Have a Very Sweet Weekend!

Hello Lovelies! What are your plans for the weekend?

I am looking forward to being pampered this afternoon with a mani/pedi and have hopes of stopping by Anthro to pick up something cute for the weekend! Although Saturday is completely booked with renewing my CPR certification, I fully intend on enjoying the rest of the weekend with my sweet valentine! There will definitely be some delicious cooking involved, I was thinking maybe homemade cinnamon rolls...mmm. Then we have a wonderful, low-key date planned for the rest of the day. And I won't stress about waking up early Monday morning because I have the day off work!

Wishing you an extra delightful Valentine's weekend full of sweet treats and lots of love!

Our Weekend Plus Some D-licious Cupcakes!

Happy Monday! While I'm sad to see our fun weekend come to an end, at least I can say it was a delightful one!

Our Friday started earlier than usual because Chris left work a few hours early, giving us a chance at a fun afternoon! We ended up going to see Edge of Darkness, the new Mel Gibson movie. We would definitely recommend for an edge-of-your-seat flick. Very good!

Saturday morning I took a bootcamp class at my new work and besides kicking my butt, it was fantastic! I had an opportunity to meet the two part time trainers and also some regulars to the class. Let me just say, I love the whole environment and the people and am so excited I get to work with them!

We also had some yummy sushi with our friends, the Hookers, cleaned a lot, ran a lot of errands, Chris cleaned our cars, and we ended up having our friends Brad and Laura over for the Superbowl.

And that brings me to the one thing I was actually looking forward to about the game, making these delectable Dark Chocolate Stout Cupcakes!

I found this recipe several weeks ago on my fave food blog, Pinch my Salt, and have been stowing it away especially for the Superbowl. I just knew Chris would love them!

They are ridiculously moist and not super sweet, but the cream cheese frosting takes care of your sweet tooth for an amazing combination that is just oh-so-scrumptious!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain, thick yogurt, at room temperature
6 oz. dark stout (I used Guinness), at room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tub cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake papers; spray the whole thing, cupcake papers and all, with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop, then set aside.
In a large bowl, preferably with a pouring spout, whisk together eggs and yogurt. Add beer and vanilla whisk until well combined.
Sift all the dry ingredients together (cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon) into a separate bowl.
Add about a third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and using a hand mixer, blend well. Add the rest of the flour mixture, a third at a time, mixing well after each addition. When all ingredients are blended, add the melted butter then continue mixing until very well combined.
Pour batter into the twelve cups, filling each only about 3/4 full.
Bake on center rack of the preheated 350 degree oven and for approximately 25 minutes.
When cupcakes are done (toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake will come out clean), remove the pan to a wire rack. Let cool for ten minutes then remove cupcakes from pan and let them cool completely on wire rack.
Frost cupcakes once completely cooled.

A Novel Idea!

Last year, while scanning the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I came across a novel idea...Painting Pumpkins! You may remember from last year that carving pumpkins is not my favorite thing in the world. In fact, Chris and I are the perfect pair for pumpkin carving because I love to scoop out the goo and he loves to carve! So this pumpkin painting idea has totally got me excited and naturally, as soon as Fall arrived, I set out for inspiration for my own pumpkin creations! Here are some ideas I found and I'm quite excited to get started!! The best part is, these will last all month versus only a few days with the carved ones.





I realize this last one isn't painted, but how stinkin' cute are those buttons?!


And of course, festive days always call for special desserts!

Who doesn't love a good caramel apple in the Fall? Especially a crisp, green Granny Smith!


Minis!!



And my fav, cupcakes!

I am SOO making these!




Happy Friday!

All in Good Health

As I was telling Chris about this post, with much enthusiasm I might add, he seemed puzzled at how baking had anything to do with health. And just as I shared with him, I shall pass on this new fabulous find to you!

It is no secret I love two seemingly contradictory things; health/fitness and desserts! No matter how hard I've tried to will myself to find a deliciously moist piece of banana bread unappetizing, I just can't do it. It goes as far back to being a little kid when my parents would put me to bed and then I'd hear my dad open a box of Ho ho's. I would then convincingly call, "Daaaad, are you eating something?". And reluctantly, one of my parents would come to my room and agree to let me get up for another 10 minutes and have a few sweet bites. While I like to believe that my taste buds are a bit more refined as an adult, I am still that little girl calling out when I smell a freshly baked pastry:) Of course, now that I have a strong understanding and conviction about eating mostly good, nutritionally dense food, I find myself with a dilemma between my head and my inherited sweet spot for treats.

Over the past few years it has occured to me that instead of trying to dispell desserts from my diet all together (and believe me, I've tried!), it may be better to seek out more healthy options. To my great success, I have accumulated many tasty and crowd pleasing alternatives to traditional recipes, such as my PB&J cookies:) Of course, before I approve a recipe, it is a must that taste is not compromised. Because afterall, if it doesn't taste good, why waste the calories?! Plus, it wouldn't make my husband too happy!

