A Sorority Girl's Ultimate Birthday Cake

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In honor of our 3 year anniversary we want to celebrate by making some delicious cake. This cake is in honor of all of the love and support that you have shown us over the years. From your awesome comments, beautiful pictures, and of course your sorority secrets, our page would be nothing without YOU! So today, "let us eat cake!" 

Our friends at Vanille have shared with us some tips on how to make the perfect buttercream cake. Read their tips below and use this recipe to make the perfect cake!

5 Tips for Buttercream Cakes
1. Rustic buttercream- Easier to accomplish than a smooth sided cake and still looks professional.

2. Add bought décor to cover up any problem areas. For example, chocolate décor, sugar flowers.

3. Add nuts, sprinkles, chocolate curls to the side of cake, this will cover up any mishaps and don’t require a smooth finish.

4. Add organic fresh flowers to any cake for a simple yet elegant touch.

5. Combed finish- Makes any cake look even and finished.

Happy baking!

A Sorority Girl's Healthy Halloween Treats

[image: Candy Corn Fruit Cup]

Despite all the goblins, ghosts and ghouls, the spookiest part about Halloween may just be the outrageous amount of sugar and candy we all consume on this one night each year. In fact, 4% of all candy eaten in the U.S. occurs on Halloween night, making the average trick-or-treater’s bag of candy equivalent to 4,800 calories and 3 cups of sugar!

As sorority girls, we know how much staying healthy and fit means to you, so to avoid all the sugar this Halloween while still enjoying your Halloween with your sisters, we are sharing some healthier Halloween treats created by Chef Anthony Stewart.

Bake these at your next Halloween Party or sisterhood event!

Candy Corn Fruit Cup | Healthy Halloween Party Ideas

Excellent for a Halloween party or for a dessert any time of the year. It’s healthy, sweet, tangy, and oh-so-easy to put together.


Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups mango cubes


2 cups clementine segments


2 cups fat-free, plain Greek yogurt


Top with zest of clementine

Chocolate Jack O’Lantern | Healthy Halloween Party Ideas

For spooky, chocolatey fun, carve out oranges and fill with Pritikin’s Chocolate Mousse.


Servings: 5 half-cup servings


Ingredients:

1/4 cup water cold


1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened


1/4 cup Splenda granulated


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


12 ounces tofu silken, extra-firm


Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, add water and warm over low heat, bringing to a low simmer.


Add cocoa powder to saucepan, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes a fudge-like consistency.


Remove from heat.


Add Splenda to fudge, mixing well. Add vanilla extract, mixing well.


In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add tofu and chocolate fudge mixture. Process until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pritikin Halloween Kabobs | Healthy Halloween Party Ideas

How easy! Simply skewer cantaloupe cubes and blackberries. And so easy for the kids to pick up and snack on! (We’re not guaranteeing they’ll forget the sugary treats in their bags, but these colorful kabobs just may do the trick.)

The Quick & Easy Salsa Recipe for Cinco de Mayo!

With Cinco de Mayo today, we’re scrambling to find the perfect dishes to celebrate the occasion. For those looking for a delicious dish that won’t overwhelm your waistlines, we would love to share a quick and easy recipe from Steve Lindner, go-to healthy chef and founder of Zone Manhattan and the team at bistroMD! Enjoy this delicious salsa recipe with half the calories and sodium; you can indulge without the guilt!

Happy Cinco de Mayo cooking!

BistroMD’s Super Simple Salsa with Avocado

Ingredients

4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small, sweet onion, diced
2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 chopped finely chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 haas avocado, cleaned and diced
1 lime, for juice
A pinch of sea salt

Directions:
For this healthy twist on a Cinco de Mayo favorite, all you have to do is combine all of the above ingredients, and chill it in your refrigerator for about one hour.
Pair with a bag of low fat corn chips or veggies, and you are ready to start snacking!

Thin Mint Smoothie Recipe

Yes, you read this right: THIN MINT SMOOTHIE RECIPE.

Our mouths watered when UX3 Nutrition shared this tasty, and might we add rather healthy, smoothie recipe! The cool thing about this recipe is that you don't have to wait for Girl Scout season to gets your hands on this type of Thin Mint. Get the recipe below.

