Archives for February 2013

Weekend Ramblings

February 9, 2013 · by Ari ·

1. You guys, I feel so spoiled. For the past 2 weeks, life has been pretty much about me. All my friends and family came out to support me at my first marathon, then I had all this birthday celebrating happening, and I just kept getting the best gifts! I don’t know if I can go back to real life now. It’s going to be so disappointing.

2. My favorite birthday gift was probably from Steve. And it isn’t my iPhone. Nope. You see, I knew I was getting an iPhone, and I am a girl who needs surprises, so I ~~politely hinted~~ insisted I also get a surprise present (because I’m a brat) that only costs about $5. Not only did he deliver, but it was like themostperfectthingever. Every time I go to Target, at least one of my hours there is spent playing with the Bop It. I’ve wanted one for ever and ever. But how is a girl in her 20s supposed to justify $15 on a toy labeled for ages 8+ when I obviously need to save up my $15s to buy one ruffle of a Lululemon running skirt? Well, the answer is marry the perfect man.

3. You know how I don’t really like candy? Well that was before I discovered pretzel M&Ms. I am beyond addicted, and it is totally a problem. I may never recover. The addiction is well worth it, however, for one of the recipes I have coming soon…

4. Yesterday, something REALLY COOL happened!! I’ve been reading Iowa Girl Eats for over a year, and every week I look forward to her Friday Favorites–drools-worthy food pics, cute puppies, and super cute clothing that makes me wish I had a better fashion sense. Well, yesterday I open my reader, and there at the bottom of the Friday Favorites post are MY CUPCAKES!!! My favorite ones I’ve ever made 🙂

5. This weekend, I am going up to Flagstaff with my mom’s side of the family. When I was little, we used to go a lot, and we always stayed at the same hotel. This year for Christmas, Steve and I made reservations for the 5 of us to go spend some time together. We’re staying at the same hotel, but they used to allow dogs (hence the appeal), and now they don’t. Poor Winston and Clemenetine are not happy about it.

6. I know I said my favorite present, was the Bop It, but I wrote that part before I actually got my iPhone. I am over the moon for it, and I don’t think I will ever stray for the rest of my life. I can’t stop playing with it. I’ll be in a social situation, but just want to take out my cute new li’l iPhone. It also takes pretty great pictures for a phone.

After an hour of trying to get “the right shot” with these cookies, I decided to play with the iphone camera. I’m actually pretty impressed. Sure, it’s not the macro lens, but my instagram is about to get so much better!

7. I think I may be at a point in my life where walking around looking really weird is becoming embarrassing again. Like, I turned 28, and I’ve reverted to my teenage years. I have this huge ugly bruise down my left IT band from astym at physical therapy, and it’s been in the 70s here so I’ve been wearing shorts. Well, yesterday I kept catching a glimpse, and then I was sure everyone was staring at me. Suddenly, I felt like a teenage girl wearing last season’s jean fade. Luckily, we’re expecting to go back to winter, so I can go back to jeans until I look slightly less freakish.

8. I really need to go shopping. I have this collection of gift cards just…waiting for me. I love shopping, but I hate spending money. You’d think it would be better with gift cards, but I always want to save them for when I “need something”. Well, that’s not really the point. This gift card to my very favorite stores (Anthropologie, Lulu, and Hobby Lobby–shocking, right?) cannot sit here and burn a whole in my wallet. Time to buy some pretty dresses, running skirts (for when I can actually run again…WAH!), and cute things for my house that I absolutely don’t need, but really want. I’m going on an all day shopping spree–who wants to join me? 😉

9. I really want to start watching Smash from the beginning. I kept half watching every single episode, and now I have no idea what’s going on which makes me pretty much the worst musical theatre person ever. John says I need hulu plus, but I’m cheap. I just need them all on Netflix, like ASAP.

Drink & Dish: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies {with video!}

February 7, 2013 · by Ari ·

So for a hot second, I was pretty sure that after our first video, Nicole and I would be crazy to ever try this crazy idea again.

I mean, I’m pretty sure we made every mistake one could possibly make when embarking on this kind of adventure. We forgot to plug in our microphones, we exported the video incorrectly, and ended up with a video that looked like when Mike TV goes into millions of pieces to be transmitted to the television in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Then there was the editing, which took us five hours. That is the amount of time it took us to run a marathon when I was injured. We also both decided this was more difficult.

