I made these lovely things today.
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.
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?
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.
This recipe is from a cookbook I’ve raved about previously, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. 
So question for ya: 
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