Here was my original post....but the important stuff is recapped here!
Personal
-Call home 1x week.
I know that this will appear ridonkulous--keeping track of the dates I called home--but it is important that I keep myself accountable, and this is how I am doing it!! I didn't even count my birthday phone calls! Yay me! And, I enjoy my calls more. YAY attitude change!!!
(2/4; 2/12; 2/19; 2/26)
-Watch at least 1 movie with L.
Date Night 2/5 Cute. Non-thinking. On the couch and chillax.
-Try lentils.
See here!
Mental
-Read 3 books.
Germinal Emile Zola : really enjoyed this book. Combination of hearing the text, good writing, and a story that I could understand and appreciate (striking laborers, poor vs. middle class vs. upper class, etc.).
The Great House Nicole Krauss: Book Club book--it was the least talked about book ever. I hated it. I finished it at 10PM the night before book club. YUK.
Sphinx's Queen Esther Friesner: I enjoyed this book and finished it rather quickly. I have loved Friesner's book 1s of a series, but haven't loved her follow-ups as much. This follow up was well-written and very successful.
**I even finished The Death of Ivan Ilych (Tolstoy)!!
Physical
-Do one of my yoga tapes at least 1X a week.
Didn't do my tapes, rather, I went to yoga classes at the gym on Fridays immediately following the WillPower and Grace class I go to. (2/4; 2/11; 2/18; 2/25)
-Go to Body Pump at least 1X a week. 2/1; (2/6); 2/8; 2/15; 2/22--Every Tuesday in February + an additional class on a Sunday--YAY ME!
Social
-Hang out at least two times with someone outside of L.
FAIL
2/19 Book Club (amazing)
I know that I need to make more of an effort here though. Really.
Overall, I was successful in meeting my goals--the social realm of my existence needs some work, but I am very proud of myself for all that I accomplished in February!!
March goals are up next!
28 February 2011
Spiced Citrus Salad
Yummy. Thanks WW for this recipe!
1 medium lemon(s), Meyer variety
1 GIANT ruby red grapefruit To make syrup, in a small saucepan, combine ginger, cloves and allspice; sprinkle with sugar. Using a pestle or back of a wooden spoon, crush sugar into spices, making sure to break them into many pieces; stir in water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Peel off skin and cut off white pith from each piece of fruit. Hold each piece of fruit over a large, nonreactive bowl; slice into each fruit section with a v-shaped cut to remove citrus flesh from membranes, keeping the bowl underneath to catch juice and citrus sections. When you finish removing segments from each piece of fruit, squeeze center membranes over bowl to catch remaining juice; remove any pits that fall into the bowl. (To watch a video of this technique, click here). (DO IT!! Do not be like me and think you know what you are doing. Trust me!!)
Strain syrup and pour over fruit; toss well. Serve chilled. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
Notes:
You can use a variety of citrus fruit in this recipe: Temple oranges, mandarins, clementines, etc. are all wonderful options.
Use this citrus salad to top lemon sorbet or add seltzer for a refreshing drink. For a party, consider subbing champagne or rum for the seltzer (could affect PointsPlus values).
About 8 servings: 3pts+/serving--I am not sure how this works. 1/4 C sugar = 5pts+/8=about 1pt+ That is what I am going with.
This is refreshing, light, and YUMMY. I love the ginger kick, but I wish I didn't have to strain it--GIANT pain in the butt.
1 piece(s) ginger root, 2-inches, finely minced or grated
1/8 tsp whole cloves, use 2 or 3 cloves
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 cup(s) sugar
1/4 cup(s) water
3 medium grapefruit, seedless, one each pink, white and red
3 medium orange(s), 2 blood variety and 1 navel variety
2 large tangerine(s)
 |
| Citrus |
 |
| Whole clove=FUN! |
What I used:
1 Pomelo (YUM--first time even trying this fruit! Much milder than a grapefruit with HUGE segments)
1 navel orange
1 minneola
2 clementines
 |
| Final result! |
1 regular sized red grapefruit
NO lemon
Peel off skin and cut off white pith from each piece of fruit. Hold each piece of fruit over a large, nonreactive bowl; slice into each fruit section with a v-shaped cut to remove citrus flesh from membranes, keeping the bowl underneath to catch juice and citrus sections. When you finish removing segments from each piece of fruit, squeeze center membranes over bowl to catch remaining juice; remove any pits that fall into the bowl. (To watch a video of this technique, click here). (DO IT!! Do not be like me and think you know what you are doing. Trust me!!)