But then you guys were so kind. You gave the most supportive and kind response, and you didn’t even make fun of the visual quality of our video. You actually took 6 minutes out of your day, and watched us take this big step. I was beyond nervous, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted anyone to watch, but this awesome blogging community has been nothing but positive and supportive. So with newfound respect for everyone who has ever posted a vlog or video on the internet, we made a list of things we wanted to improve, and set off for round 2.

And I’m so glad we did! Yes, there is still tons to work on (how the heck do I figure out the right amount of perkiness, and personality when I’m in front of the camera???!), but I am still really excited to share the second episode of Drink & Dish with you guys.

Whether or not you are a Valentines Day person, I feel like the love of red velvet is pretty universal. And if you don’t like red velvet, honestly what is even happening inside your taste buds?!

I’ve always wanted to try making red velvet whoopie pies. I always imagined them with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting. Then, I was shopping for ingredients and, almost instinctively, I grabbed a jar of marshmallow fluff. The rest is history, because I am over-the-moon obsessed with this filling. It’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, whoopie pies, spoons, and fingers. Light and fluffy with the sweet hint of white chocolate–I diiiie.

When the cakes came out of the oven, I almost couldn’t believe it! They were more beautiful, soft, and fluffy than I ever imagined they could be. It was one of those happy kitchen moments where you want to jump up and down, and sing from the rafters (OMG, why did I not do all of those things on camera? Silly Ari…) about that very special thing you’ve just created. I’m glad Nicole was there to experience it with me. Hermano said they were probably the best thing I’ve ever made, and I might agree. I am pretty darn proud of them, and I just want you all to make them, like rightthissecond, because I am pretty sure you will love them too.

Don’t forget to check out Nicole’s post and recipe for her delicious cocktail!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

yield 1 dozen large whoopie pies

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1 oz red food coloring

For the filling:

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 oz marshmallow fluff
1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 large baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl), beat together applesauce and brown sugar until well combined. Add egg and vanilla. Continue beating until fully combined.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to applesauce mixture starting and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and continue beating until combined. Add food coloring, and continue mixing until dough is red throughout.
Use a small cookie scoop sprayed with nonstick spray to transfer dough to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Let stand for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling, beat cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl until fluffy. Beat in marshmallow fluff, followed by white chocolate and vanilla. Slowly, beat in powdered sugar.
Top flat side of half of the whoopie pies with filling, then cover with remaining pies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Chai Spiced Vanilla Bean “Buttermilk” Muffins

February 6, 2013 · by Ari ·

Soft and fluffy whole grain chai spiced muffins with fresh vanilla bean, made with vegan buttermilk. A perfect healthy treat for brunch, or a mid-afternoon snack.

I don’t eat a lot of muffins. I mean, I’ve never met a baked good I don’t like, but a muffin isn’t what I generally grab. I usually find them to be glorified cupcakes without the frosting, and really, why would you want a cupcake with no frosting???

Well, these muffins do not taste like a cupcake, and I love that. They taste like everything you could ever want in a breakfast: spicy chai, sweet vanilla and, of course, carbs. Yes, carbs have a taste. I would describe it as “amazing” or “perfection”.

I have a secret. These actually started out as cupcakes. You see, that’s much more my style, but as I frosted them with a sugary glaze, I just wasn’t in love. These flavors are bold, and the “cupcake” came out so perfectly soft and moist that I didn’t want to hide it. So I tried again. I took away some excess sugar, cut the frosting, and I discovered that muffins can actually be pretty spectacular.

They would pair perfectly with your breakfast protein of choice, or smeared with peanut butter as an afternoon snack, or dusted with some cinnamon and powdered sugar for dessert. They are incredibly versatile and at 89 calories a pop, why not enjoy??

You may have noticed my untraditional “buttermilk”. Well, it’s not only to make the recipe vegan (added bonus!), but honestly, every time I seem to buy buttermilk, it just sits in my fridge and then goes bad. Instead, I used a cup of Silk Pure Almond Vanilla with 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar. In addition to keeping the muffins vegan, using the Silk saved an extra 5 calories per muffin opposed to making homemade buttermilk with skim milk. Now, 5 may seem like nothing, but as my tagline says, I truly believe that “Little changes make a big difference”, and I promise that after you’ve gone through the entire batch (trust me, it’s inevitable), those 5 calories will add up!

