The compound ECGC in green tea makes it easier for your body to fry fat. Drinking 3 cups a day may kick up your metabolism and erase 30 calories daily.

Yogurt - flattens fast

Treat puffiness with probiotic-rich yogurt. One cup encourages the growth of good bacteria in your gut which crowds out other bugs that can cause bloating. Make sure the yogurt you choose has a Live & Active Cultures seal.

Blueberries - fuel fitness

Antioxidants in berries enable you to step up crucial conditioning. Antioxidants help improve blood flow which delivers more oxygen to your muscles. Giving your muscles the oxygen they needs makes exercise feel easier so you may work out harder, longer and more often. I found a recipe for Blueberry-Beef Burgers on EatingWell.com. Sounds interesting huh??

2 slices of whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
1/3 cup of fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 ounces of 90%-lean ground beef



1.Place bread in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. (No need to wash the workbowl.)



2.Add blueberries, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, salt and pepper to the food processor; process until pureed. Scrape into the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Add ground beef and mix well with a potato masher. Divide the mixture into four equal portions; form into 1/2-inch-thick patties, about 4 inches in diameter.


3.Meanwhile, preheat broiler or heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high. If using the broiler, coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. If using a grill, oil the grill rack by rubbing it with an oil-soaked paper towel. Cook patties until browned and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 160°F. Serve immediately, with or without rolls and toppings.




What are some of your favorite meals including these ingredients?

Strawberry Fields Forever

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to strawberry fields! I don't know what my fascination has been lately with strawberries...but I want so bad to go wandering through a strawberry field with a little basket picking my own strawberries. I know there are places around to do that but I just haven't had the time or gotten the opportunity to do it yet! Have y'all ever done that?? It probably isn't all it's cracked up to be...but in my head it's the best thing ever.

                                                                   Photo from typarlandscapes.com

Photo from destinationfantastic.com

 

Isn't this necklace from Forever 21 adorable?!

 

And look at these Keds! I'm pretty sure they are for kids...but I would totally rock these!

 

We can't talk about strawberries without mentioning strawberry wine!!! 

 Photo from vitiswine.co.uk

Now you can sing along with me "Like strawberry wine and seeeeventeen...the hot July moon...saw everything! My first taste of love...ohhhhh bittersweet....green on the vine. Like strawberry wine..."





Isn't this bedspread darling??

Photo from finebeddingpro.com

One of my favorite scents from Victoria's Secret...Strawberries and Champagne. Yum.

And how do y'all feel about strawberry chicken salad?!?! Sounds delicious right? I think I'm going to have to try out this recipe very soon. 

Strawberry Chicken Salad




2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chutney
2 teaspoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
4 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves





In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery and onion. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chutney, lime juice, lime peel, curry and salt. Add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


Just before serving, stir in strawberries. Serve on lettuce-lined plates. Yield: 4 servings.



Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups equals 222 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 61 mg cholesterol, 528 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit.


Strawberry Chicken Salad published in Healthy Cooking April/May 2008

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.

Oh how I love fishing. The first time I ever went fishing, I was probably around 5 or 6 and I went with my dad. I remember catching the tiniest little fish and dancing around, excited as I could be screaming "I got a fish! I got a fish!" Since I met my husband, I've learned a lot more about the different types of fishing and I have fallen in love with it even more. I always throw my fish back but my husband will keep one every now and then if it's a good size and type for eating. Last weekend, he and a couple of friends traveled up to Kingston, NY to go fishing on the Hudson River. They had a blast and caught a couple of pretty big Stripers. Here's my precious husband with his catch.

When he brought home some filets of Striper I knew I had to come up with a good recipe and quick while it was still good and fresh. I chose Striper Cakes with a low fat zesty remoulade sauce. I whipped up some of that yummy coleslaw I told y'all about a while ago and it was all DEE-licious!! Here are the recipes I used!!





Striper Cakes

2 pounds of fresh striper (remove all red meat)
2 tablespoons of light mayo
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of italian bread crumbs
1 can of sweet corn with red and green peppers
2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning
a couple dashes of ground red pepper
a dash of red pepper flakes

To poach fish:

4 1/2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut fish into 1-2 inch pieces. Add to a saucepan and add the poaching ingredients. Heat on medium high heat until water begins to simmer. Simmer (not boil) fish for about 10 minutes or until fish looks flaky.
3. Saute corn in a pan with a tablespoon of canola oil.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine mayo, mustard, eggs, sauteed corn, Old Bay, ground red pepper and flakes.
5. After fish is done, drain it of all excess moisture and mix it into the above mixture until the pieces of fish are small enough to make good cakes with.