Thin Mint Smoothie
Brought to you by UX3 Nutrition

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic spinach
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 scoops UX3: The Body Shaping Beverage
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• Stevia to taste
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 5 drops peppermint extract

How to make:
Puree all ingredients until smooth.

That was easy, right?!

Hungry Girl's Grilled & Chilled Veggie Tuna Salad

We are trying to take in more greens so we were so happy to come across this super quick and tasty recipe from Hungry Girls. Their diet-friendly recipes make it easier to eat clean. Below is one of our favorite super green recipes. Find the step by step below!

Ingredients

1 (2.6 oz.) Pouch - Starkist Tuna Creations® Sweet & Spicy

8 thin (or 6 thick) asparagus stalks, tough ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes

One 1⁄2-inch-thick onion slice, rings intact

1⁄2 cup cherry tomatoes

3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 Tbsp. light balsamic vinaigrette dressing


Directions

1. Bring a grill pan sprayed with non-stick spray to medium-high heat. Add asparagus, eggplant, and onion. Cook until slightly softened, 6–8 minutes.

2. Flip veggies, and add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes.

3. Flip tomatoes. Cook until all veggies are soft and slightly blackened, about 2 minutes.

4. Transfer veggies to a medium bowl. Let cool completely.

5. Chop onion. Cover and refrigerate veggies until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

6. Place lettuce on a large plate or in a large bowl and evenly top with chilled vegetables and tuna. Top or serve with dressing. Yum!

Easy Super Bowl Recipe

Co Founder, Karen, is a Seahawks' fan so of course she cannot wait for the Super Bowl! Like her and probably many other fans, she will be hosting a Super Bowl party. No Super Bowl party is complete with out food, drinks, friends, and football. But, the most important would be the food! Whether you decide to order pizza, KFC, or grill some hotdogs and hamburgers, it is always good to have variety. One of our favorite items to make the most amazing dishes is a crock pot. Slow cookers can make the most amazing dishes from meatballs, to tasty dips, to rice and beans and much more. Target is one of the best places to get a variety of crock pots. To help you with a Super Bowl crock pot recipe, Boulder Organic, has shared with us a special recipe they've suggested that is the perfect dish. Check out all the details below and get excited for Sunday's Football Showdown!

Boulder Organic's Souper Easy Super Bowl Pulled Pork 

Ingredients

• About 2 lbs of pork shoulder
• 1 tub of Boulder! Organic Green Chile Corn Chowder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (if desired)

Cooking Instructions

• Place the pork shoulder, 1 tub of Boulder! Organic Green Chile Chowder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt (optional) into your crockpot. Leave in the crock pot for 6-8 hours.
• After 6-8 hours, pull the pork apart with a fork and eat as desired!

Suggestions on how to eat the pulled pork:

• Place on a bun and eat as a sandwich
• Use as a side with mashed potatoes and beans

You won't be disappointed with the tasty results!

Stuffed Acorn Squash from South Fork & Spoon + Ango

Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here so we wanted to start collecting some recipes to make this Thanksgiving's dinner one for the books. We are at the age where we can no longer hide from the kitchen; it's our turn to contribute with a delicious dish! South Fork & Spoon + Ango shared with us a dish that is sure to make some mouths water: Stuffed Acorn Squash. One of the key ingredients for this meal is grapeseed oil which we have been hearing a lot about as it is apparently better to use than olive oil. Find the Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe below and share with us any of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes in the comments below. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash from South Fork & Spoon + Ango 
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
4 Acorn Squash, ideally 1-2 lbs each, halved lengthwise and seeds removed

5 teaspoons or more to taste, Salt

2 teaspoons, Ground Black Pepper

2 cups wild rice

3 oz Grapeseed oil

1 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

1 Tablespoons minced garlic

2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (stems removed)

4 cups cleaned and rough chopped kale

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 Tablespoons chiffonade ( cut like ribbons) mint leaves

Equipment

• Medium sized pot
• Fine meshed strainer
• Baking sheet
• Pepper mill
• Sauté pan
• Spatula
• Large Bowl

Directions

1) Pre heat the oven to 475 degrees

2) In the fine meshed strainer, place rice and run under cold water until clean.

