Cookies or Cupcakes?

...or dare I say both?

After perusing the internet I stumbled up these babies.  Oh, and those.  And oh my, look at this one!

And so the idea of a cookie dough/ cupcake combo was planted in my mind.  You would think after reading all these recipes I would do a little planning, gather ingredients, think the process through.  Nope, I tend to be a bit impulsive and I make no exception with my baking!  

Last Friday, (last day of my spring break, wahhhh) I spent the day on my hands and knees scrubbing our floors since we were expecting company on Saturday.  I also had whipped up an awesome dinner and by the time 6:00 rolled around the kitchen was finally clean.  I was tired. beat. ready to kick back and relax.  And then Shane calls with exciting news about his job. My mind flashes to the freezer and I know how we'll celebrate.  I have cookie dough frozen from the last batch I made.  I'll just pop them in the oven before he gets home.  Easy Peasy.

 *this is an old picture, don't mind the dates*

I putz around, watch some TV and look at the clock.  20 minutes to 7pm.  Shane gets home around 7:15, maybe I have time to bake something a little more special...? I can make cupcakes.  Oh me oh my, I can make vanilla cupcakes with a cookie dough surprise inside!

I literally ran to the bookcase and grabbed Hello, Cupcake! off the shelf, and flipped to the vanilla cupcake recipe.  Ran to the cabinets. Please let me have all the ingredients. Please  let me have all the ingredients. Phew, I got em!

In no time I had vanilla cupcake batter ready to be poured.  I spooned a tablespoon of batter, dropped in a cookie dough ball, and covered with another spoon of batter.  Then I stuck it in the oven and hoped for the best!

The recipe says bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.  I baked it for closer to 30, since the dough wasn't turning into a cookie consistency like I expected.

uh oh

What about frosting?  I hadn't even thought about how to top these sweet concoctions.  With no butter in the fridge, my only option it seemed was a royal frosting.  I put powdered sugar and vanilla extract in my mixer and slowly added almond milk a tablespoon at a time.  Not your most conventional frosting, but I had to make due with what I had!

sweet success

  

The cookie dough never did really turn into a cookie per say. Instead it remained a chewy, dough ball surprise!

 These were not finished by the time Shane got home.  But that's okay.  He's used to walking in while I'm frantically in the kitchen whipping up my latest creation.  I don't even know why I try and impose this 7:15pm baking cut off time, since I almost always take longer than that!  

I'm happy to be an impulsive baker because these cookie dough cupcakes were a yummy way to say "You rock Shane" and  "Hi, welcome to San Diego friends"!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Spring has sprung.  I know this because of the abundance of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries and you-name-it berries on supermarket shelves.

And these are not just any berries...these berries are IN SEASON! Strawberry fields don't last forever...well here in So Cal strawberries have a year round season, but the peak is 
April 30-June 30!

Which means I paid a mere .97 cents per package.

And would ya look at that? These strawberries only traveled about 40 minutes to my local grocery store!

.97 cent strawberries mean spring, but also...

No jelly, no problem.  PB & strawberry sandwich!

Banana strawberry soft serve with chocolate chips?  Yes please!

Strawberry-licious smoothies!

 Oh and let's not forget strawberry oatmeal bakes topped with more strawberries!

Spring  has also gotten me excited about another flavor.  Can you spot it sitting atop the oatmeal bake on the left?

 Oh yes I did!  Homemade coconut butter is scrumptious and super easy!

{ Process unsweetened shredded coconut  in a food processor until creamy} 

Ashley from the edible perspective has great tips here

 Mmm.

Coconut makes me think of  tropical islands.  If I'm on a tropical island you best believe I'm on the beach with a drink in hand, preferably a mojito.

 MOJITO!

But alas, I can see palm trees from my window, but I don't have a drink in hand.

But there is a drink in my....

COOKIE!

An awesome teacher friend brought these goodies into work!

Azucar is a little bakery in Ocean Beach that serves up Cuban inspired pastries, cakes, and cookies.

This my friends, is a mojito cookie.  Shane and I agree that we need to get to Azucar and get some more of these; delicioso!  Thanks Pierce!