6. Add bread crumbs and mix.
7. Make into 6 patties and place them about 1-2" apart on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 40 minutes then broil them on high for 5 minutes on each side.





Low Fat Zesty Remoulade Sauce

1/2 cup of Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing
2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish
Cajun seasoning to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mmmm...tasty!!! I'm pretty sure any flaky fish would work just fine for this recipe! Try it out sometime! You'll love it!!

So what are some of y'alls favorite seafood recipes??

Josh's Cupcakes

Hi everyone!!! I hope ya'll had a fantastic Cinco de Mayo yesterday and I hope you are all home safe! Today I am driving to Brevard to meet my mom to celebrate Mother's Day!! She works on weekends so I had to take a day off work to spend the day with her. No complaints here! I made her the candles (if you missed that post, click here!) and rhubarb cupcakes with strawberry buttercream icing. My mom used to make rhubarb pie a lot when we were kids and it was so good!!!! Of course rhubarb always reminds me of my mom now so rhubarb cupcakes were the perfect idea! They are really really really good and I can't wait to share the recipe because I wan't ya'll to seriously make them!! But first, I must share the brownie cupcakes with cookie dough filling and turtle buttercream frosting I made for my brother's birthday!! Here they are!

Brownie Cupcakes

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
11 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 large eggs
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda




1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners,
and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and 8 ounces of the chocolate chips.
Stir until smooth. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the flour, cocoa, and
baking soda.
4. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined. Stir in remaining 3 ounces of chocolate
chips.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake until a firm crust forms on the
cupcakes, about 20 minutes.
6. Place pan on wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan,
and continue to cool on a wire rack until cool to touch before icing.

Cookie Dough Filling

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons of water

1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
2.Stir in the flour, salt, vanilla and chips.
3. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until you have reached a cookie dough
consistency.



**After the cupcakes are thoroughly cooled, take a small sharp knife, insert into cupcake at an angle and cut a small cone into the center of the cupcake. Remove cone and eat! This leaves room for the cookie dough filling. In most cupcakes, you can cut excess off and add just the top back but with the brownie cupcakes it’s too hard to do, so I just eat the whole thing! :)

Turtle Buttercream Frosting

½ cup of solid vegetable shortening
½ cup of unsalted butter, softened
2 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 cups of confectioner’s sugar
4 tablespoons of milk
1 cup of chopped pecans
½ cup of caramel (I used dulce de leche and it was delicious!)




1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and butter.
2. Add 1 ounce of the melted chocolate and vanilla.
3. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium. Scrape sides
and bottom often.
4. After all sugar is added, the mixture will be very dry. Add milk and beat on
medium until light and fluffy.
5. Add the rest of the melted chocolate, caramel and pecans and stir in until desired
look is achieved. Keep covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.



**After icing the cupcakes, I drizzled chocolate syrup and dulce de leche over top. YUM!!! The cupcakes were REALLY good but really rich. If you eat more than one at a time, you will feel a bit sick. Trust me. ;)

A Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!!! I hope everyone is doing well this morning. I am continually praying for those affected by floods and/or the oil spill. Such devastating things have happened recently and I am hoping that everything gets cleaned up and taken care of quickly. We also just found out that my husband's uncle is in the hospital and will be moved to Hospice later this week. Both his kidneys and liver are failing. Please say a prayer for Uncle Buddy if you get a chance. We may be traveling to Wilmington in the next few days to visit him. I hope it's not the last time.

For Cinco de Mayo, we are having a couple of friends over and of course we will be having Mexican food!! I wanted to share with you the menu and recipes I'm using in hopes it will inspire you to have your own Cinco de Mayo dinner tonight!


Classic Lime Margarita 
Black Bean, Corn, and Cilantro Salsa with Tortilla Chips
Grilled Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipolte Sauce
Spanish Rice

I had to try out the recipe last night to make sure it was as good as I remembered. ;)


Classic Lime Margarita 

3 ounces of tequila
2 ounces of fresh squeezed lime juice
1 ounce of simple syrup (Recipe follows)
1 teaspoon of Triple Sec
Kosher salt/sugar mixture

Fill your cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and Triple Sec. Cover and shake until mixed and chilled. Mix kosher salt and sugar together, spread onto a plate, run a lime wedge around the rim of a glass to wet it, swirl it in the salt/sugar mixture until rim is covered. Strain margarita into glass and enjoy!

Simple Syrup

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water

Heat sugar and water in a saucepan on low, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.

I made this last night as well because the flavors mesh together better the longer you let it set.