Strain syrup and pour over fruit; toss well. Serve chilled. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
Notes:
You can use a variety of citrus fruit in this recipe: Temple oranges, mandarins, clementines, etc. are all wonderful options.
Use this citrus salad to top lemon sorbet or add seltzer for a refreshing drink. For a party, consider subbing champagne or rum for the seltzer (could affect PointsPlus values).
About 8 servings: 3pts+/serving--I am not sure how this works. 1/4 C sugar = 5pts+/8=about 1pt+ That is what I am going with.
This is refreshing, light, and YUMMY. I love the ginger kick, but I wish I didn't have to strain it--GIANT pain in the butt.
27 February 2011
Cheddar Wafers (Crackers)
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| YUM. Homemade cracker! Who would have thought? |
 |
| Dough |
Cheddar Wafers
1 stick butter; melted
2 eggs
 |
| Rollin' it out |
 |
| Cuttin' them out |
 |
| BAKING! |
 |
| Stars! |
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I, of course, added more)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 C all purpose flour (I only have bread flour, so that is what I used)
Preheat oven to 350.
Whisk together the melted butter and eggs until creamy. Add the cheese and mix until well combined. Add the baking powder, salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and flour and mix well. (I mixed all the dry together first, and then I added it to the wet.)
Roll out dough onto a floured surface until it's a little less than 1/4th inch thick. Cut out small circles with cookie cutters and place onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (thinner crackers--LESS time!!!)
With the two types of cookie cutters that I used, I got 124 crackers. I had to 1/2 the recipe to get it into the recipe builder, and then 1 cracker = 0 pts+; 2 crackers = 1pts+; 3 = 1 pts+; 4=2 pts+; etc. These are really good. Flaky, crisp, and satisfying for a cracker craving. And--SUPER easy to make.
24 February 2011
Civic Duty...Not to be confused with staying OP...Future endeavors...
These have nothing to do with each other, but they are the topics at the forefront of my thinking at the moment.
I just ate a donut that was 4 days old. It wasn't good. Or fresh. But I ate it anyway. Why? Well, I ate some potato chips with delicious cream cheese/onion dip that L made last night, and thought that a stale Bavarian cream donut would be a good chaser.
BLARGH.
Not to mention, I didn't go to practice last night--I was hoping that maybe taking another day of not getting hit my chest/lung area would hurt less.
Anyway...
Today I showed up for my jury duty assignment. For the first time in my life. This was a deferred summons because my first summons came when I was back living in WI and clearly couldn't make it back. And then I forgot about it (I was rescheduled for early February), and when I realized my guffaw, I emailed for another deferral until the end of the month. Hence today's task.
There was a snowmageddon here in PDX which caused almost all the schools in the area to be closed (oh the irony), and while it was icy, it wasn't too bad from my perspective.
I made it (on time even), and after filling out paperwork, I waited for the next step. Thank you iPhone for helping pass the time!
The first process involved a retired judge who came in to work for some reason who had to announce jury members for 4 grand juries. Each grand jury would have a letter, and the letter corresponded to the day of the week the members of the jury would have to report for the duration of the term (5 weeks!). During the first few picks I might have thought that it would be pretty cool to be on a grand jury, plus it would give me the opportunity to not feel sorry for my unemployed ass for at least 7 hours every week for the next 5 weeks.
And then my number was called.
To sum things up, I am on a grand jury that will hear cases for the next 5 weeks that we will have to decide whether or not to indict someone and what charges will be filed. Wow. I am also the alternate foreperson, and on my first day, I will volunteer to be the clerk (take notes throughout). Hopefully no one else will want that responsibility.
It is fascinating to see how our justice system works, and walking through the DA's offices, the thousands of files are overwhelming. I am actually pretty honored to get to be a part of the system that makes our country so awesome.
