Fro Yo.

FroYo aka frozen yogurt, is one of my favorite treats. Growing up, my nanny Louisa, worked at Yogen Fruz, so we would often get spoiled with lots of delicious treats. Ever since I can remember, my go-to flavour has been berry. For the longest time I wouldn't pick the mixed berry option because I hated blueberries. I would order a mix of strawberry, blackberry and raspberry. It would always turn out a beautiful pinky purple colour, which I'm pretty sure makes it taste better. These days, it turns out that I actually love blueberries, so that problem is resolved and I now order mix berry in the interest of brevity.

This week I happened to have a full container of plain yogurt sitting around and tons of berries in my freezer. Jess was coming over for dinner, so I decided to make a batch of FroYo for her... and me... mostly me, actually!

The recipe is as follows - grab a container of yogurt, a whole bunch of berries and blend it all together a little at a time. I added some splenda to sweeten it, as the yogurt I used is really quite sour. Speaking of the yogurt I used, check it out below... it's Halal brand, I bought it on sale! Most of the writing on the package is not English, which was tricky but it was cheap, who was I to argue?

Once you have everything all blended and you've tasted 30 or so spoonfuls (for quality control) put the froyo in an air tight container and hide it in the freezer away from anyone who might be looking for it. Or pour it into a popsicle mold like I did, and enjoy a frozen treat on a stick... becuase everything tastes better on a stick!



 



Marbled Vanilla & Chocolate Cupcakes

A couple of birthdays crept up on me this week, of which I hadn't planned any baked goods for. I wasn't sure if the birthday girls were chocolate lovers or vanilla. My struggle with vanilla cake persists, but I refuse to give up so I decided to mask my vanilla cake shortcomings with a swirl of chocolate.

Following Easter holidays, I had quite a bit of chocolate lying around, including a giant Kinder Surprise and a solid milk chocolate Easter bunny. I decided to re-purpose a bit of both, becuase I'm clever like that. I melted the bunny down and added a bit of butter and icing sugar, which resulted in a delicious ganache-like frosting. However, within two minutes it had hardened back into a solid. Lucky for my cupcakes, I'm not that easily detered!

I put a dollop of rock hard chocolate frosting on each cupcake when they came out of the oven and let the cupcake melt the frosting into a glaze. Then I plopped a piece of broken Kinder Surprise on top. They look darling.

Marbled Cupcakes with Easter Bunny Glaze

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put liners in muffin tin.

Cream softened butter with sugar until light and fully. Add eggs one at a time (it's best if they are room temperature) and beat until smooth. Add milk and vanilla a little at a time, until the batter is fully incorporated. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt - one third at a time. Do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, take a cup of the batter and mix with cocoa powder.

Drop a spoonful of vanilla batter into each tin and top with a bit of chocoalte. Use a toothpick or knife to swirl the two batters together.

Bake for 20 minutes. Top with chocolate glaze as soon as the cupcakes come out of the oven. Use a knife to spread the frosting evenly as it melts. Top with a chunk of kinder surprise, or other Easter treat.

My broken clock

The clock in my house is broken. I've tried everything to fix it. The batteries are fresh and the hands have been set and re-set time and time again.

I've had my clock repair man, Lou, take a look and he says the clock is in perfect condition. He told me to be patient, that the clock will come around on its own good time. He laughed at the pun and left.

I've re-hung the clock in a few different spots in case it needed more light or maybe less light. I've hung it high, I've hung it low. I moved it into the kitchen so it could watch me cook, but the clock's hands refused to budge.

Yesterday, I sat down and tried to reason with the clock. I explained how important its job is and how grateful I would be if it would cooperate. I offered it a cup of tea and even a freshly baked cookie. When that didn't work, I sung it a country love song. The clock just stared back at me unmoving. Maybe it doesn't like country music.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Glaze

I've been having a rough week and have been working on shaking it off. I knew that baking something would make me feel better, and boy was I right. These little lemon poppy seed squares are moist, tender, tart and delicious. I ate one fresh out of the oven and almost decided to keep them all for myself. ALMOST. I then talked some sense into my self and divied them up between Work, Neighbours and Boyfriend. Behold:

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Glaze

Mix your dry together:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup poppy seeds

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

zest of two lemons

dash of cinnamon

Mix your wet together:

2 eggs

3/4 cup greek yogurt

1/3 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Then mix the wet and dry together until combined. Don't over mix or you will ruin everything.