Black Bean, Corn, and Cilantro Salsa

Half of a can of sweet corn, drained
Half of a can of black beans, drained
2 diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of diced red onion
Chopped Cilantro to taste
Salt, Chili Powder, and garlic to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips! Yum!!! I always end up putting like 4 cups of cilantro in mine. I am crazily obsessed with cilantro. :)

Photo from Alanskitchen.com

Grilled Fish Tacos

1 pound of white flaky fish
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon of chili powder
Chopped cilantro to taste
8 flour tortillas
Shredded cabbage
Diced red onion
Diced tomato
Chopped cilantro

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in medium dish. Whisk together oil, lime juice, chili powder and cilantro and pour onto fish. Let it marinate for 10-20 minutes.

Place fish on hot grill and grill it for about 4 minutes on the first side, then 30 seconds on the other side. Let rest for 5 minutes before flaking it.

Place tortillas on grill for about 20 seconds. Assemble tacos with fish and remaining ingredients.


Creamy Chipolte Sauce

1 cup of sour cream
1 can of chipolte salsa
Salt to taste

Mix sour cream and salsa together. Add salt to taste. Serve with fish tacos.

Photo from BellisiosFoodsFoodService.com

Spanish Rice

1 1/2 cups of white rice
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of plain tomato sauce
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1/4 of a medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley


In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the fresh garlic and onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.

Slowly add in broth and tomato sauce. Add in the parsley. Stir and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.


What are your plans for Cinco de Mayo??

Chocolate Toffee Cupcakes

I did not want to keep ya'll in suspense for too long...so here are the recipes for Lady Gaga's going away cupcakes!! We took my sister to the airport this morning. It was a sad morning for sure but once she gets settled over there, I'm sure she will do just fine. She is so great at her job and she will soon fall in love with the children she is teaching. She is made to do that job and we love her so much!

Martha Stewart's Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sour cream



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture alternating with sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
5. Divide batter among cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.




Chocolate Toffee Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup of solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup of butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon of clear vanilla extract
4 cups of sifted confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons of milk
A couple handfuls of Heath toffee bits
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder



1. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.
2. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add cocoa powder, Heath bits and the rest of the milk and beat until just mixed.
4. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.




These cupcakes were delicious and 12 did not last long at the party. I should have made more but I wasn't sure how they would turn out. The cupcakes are dense and chocolately. The icing is rich and the Heath bits give it some crunch. Yummy!! Try these out ya'll! You won't regret it. :)

Praline Cupcakes

YUMMY right?! They tasted just as delicious as they look. Here are the recipes I used so you can try them for yourselves!


Buttermilk Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of butter at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
1 cup of buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place liners in a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until it looks creamy.
4. Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract and beat until smooth.
5. Add half of the flour mixture and stir until almost combined.
6. Add the buttermilk and stir until almost combined.
7. Add the rest of the flour mixture and stir until completely combined.
8. Divide mixture evenly into the muffin cups.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Let cupcakes cool for 10 minutes then transfer to wire rack.
11. Make sure they are cold to touch before frosting.


If you don't like pralines for some crazy reason, at least make these cupcakes with your favorite icing. They are some of the yummiest cupcakes I've ever had!!!




Praline Frosting

(Bear with me on this recipe. I made it up.)

4 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
3 cups of confectioners sugar
4 homemade or store bought pralines

1. Break the pralines up into small pieces and pulse in the food processor until you get the consistency of brown sugar.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
3. Add 1 cup of confectioners sugar and stir in.
4. Continue adding each cup of confectioners sugar and stirring after.
5. Add the praline mixture and stir until just blended. (Beware: This icing is VERY sweet and VERY thick. You will not need much for each cupcake.)




Whipped Cream

1 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of confectioners sugar

1. Beat the cream and vanilla together until they form a lazy peak
2. Sift the sugar over the cream and beat until you get a sturdier but still soft peak. Make sure not to beat too much or it will form lumps.

I put the whipped cream in a freezer bag and cut a corner off and plopped some on top of each cupcake after I frosted it.




Candied Pecans

WARNING: These are addictive. This recipe makes way more than what you need for the cupcakes and you might gain a couple pounds because you will end up eating the rest.

1 egg white
1 tablespoon of water
1 pound of pecan halves
1 cup of white sugar
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and grease a baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until foamy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.




There ya go girlies!! I hope ya'll will enjoy them as much as we did. If anyone decides to make these, please let me know how you liked them!!

Let's eat healthy!

Hello everyone!! I hope ya'll are having a great week so far! I'm getting really excited because we are having a low country boil this Saturday!! I have been trying so hard not to spend a lot of money but it's been hard. I can't help but decorate and I'm sure ya'll know how expensive shrimp and crab legs are. However, I think it will be totally worth it and I just cannot wait! Also, if you haven't entered my giveaway yet you better get on over HERE and do it! It ends today at 4:00 pm EST!!