What is also awesome is that I will get to use my bento box that L's brother got for me for Christmas because he drew my name. It is AWESOME and I plan on filling it with awesomeness to cheer me up as I hear some not great things about humans who made bad choices.
And, as of today, I am registered to take the following classes at a community college starting March 28th:
Chemistry for Allied Health (5 credits)
Beginning Algebra II (4 credits)
Biology for Allied Health (5 credits)
Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
Please keep in mind that my degree is in LITERATURE. I have my teaching certification in LANGUAGE ARTS 9-12. I am ONE CREDIT SHY OF MY MASTERS IN ENGLISH.
Being unemployed sucks. Especially in the world today. Even worse as a teacher today. So, I am going to try to apply for the Surgical Technology program at the community college once I get these courses finished. I am still debating Anat and Phys, and think I could take that with Microbiology the following term.
Granted, this is all dependent on if I get Financial Aid or not, and honestly, I am very nervous because I suck balls at math and science. This will most definitely be a challenge.
I'd rather teach English.
I just ate a donut that was 4 days old. It wasn't good. Or fresh. But I ate it anyway. Why? Well, I ate some potato chips with delicious cream cheese/onion dip that L made last night, and thought that a stale Bavarian cream donut would be a good chaser.
BLARGH.
Not to mention, I didn't go to practice last night--I was hoping that maybe taking another day of not getting hit my chest/lung area would hurt less.
Anyway...
Today I showed up for my jury duty assignment. For the first time in my life. This was a deferred summons because my first summons came when I was back living in WI and clearly couldn't make it back. And then I forgot about it (I was rescheduled for early February), and when I realized my guffaw, I emailed for another deferral until the end of the month. Hence today's task.
There was a snowmageddon here in PDX which caused almost all the schools in the area to be closed (oh the irony), and while it was icy, it wasn't too bad from my perspective.
I made it (on time even), and after filling out paperwork, I waited for the next step. Thank you iPhone for helping pass the time!
The first process involved a retired judge who came in to work for some reason who had to announce jury members for 4 grand juries. Each grand jury would have a letter, and the letter corresponded to the day of the week the members of the jury would have to report for the duration of the term (5 weeks!). During the first few picks I might have thought that it would be pretty cool to be on a grand jury, plus it would give me the opportunity to not feel sorry for my unemployed ass for at least 7 hours every week for the next 5 weeks.
And then my number was called.
To sum things up, I am on a grand jury that will hear cases for the next 5 weeks that we will have to decide whether or not to indict someone and what charges will be filed. Wow. I am also the alternate foreperson, and on my first day, I will volunteer to be the clerk (take notes throughout). Hopefully no one else will want that responsibility.
It is fascinating to see how our justice system works, and walking through the DA's offices, the thousands of files are overwhelming. I am actually pretty honored to get to be a part of the system that makes our country so awesome.
 |
| My laptop lunch box. The silverware is REAL too!!! |
And, as of today, I am registered to take the following classes at a community college starting March 28th:
Chemistry for Allied Health (5 credits)
Beginning Algebra II (4 credits)
Biology for Allied Health (5 credits)
Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
Please keep in mind that my degree is in LITERATURE. I have my teaching certification in LANGUAGE ARTS 9-12. I am ONE CREDIT SHY OF MY MASTERS IN ENGLISH.
Being unemployed sucks. Especially in the world today. Even worse as a teacher today. So, I am going to try to apply for the Surgical Technology program at the community college once I get these courses finished. I am still debating Anat and Phys, and think I could take that with Microbiology the following term.
Granted, this is all dependent on if I get Financial Aid or not, and honestly, I am very nervous because I suck balls at math and science. This will most definitely be a challenge.
I'd rather teach English.
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| Here is the blister I got on Monday. It hurts SO MUCH. |
23 February 2011
Recipe Thief: Calzones
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| Dough |
Mission accomplished.