Print
Chai Spiced Vanilla Bean “Buttermilk” Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen
Serving Size: 1 muffin

Soft and fluffy whole grain chai spiced muffins with fresh vanilla bean, made with vegan buttermilk. A perfect healthy treat for brunch, or a mid-afternoon snack.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 vanilla bean
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spray lightly with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Measure out almond milk and add apple cider vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and applesauce. Scrape out the center of vanilla bean and add to the mixture. Beat until combined. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to the sugar and apple sauce mixture in 3 additions beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Divide batter evenly between lines muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3.1
https://arismenu.com/chai-spiced-vanilla-bean-buttermilk-muffins/

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Silk and FitFluential LLC. All opinions are my own. To learn more about Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened on Facebook and Twitter.

Chocolate Frosted Orange Donuts

February 4, 2013 · by Ari ·

I have something really embarrassing to tell you.

So I pretty much never know the correct way to store my baked goods. Either I wrap it all up super close in an airtight container when it is still entirely too warm resulting in a big gooey mess of cookies/cupcakes/etc. basically unbaking themselves; or I leave everything out chillin’ with all the breezy air flowing freely throughout my house resulting in stale baked goods in something like 48 hours.

It is a particularly sad experience to spend 75% of your life baking cookies, only to end up not being able to enjoy them the next day. Life is hard when you have a food blog.

Okay, but we’re not even to the embarrassing part yet. This happened when I chose option B, letting my baked goods hang out (read: I was lazy, and didn’t store anything properly). You see, this became a problem because I was unbelievably head over heels for these donuts. That’s part of the reason I didn’t store them in the first place. They were so tempting. I was scared to keep them.

Well, my plans to trick myself into not eating all of the donuts failed miserably when I found myself picking at the lone stale donut still standing 3 days later. That’s the embarrassing part. But if you baked the most perfect tasting orange donuts that were melt-in-your-mouth soft, and covered with sweet chocolatey goodness, you would be picking at the stale leftovers too.

Oh, and by the way, they’re vegan, and gluten-free. 😉

Chocolate Frosted Orange Donuts

yield 8-10 donuts

For the donuts:

2 cups almond meal
zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp corn starch
3/4 tsp baking powder
dash salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup honey or agave
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp orange extract

For the frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp hot water
1 and 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

Directions:

Start with the donuts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together almond meal, orange zest, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Stir in almond milk, honey/agave, orange juice and orange extract until combined.
Fill donut molds about 2/3 – 3/4 full. Bake for 12-16 minutes until golden and set. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack (I flipped mine over onto the rack and they came right out) to cool completely.
To make the frosting, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Slowly add in water 1 tbsp at a time, stirring constantly, until it reaches a spreadable glaze consistency. Stir in melted chocolate. If glaze becomes too thick, add an other tbsp hot water. Spread glaze on top of cooled donuts.
Top with extra orange zest and/or sprinkles if desired. Store in an airtight container (so you don’t pick at stale donuts) for up to one week.

**Note: If while spreading the glaze it becomes too stiff, stick the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds, and it will thin out again.

Weekend Ramblings

February 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

1. A few weeks ago, I went to my awesome friend Jen’s wedding. I took all sorts of pictures, and planned on doing a full blog post about it. That clearly never happened, but I wanted to at least share a little bit of it with you guys. It was so fun. It was the first wedding I’ve been to in my adult life where I didn’t have responsibilities like “bridesmaid” or “bride”. I just got to hang out with some of my favorite NYC guys, and rap Gangsta’s Paradise per my wedding tradition. It’s cute, I promise. I can do it at your wedding for no charge.

2. After Jen’s wedding, we took a 24 hour trip to DC which was just not long enough. I haven’t been there since I was in elementary school, and there was so much I wanted to explore! I did get to see the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Holocaust Museum (best part–so beautiful and moving). I also ate, like, the best dinner of my life at Founding Farmers. If you’re ever in DC, GO THERE! You’re welcome.

3. Speaking of elementary school (I mean, I did for a hot second), did I mention how at PF Chang’s I ran into my elementary school music teacher? And she remembered me. I have “one of those faces”, or that’s what people tell me. I’ve looked exactly the same for my entire life. The awkward part? I never remember anyone. Even if I know you, if I’m not expecting to see you, it will take me a good 5 minutes to register who you are. I know a lot of people, so this is often embarrassing. I also have the hardest time learning names (because I have, oh, a million students), and this leads to a constant feeling of worst-teacher-ever. It’s a good thing I’m funny.