I thought I would share with you a great recipe I made for dinner the other night. For those of us trying to eat healthy and lose a little weight before bathing suit time rolls around, it is a yummy, healthy, and filling meal. Actually, here in NC it HAS been bathing suit weather for the last week!!

Low Calorie Manicotti

8 oz. fat free cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups of fresh mushrooms
1 package of chopped frozen spinach
1/2 cup of low fat parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 package of manicotti noodles
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
A handful of shredded low fat mozzerella cheese (optional)
Lean turkey sausage (optional)

1. Cook manicotti noodles according to their directions, drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Thaw the spinach in the microwave, put in a dish towel and squeeze all excess moisture out.
4. Mix cream cheese and spinach together in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Saute mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Add salt or herbs to taste. Add sauteed mixture to cream cheese mixture along with the parmesan cheese and mix together.
6. Fill the manicotti noodles with the mixture.
7. If you choose to include the lean turkey sausage, go ahead and cook in a skillet.
8. Coat the bottom of a baking dish half of the jar of spaghetti sauce.
9. Place the stuffed manicotti along the baking dish and pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over them. If you chose to use the sausage and mozzerella cheese, sprinkle them over the top.
10. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11. You can also broil for a few minutes to brown the mozzerella cheese after it's done.


So there ya go!! It's not beautiful but it IS delicious and healthy. Of course you can cut the calories a lot by leaving out the mozzerella cheese and the sausage and I'm sure it will be just as good. Okay, maybe not just as good...but it will still be good I'm sure! What are ya'lls favorite healthy recipes?



Here is an example of what NOT to eat while trying to lose weight. I saw this while on my trip to New Orleans. I swear, people will deep fry anything these days!

Star light, star bright...

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day here in my neck of the woods. Isn't it funny how when Spring is just starting, you are so infatuated with the warm weather and the sunshine. It's like you've been deprived of it for too long and you are finally getting a taste! I am currently in that phase. I just can not get enough of it. I want to be outside every chance I get. I work in an office and don't see much sunshine during the day. I try to get out as much as I can now that I don't have to wear 27 coats and 6 pairs of socks. (I get cold easy) When I got home from work yesterday, I immediately grabbed the new issue of Southern Living and headed for the front porch swing.

Later on, we grilled some chicken on the back deck and I made some "homemade" coleslaw. Ya'll need to try this coleslaw I threw together! It was easy, delicious and healthy!! Just take a bag of shredded cabbage with carrots, add a jar of Marzetti's Reduced Fat Slaw Dressing and some chopped apples, mix it all up and let it sit in the fridge for a while. As my husband loves to say...it'll make you swaller your tongue! After dinner I looked up in the sky and noticed the stars. I know that doesn't seem like a huge deal...but you know, we get so busy and have so many things going on that we don't stop for just a minute to look around at the beauty God has created. I stared at those stars in the sky for a good while and I felt so peaceful. Take a minute today and look around!! You'll notice things you have passed a million times and never seen before!

Strawberry Birthday Cupcakes

Every Wednesday night is girl's night out! We have been going out to a local bar to line dance on Wednesday nights for...geez...it's been 9 years now!! My friend's birthday is this Sunday so of course we had to celebrate last night!! What else was I to do but make cupcakes!!! She chose strawberry and her favorite color is purple. I made strawberry cupcakes and a purple cream cheese icing. I also made little pink and purple vanilla candies to go on top! They were absolutely delicious and a big hit with my fellow cowboys and cowgirls!

Here are the recipes I used!

Strawberry Cupcakes

1/2 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup of granulated sugar

3 egg whites

2 teaspoons of strawberry extract

1 cup of pureed fresh strawberries

1/4 cup of sour cream

1 1/2 cups of cake flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/8 teaspoon of iodized salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and butter on medium until fluffy. Add the egg whites one at a time beating well after each one.

3. Stir in the strawberry extract, pureed strawberries and sour cream.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture beating until combined.

6. Pour batter evenly into lined cupcake pan.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then let cupcakes cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Purple Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup of butter at room temperature

1 8oz. package of cream cheese still cold, straight from the fridge

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

A couple drops of purple food coloring (I used the Neon food coloring)

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium until smooth.

2. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.

3. Add food coloring until desired color is reached.

4. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. (Do not overbeat or your frosting will not stand up well. I think I beat mine too much and it fell flat a little bit once I piped it onto the cupcakes.)

Pink and Purple Vanilla Candies

Candy mold (I used flowers, birds and butterflies but you can use anything you like!)