Calzones
Ingredients for Crust:
1 tbsp active dry-yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
mushrooms
Directions:
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
 |
| Dough after about 20 minutes! |
3/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for Filling:
1 cup part-skim mozzarella (I didn't have this, instead I used 1 C shredded colby/jack--which impacted the points significantly!)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 small red onion, chopped (or 1/2 large)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 small red onion, chopped (or 1/2 large)
My additions:
 |
| Innards of calzone |
minced garlic
diced tomatoes
oregano
basil
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| Filling the dough |
 |
| Oven bound |
 |
| Happy Calzone |
- Combine first four ingredients - yeast, sugar, water, olive oil - and let sit until mixture bubbles - 5-15 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine salt, whole wheat, and all purpose flours.
- Add wet ingredients to dry, and combine until a dough forms.
- Lightly flour a surface and knead dough for ~10 minutes.
- Place dough in a covered bowl for 10-15 minutes at room temperature and let rise.
- While dough is rising, prepare your filling. Sauté the red onion with nonstick spray until soft and browning. (I used 1 tsp. olive oil which impacted the points.) Let cool, then combine with ricotta, mozzarella, and garlic powder.
- Preheat oven to 400º
- Uncover dough and separate into 4 even pieces.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into four separate circles on a floured surface.
- Add 1/4 of the filling to the center of each circle of dough.
- Wet your finger and use it to wet half the perimeter of the dough - about 1/2" in.
- Fold the dry side over, and using your fingers, pinch the edges of the dough together to seal.
- Transfer to a greased baking pan or heated pizza stone dusted with corn meal.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the calzones start to brown on top.
- Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before eating. You can also freeze them at this stage, which I did with 2 of the 4.
- Serve with sauce for dipping, if desired.
 |
| DONE! |
I am going to freeze these so I have some ready-to-eat meals in advance. Maybe L will try one at work!!! These are REALLY good. Big, hearty, comforting, and YUMMY!!!
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| Lunch! YUM! |
YUM!
22 February 2011
Two Tweaked WW Recipes: Chili-Mac & Glazed Pear Muffins
Made these recipes this afternoon.
I am going to just put the recipe I used rather than the original. I halved the recipe and left out the 4 oz. green chili peppers (I can't deal with spicy) and the 2 tsp chili powder (didn't have it). If you want the originals, check out the WW recipe section. Or, I will make it easy for you: Chili Mac & Glazed Pear Muffins. You are welcome.
Chili-Mac
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
9.6 oz. ground turkey breast
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 1/4 C V8 low sodium
1/2 + 1/4 C salad macaroni (I didn't have elbow mac)
1 can white northern beans (I didn't have pinto beans)
Heat olive oil. Add onions, cook until translucent. Add ground turkey. Cook about 10 minutes.
Stir in can of tomatoes (and the juice!), V8, and seasonings (I used a teeny bit of cumin and mustard powder). Bring to a boil.
Stir in macaroni and beans, return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until mac is tender--about 15 minutes.
Each serving is 1 C.
5 C total.
6pts+/serving
I served mine with a 1/4 C shredded cheese (which added 3 pts+).
It needed salt and pepper, and I actually with I would have had chili powder. It was slightly bland, but the cheese really helped. It is hearty and filling, and I liked it--but would add more seasoning next time (and garlic).
Glazed Pear Muffins
2 large pears with skin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I didn't measure--there is probably more in my muffins)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 C ff sour cream
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C skim milk
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP warm water + a few more drips
Preheat oven to 375 and coat a 12 hole muffin tin with spray.
Core and chop pears into tiny cubes and place into a large bowl. Add cinnamon, granulated sugar,and lemon juice to pears. Gently stir and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, beaten egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, and milk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Make a well with a spoon in the center of the flour mixture.
Pour in sour cream mixture and fruit mixture, alternating in small batches; mix until barely blended. Do not over-mix. The batter will be very thick.
Drop batter into prepared muffin holes. Bake until tops are golden 30-35 minutes (it took mine 30 minutes). Removed from oven and cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan. Remove from pan onto wire rack to cool completely. (I glazed mine while they were still warm.)
While muffins are cooling, make glaze.
Mix together powdered sugar, ginger, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and warm water in a bowl. (Add another tsp. of water if glaze is still too thick.)
