My Version: Almond Joy Cupcakes

ANOTHER post NOT about the kids!!

So I've been doing cupcakes a lot lately. Funny that this post comes RIGHT AFTER the diet post lol :) But I do them on my cheat days, so it's OK. I could never open any kind of bakery though...being around baked goods 24-7 would mean 100 lb. weight gain for me, for sure!

So, today I made some chocolate cupcakes with almond...let's say "almond creme" (that sounds good) filling and coconut cream frosting. They were YUMMMM-O!!!

So I think I'll post the recipes, mainly so that I can find them later by tagging them as "recipes" and share the ones I have tried and tested with you so you can benefit (if you want to go to the trouble of making cupcakes :)

Anyway, here it is:



Adapted from Chockylit Cup Cake Bake Shop: (and I stole the picture online...I don't have time to take pictures of my cupcakes every time let's be honest... but these look about as yummy!)

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven


3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa powdered (I use the Hershey's dark chocolate version...much better)
1-1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition.
3. Measure the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder into a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Measure the milk and vanilla into a measuring thing.
5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 1/2 to 2/3′s full (or they will overflow! I can do 34 cupcakes with this recipe). Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes outclean. (at 18 minutes, mine are PERFECT.)

This has become my go-to recipe for chocolate cupcakes. Super easy, nice and moist, but not too moist, and spongy enough to fill without falling apart.

Almond Creme Filling

Sounds so fancy with the title I just gave it! But it's not :) I just did:

3/4 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup almond butter
1/4 cup milk

NOT sure how accurate these measurements are because I kinda just made it up and blended it together adding milk until it came to the right consistency. So, start with the almond butter, add as much sweetened condensed milk you want (til you reach the taste and texture you want) and then add regular milk until it thins out enough to fill the cupcakes. You don't want it runny, but you don't want people feeling like they're eating a chewy ball of almond butter either.

Coconut Cream Icing:

This I adapted from a recipe in Southern Living Magazine (I guess). I found it online here. It's YUM. I added about a cup of coconut flakes and lessened the powdered sugar.

½ cup butter, softened
3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup coconut flakes (sweetened)
¼ cup cream of coconut (I didn't stir it up in the can...I just put the chunky part in and left the liquid, so then it didn't make the frosting too runny)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and slowly add cream of coconut and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Yield: 3 cups


Again, I hope these measurements are right--just play it by ear lol.

Help With the Diet Plan

So, I'm 8 lbs. away from my "goal weight" which is what I've weighed most of my life, actually...before kids :) It's not a hard goal to achieve or anything but when you gain 50 lbs like every other year...lol...

In this weight loss period I've become obsessed with:

OK, the CLOSEST and BEST thing a nutrition bar has EVER come to deliciousness :) In this case, delicious cookie dough. WHO could ask for anything more??? 180 calories. A good snack actually, although I do try to keep my snacks at 150 cal...but no big deal.

Also delish. I eat these like it's my job. OK, in moderation, like one a day, for a snack. 140 calories of YUM. I find that the crunchy bars are a little more satisfying than the chewy ones you can wolf down in less than 10 seconds :)

And some of you may find this "gross," but if I wasn't LDS, I'd TOTALLY be a coffee drinker. But since I strive to follow the Word of Wisdom, I have to settle with:

Sweetened with the BEST sweetener out there (seriously, Splenda, you need to take a hike):

With about 1/3 cup of soymilk (I'm still off dairy for the baby....fun) it makes a great 30 calorie drink whenever you want :)

And a lot of times for dinner, I make fajitas with:

Other low-carb tortillas don't even compare. And then I can have TWO fajitas instead of one :) 70 calories per and 4 carbs (although I'm more into keeping track of my calories than I am my carbs so...)

And then there's literally the "wiggle room." Great ad campaign, I must say, (as an advertising major in college, I notice these things...) and great snack for when you have the munchies (like after dinner for me!). 10 calories for the jell-o and 15 calories for 2 tablespoons of fat-free cool whip.

And I had to add this, so you would all know... I'm NOT perfect :) : (not that you really thought I was or anything)

But at least it's caffeine free! I've never really noticed the effects of caffeine and can't tell any taste difference...

And as far as exercise...I haven't "found the time" to do it actually. Until now. I'm going to start doing this (tonight):

Now that both kids are a little more scheduled and starting to feel better from the two illnesses that have plagued my house/neighborhood/ward. I'll let you know how it goes.

But, I have to say my motivation to do this came from my major jello jigglers. What is it with post-pregnancy and my butt?? It's like so gross. I need to firm it up, that's for sure. I have Mexico and Alaskan Cruise this summer to prepare for and I need to not look gross in a bathing suit! (Alaskan Cruise will include indoor pool...)

BUT every week I have a day off when I eat what the heck I want.

Anyway, just thought I'd post something that's NOT about my kids!! Hooray for me! And it will be funny to look back and see all the stuff I like to eat...