3) In medium sized pot, add rice + 2 t of salt + 4 cups of cold water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat until rice is simmering. Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the water and is cooked. (Note: rice can be cooked up to two days in advance)

4) On baking sheet, place squash flesh side up and rub with 1 oz grapeseed oil + 2 t of salt + fresh ground pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Use a fork to test for tenderness.

5) In a separate sauté pan heat 1 oz grapeseed oil on medium-high heat. Add shiitake mushrooms + garlic + 1/2 t of salt and sauté until mushrooms are cooked but not browned. Remove from heat and place in large bowl.

6) In the same sauté pan used for the mushrooms, heat 1 oz of grapeseed oil on medium-high heat. Add kale + 1/2 t of salt and cook quickly using tongs or a spatula. Keep the kale moving so it doesn’t brown. Once wilted, remove and place in bowl with shiitake mushrooms.

7) In bowl, add cooked wild rice + sesame seeds and mix together.

8) Taste rice mixture and season accordingly

9) Fill the cooked squash halves with the rice mixture. Garnish with mint

All American Apple Pie Crust Recipe

[Picture Source: Pinterest]

We're all about the patriotic spirit!  In honor of one of our favorite holidays, the 4th of July, we decided to get a head start on the festivities by whipping up some All American Apple Pie.  Instead of getting a store bought crust, we decided to go the homemade route for something extra good. Former TSS It Girl Avery shared her favorite apple pie crust recipe with us, and boy is it ever delicious.  The best part?  It's buttery and flakey... melt in your mouth good!  The secret?  A secret ingredient-- vodka!  (For our readers under 21, please be responsible and ask someone of age to help out.)

Foolproof Pie Dough for a Single-Crust Pie (from Cooks Illustrated)

Recipe yields one 9-inch single crust pie
*Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor- do not substitute.  The dough will be moister and more supple than most standard pie doughs, and will require more flour to roll out (up to 1/4 cup).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
• 2 tablespoons vodka, cold
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions:

1. Process 3/4 cups flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined-- about 2 one second pulses.  Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour).  Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula, and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade.  Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up (4-6 quick pulses).  Empty mixture into medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle water and vodka over mixture.  With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and and sticks together.  Flatten dough into 4-inch disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.  
3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place in rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.  Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side.  Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand.  Leave overhanging dough in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate.  Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate.  Flute dough or press the tines of a fork against dough to flatten it against rim of pie plate.  Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake for 5-10 minutes additional until crust is golden brown and crisp.

Now for the other yummy part-- the filling!  This filling will help to cut the time in half when making the rest of the pie, plus it tastes just like homemade!

Enjoy your All American Apple Pie!

Chia Seed Pudding

Healthy meals can often times come easy for us, but it's the healthy snacks part that has been hard lately. While baby carrots, apples with peanut butter, and strawberries are all tasty snacks, we have been looking for different unique and healthy snacks to try that are easy to make at home. One of our friends introduced us to Chia Seed Pudding and we are now hooked. Chia seeds have been the latest health craze as chia seeds are like super seeds! They stop food cravings as Chia seeds absorb 9 times their weight which creates a gel as they expand. When it is in your stomach, it makes your stomach feel like it has had all the food it needs according to Dr. Oz.

So what do you need: 

1. Almond Milk or Hazelnut Milk
2. Two tablespoons of chia seeds (whole or raw)

The directions are pretty simple...

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir them together
 for a couple of seconds . Chill the mixture for about 2 to 4 hours or until the mixture has a tapioca-like pudding consistency. That's it! For a better taste, eat it with some sliced almonds, pistachios, berries, bananas or cinnamon.

Enjoy!

No-Bake Cookie Dough Truffle Balls

Yay, it's Valentine’s Day! For some, that means receiving flowers and lovey-dovey notes. For me, this day usually involves copious amounts of candy, chocolate, and sappy rom-coms. I stumbled across the absolute perfect Valentine’s Day treat: no-bake cookie dough truffle balls. Doesn’t that sound amazing? Now, I’ve always been the one that asks to lick the spoon when my mom bakes cookies. I know there’s the risk of salmonella, but I just can’t resist the temptation of delicious, creamy, cookie dough. Luckily, these little marvelous truffle balls are egg-free, so I promise they are safe to eat! I’m not a good cook, so the best part about this recipe is that it’s incredibly easy and fast. Coat them with white chocolate with pink food dye or just pink colored candy to fit the Valentine’s Day theme (or just stick to plain ol’ chocolate because….it’s chocolate). 