Drizzle glaze over muffins.
12 muffins
3pts+/muffin
The original recipe calls for 1/2 C granulated sugar and regular sour cream. My recipe shaves off a FULL POINT PER MUFFIN. I rock. These are really good. I would even consider leaving off the glaze next time because the pears are awesome in this chewy delicious muffin. YUMMY!!!
I am going to just put the recipe I used rather than the original. I halved the recipe and left out the 4 oz. green chili peppers (I can't deal with spicy) and the 2 tsp chili powder (didn't have it). If you want the originals, check out the WW recipe section. Or, I will make it easy for you: Chili Mac & Glazed Pear Muffins. You are welcome.
Chili-Mac
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
9.6 oz. ground turkey breast
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (undrained)
 |
| Chili-Mac done cooking! |
1/2 + 1/4 C salad macaroni (I didn't have elbow mac)
1 can white northern beans (I didn't have pinto beans)
Heat olive oil. Add onions, cook until translucent. Add ground turkey. Cook about 10 minutes.
Stir in can of tomatoes (and the juice!), V8, and seasonings (I used a teeny bit of cumin and mustard powder). Bring to a boil.
Stir in macaroni and beans, return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until mac is tender--about 15 minutes.
Each serving is 1 C.
5 C total.
6pts+/serving
I served mine with a 1/4 C shredded cheese (which added 3 pts+).
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| Total=9pts+ Not too shabby! |
Glazed Pear Muffins
2 large pears with skin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I didn't measure--there is probably more in my muffins)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
 |
| Pre-glaze, post-oven. |
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C skim milk
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP warm water + a few more drips
Preheat oven to 375 and coat a 12 hole muffin tin with spray.
Core and chop pears into tiny cubes and place into a large bowl. Add cinnamon, granulated sugar,and lemon juice to pears. Gently stir and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, beaten egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, and milk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Make a well with a spoon in the center of the flour mixture.
 |
| Post-glaze, post-oven. |
Drop batter into prepared muffin holes. Bake until tops are golden 30-35 minutes (it took mine 30 minutes). Removed from oven and cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan. Remove from pan onto wire rack to cool completely. (I glazed mine while they were still warm.)
While muffins are cooling, make glaze.
Mix together powdered sugar, ginger, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, and warm water in a bowl. (Add another tsp. of water if glaze is still too thick.)
Drizzle glaze over muffins.
12 muffins
3pts+/muffin
 |
| Yummy. |
21 February 2011
Realizations...
I have reached a critical juncture in this journey.
The last time I was really serious about WW, I never really "finished."
I was hard-core for a while, but I don't even know how many months I remained dedicated. Of course there were some slip-ups, but I would get back on track and do well again, but then I finally just let my hard work slip away and gave up.
I have completed six full months of WW, working at bad habits attempting to recompense for 16 years of treating my body (my self) like crap. I really don't want to slip again.
But I feel that the slipping up is slowly creeping up on me. The weekends are the worst. So are birthday celebrations with L's family--my birthday starts it all off, and then it's L's bday, then his brother's, and then his step-brother, and then his step-sister....all of which include eating as the celebration, which I enjoy being a part of. Each weekend brings another sabotage WHICH I ALLOW.
It isn't hard to make better choices, to make more healthy options for pot-luck events, to make "healthy" dates with friends or L, but I haven't made these healthier choices. It's about moderation--when I know that a celebration is coming, don't make unhealthy decisions during the other days. PLAN better.
I feel myself leaning towards taking the easy way out, giving up and returning to old habits. I tell myself, "it's only two slices of bread with butter..." and then that becomes 4 or 6 pieces...which leads to donuts and other choices that are the bane of my existence--(it is really hard for me to eat bread in moderation). That is why I try to avoid certain foods--even though that option isn't really working either.
So, I need to take a step back, reevaluate, and reconsider how much progress I have made because of healthy choices.
How content and proud I am when I meet all the healthy checks, when I track everything I put in my mouth, and when I work out. How good it really does feel when I push myself past the "I don't want to" phase and exist within the "It is much healthier for me long term when I take care of myself" realm.