All Made Up

Caught Claire on camera (camera phone...yeah, not the best pics) yesterday making herself "pretty, mommy!!"

Except, with crayons...

I think it's funny that she has the reds in her left hand, and is applying purple and blue to her face. She's into the "winter" look, that's for sure.

And well here is what happens when she actually uses real makeup (the mascara mommy was dumb enough to leave around Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's house, in this case):

And then, just had to post this. No reason, just had to.

Well, Anya is kinda smiling, and Claire is smiling goofy, but isn't even doing her usual "Chucky" smile!

Speaking of Chucky. I've been meaning to post the incredible resemblance...

Especially with her wounded face...
She used to "smile" like this all the time and is just recently beginning to realize that it is not attractive :)

House of Sickies...

So, found out at the Instacare last week that Anya has RSV. Since then, I've heard of a few other babies in the neighborhood that have also contracted the virus. So sad!!

On top of that, I have had a cold with sinus tension (but don't think it's a sinus infection, at least not yet?) and Claire has had a perma runny nose and cough all winter.
.
Then, the night before last, I started feeling sick to my stomach. Stomach flu. I was throwing up all night, and then Claire started throwing up in the middle of the night. Poor Jordan was up all night taking care of us :( And of Anya who is still sick with RSV.

SO, it has NOT been fun around our house. At least Claire and I feel better today...Anya is getting a little better.

Funny story here though:

So Claire is in the tub this morning, playing, and I am cleaning/disenfecting the bathroom. On my hands and knees washing the floor.

Claire: Are you done cleanin' mommy?
Me: Not yet, I have to just finish cleaning the floor
Claire: Did baby sister puke??

Yeah, had a good laugh there.

UNTIL I saw that the water in her tub was looking a little...murky. Yeah, Claire pooped in the tub--the runny kind. So I drained the tub, sprayed a disenfectant all over it, with Claire still inside (I used a thyme disenfectant so Claire wouldn't get cancer, OK?), gave her a towel so she wouldn't get cold, told her to sit there and play with her bath toys for 10 minutes while it disenfected... then I filled the tub again, washed her all over again....

So, anyway, don't come near us for at least another week or two :)

Valentines

Had to post a few Valentine's things...



1. Valentine's Cupcakes. A MUST, don't you think? These are probably the best ones I've made EVER. SOOOO delish. I got the cake recipe here, the frosting recipe here (I have a secret crush on Bobby Flay (not so secret anymore I guess) and love his Throwdown show on Food Network), and the raspberry filling recipe here. The cake is probably the best cupcake recipe I have come across: not too moist, not too dry, not to light, not too dense. Just right.

2. Claire's outfit. Can you say Ca-uuuuuute???? I made the shirt, my mother-in-law made the leggings, and she bought the skirt to go with. So adorable. (I know, I'm not proud of my photography skills in these pictures...but she's 2...and was acting and wiggling like she was...2!)





3. Claire's hair. I have ARRIVED in the kid hair department!! My sister, Michelle, will tell you I was really bad at doing kids hair back in the day. I have since gotten better, right Michellie?



4. Valentine's Play Group. I attempted to get some fun pictures of Claire "playing." INSTEAD I got these:

Gotta love her. Even when it hurts (hurts= pulling your hair out multiple times a day). She has a tough time sharing. And letting go of the sprinkles. They decorated sugar cookies at the party, and pretty much the entire time, Claire had a small sprinkle shaker in one arm and a large one (I had taken it away already in the picture on the left--hence the face) in her other arm, hoarding them. She is obsessed with sprinkles.

(PS. SUPER CUTE headband in the picture TOTALLY made by Lenore (mother-in-law). Adorable. Too bad I don't have a happy, adorable kid to model it.... *sigh* Not today at least... maybe tomorrow?

5. And just had to include this pic of my two babies :)

All About Claire

Man, she is funny.

-So when Claire is rough with "baby sister," she has to go to time-out. After the 2 minutes starting into the corner, she can come out. She then needs to tell Anya she is sorry.

-She used to say "YES" with gusto all the time. Now it's more of an easygoing "yeah." to everything.

Well, the other day, Claire kept stepping on the laptop that was on the floor (I know, bad place for it with a 2-yr. old!) and I kept telling her to stop. I was nursing Anya, so it wasn't so easy to get up and pull Claire off. So finally I warned her that if she wouldn't stop she'd have to go to time-out. Of course, she didn't, and went to time-out. And right after, without my asking, she meandered over to the laptop again, and gently said "sorry, laptop."

-So, it's been kinda bad... Claire gets scared there are ghosts in her closet. (because in the "ghost song" the old woman opens the closet door, and the ghost says "BOO!") Last night I had to "snuggle" her as she was falling asleep because she was scared of the ghosts. It starts...