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins. Bake muffins for 12 minutes or until they are lightly browned and spring back when you touch one. Use a toothpick to prick holes in the top of each mufin for the glaze to soak into.

Lemony Glaze

Juice of two lemons

1 cup of icing sugar

Mix the lemon juice and icing sugar together until smooth. Drizzle over the muffins when they have cooled. Or do it when they come hot out of the oven like i did and watch as your glaze runs right off the muffins and onto the counter.

that is all. easy peasy lemon squeezy! Behold:

Orange Pekoe Cupcakes with Apple Cinnamon Buttercream

Who doesn't love tea? It's a hot, caffeinated and delicious. Ok ok, I guess it can be decaf as well, but rarely do I choose that option. My favorite tea is probably Earl Grey. You wouldn't know that from visiting where my house, where I seem to be mysteriously void of such tea *straight face*.

Last week I came across a recipe called Black Tea Cake With Honey Buttercream that immediately stole my heart. Tea in cake? Brilliant! Before reading the recipe, I assumed she used brewed tea in the recipe, but I was wrong. To make this cake, you actually expel the tea from the tea bags. I thought it might result in a bitter and grainy cupcake, but again I was wrong. I baked a batch last night with some modifications and was gobsmacked. They are amazing; super moist and the frosting, well, lets just say I had to stop myself from eating it by the spoonful. I ate three before dinner.

I can't wait to make another round of these, using earl gray tea and perhaps a honey vanilla frosting. drool. First the pictures, then the recipe...

   

Orange Pekoe Cupcakes with Apple Cinnamon Buttercream (adapted from Pastry Affair)
Yields 9-inch cake, 18 regular cupcakes, or 24 mini cupcakes

For the Orange Pekoe Cupcake:
1 cup skim milk
The contents of 4 tea bags
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut butter (or vegetable oil)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cupcake tins and set aside.
• Warm the milk until near boiling on the stove or in the microwave (keep an eye on it, it's really easy to scorch the milk). Cut open the tea bags and add the tea directly into the milk. Allow to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Gradually add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the tea brewed milk, mixing until batter is uniform and smooth.
• Spoon batter into mini cupcake liners and bake for 11-12 minutes (for a full cake bake for 30-40 minutes  or 18-22 minutes for regular cupcakes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool before frosting or serving.

For the Apple Cinnamon Buttercream:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons apple cinnamon butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and apple cinnamon butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until the frosting comes together. 
• If the frosting is too runny, add more powdered sugar until it reaches the right consistency. Likewise, if the frosting is too stiff, add more honey (or a splash of milk) to thin it out. If the frosting is too sweet, add a pinch more salt until the desired sweetness is achieved.
• Spread or pipe the honey buttercream onto the cooled cake and serve.

How to kill a hangover

If morning (or perhaps afternoon) rolls around and your head is pounding, your mouth tastes like a garbage dump and your stomach is rolling as if you were on a boat in the middle of a storm, Congratulations, you have a hangover! At this point you have a couple of options:

1. Stay still. Don't move an inch! The hangover may subside on its own. (This is super unlikely.)
2. Get up and out of bed and actively fight this hangover. Helmets and gloves style, you will take this hangover DOWN! (Also unlikely, depending on hangover severity.)

If you choose option one, good on ya - I wish you the best of luck. Please note that you may turn to option 2 at any time, when you realize that you still feel terrible.

First of all, if you are out partying and have the sense of mind to do some forward thinking, go order a glass of water and then three more. If you skipped dinner and had beers instead, be kind to yourself and grab a slice or two of pizza or make a pot of Kraft dinner. You will thank yourself in the morning.

Now, let's talk business! The following steps are an almost maybe sure-fire way to kill that nasty hangover.

1. Advil. Take 3 before opening up your eyes. Ideally, you should sleep with a bottle under your pillow to facilitate this step.
2. Get your hands on some coffee. If you come across a bottle of Bailey's, you should definitely incorporate it. Total twofer - caffeine and hair of the dog.
3. A hot shower will probably make you feel slightly more human. If you can't stand long enough to make that happen, at least wash your face and brush your teeth - you probably did neither before going to bed and you probably are disgusting.
4. Time to eat. McDonald's breakfast - GO! If it's past the sacred McDs breakfast hour, fear not, you have options - try Dennys. If you are a slug and have slept most of the day away, feel free to have lunch instead. Either way, get something carby and greasy and bacony in your stomach and try not to regurgitate it.
5. Depending on your level of hungoverness, you now should either go do something active or hit the couch super hard. Fresh air and keeping busy will make the hangover feel less awful. If, however, it hurts to move, you should camp out on the couch. It is imperative you set yourself up correctly here - you MUST be wearing sweatpants, have a blanket handy, have snacks and drinks at your immediate disposal and have the blinds shut tight. You are looking for a cave feel here. I would recommend putting your phone on silent. If you lost your phone last night, ever the better.
6. Drink a diet root beer.