And I do love the results I am seeing--I can wear shirts I haven't been able to since before meeting L. I don't really have any jeans I like because they are either too big or WAY too small (from a LONG time ago). I need to keep reminding myself of all I've done, celebrate, and not think so much of where I still want to go.
The last time I was really serious about WW, I never really "finished."
I was hard-core for a while, but I don't even know how many months I remained dedicated. Of course there were some slip-ups, but I would get back on track and do well again, but then I finally just let my hard work slip away and gave up.
I have completed six full months of WW, working at bad habits attempting to recompense for 16 years of treating my body (my self) like crap. I really don't want to slip again.
But I feel that the slipping up is slowly creeping up on me. The weekends are the worst. So are birthday celebrations with L's family--my birthday starts it all off, and then it's L's bday, then his brother's, and then his step-brother, and then his step-sister....all of which include eating as the celebration, which I enjoy being a part of. Each weekend brings another sabotage WHICH I ALLOW.
It isn't hard to make better choices, to make more healthy options for pot-luck events, to make "healthy" dates with friends or L, but I haven't made these healthier choices. It's about moderation--when I know that a celebration is coming, don't make unhealthy decisions during the other days. PLAN better.
I feel myself leaning towards taking the easy way out, giving up and returning to old habits. I tell myself, "it's only two slices of bread with butter..." and then that becomes 4 or 6 pieces...which leads to donuts and other choices that are the bane of my existence--(it is really hard for me to eat bread in moderation). That is why I try to avoid certain foods--even though that option isn't really working either.
So, I need to take a step back, reevaluate, and reconsider how much progress I have made because of healthy choices.
How content and proud I am when I meet all the healthy checks, when I track everything I put in my mouth, and when I work out. How good it really does feel when I push myself past the "I don't want to" phase and exist within the "It is much healthier for me long term when I take care of myself" realm.
And I do love the results I am seeing--I can wear shirts I haven't been able to since before meeting L. I don't really have any jeans I like because they are either too big or WAY too small (from a LONG time ago). I need to keep reminding myself of all I've done, celebrate, and not think so much of where I still want to go.
18 February 2011
Today's baking adventures!!!
2 recipes at once. And, now I am pretty exhausted! But, these were fun to make and I am very excited that both recipes aren't too sweet. Looks are deceiving!!
The first recipe came from the WW board, from Vittoria, who got flack for posting a review for a "non-WW friendly" recipe review. Which was beyond lame--people don't have to look at posts with "cupcake" in the title if they are that swayed by the written word to immediately go off track...but I digress.
Her post led me to this post--an amazing baking site. I also used Sara's frosting, which is seriously amazing. Not too sweet, but thick, creamy, and rich. AWESOME! I also took her frosting cupcakes "course" and watched her video on how to frost cupcakes.
Whew.
This was also my first time:
1. Exercising patience in baking. I actually layered the colors like Sara did, and didn't get frustrated at the tediousness and throw a fit.
2. Working with an actual frosting tip. That was metal. For organized frosting purposes.
3. Working with gel colors--including taste free red gel. I likey.
4. Followed the directions to the T. (Except for the vanilla debacle which will be explained later.)
5. Prepped everything in advance. Totally worth it.
OK:
Colorburst Cupcakes
recipe by ourbestbites.com
1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1 C yogurt (any smooth textured fruit flavor is fine!) or sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 2 minutes.
Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color, but each cake brand will be slightly different. (I didn't measure. I used 5 colors: red, blue, yellow, green, and purple.)
Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. (my favorite was yellow--barely any gel was needed for a BRIGHT color. Green was my second favorite for the neon-ness of the color. Least fav is purple--and purple is my favorite color, but I couldn't find a good balance of the red and the blue gel, plus it is a really ugmo purple that resulted from my attempts)
To get a layered stripe like I used, you'll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won't spread on it's own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you're working. (This REALLY HELPS!!) Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn't stick to your fingers.
Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc. (My order--bottom to top: purple, blue, green, red, yellow).
Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry.
Frosting:
Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Fillingrecipe by ourbestbites.com
3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine) (I used skim milk!!)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.
