What's the occasion?
It was my son's birthday today. He turned 3. I know most parents just gush over their kids. I'm no exception. Asher is caring (he's "snuggler" of the family), and funny (he has a great sense of humor for a 3 year old!), and has a lot of personality, always marching to the beat of his own drum.I made him his favorite foods for his birthday dinner (I know it's kinda plain and simple, but these REALLY are his fave foods!): steamed broccoli, brown rice, and "refried" beans (not actually fried, but oh so tasty!). Thankfully, these foods happened to go together quite well.
And of course, these cupcakes for his birthday cake. Just the right size for little hands and mouths to enjoy.
I love making desserts, and it's not often I make a dessert that's as sweet and rich as this, but I do believe special occasions deserve something extra special.
This recipe is from a cookbook I've raved about previously, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I modified it a bit (surprise, surprise), substituting the white flour equally with whole wheat pastry flour (a bit lighter than whole wheat with all of the fiber and no bleach). I used a little less flour than called for, and added some tapioca starch (about 3/4 c. flour, 1/4 c. tapioca starch), half the oil called for (substituted applesauce for the rest), and didn't use quite as much sugar as the recipe suggested (about 1/2 c. then 1 tsp. or two of green leaf stevia).
The frosting is made from powdered sugar (which I made in my Blendtec!), mint extract, and a mix of Earth Balance shortening and spread (no hydrogenated oils or dairy). I topped with a ganache made from semi-sweet chocolate chips and almond milk and a chocolate candy, Sunspire is the brand.
I enjoyed every morsel of these divine cupcakes (my kids and hubby did too!)--they didn't taste healthy (ie. whole-wheatish) but they didn't weigh me down or make me feel sluggish either. Also, I couldn't have eaten more than two cupcakes. They were so satisfying and delicious, I was content with two.
On a different note, sometimes I get salad burnout. Where I just can't eat a salad for a few days.
But let's face it, there are times when you just want a salad and nothing else will hit the spot. This was my predicament the other night and I wanted something a little unconventional.
This little creation didn't take more than 10 minutes to toss together--(bagged and washed) spinach, frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries, oil-free poppy seed dressing, red grapes, with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts. It hit the spot.
So question for ya: Do you ever get salad burnout? What do you do to jazz things up?
Hey Janae...
ReplyDeleteI wanted to give you huge compliments about your soup class! I know I am late. My computer crashed and I just got it back. And the first thing I wanted to do was make sure you knew how much I enjoyed it. It was so informational, the food was fantastic and great company. I was also so disappointed that I missed the potluck, I didn't write down the information thinking I would just check online when it got closer to align it with my schedule. What can I say, my computer is my lifeline...when it crashes everything around me does too!! Thanks again. It was such a great night. See you soon.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHER!!
ReplyDeletehe is so handsome! :)
those cupcakes look to die for! you did a great job making them look lovely...i'm not much of a baker--but, i'm a great eater and i'd have eaten those...i bet i think i might have downed more than two, lol
salad burnout--yes, i just hit it this past week after buying super amounts of salad from sam's club. it was all i could do to choke it down
i think it's the cold weather moving in and my body looking for warm foods
this summer between the csa and my garden i ate at least 10 cups or more salad a day many weeks and loved it
i need some desperately need some dressing advice....the healthy ones i've made i don't like...
do you have good recipes or do you have a good brand that's healthier to eat?
i have not found any safe ones in my grocery store yet that taste ok
I have the best solution about salad burnout. I learned it from the Engine 2 diet book. I buy the spring mix from costco, and put most of my meals over it. I ate chili last night over salad. I ate lentil soup yesterday for lunch over it. The night before I ate Lemony roasted butternut squash with quinoa, and put it on a bed of greens. It's an easy way to get those greens in.
ReplyDeleteGreat post by the way. Looks yummy. And Happy Birthday Asher!