I mainly used the recipe from Food Network’s website as my guide – tweaking it just a little bit.

Ingredients

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I didn’t have any mini ones when I made this, so I used regular sized chips)

(optional) 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips

1 bag of Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses

Instructions

Mix butter and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium. When creamy, add vanilla. When thoroughly integrated, gradually add flour and milk – alternating between the two. Mix on medium. Finally, add chocolate chips (and walnuts if desired). With a melon baller or spoon, scoop dough into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper. Put them into the fridge to chill for 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, place candy for coating into a microwave safe bowl and heat until fully melted. Every 30 seconds, stir. Roll the balls into the melted candy and then place back on wax paper. Let them sit in the fridge for 1 hour or until candy coating has hardened.

***Tip: After the balls have chilled in the fridge and before dipping them into the melted candy, roll them in your palms to make them perfect balls.

Yummy & Healthy Banana Nut Muffins!

These cold winter days have me pining for a warm, comforting breakfast… Without tons of added sugar and butter.  Anyone who has met me knows I want it all, in all aspects of my life.  Why can’t I have a warm, filling, and healthy breakfast?  Oh, that’s right, I can!  These muffins prove it.  So bake these up, eat them cold or warm them up, either way they are sure to satisfy your wintery sweet tooth and your grumbling tummy, without adding extra lbs to your waistline.  So enjoy a batch of homemade healthy, without any guilt.  

Ingredients:

½ C quinoa flakes or rolled oats

¾ C protein powder

¼ C gluten free flour or preferred flour

½ Tsp salt

½ Tsp baking soda

2 large bananas

2 Tsp vanilla extract

½ C preferred milk

1/3 C sugar (I used brown)

½ C Chopped walnuts

Optional add ins:

¼ C Chocolate chips

¼ C blueberries

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 355 degrees.

2.     Prepare muffin or cupcake pan with preferred oil or butter.

3.     Mix all ingredients together, spoon into prepared pan.

4.     Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are starting to pull from the sides, allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Super easy & super healthy!

Easy & Healthy Shakes

I love having shakes after I work out, as a snack, or even as a healthy dessert. These are my two favorite recipes that were developed by a Whole Foods nutritionist. They are super easy to make, and they taste amazing! You can add protein powder to either of these!

The Berry Vanilla Smoothie is thick enough to be eaten like an acai bowl with granola and bananas, but you can always drink it too! This recipe makes 2 servings, each at 110 calories. Save some for later, or enjoy with a friend!

Recipe: Berry Vanilla Smoothie

1 cup Almond Milk (I use Vanilla flavored)

1 tbsp vanilla (I use organic non-alcohol vanilla)

½ to 1 cup frozen mixed berries (a raspberry+blackberry+blueberry mix tastes best)

½ banana

1-2 cups ice

about 1 tbsp agave nectar to sweeten, but you can always add more!

(I don’t usually do this, but you can add ½ cup of raw dehydrated almonds as well)

Just put them all together and blend! I love the berry-vanilla combo.

Bonus Recipe: Pumpkin Shake

1 cup almond milk

½ teaspoon of vanilla

2 squirts of stevia

½ can pumpkin

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of cloves

2 cups shaved ice

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy! 

Energy Bites Recipe

Every time I make these bad boys I am hounded by everyone who bites into one until I send the recipe over. Every ingredient serves a purpose (besides making them taste amazing) and is uber healthy (would I post anything that wasn’t?). Bonus: They are crazy portable! So next time you need a quick pick me up before a hike, yoga, gym class, or if you just want a little bite (or two or three) of yumminess, whip some of these tasty little balls of health.

Ingredients
1 C dates
1/2 C honey
1 tbsp of chia seeds
1 tbsp of ground flax seeds pinch of sea salt
1 C old fashioned oats
1 C shelled pistachios
1 C dried cranberries
1⁄2 C unsweetened coconut shreds
Optional: Add 1/2 C of chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips... I’m already drooling.