 When you go to a bakery, or even out to eat, do you stick with what you love or try new things? When we go to Azucar, which we will, I'm tempted to get this cookie again!  I may have to get it along with something else!

What's your favorite way to eat fresh strawberries?  I like em plain, in smoothies, on/in oatmeal, yum!  I want to try some sort of strawberry cupcake!

Nom, Nom, Nom

If you like Girl Scout Samoas 

but didn't get a chance to buy them

even though you work in a school and you had plenty of opportunities

go here and make them yourself!

 

your welcome.

Oh, and if coconut isn't your thing...

The shortbread cookie + chocolate = amazingness

(and is a lot easier since the caramel coconut topping is super sticky and a pain to spread!)

Dunkin'

Did you know that there are no Dunkin' Donuts in Cali?  

Source

no joke. i'm serious.

When Shane and I first moved out here, one of the first things I did was go on the DD website and search for a location near my new home.  NONE. I was devastated and suffered withdrawls the first couple months.

They got really bad in September and I felt a pang of jealousy every time a NJ friend would post a Dunkin' related FB status.  "Just got my first DD pumpkin coffee of the season!" or "Nothing like a DD iced coffee to start your day ".   I'd yell in my head, OMG, be a little more sensitive!!  Don't you know I'm suffering out here?! 

When I visited home in December, the first thing my Dad did after picking me up from the airport was stop at a DD, at 5 in the morning, because he's great like that.

But I digress.  Because this post isn't actually about Dunkin' Donuts coffee at all. 

Or about how much better I think Dunkin' is than Starbucks.

Source

This post is actually about doughnuts.  It all started on Tuesday night when Shane innocently said he was craving a doughnut.  Jenna's glazed cake doughnuts immediately popped into my head.  I impulsively went shopping during my lunch break on Wednesday for a doughnut pan at Target.  

They did not have doughnut pans...but there were mini bundt pans.  And you better believe I bought one! 

These were so easy to make and they taste amazing!!!  I made doughnut "holes" in my mini cupcake tin and brought them into work.  Let's just say, that by the end of the day they were all gone!

Question: Will you buy and open up a Dunkin'Donuts in San Diego? All kidding aside, if I had the money, I totally would.

Starbucks or Dunkin'? I think you know my answer...

Sugar Overload

Remember last week when I was stressed to the max and then I got sick?  Well this past week I felt like I had my energy zapped out of me.  I was out of my workout routine and was totally off with my eating.  

Who wants to eat veggies when there are homemade VDay "Reese's Cups" in the freezer?

This past week was one bad decision after another eating wise.  A little bit of this, and a little bite of that.  One reese's cup...okay maybe 3.  

I Googled "too much sugar" and the first article that popped up is a doozy from Time, Too Much Sugar Increases Heart Risks.  

We all know too much sugar isn't good for us.  Not only can too much sugar increase our jean size, turns out too much added sugar, 

"can also lead to dangerously high levels of blood fats, and raise the risk of heart disease as much as a diet full of high-fat foods...Fructose *think high fructose corn syrup* can prompt the liver to generate more cholesterol and metabolize triglycerides from sugar in the diet, as well as slow down the clearance of fats from the blood".  

Scary stuff.

No wonder I feel terrible after eating too many sugary treats.   I've seen a lot of bloggers go on sugar detoxes, but I don't think I can commit to that.  However, I can commit to being more aware of my sugar consumption.  Being mindful of the types of sugar I put in my body. And asking how will that make me feel?

To counteract all the sugar I've eaten this week and all the sugary treats on my blog, I will share a delicious and satisfying soup with you.  I've always been a bit wary of cooking with curry, but when I made an impulse purchase of curry powder at TJ's, not unusual, I found this simple curried soup and just had to try it.

Curried Carrot Soup

from Simply in Season 

  

 

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

• In a large soup pot, saute in 2 TBSP olive oil until soft.

 

2 lb carrots (or you can use sweet potato), chopped

6 cups veggie broth

2 tsp curry powder

• Add to pot and bring to a boil.  
• Simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Puree.  I used a regular blender.

 

1 tsp lemon juice 

salt and pepper to taste

• Add and stir well.
• Serve with a dollop of yogurt or garnish with cilantro leaves.

ENJOY :)