4. I’m pretty sure my birthday party is tonight. This week, Steve created an event on facebook titles “Ariana’s Birthday” which I was not invited to. Except he didn’t make it a secret event, and it showed up on my news feed, so obviously I clicked on it. The Stacey texted me to let me know she was attending. I hope they still shout surprise when I get there, and I hope that Nicole makes the dessert. 😉

5. I really really really love birthdays. I’m sure this is a big surprise. But I feel a little weird about this birthday. Everyone just gave up a weekend to celebrate me running a marathon. I feel like I should give them a break. I mean, not that I will turn down positive attention, because we all know I love things to revolve around me, but I’m starting to feel like a jerk, and maybe I should spread some of the love around. Like, for my birthday, maybe I should have thrown a party for me friends to tell them how awesome they are! I guess it’s a little late for that. It’s a nice idea in theory, though.

6. My other favorite thing about February is that the Academy Awards are coming!!! I still need to see Argo and The Sessions, but then my list will be pretty complete. At least for the movies I actually care to see which does not include Django Unchained. I’m sorry I just have no interest. Lincoln is still my favorite for the year, but I’m also a huge fan of Silver Linings Playbook, and Zero Dark Thirty. There are some fantastic performances in Flight and The Impossible. And I think Pitch Perfect was totally robbed of a best picture nom. I mean, don’t you feel like it was the best movie of 2012???

7. I’ve updated my blogroll. Check out some awesome blogs for your reading enjoyment. The list is a little ridiculous, but the sad truth is it’s less than half of my reader. These are the ones I really love, and I think you will too.

Sweet Potato Bisque

February 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

You guys you guys you guysssss!!!! I have so many exciting things to share with you!!

First of all, my birthday is on Wednesday, and clearly, I am turning 5. Maturity? Ehhh, not my thing. I have a major case of Peter Pan syndrome, and I have no plans to change in my *gulp* 28th year of life. Twenty eight. That is dangerously close to thirty. And it’s more miles than I have ever ran at once, and I just don’t really feel like I should be an age that is greater than my PDR.

Also, this week my buffalo deviled eggs were featured on Fox Magazine Online. Ummmm, WHAT?!?!?! When I got the initial email, I just assumed it was, like, the Phoenix chapter or something, and that’s why I was chosen. But then I went to the article, and there was my recipe DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH MY VERY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGER!!!! And if that wasn’t awesome enough, I was beyond honored to be featured with a couple of my other favorite foodies.

As if this week wasn’t amazing enough, Steve and I booked our anniversary trip to New Orleans! On our first wedding anniversary, we spent maybe an hour together. Steve was back for a short trip from some work in California, and I was in the middle of rehearsals, and it was just…not a great way to spend our anniversary, so this year we plan to make up for it by going somewhere neither of us have been, and enjoying almost an entire week vacation. So freaking stoked. If you have any recommendation for things to do or, ahem, restaurants, TELL ME EVERYTHING.

As for this soup…It’s my favorite soup. I made it about a year ago for the first time, but never got pictures of it, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It’s rich and creamy like you would imagine a bisque to be, but it doesn’t leave you with that heavy feeling afterwards. Steve claims to hate sweet potato soup, yet ate his entire bowl and went on to rave about it. The maple syrup and sriracha provide a great combination of sweet and spicy.

It also works really well in the crock pot–that’s how I made it the first time, but this time I was short on time, and didn’t prepare ahead of time, so I made it on the stove top. It is equally delicious both ways.

Sweet Potato Bisque

yield 6 servings

2 lbs sweet potatoes
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp sriracha (optional, but recommended)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork, then transfer to a large cooking dish. Roast for about 1 hour until tender.** Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove skin. Blend roasted and peeled sweet potatoes with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together cornstarch and almond milk until combined. Add sweet potatoes, maple syrup, sriracha and spices whisking constantly until well combined. Continue to cook on medium heat until soup is hot throughout. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 week.

**Notes: If you’re short on time, you can bake your potatoes in the microwave in about 8-10 minutes. I’ve done this, and it’s not quite as flavorful as roasting, but it’s still great and works in a pinch.

To make in the crock pot, throw in all your ingredients, whisk together, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

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Archives for February 2013

Weekend Ramblings

Drink & Dish: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies {with video!}

Chai Spiced Vanilla Bean “Buttermilk” Muffins

Chocolate Frosted Orange Donuts

Weekend Ramblings

Sweet Potato Bisque

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