Speaking of ghosts...Anya was crying this morning and Claire went up to her, saying, "It's OK baby sister, there are no ghosts in our house!" I have been telling her that ghosts live in the graveyard, actually, and when I ask, "Claire, where do ghosts live?" She says "In the graveyard." And then I say, "Do they live in our house?" and she says "Yeah." What a monkey...

-With the money my parents sent for Claire's birthday, Jordan found her a projector! Now, every night at bedtime, she lays in bed and watches Go Diego Go on the ceiling. She LOVES it!!! (Thanks Fofa and Painho!)

-Claire has a hard time sharing. It is PAINFUL to see her play with other kids. She pushes the boys around and screams "MINE!" at the girls...well, the boys too, but she ALSO pushes them. It's so sad!!! I have the bully child... The other day, I told Jordan, "I think we have a Sydney rather than a Kaylin." (Sydney, my niece is a bit headstrong--but I LOVE her, don't get me wrong! And Kaylin is just a little angel...and I love her too :))

-Speaking of playdates, the other day, Claire was going over to my in-laws to play with her cousins. When she got there, she started climbing the stairs, saying, "How ya doin' guys?" It was so funny! She's also been saying phrases like "I know, right?" (we've been teaching her valley girl dialogue, ya know?), "You're kidding me, mom!" and "It's my favorite!" It's been so much fun to hear her come up with new expressions.

-Claire speaks a little Spanish...from Diego. With the countless hours she spends watching that show, she'd better learn SOMETHING!! So now when we ask her to count in Spanish, she can generally count anywhere from 1-6 to 1-8. And her favorite word is "sube" which means to "climb." There's even a song about it in the show :) And she also "attempts" to say "ayudame" (help me) but even after countless pronunciation lessons from me or Jordan, she says "umame!"

Tonight, Daddy pulled a big boogie out of her nose (yeah, she gets big ones so we have to help her). She wasn't too thrilled till he showed her what he excavated. She said "biggest boogie ever, daddy!" It was so funny.

OK. I can't think of anymore, and now I have to post this, so til next time!

The Blessing

This past Sunday, Anya was blessed in church. Great-Grandma Painter (Jordan's mom's mom) made her the dress (above, in the picture) and Grandma Taylor (Jordan's mom) made her the headband and cute pink flowers on her dress. They both are crocheting pro's!! It turned out SO CUTE. Thank you!!

When Jordan asked me what I wanted him to bless her with, I told him that health and a testimony were all I really cared about--he agreed.

And when it was time for him to give the blessing, he did just that! Just!! Because Anya was starting to cry :)



We just had immediate family come to the blessing and it was fun to hang out afterward at the Taylor's house. My father-in-law made ribs--YUM-O! And we of course had dutch oven cobbler too :)

I need to be good this week, that's for sure!!


With the Barnums


Four Generations: Eleanor Painter (Great Grandma!), Lenore (Grandma), me, and Anya :)


And just our fam


And I just love this picture--especially since we aren't in it lol :)

Anya, we sure love you!!! You had better be good and make all of the right choices in life--or else!! JK :) We love you so much and can't wait to see what a beautiful, wonderful, girl you will become!

Anya: 4 Months

And she's 4 months old now. It seems like just yesterday I was puking my guts out all the day long....

4-month checkup means new stats!:

Weight: 13.6 lbs - 50th percentile
Height: 25 inches - 79th percentile (she's getting tall!!)
Head: 16.1 inches - 53rd percentile

So yeah, she's getting less short and fat :) Getting long and lean! Just the way we seem to grow them (until they're my age, in which case, they may get long and fat lol :)

Anyway, she is getting SO CUTE!!

-She is such a smiley girl. Loves to just be paid attention to!! She loves being thrown up and down, and being tickled.

-She is starting to feel better. No dairy really does work on her!!! I have discovered a good ice cream alternative (Coconut Bliss--made with coconut milk instead) and vegan cream cheese is not bad!! Harmon's has risen on my best grocery store list (they are the only ones besides the granola supermarkets that have weird stuff like fake dairy lol)...although I still do most shopping at the cheapest: Walmart.

-I can definitely predict what she needs now--eat, sleep, burp! We've I almost gotten it down to a science (I say this because at the current moment she is not wanting to go to bed--don't think she's feeling that great unfortunately).

-No rolling yet! Which is good. I still lay her down on the countertop and one the kitchen table from time to time. My mother-in-law keeps telling me "yeah, she doesn't roll yet, but there's a first time for everything and it's best if she's not on a table!" Yeah yeah..... Claire's very familiar with the ER...Anya will just follow her lead, right? JK

-And we've tried rice cereal on her. She hates it. So did Claire. We'll keep trying I guess.

-Still wakes up to feed at night! Maybe one day she'll sleep. Then teething will start. I think I may not get a good night's sleep til the kids are in high school...

-She is STILL sick. Both of my girls have runny noses and coughs STILL. All winter long. I can't wait til it's spring, because maybe then the cold/cough will end. Poor thing!

OK, that's it. She's great. We just love her!!