Cupcakes & Stoup

I love snow free days!  🙂

I am so happy that school was called off yesterday considering that the hubster turned the alarm off this morning, by accident, and we didn’t roll out of bed until 6:40 a.m.!  Umm, dear I think  you will be late for work….

I stumbled to the kitchen to make our coffee this morning and immediately started on my breakfast.  I am usually up an hour before this so I was starving!  Thank goodness for leftovers.  You see I had an appointment this morning with the orthodontist.  I had to go have the torture chamber braces and brackets adjusted.

But before being tortured adjusted, breakfast is in order 🙂

Pancakes w/ “Reese’s syrup”

I used my left over pancakes from last night with some delish toppings.  For the “Reese’s Syrup” combine a tablespoon of peanut butter with a little almond milk, cocoa powder, and a few vanilla stevia drops.  Pop in the microwave for a few seconds and mix well.  The milk help to thin it out so you can drizzle a little better.  Of course we needed some pecan pieces and a few sliced strawberries on top – after all who doesn’t love a chocolate covered strawberry?

I enjoyed a small cup of homemade yogurt – yes I said homemade – with granola and strawberries on the side.  This was my first attempt at making yogurt.  It turned out okay, I will post the process later once I improve it.

  

Once I was fed and full, I dressed for the snow day.  Warm clothes, scarf, boots, and had the hair pulled up to go under the hat…..

Um, no snow!

But we did have icicles on the car 🙂

I tell you it is freezing out there today, or at least for LA weather anyway.  After being tortured adjusted for an hour I decided I needed some warmth.  I made a quick stop at PJ’s coffee for a little southern pecan, warmed me right up.

So what does one do with a free day from school?  Bake of course.  I have fallen in love with a little book that has the most delish looking cupcakes in it and it’s vegan!  Of course I can’t bring myself to use the oil and sugar amounts in the recipes so I did do a little adjusting. 

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Adapted from:   Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Ingredients:
3/4c almond milk
2t apple cider vinegar
1/2c natural creamy peanut butter
1/3c apple sauce
1/3c organic turbinado sugar
2T dark molasses
1t vanilla extract
2t ground flaxseed
1c + 2T unbleached AP flour
1t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.) Mix almond milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle.
3.) In a large mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter, oil, sugar, molasses, vanilla, and ground flaxseeds until well combined. Add the almond milk mixture and mix until incorporated.
4.) Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl and mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
5.) Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 23-26 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to cooling racks.

Of course no cupcake is complete without a little frosting right?  So since Reese’s see to be the happening thing today, we decided to top our cupcakes with a little chocolate delight.  You can use my fudge recipe to spread on top, or go on over to Oh She Glows and make a batch of Angela’s peanut butter chocolate ganache!

Dinner tonight was a quick and easy dish.  I am not able to chew right now due to being tortured earlier today, so soup was in order.  Or in the words of Rachael Ray – stoup.

Zesty Kale Stoup

• 2T olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 carrots, sliced
• 1/2c chopped celery, including leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 cups water
• 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube
• 1/4c quinoa
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2t curry powder
• dash of nutmeg
• 1-2c of kale,  torn into bite size pieces
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oil over medium heat, add onion and sauté until translucent.
2. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and salt.  Saute until vegetables are golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add water and bouillon cube, quinoa, beans, and spices.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes until quinoa is cooked
4. Add the kale and cover.  Cook until kale is tender.  Season with salt & pepper before serving.

Of course I had a little cupcake for dessert!  Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow….who am I kidding, this mouth will hurt for several days.  At least I will be out of school again tomorrow 🙂

I think I will be off now to go catch up on some reading, take a nice hot bath, and probably enjoy some nice hot chocolate!