If you are still feeling terrible, it probably means you had a really good time last night, and you will just have to wait this one out. It should be noted that during steps 1 through 6 you should drink at least your body weight in water. Also remember, misery loves company. Surrounding yourself with other hungover individuals is a good idea! There's nothing worse than suffering a hangover with someone who feels amazing... Actually, there's' a lot of things worse. If you DO have a friend at your disposal who IS feeling great, use them! Steps one through 6 can easily be facilitated by a buddy. If you can get them to bring you the Tylenol and breakfast and root beer all the better!

I sure hope these steps help. If you have any alternate suggestions, please let me know. I will test them out next weekend.

That is all.Good luck and god speed!

Cobbles & Cream

Valentine's day dessert, of course, was up to me. A million chocolaty recipes ran through my mind, along with guilty thoughts that I was being selfish because i know Nick likes vanilla more. I also learned this week that he thinks pie trumps cake. I don't think I've ever been so surprised...and horrified. PIE!? hrmph. So i mulled over maybe making an apple pie, but then all of the sudden it was Friday and I had no time and no pie making ingredients.. and by that I'm referring to Lard. I Also think peeling, coring and slicing apples is the most painful thing ever. My mommy dearest has a contraption that does it all for you, so I prefer to fulfil my apple pie needs at her house.

5PM on Friday, no desert in sight. I find a can of coconut milk, score! I have a can of sliced peaches in the fridge and blueberries in the freezer. A plan arises. Blueberry peach cobbler with coconut whipped cream!

I find some recipes and make some adjustments to suit my ingredients and need to not leave well enough alone. The cobbler comes together without a hitch and I throw it in the oven by 5:30, deciding I will warm it up after dinner.

The Coconut Whipped Cream (Oh She Glows has a great write up) did not go as planned. Every recipe called for a can of FULL FAT coconut milk, which is a problem as I never buy full fat anything. The second problem- I don't have time to let it chill as long as is called for. I throw it in the freezer and pull it out half an hour later, hoping for the best. Ideally, when you open the can of coconut milk the cream should have hardened so you can easily scoop it out and leave the rest of the coconut milk behind . Mine isn't even close. I carefully tried to skim the coconut cream off but of course, got some milk in the bowl in the process. Bad news. I chill my bowl and beaters and cream and cross my fingers and try to whip it. No luck. It will not get whippy. Hrmph. I recall a recipe for chocolate coconut milk ice cream that I had perused and dismissed earlier, and decide to go that route. I throw the rest of the coconut milk in the bowl and add some sugar and vanilla and whip it up, throw it in a container and into the freezer. I say a little prayer to the Dessert Gods that the ice cream will harden in time.

The re-warmed cobbler comes out of the oven and is bubbly and the crust is golden brown and it looks amazing. I check the ice cream and it has hardened- hallelujah! It is isn't very creamy but it IS cold and delicious I throw a couple of scoops on top of the cobbler and BOOM Valentine's Day is complete!

Here are my adapted recipes:

Winter Blueberry-Peach Cobbler (Adapted from Better Homes & Garden)

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup margarine, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup canned peach syrup

3 cups canned peaches

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoonground cinnamon

Directions

1. For topping, stir together flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder. Add coconut milk and the 1/4 cup margarine all at once. Stir until smooth; set aside.

2. For filling, in a medium saucepan stir together brown sugar and cornstarch; stir in water. Add peaches and blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add the 1 tablespoon margarine and the lemon juice; stir until butter or margarine melts. Pour into an ungreased 9x9 glass dish. Spoon topping in mounds over hot filling. Sprinkle with a mixture of the 2 tablespoons coarse sugar and the nutmeg or cinnamon. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven, to catch any spill over.

3. Bake cobbler in a 350 degree F. oven about 35 minutes or until bubbly and a toothpick inserted into topper comes out clean.

Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream (Adapted from The Detoxinista)

Ingredients:
1 14 can coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and with a hand mixer beat until smooth and creamy. Throw in a container and freeze for a few hours. Take it out of the freezer and let it sit until it's scoopable.