Pink vanilla wafers

Purple vanilla wafers

1. Melt the candies in microwave safe bowls until they are smooth and completely melted.

2. If you want your candies to have both colors, paint the first color into the mold in certain spots. Let them dry completely before adding the next color.

3. Pour a small amount of melted candy into the molds and tap the mold slightly on a flat surface until the candy has sunk into all crevices and is smooth on the top.

4. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

5. The candys will slide right out and you are ready to decorate! Or eat them...whichever. :)

                                     

P.S. I made the marbled one by pouring half of each color in the mold and then swirling it around with the end of my small paintbrush.

I also colored the little nonpareils myself. I bought the little white ones, put some in a ziploc bag, added a few drops of pink food coloring and shook them around until they were all colored. Then I added some more whites and shook them around to create the multi colored effect. After that, I added some pink pearl dust and shook them around some more. I loooove pearl dust. It gives whatever you use it on such a pretty shine.

And here they are all ready to go!!

                        

So the next day I headed to Target to get her a birthday card. Look at this card I found!! Perfect huh?

But wait! It gets better!! So this card came with a boring white envelope. I don't know about ya'll, but everytime I buy a card I never settle for the envelope it comes with. I look around at all the other envelopes in the store and find a prettier one that fits it. So in a completely different section I found THIS envelope. I get way too excited about little things...I know.

If you love strawberries, you will LOVE these cupcakes. They are easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. Try 'em out and let me know what you think!!

Sunshine Cupcakes

Oh how I love Spring!! When it starts to get warm and it's the perfect weather to sit out on the screened in porch and read a book I just get so excited. Since we are just transitioning from Winter to Spring, I thought Sunshine cupcakes would be the perfect name! I chose a fluffy vanilla cupcake with lemon curd filling and whipped cream cheese icing. My husband, who doesn't like lemon, thought they were great! He said the lemon curd filling was not too tart but not too sweet. I sent them to work with him the next day and everyone seemed to love them. They were gone pretty quickly so that's got to say something! Here's the recipes I used. The icing is a light whipped icing but the cream cheese makes it sturdier than the regular whipped cream icings. It pairs so well with the fluffy cupcake and the lemon filling and makes a light Spring/Summer cupcake!

Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes


1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup of granulated sugar

2 large eggs, seperated, at room temperature

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (I used unbleached and it worked out just fine!)

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt (I used iodized table salt)

1/2 cup of milk (I used 2% reduced fat)

1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar



1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter for about 2 minutes until soft. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time beating after adding each one. Add the vanilla extract and beat until everything is combined.

3. In a seperate bowl combine the flour (I wasn't sure so I went ahead and sifted it first), baking powder and salt.

4. With the mixer at a low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk until combined.

5. In a small bowl with cleaned mixer on high, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula stir a small amount of the whites into the batter to lighten it up. Then fold the remaining whites in until combined. Do not overmix!

6. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. **Remember, check with toothpick at the lowest time first to keep from overcooking.** Cool cupcakes in pan for about 15 minutes then remove from pan for about 15 minutes before filling or icing.



While the cupcakes were cooking, I got to work on the icing and filling. Here is the magnificent lemon curd filling recipe I used. I highly recommend it!!



Lemon Curd Filling


1 0.25 ounce packet of unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups of warm water

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter at room temperature

1/3 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice



1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the warm water and let it sit for a few minutes to soften. (Don't let it sit too long or the gelatin sticks to the bottom of the bowl.)

2. Beat the egg yolks in another small bowl and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch, then gradually whisk in the water and gelatin. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and boils. Boil for about a minute, then remove from heat and pour a little into the egg yolks. Beat together then gradually add back into the gelatin mixture. Return to the heat and simmer for about a minute. 4. Remove from the heat and beat in butter and lemon juice until smooth. (I was so excited and in such a hurry that I started filling the cupcakes right away but it was too runny. It really should refrigerate for a little while to thicken up first.)



Whipped Cream Cheese Icing


1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese at room temperature. (I used the low fat cream cheese and it worked just fine.)

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

2 cups of heavy cream

(Optional) I added a couple drops of yellow food coloring and it made a perfect sunshine color! Also, I shaved lemon zest on the top of each cupcake.


Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

If anyone decides to make these please tell me all about it!! What is everyone's absolute favorite cupcake? I would say mine had to be a dense, moist red velvet with thick cream cheese icing. YUM! I think the best one I ever had was at CUPCAKE in Charleston, SC. If you are ever in Charleston and have the urge to have an amazing cupcake and a cup of coffee, you should definitely stop in. Here's a picture of their red velvet cupcake so you can be tormented like me! You're welcome!