DIY Lion Cupcakes

Morning everyone! Before we get down to cupcake art tutorials, take a minute to visit Confessions of a Northern Belle! I am guest posting and desperately need some advice on my upcoming Maid of Honor Speech! 

Over the weekend I helped host a baby shower for my friend Abby and her little peanut due to arrive in November. Abby is an AVID Lion King fan so a Lion/Jungle baby shower was essentially a must. The decor turned out super cute and the food was amazing!

However, I've got to toot my horn a little and say the hit of the party were my Lion Cupcakes! This was a first for me and no I did not use a Pinterest tutorial {for the first time ever} so I was feeling pretty stinkin' good that they came out as good as they did. And shockingly, they were really easy! So, I'm going to share how to make them so you too can make adorable little lion cupcakes. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

For the Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 c Granulated Sugar
• 1 3/4 c Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 c {or 1 stick} Unsalted Butter, at room temp
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream {full fat versions!}
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract {spring for the good stuff - not the fake}
• 2/3 c Whole Milk

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 c {or 2 sticks} Salted Butter, at room temp
• 1 tsp Whole Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract {again, the real stuff}
• 3-4 c Powdered Sugar 

Additional

• Yellow, Red & Blue Food Coloring
• Brown Cupcake Liners {I used these from Wilton, found at Target}
• Candy Eye Balls {available at Target, Michaels, JoAnn, etc}
• Black Decorating Gel
• Piping Bag & Tip {I used a #32 Tip}

DIRECTIONS

• Start by preheating your oven to 350˚.
• Add butter to a mixing bowl and beat until soft and smooth.
• Add sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to bowl and beat on medium speed until well combined and a tad crumbly. It helps to add flour just a bit at a time. 
• Add eggs, Greek yogurt {or sour cream} and Vanilla then mix. 
• Finally, add the milk and mix on low speed. Your batter should be pretty thin. 
• Fill the cupcake liners about half full and bake for 12-15 minutes {testing after 12 minutes to see if they're done}. They should be lightly browned on top and a toothpick should come out without any wet batter stuck to it. 
• Let your cupcakes cool, ideally overnight in the fridge.
• Once the cupcakes have cooled, you can start your frosting!
• Add 2 sticks of butter to mixer and beat until completely smooth. 
• Add vanilla and milk and mix until combined. 
• Slowly add powdered sugar, I will usually add one cup at a time and mix well. Continue to add powdered sugar until you reach your desired taste and consistency, usually between 3-4 cups for me. 
• When you've got your frosting where you want it to be it's time to add food coloring for the lion's face. I added mostly yellow with a couple of drops of red. Just play around with it until you get the color that you want. 

• Fill your piping bag with frosting making sure to push the frosting to the bottom of the bag and remove any air bubbles. I started on the outside of the cupcake and frosted in a swirl motion creating a nice flat base for the face. I made a few extra cupcakes so I had some practice ones - I definitely recommend doing this, specially if you aren't used to a piping bag!

• Next I added another smaller swirl on the bottom of the cupcake. I tried to pick a spot on the cupcake that wasn't completely frosted to add the snout. The on the top of the cupcake did two quick little lines for the ears. 

• Now it's time to add your eyes! I learned the hard way that not all pupils are created equal. Take the time to try and pick two eyes that have the same sized pupils, otherwise you end up with some pretty wacko looking lions. 

• Although your cupcakes now look like pigs, do not be alarmed! The mane makes all the difference. At this point you should clean out your piping bag and tip. Let them air dry while you create your mane frosting. With the remaining buttercream frosting add a little more red food coloring and a drop or two of blue. This color took me a bit to get, so just experiment! Add to your piping bag and simply add little drops of frosting all around the perimeter of the cupcakes. 
• Then, finally, you will use your black decorating gel to add a nose and mouth. I practiced a few times on some paper towel to be sure I got the look I wanted. I added a glob for the nose first, then went back and added the thin line down the middle, then added the little smile last. 

VOILA!

