Smoothiemania is Running Wild!

Based on all my cupcake posts, it would seem that they are the biggest part of my diet. Nothing is further from the truth. I am all about 80/20 - eat right 80% of the time and the 20% that's not so healthy will take care of itself. Everything fits into a healthy diet and I never feel deprived.
Smoothies are my breakfast go to. Set 'em up the night before, put the blender cup in the fridge and then let 'er rip in the AM. A great way to start the day with nutrition packed goodness - it keeps me healthier and smarter in the face of managing the prep, delivery and cleanup of 1200 meals a day at work. They help me maintain my 65 pound weight loss and fuel me to train for my first ever mud run this June.
Best part is...they're never the same way twice cause my base recipe can be made with whatever's on hand.
Here's the deal:
1/2 cup liquid (water, skim milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc)
1 medrool date ( to sweeten it up)
1 tsp ground guarana seed (so I don't need a separate cup of coffee to get going)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (whey, soy, brown rice, pea, etc)
1/2 piece of fruit (apple, pear, banana, orange, etc) or 1 cup berries (blueberries, quartered strawberries, raspberries, etc)
1/2 cup solid vegetable (celery, cucumber, carrot)
3 cups leafy greens (collards, chard, spinach, arugula, beet tops, carrot tops, radish leaves, parsley - go easy on the tops because the flavor is strong, mix them with the milder greens)
Handful of ice (only in the summer for me - too cold in the winter!)
And it's adjustable - just have leafy greens on hand - omit the solid veggie and replace with another cup of greens. Easy peasy.
A pretty powerful blender is needed to tame this beast. Here in casa de Krohne we use a Blendtec.
Try it- you'll like it and you're bod will look and feel great.
-DK

Big People Cupcake Party

I love cupcakes - fast to cook, cool & decorate. Easier to handle during decorating than a cake - can darn near juggle them without harm. Try tossing around a 12" layer that way and all you'll end up with is tasty crumbs. Of course, then you can make cake pops but that's another post altogether.
Overall I eat a crazy healthy diet but sometime I gotta indulge both creatively and sweets wise.

As a mom and brownie troop leader, I also need to talk to people taller than 3 1/2 feet tall sometimes. To satisfy all these needs (cause it is ALL about me!), I threw a Big Person Cupcake Party last weekend.




Nothing complicated, just a few friends and Wilton's Black Eyed Coffee House Cupcakes served in demitasse mugs because anything worth doing is worth overdoing. The baking cups fit perfectly in the demitasse mugs - foodie heaven.

The frosting recipe is very one note. To punch it up add:
-a pinch of salt (I used pink Himalayan)
-a little vanilla (I used ground Tahitian vanilla bean)
-about a tablespoon of molasses

Oh, and...do yourself a favor and double the filling recipe - you'll need it.

I started decorating with the Wilton tip #22 but I would have had a lot of frosting left over and it seemed like a shrimpy amount on top of the cupcakes.



Digging through my decorating kit for better options, I first thought of using the 1M but I use it sooooo much for cupcakes. Then I saw the 1F and almost dismissed it cause it's a monster. Then the phrase Go Big or Go Home came to mind and I went for it. Love the way it turned out. A little grated chocolate and a royal icing flower later and viola!




Coffee, cupcakes and friends...best recipe ever.
-DK