Margarita Cupcakes!!

Ok, so this isn't healthy...at all...but man were they yummy!!!!  I made these super cute cupcakes for a "stock the bar" party we hosted for some friends this weekend.  I'm sure there's a way to make them healthier, haha.

Margarita Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
7 1/2 ounces margarita mix
2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce orange juice
3 large egg whites
3 drops Young Living lime essential oil
Zest of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with baking spray. Mix together margarita mix, tequila and orange juice in a large measuring cup. Add cake mix to mixing bowl and add egge whites, essential oil, lime zest and tequila mix. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds until dry ingredients are incorporated and then beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then cool completely on wire racks.

 Icing:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2-3 T lime juice
2 drops lime essential oil
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lime zest
3-4 drops green food coloring

Beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 T lime juice and lime zest and beat until combined. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Add more lime juice if necessary. Add food coloring a couple drops at a time and beat on medium high speed until desired color is reached and icing is smooth. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes as desired.
Lime wedges, straws, and sprinkles all make festive garnishes. Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container if not serving immediately and bring to room temperature a couple hours prior to serving.

Granola from scratch from someone who doesn't like granola!!

I'm all about trying to give healthier versions of our favorite foods when it comes to feeding my family.  I found a meal plan online for kiddos and it included this recipe and used it several different ways:  as cereal, on yogurt, in a smoothie, etc.  My little 3.5yr old chef and I gave it a shot. 

The hardest part of this recipe is getting all of the ingredients.  You have to go to that aisle in the grocery store with all the healthy stuff that you never go down.   You know, the one with the dispensers like the candy stores?  This mom is not a fan of those but I was willing to try.

I loved this and so did my 3.5yr old!  It was an easy recipe for her to help with as it just has a lot of mixing, stirring and pouring.  It made my house smell FANTASTIC!  It didn't make an enormous amount like most granola recipes which is awesome because we actually ate it all before it went bad (lasted us about 2 weeks).

Shout out to the crew at 100 Days of Real Food for coming up and sharing this one.  I adapted it a bit.

Granola Cereal

makes 3 lbs

Recipe adapted from Anson Mills and 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients

• 3½ cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Also need – parchment paper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Cover a rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry oats, almonds, coconut, seeds and spices together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the butter melts stir in the vanilla and salt.
4. Pour the hot liquids over the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
5. Spread mixture onto prepared pan in one even layer. Bake for 75 minutes.
6. The granola will become crisp as it cools at which point you can break into pieces (if making bars) or break it up into small chunks by pounding it in a zip lock bag (if making cereal). Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Cooking with Oils: Margaritas!

Caution...this recipe is amazing.  No, I wouldn't consider a margarita on my healthy list....HOWEVER, it's good for my mommy time!  (and that provides me some mental health).

I have some famous margaritas ya'll.  This is going to be one of those "Trust Me" things.  I usually get asked for the recipe when I make them and it's your lucky day because I'm going to share it with you!  These are served on ice, not frozen.

MC's Famous Ritas

Ingredients:
1 can frozen Bacardi margarita mixer
1 can or 12oz sprite (I use sprite zero...just tastes better in these)
1 bottle of Corona
Tequila (preferably not the white kind)
fresh lime
optional: lemon or lime essential oil*

Empty frozen Bacardi mixer can in a pitcher and smush with a wooden spoon.  Fill the empty can about halfway with tequila.  Add can of sprite.  Stir until all frozen chunks have dissolved.  Slowly pour corona as to not foam.  Stir and pour over ice.  Garnish with a fresh lime.

**  This step can only be done if you're drinking out of a glass or stainless steel cup (no plastic).  If you want the mix sweeter add 1 drop of Young Living lime essential oil.  If you like it a little less sweet add 1 drop Lemon essential oil.

Cheers!

Cooking with oils: Iced Lemon Pound Cake-EO version!

 
So I love to cook with my 3yr old, I love essential oils and I love Starbucks!  These are 3 things that don't always go together but I found a recipe that combines them!!

This recipe was adapted from oneprojectcloser.com who adapted a recipe from On Sutton Place.

Iced Lemon Pound Cake-EO Version!

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. milled soft wheat flour, or 1 1/2 c all purpose

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3 eggs, room temperature

1 c. organic sugar or sucanat

2 T. butter, softened

1 t. vanilla

1 lemon

8 drops of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

1/2 c. coconut oil, melted

Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

2 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease metal 9x5 loaf pan

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon juice and Young Living Lemon EO with a mixer.  (The recipe originally called for 1/3 c lemon juice but I only had 1 lemon.)

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and blend until smooth.

Add melted coconut oil and Mix well.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 -50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cook 20-25 min for cupcakes.

Remove from oven and let set 3 minutes.

While cooling, prepare glaze in a small bowl.

Remove cake from pan, apply glaze, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

I sliced this after it cooled as we each had a piece and I mailed a few pieces to a friend as part of a "thank you" for sending my little chef some cooking equipment.  I will say that after a day of the cake being sliced it dried out some so if you're not serving this cake at a party I'd only slice out the pieces you're eating in order to keep the cake un-dry (I can't stand the M word that most people would use here).

Enjoy!!

I am not a hippie...

So since having my youngest I've gotten into a healthier kick.  Maybe it's because I'm trying to lose baby weight, maybe it's because I'm determined to do it right the second time around when it comes to parenting or maybe it's because I have an amazing new kitchen and love spending time in it!  Regardless, I one of my neighbors referred to me the other day as someone who eats/cooks healthy!  I had to pause and give that statement the true moment it deserves.  (And I did not inform her that I was eating an oreo while on the phone with her...oops).

Anyhow, since becoming a family of 4 I've really focused on providing my kids with healthier alternatives that don't taste like cardboard and trying my best to carry that mindset into other avenues.  I've fallen in love with essential oils and have seen amazing results in just a few short months.  The whole reason I remembered about this blog is because I've been wanting to document some of my journey with oils as well!

My 3.5 yr old loves to cook and we've had fun trying new healthier recipes.  Once school starts the experimentation will be at a minimum so I'm trying a lot over the summer to know which ones are keepers.  During this process I made my first absolute fail in cooking...so bad we didn't finish the meal, threw it away and busted out with some ramen....ugh.  Mulligan?

I realize that so much of this is trial and error and with any new recipe, you're taking a leap of faith on whether or not you'll like it (cooking metaphor for life??  hmmmm).  I digress.

My current list of go-to's for healthier eating comes from www.100daysofrealfood.com

I found this website when I was searching for healthy toddler meals as our new daycare has me bring lunches for my 3.5yr old.  I thought they might label me "that mom" if I only ever sent her with quesadillas, grilled cheese, pasta, etc.  She has a 1 week meal plan for every season complete with a shopping list and prices.  I don't go as far as she does and make everything from scratch but I'm taking baby steps.

So far I highly recommend the Granola, Caprese pasta salad, and Carnitas.  I had some issues with the yeast I used when making the pizza pockets and that was my awful failed meal.  Plus, that was the one that was hard for me to have the little one help with so I'm going to move forward and accept failure on that one.

I also made an amazing Iced Lemon Pound Cake that tastes just like the one from Starbucks and while not labeled healthy...It's a much healthier version.  I pinned the recipe for that one for sure.

The lemon pound cake actually is made with Lemon essential oils in it rather than rind!