Med Rountain Ski Trip

Eight years ago was the last time I spent anytime on a ski hill. After breaking my arm in an underwhelming snowboarding fall, I lost the nerve to get back on the mountain. Instead, I worked on my chalet skills. I bet you didn't know those existed... It's a fine art involving mostly drinking but also activities like hot tubbing, playing cards and shopping. This weekend, however, I got rustled out of my chalet-indulging activities and got dragged up the hill for some skiing.

For the last three weeks I've been fretting and worrying about the impending ski trip to Red Mountain in the town of Rossland. What if I forgot how to ski? What if I fell off a cliff? What will I wear? Everyone assured me it would be like riding a bike.. I had to remind them that my bike riding history is marred with a fall resulting in two broken arms. Nick assured me his mom, Bev, would take care of me on the mountain so I acquiesced. I collected all the necessary ski gear from my mom and sisters and Thursday morning boarded a little pacific coastal flight to Trail.

Friday morning arrives. Nick, Andy, Jess and Cody ventured off for a day of cat skiing and leave Bev and I to hit the mountain. Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I get my ski pants on and two sweaters and my jacket and then realize I've forgotten to put on my suspenders so I take it all off and start again. We walk over to the rental shop where I check Beginner as my skill level. I ask the rental guy for some tips and he suggests that I try to upright. Twenty minutes and a few muttered swearwords later, I've manage to get one ski boot on. I think I might have sprained my shoulder trying to get the buckle done up. The second boot is just as difficult. I've broken a sweat and haven't left the shop. The chair lifts aren't open yet so off we go for a coffee. Now, more coffee was probably the last thing I needed, since I was practically hyperventilating with the fear of my first chairlift ride in almost a decade. We go to head outside and I realize I've misplaced my gloves already. Guess I can't go skiing! Bev's not buying that excuse so we retrace my steps and locate my lost mittens at the rental shop. Darn, plan Abort Ski Trip has failed.

I am officially freaking out while we wait in line for the chairlift. It is foggy and freezing and I'm scared and all I can think about is falling whilst trying to get off the chairlift. Bev tries to reassure me and promises to steer clear so I have lots of room to exit the lift. The end comes and I am a broken record of "oh my gods". I stand up and on shaky legs I ski away with no disaster! Anti-climatic, I know, but boy was I stoked.

We stand at the top of a green run and after some inner mental coaching I giver down the hill as if I had just skied yesterday. Muscle memory is a wonderful thing! I make it down the run and through the day with no falls or tears.  Actually, the only fall I had all weekend was when I fell out of my chair at dinner *face palm*

In total, Bev and I threw down 52 runs in three days of skiing. To celebrate, I threw down at least 52 beers. Those beers were necessary to ease the pain I was feeling. By day three my legs and shoulders and various other parts were screaming in agony. My toes hurt from smashing against my boots and it's very possible I may lose some toenails from this adventure. My face is wind burnt and chapped from the wind and cold. Despite all that whining, I'm feeling pretty great. It was an awesome weekend with lots of laughs, good food and great people.

A few things I learned this weekend....

1. I should spend less time obsessively worrying about things.
2. Half the battle of learning how to ski is being able to dress yourself appropriately in ski gear and then not falling off the chairlift. If you can do those two things successfully you have left the Beginner level and have arrived at intermediate.
3. Switching the first letter of someone's first and last name can make for a hilarious nick name.
4. If you pretend you are in a ski race, you will immediately feel way cooler and ski ever so slightly faster.
5. That some people consider the color pink to be 'smug'.

Shellington's Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

Monday through Friday I am totally Bill Murray from Groundhog Day. I wake up, eat oatmeal for breakfast, go to work, go to the gym, eat the same thing for dinner, have a bath, watch some eps of Breaking Bad and go to bed. Wake up and repeat. I hope you didn't read that in a whiny voice, because I actually enjoy having a strict routine during the week. I never have to worry or wonder about what's for breakfast or lunch or dinner. I am food-motivated, so those things are important to me. That being said, sometimes by Thursday I am getting slightly less enthused by my pre-devised meals, and often on Friday I am stoked that they are coming to an end. This week, however, I suffered no such thing. Why? Let me tell you.