So this brings me to my recent find that has just got me in a great mood. It is a little thing known to many New Yorkers as Babycakes, a bakery where responsible baking takes place:) By that I mean that this bakery stands by a promise to prepare their cupcakes, cakes, cookies and other delightful treats with whole, natural, vegan and mostly gluten free ingredients! Their products are sweetened only with natural sweetners such as agave nectar and evaporated cane juice. Ahh, love! And the best part is, if you are not fortunate enough to live in NYC and enjoy these little treats, you can buy the cookbook and make them yourself!

This book has got me so excited! It makes my day that somebody else believes desserts don't have to be saturated with refined sweetners, white flours and unhealthy fats. For now I will be perfectly content with making my own Babycakes creations, but one day I will visit this brilliant little bakery:)Check out their blog to the right! Oh, I read last week they just started making doughnuts!!

I'll make sure to post some recipes and pictures I make from the book in the next week:)


Remember, moderation is the key;)

Wishing you good health always!

A Year Older and Never Felt Better!

Where do I even start with how incredible the last week has been? I am overwhelmed and completely grateful to have such wonderful people in my life who make feel so loved! Thank you for making my birthday such a special day!!

Friday was everything I hoped it would be. My Mom and I spent the day at The Fountains, shopping and getting pampered with manis and pedis:) The weather even cooperated! I woke up to a cloudy, dreary day and got a little grouchy, but wouldn't you know that by the time we were finished with our delicious breakfast, the sun was out and shining away:) Hallelujah!

There was a little change of plans on Saturday. We had planned on doing the 5k I told you about last week, but after discussing everything we had going on that day, we decided to skip it. The race was downtown and by the time we were finished we would have been rushing to get ready. Nobody wants that on their birthday:) So instead, I woke up early and went for a run on my own:) It was absolutely the best way to start the day! Especially given the many splurges I knew I would be making;) I got back home to the sweetest suprise ever. You see, I have been obsessed with cupcakes lately. I think they are absolutely adorable! I wanted this cute vintage looking cupcake tree from Crate and Barrel and haven't stopped telling Chris about it! Well, not only did he listen, but he spent hours the night before making and decorationg 48 amazing cupcakes for me (well, to share of course!). I cannot believe how lucky I am to have such an incredible husband!! Seriously, who does that?

The rest of the day was spent getting my eyebrows waxed, lunch at my favorite sushi restaurant, relaxing with Chris and dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with our families! Of course, we saved room for some cupcake goodness! I could not have asked for a better birthday or more incredible people to share it with!

You would think a girl couldn't be happier after all that, however, that was only the beggining! Easter sunday was awesome! Such a great reminder of all Christ has given us and all we owe to Him! God is so GOOD!!

After a delicious brunch at my Mom's, Chris and I were off to the Villagio in the beautiful wine country, for what felt like a second honeymoon! Talk about a much needed vacation together! Upon arriving to our gorgeous hotel Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed afternoon tea and all that goes along with such a delightful tradition. Not only was the tea great, but the scones, sandwiches and other goodies made my day! The weather could not have been more perfect for a walk through the lovely town of Yountville.

We spent the next few days lounging by the pool, wine tasting, walking through the local shops and enjoying each others company! Did I mention how incredible the food was?? Everything we ate was absolutely amazing, from the tomato soup in puff pastry, the eclairs from the quaint bakery, Bouchon, the braised short ribs, the rich chocolate souffle with hazlenut cream sauce...mmm, sorry, my mouth just watered:)

I know I don't need to tell you how beautiful the wine regions of California are, but I must say, Chris and I are constantly amazed at how breath taking Northern California really is. We are so thankful to be able to live in a place with such natural beauty!

The planner in me would tell you that I had this trip completely mapped out in my head. I can't help it! However, it always amazes me when I think I know how something will turn out and then it actually happens and it is even BETTER than I could have imagined. Our trip was exactly that!

We were suppose to go hot air ballooning on Tuesday morning, but unfortunately, due to the winds that day, it got cancelled and I was so dissappointed...for about 20 minutes. One of the captains said he would rather disappoint us than put us in danger and I thought to myself, "Stop being ridiculous!". After all, he reminded us that, "It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air then in the air wishing you were on the ground!". So true! It just means that we get to go back and redeem our flight in the next few months. I must say, if the only negative thing that came from this is that we have to visit Napa again to go for a balloon ride in a few months, we are doing pretty good! Plus, I think we can handle taking another weekend trip;)

So, after an incredibly beautiful, romantic and rejuvinating couple of days, I feel ready to face reality again! Thankfully we can ease back into work with a 3 day week!!

I posted pictures of some highlights from our trip, but there are a bunch more on Facebook:)

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend!!

Much, much Love!