Sweetheart Chocolate Roll Cake
1/4 cup milk
Whew. I am tired. The cake isn't too chocolatey--I kind of wish it was more chocolatey, but I think that when I eat it with the topping, any sadness I have about lack of chocolate will be alleviated. After licking the bowl of ganache (seriously, I wished my tongue was longer to get all the chocolate goodness), I think it will be plenty chocolatey.
Pretty productive day. Now to do laundry and get ready for the gym--which I need from all the sampling.
The first recipe came from the WW board, from Vittoria, who got flack for posting a review for a "non-WW friendly" recipe review. Which was beyond lame--people don't have to look at posts with "cupcake" in the title if they are that swayed by the written word to immediately go off track...but I digress.
Her post led me to this post--an amazing baking site. I also used Sara's frosting, which is seriously amazing. Not too sweet, but thick, creamy, and rich. AWESOME! I also took her frosting cupcakes "course" and watched her video on how to frost cupcakes.
Whew.
This was also my first time:
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| Pre-color mix...thick and gooey. |
2. Working with an actual frosting tip. That was metal. For organized frosting purposes.
3. Working with gel colors--including taste free red gel. I likey.
4. Followed the directions to the T. (Except for the vanilla debacle which will be explained later.)
5. Prepped everything in advance. Totally worth it.
OK:
Colorburst Cupcakes
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| The setup. |
1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1 C yogurt (any smooth textured fruit flavor is fine!) or sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 2 minutes.
Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color, but each cake brand will be slightly different. (I didn't measure. I used 5 colors: red, blue, yellow, green, and purple.)
Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. (my favorite was yellow--barely any gel was needed for a BRIGHT color. Green was my second favorite for the neon-ness of the color. Least fav is purple--and purple is my favorite color, but I couldn't find a good balance of the red and the blue gel, plus it is a really ugmo purple that resulted from my attempts)
To get a layered stripe like I used, you'll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won't spread on it's own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you're working. (This REALLY HELPS!!) Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn't stick to your fingers.
Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc. (My order--bottom to top: purple, blue, green, red, yellow).
Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry.
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| Layer 1 |
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| Layer 2 |
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| Layer 3 |
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| Layer 4 |
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| Layer 5 |
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| The final product! |
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| Frosting into pastry tube. |
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| The final result! They ROCK!!! |
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| The inside!!!!!!!! |
Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling
3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine) (I used skim milk!!)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.
Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. I think this is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe. I have a feeling people are under-cooking this part. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) (I didn't really understand this part, so after it got to pudding stage, I scraped it into a small bowl and put it in the fridge) and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting!!
In an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9. I know that seems like a long time, but that's when the magic happens! (I let it go for 8 minutes--everything Sara says is true!! It goes from gross to awesome!)
You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy.
Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. You can't go wrong putting this on just about anything :)
One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes . (this is totally true--no extras!!)
Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.
Ok. These cupcakes are amazing. I don't know what it is: the yogurt, the butter, the frosting, but DANG. They are moist, delicious, not too sweet, and the frosting is PERFECT!!!!
Amazing! I can't wait to see what the girls of my book club think!!
The second recipe (mind you, I was working on both of these recipes simultaneously!) came from Jenna who makes amazing food to look at and is fun to read. As to the vanilla debacle I mentioned earlier, since I had prepped before hand, I accidentally took the vanilla I measured out for this filling and added it to the cake batter instead. Oops. 1 extra tsp. in the batter won't change the flavor that much right?
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| Eggs with chocolate about to be folded in. |
Ingredients:
6 oz semisweet chocolate
6 T butter
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
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| Batter w/alternating dry mixture (milk was next) |
sweetheart filling:
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T milk
1 drop red food coloring (I didn't color mine!)
ganache topping:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
Valentine's Day sprinkles to top! (I didn't do this either!)
Preheat oven to 350.
Directions:
Butter a jelly roll pan (baking pan) and then lay a sheet of wax paper on top and butter the wax paper as well, making sure to get the sides of the pan greased.
Melt the butter and chocolate together over very low heat until smooth. Take off the heat, add the sugar and mix well.