Directions:
1. Combine the dates, honey, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and salt into a food processor. If you don’t have a high powered motor, soak your dates in water for about an hour first to soften them up. Blend until smooth.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, pistachios, coconut, and cranberries, add the blended ingredients and mix until evenly distributed. This might will definitely get sticky. That’s ok. I just ditch the spoon and get in there with clean hands. It is also pretty much a requirement that you eat the portions that are relentlessly sticking to your spoon and hands. For me, this is a pivotal step in creating these tasty little nuggets.

3. Put mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool (if there is any left). This will make it easier to shape into bars, balls (come on now, grow up), or whatever geometrical or non-geometrical shape you so desire. Another tip: coat hands in coconut oil before shaping.

Whole Grain Oats: Can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. They are full of good dietary fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and are a great source of energy. Whole grain oats are good for regulating blood sugar levels, and have been shown in scientific studies to help enhance athletic performance when ingested 45 minutes to 1 hour before exercise of moderate intensity.
Dates: Dates are chock full of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and are often used for a quick energy boost. Their high potassium content makes them a great addition to this snack, especially when eaten pre or post work out!

Pistachios: Are a great source of healthy fats. They are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish your body. Pistachios are especially great for eye, skin, and immune health.

Honey: Raw honey is a natural way to sweeten your food, and your health. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, has an array of essential vitamins and minerals, and natural probiotics. Bonus: It actually works better to soothe and heal sore throats and coughs than over the counter medicine. Honey is always my sweetener of choice!

Chia Seeds: They don’t call chia seeds a superfood for nothing. These babies are extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and protein, while also low in calories. They help to reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive function, improve cholesterol levels, and help regulate blood sugar. Bam.

Ground Flax Seeds: These low calorie seeds are packed with omega- 3’s, fiber, antioxidants, and B vitamins to help boost your immune system and keep you feeling full for hours. You can eat flax seeds in their whole form, but they are not as easily digested and absorbed as when they are ground, so make sure to either buy them ground or grind them up yourself in a coffee grinder!

Coconut Shreds: Besides providing a boost of energy, shredded coconut will provide you with an array of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and healthy fat. While some may worry about it’s fat content, the medium chain fatty acids in coconut are amazing for your health. These fatty acids can actually help you to burn more fat for a whole day after consumption, and help to reduce your appetite, helping you to stay on track more easily, as well as immediately improving cognitive function. 

Crazy for Cupcakes!

Crazy For Cupcakes
By: Victoria, TSS It Girl
   
In my free time, outside of being a student, Greek member, and It Girl Intern, I take time to update my blog, The Guide to Whimsy, where I love to share some of my favorite homemade and quirky recipes. I love experimenting with flavors and how they complement each other in really odd, but scrumptious ways! In general, I just love being in the kitchen, but am known by my hometown, friends, family, and sorority sisters for the cupcakes I bake! From Chai Tea Latte, Fresh Strawberry, Crazy Carrot Cake, Almond Roca, Cheesecake Cupcake, Red Velvet, Raspberry Chocolate, and tons of others, I’ve catered for small parties, family gatherings, birthdays, graduations and even bridal showers.
Here’s one of my recent favorite cupcakes, The Triple C (Chocolate-Coconut Cupcake). This cupcake is the ultimate sweet, salty, slightly tangy, creamy, crunchy, and soft cupcake! For those of you not keen on the idea of coconut, I’ve included ways to void the coconut and switch things up to make another cupcake that’s simpler but still delicious! I love to bake in a really roundabout and experimental way, and rarely use measurements outside my base recipe. So widen your horizons, because the key to success for these cupcakes is a little creativity and having fun putting it all together!
Here’s what you’ll need!

TGTW's Chocolate-Coconut Cupcake (Triple C):
1 box of Pillsbury Traditional Chocolate (If you don’t have time to bake from scratch) OR:

Chocolate Base Recipe:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Extras:
Shredded Coconut
Almond Extract
Coconut Extract
Ground Cinnamon
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Sugar Crystals
Neufchatel Cheese (a low fat kind of cream cheese)
Powdered Sugar
Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