Spoon Fork Bacon. Huh? It's a blog I stumbled upon. I honestly can't remember what I was looking for when I found it, although it was probably something bacon related. What made me stop and fall in love was a recipe for "Persimmon and Cranberry Baked Oatmeal". It could have said poop and beans baked oatmeal and I still would have loved it. The idea of baking oatmeal for breakfast stole my heart. Why I haven't done this before is a huge mystery. Perhaps I was not ready for baked oatmeal. I sure am now! 6 days in a row of baked oatmeal for breakfast and I wish I had another six days to go.

I made some changes to her recipe, as I apparently am unwilling and able to follow a recipe as directed. It made 6 portions, which I left in the fridge all week. I heated in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes and served with skim milk, although Greek yogurt would be good too. My next batch will likely contain a sprinkling of chocolate chips and maybe some applesauce for extra fibre and moisture. Here she is:

Shellington's Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
2 cups steel cut porridge oats (contains oats, flax, oat bran and some other goodies. it's a step up from regular oats)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup ground flax
2 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus some extra for the chef.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can low-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (it's the cheapest to buy at Costco, obviously)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 banana, mashed with a fork, or chopped. (I think mashed will be more banana bread-like.)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Generously grease an 8”x 8” baking dish and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
4. In another mixing bowl whisk together both milks, the egg, vanilla and melted coconut oil.
5. Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture and stir together.
6. Fold in the blueberries and banana until just combined.
6. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth surface with a spatula.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minute or until golden brown.

healthtastic.

Let's talk about health, baby. let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things. Health, baby. Let's talk about health!

I hope that song gets stuck in your head! Ok, so I've decided to do a spiel on health by sharing some of the things that I do as part of my normal routine that I believe keep me healthy. I actively pursue new ideas and trends to see what others are doing to keep themselves healthy and fit. Some I try out and nix within a week or so and some things I keep and mix into my own routine. Hopefully one or more of these things will make your life a little bit better! Ready? OK!

#1. I take vitamins, daily. What kind, you ask? Depends on what's on sale when I go shopping for vitamins. Currently I take a multi vitamin, a cranberry pill, and biotin (helps to metabolize carbs, protein and fat - rumoured to make your hair grow faster). Occasionally, I take Omega 3 pills, probiotics, vitamin C and echinacea.

7. I squeeze a lemon in my first bottle of water in the morning. Lemon water helps balance your pH, has tons of vitamin C, aids in digestion and helps the purging of toxins. The rest of the day, I drink plain boring old water, but lots of it so that I don't dry up like a prune.

#4. Oatmeal for breakfast, every day.... sounds boring, but I've been eating it for years and never get sick of it. I make mine with skim milk and add in banana, ground flax and vanilla protein powder. Sometimes I get wild and will throw in blueberries, chocolate chips or even nuts. It's a hearty, well-rounded breakfast that keeps me full until snack time.

5) I work out 6 days a week, doing both cardio and weights. One of those workouts if spent with my personal trainer who gives me the extra push I want and the accountability I need. I spend a lot of time on the treadmill with my ipod, and find it helps me get my thoughts in order. I also love running really fast. I especially love running in front of the mirror because I feel like I'm racing myself.

6. I eat 3 meals a day and a couple of snacks. Eating often keeps my metabolism up and stops me from ever being hungry. I try to eat lean proteins, lots of vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy. That being said, I rarely choose salad over fries at restaurants and I will take a steak over chicken almost any day of the week.

2. I have warm baths with Epsom salts a few times a week. Some of the countless health benefits include relaxing the nervous system, curing skin problems, soothing back pain and aching limbs, easing muscle strain, healing cuts, treating cold and congestion, and drawing toxins from the body.

8. I don't watch a lot of TV, especially since I JUST finished all 5 seasons of Sons of Anarchy and have nothing else I want to watch... I spend a lot of my free time reading. I read somewhere that reading burns more calories than watching TV because your brain has to work harder. Reading also keeps my vocabulary up to snuff. Speaking of vocabulary, you'd think with all the reading I do that I could come up with a better word than 'snuff'!

3) I get an embarassing amount of sleep. On weeknights I'm usually in bed by 9:30 and up at 6:30, which is 9 hours each night. I like to think I bank some of those extra hours for the weekends where I'm up until 4AM.

The end. That's it? Yep! I know, I know, nothing earth shattering. I am not a health nut by any means. There is an equally long list of things I do that are super unhealthy (see: binge drinking, McDonalds, aspartame and all-night partying) but I can definitely tell you that everything on my list is shelly tested and approved! Are you on pinterest? Go check out my healthtastic board here.

Now, go be healthy!