Beat eggs until thick, pale and light. This will take about seven-eight minutes beating on high. Fold in the chocolate mixture and vanilla extract, but be careful not to over-mix (this will deflate the eggs).
Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to the cake batter, folding slowly the entire time. Make sure to get down to the bottom of the bowl with your rubber spatula!
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| Pre-oven |
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| Post-oven |
Spread the cake batter onto your prepared pan and smooth out to the edges, making sure the batter is evenly distributed.
Bake for 15 minutes.
While cake is cooling, beat together the softened butter and confectioner's sugar to make the frosting. Add the milk, vanilla and food coloring and beat until very light and fluffy--- about six minutes.
After the cake has cooled completely, lift the wax paper off the pan and set cake on the counter. Gently turn cake over and peel off wax paper. Spread the frosting out on top of the cake, leaving an inch free around all edges. Then, gently roll up cake. Don't worry if it rips a little bit--it will turn out fine!
Stick rolled up cake in the freezer while you prepare ganache.
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| Filling! (Not too sweet!) |
Bring cream to a simmer on the stove. Immediately pour over chocolate chips and stir to melt. Remove cake from freezer and pour ganache over the cake, making sure all sides are covered. Cover with sprinkles and return to freezer for 30 minutes to set.
Store cake in the fridge---can be made a day ahead of time!  |
| Ok. Time to get serious. Cooled and flipped cake. |
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| Filling spread. I don't have a fancy frosting spreader thingy. I used a rubber scraper! |
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| ROLLED UP! |
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| Full shot. It looks crazy. I am impressed as to how much it looks like a MONSTROUS Little Debbie. (Tastes WAY better though!!) |
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| With the ganache. And cut in half to make it more manageable/storeable. It won't be pretty when it is time to serve it, but it will taste damn good!!! |
Whew. I am tired. The cake isn't too chocolatey--I kind of wish it was more chocolatey, but I think that when I eat it with the topping, any sadness I have about lack of chocolate will be alleviated. After licking the bowl of ganache (seriously, I wished my tongue was longer to get all the chocolate goodness), I think it will be plenty chocolatey.
Pretty productive day. Now to do laundry and get ready for the gym--which I need from all the sampling.
17 February 2011
Today's Meals:
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| Breakfast...Greek Yogurt is growing on me! |
1 egg: (2pts+)
1 egg white (0pt)
1 bagel thin (3 pts+)
1 tsp whipped butter (1 pt+)
fresh strawberries and pineapple (0 pt)
1/2 Chobiatta vanilla yogurt (1 pts+)
1 chicken sausage (3 pts+)
Total: 10 pts+
Lunch:
Vegetable Sandwich innards (3 pts+)
1 ciabatta roll (5 pts+)
1.6 oz pork tenderloin (2 pts+)
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| Lunch |
fresh strawberries and pineapple (0 pt)
1/2 Chobiatta vanilla yogurt (2 pts+)
Total: 14 pts+
Dinner:
1 C Kashi 7 grain puff cereal (2pts+)
2/3 C milk (1 pt+)
1 banana (0pt)
***1/2 C angel hair pasta w/fancy cheese and butter that L made with two pieces of homemade meatball. (5pts+)
2 pieces of sourdough bread (4pts+)
1 tsp. whipped butter (1pt+)
Total: 13 pts.+
Dessert (I was having mad cravings...went overboard)
***4 oreo smushed 1/2 truffles (not dunked in chocolate, just mini-balls of mushed oreos mixed with cream cheese)
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| Dinner 1 |
Total: 7pts+
***Guessing because I have NO clue what NI would be.
Day's Total: 44pts+
Used 10 Activity points. :(
Activity Points earned:
Treadmill Walk 35 minutes
(In activity tracker) 4
PowerSculpt:
40 min HIGH: 10
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| Dinner 2 |
Total: 15
Healthy Checks:
Water: 8+
Dairy: 2
Fruit/Veggies: 5
Healthy Oil: 0 (this has GOT to change, I think that is why I am so hungry/craving bread/hungry!)
Vitamin
Activity
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| Cakeball--do you see the deliciousness that I was up against??? |
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