• Okay, so go ahead and put together the pre-boxed cake batter. For this recipe, however, since I use Olive Oil in another part of the recipe, also use it in the cake mix in replace of Canola Oil. It won't really alter the taste, if anything, I've noticed it makes it the cake more rich and gives better texture. 
• The next thing you're going to do is put roughly 3/4 teaspoons of coconut extract in the batter. Also add another half a tablespoon of almond extract in the batter and mix.
• Now you're going to add your shredded coconut. However much you add is up to how much you or your party likes coconut; my input is to not put any more than a cup and a half.
• The next two steps are to add the cinnamon and sea salt. I love sweet and salty mixes in dessert. It gives it more layers and intricacies, and makes it well rounded. For this, you're going to lightly sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top to how much you prefer, and make sure when you grind the sea salt that you give the top of the cake mix a light even coverage. Mix batter again.
• Put batter into cupcake tins, sprinkle each with sugar crystals, and place in the oven for about 22 minutes. This would also make a really great cake if you'd rather choose to do it that way.
• For the topping, take about a cup and a half of the shredded coconut you have on hand, and toss with about 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Spread this onto a cookie sheet (I usually use a silicone pad on mine, but it's not necessary). Grind Sea Salt over the coconut, and add the sugar crystals on top as well. With 10 minutes left on the cupcakes, put them in the oven for the remaining time. You will need to stir up the coconut at 5 minutes.
• For the frosting, I never use a recipe. This will turn out more of like a royal icing for the cupcake. The texture should be a little thicker than a usual icing. Take two boxes of the Neufchatel and whip in your mixer, add a cup of powdered sugar at a time until you get the texture you want. If you've added too much powdered sugar, add a half a teaspoon of cold water to water it down (be careful with water, even the smallest bit will drastically change the texture!!) Add a quarter teaspoon of coconut extract, and a tablespoon of Dark Cocoa Powder to the frosting and mix. Store in fridge.

You're all done! When the cupcakes come out, let them cool down to room temperature before icing with a flat spatula and covering in the salted toasted coconut. This is a real crowd-pleaser that hits every spot on the flavor spectrum!

Bon Appétit!

A Patriotic Dessert

We always love a good delicious recipe, especially when it is a healthier version, making you feel less guilty with each bite. One of our favorite foodies and bloggers, Arantha of Gourmet Beauty, shares with us her adapted recipe of the yummy skinny red, white, and blue lemon cheesecake cups. These treats are perfect for the upcoming patriotic holiday! Thank you Arantha!

Skinny Red, White,  & Blue Lemon Cheesecake Cups

Adapted from Skinny Taste 

Ingredients

12 reduced fat Nilla Wafers

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt

2 large egg whites

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp all purpose flour

strawberries sliced thinly

blueberries

powdered sugar

Directions

 

Step One: Heat oven to 350°.
Step Two: Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

Step Three: Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.

Step Four: Bake 15-20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.  Top with fresh berries before serving and sprinkle some powdered sugar on top if desired.

Enjoy!

Check out more of Gourmet Beauty's healthy recipes on her site now. What's your favorite dessert to whip up during the 4th of July?  

Recipe of the Day: Lemon Bars

Last night, each of our sweet tooth's kicked in, begging for some sugary goodness. We decided that dessert would fulfill our craving and left it to you guys to decide what we should bake. One of our fab readers, Victoria, suggested we whip up something that wouldn't require a lot of kitchen appliances. Sugary goodness....limited kitchen appliances...We couldn't think of a more perfect treat to fulfill these two must haves and that would be quick and easy to make: Lemon Bars!

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 cup of softened butter
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour

Lemon Curd

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cups of flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 regular sized lemons (to be juiced)

~optional: powdered sugar

*9x13 inch pan to bake

First, grease your baking pan with oil and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, in a separate bowl combined the Crust ingredients (softened butter, white sugar, and all purpose flour). Once well mixed, pour the crust mixture into the greased pan, pressing it into the bottom of the pan to form a nice crust mold. Place the crust-mixtured pan into the oven and let it back for 15-20 minutes. Remove the crust mixture, but keep the oven on.

For the Lemon Curd mixture, first combined the dry ingredients into a bowl (the white sugar and flour).  Whisk in the eggs and juice from the 2 lemons second. Pour this entire mixture into the now heated crust and pop the whole mixture back into the oven to bake for another 20 minutes.

Let the mixture cool allowing the lemon curd to settle in. Sprinkle the powdered sugar as desired on top of the mixture (optional). Cut into squares (serves up to 12) and you're all done!

Enjoy...{we did!}