Mama P's Greek Rice

It's a running joke in my big fat Greek family that Greek cooking dirties every pan in the kitchen, and for the most part that is true. However, there are a couple of Greek staples in our meal rotation that are quick, easy, delicious yet still Greek. One of my all time favorites is Greek Rice - I'm sure there's some 15 character Greek word for it but around these parts it's Greek Rice {clever, huh?} My mom used to make this for us all the time as kids and then I think we all forgot about it for years and when she revived the recipe when Kenley and I were in Arizona I got re-hooked and have probably made it 15 times since. It's a great side dish that goes perfect with chicken, burgers, hot dogs, or just by itself with a giant spoon! I usually serve it on the side of Greek meatballs {keftedes} and a Greek Salad because if you're going to be Greek, really be Greek. 

What you'll need: 

• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup brown rice {I also love to use Simply Balanced multigrain blend with brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, etc for some extra nutrients}
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 
• Parsley, to taste
• Pinch of Cinnamon {the secret ingredient}
• S&P, to taste

What you do:

• Melt the butter & saute the shallot

• Add rice, tomato sauce and chicken stock to shallot mixture and bring to a boil.

• Once boiling, cover until liquid is absorbed and rice is soft {appx. 45 minutes depending on the rice you use}
• Stir in feta, parsley, cinnamon and S&P and serve!

Kenley tested and Kenley approved {despite the look}.

Five Things on Friday

Hey! Hey! Hey! Who else is pumped it's Friday?! Weekends in the summer are the best of the best and I am happy as a clam that I get 2 full days with my man & our baby girl! Jason was out of town the past two weekends and I was in New York prior to that - so some time with my loves is much needed. Beyond that, here are five random things for this lovely Friday morning. 

one. While in NYC my cousin recommended a hair product to help me get my curls to stay. I like my curls more loose and casual and sadly when I style it that way the curls fall flat almost immediately but NOT ANYMORE! Redken's Curvaceous Wave Ahead works and is amazing and I love it! 

two. My Beeb is having another Baby Boy!!! Now that Baby Roe #2's gender has been announced, the Sprinkle planning has officially begun! I can't wait to put together another party and can't wait to have another squishy little baby around!

three. I randomly threw together a salad with stuff I had on hand earlier this week and it has become an all time favorite - baby spinach + cucumber + chickpeas + feta + green olives + annie's organic papaya poppyseed dressing. SO DELICIOUS! 

four. I have officially turned into a Snapchat addict. I definitely over-snap but cannot help myself. It's just too fun! 

five. HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY to my baby sister, Kara! Kara graduated high school last weekend {grad party deets coming on Monday} and that basically put me over the edge but now to say my little sister is EIGHTEEN?! How is this possible? 

I hope you all have fantastic weekends!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I don't know about you, but I always feel like eating healthy is so much more expensive and time consuming - I guess that's why they call it "fast food" right? If you are looking for a quick, easy and inexpensive meal that is DELICIOUS and healthy....these Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps are the answer to your prayer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oiL

1 pound ground turkey

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 8oz can chopped water chestnuts

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup cooked whole grain brown rice

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 head butter lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Brown turkey in olive oil over medium heat. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Drain excess fat.

2. Add garlic, bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

3.Stir in hoisin sauce and soy sauce until well combined. Add rice and green onions and gently toss to combine.

4. To serve, suse 1/3 cup of meat mixture in lettuce and chow down lettuce wrap style. 

Could it be any easier???

By my calculations 1/3 cup of meat in a wrap makes each wrap only 53 calories and I kid you not I am stuffed after 3! Can't beat it I tell you. These have definitely become a weekly staple.


{adapted from THIS RECIPE}

Healthified Summer BBQ

Now that it's warming up outside we have brushed off our dusty little grill and have once again been putting it to good use. We absolutely LOVE to grill at our house and it's pretty inevitable that the summer will be filled with BBQs with friends and family. But let's face it BBQs, while fantastic, aren't always the healthiest. Typically you'll find yourself downing burgers and/or brats and/or hot dogs with some potato salad, potato chips, maybe a teeny portion of fresh fruit and then some kind pasta salad packed with carbs and calories. 

Well no more my friends. I'm here to share my new Summer BBQ obsessions. 

 Pretty much the easiest thing ever....get some brats of your choosing, get some veggies of your choosing, slice them up, throw them on skewers and grill! We use Chilli Cheddar Brats with Red Bell Pepper, Zucchini and Onion. YUM!

1 head of Broccoli cut down to just florets, 1 container Hormel Less Fat Real Bacon Bits, 1 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar Cheese, 1 cup reduced fat Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 tbsp Sugar

And, if you just absolutely can't avoid a pasta salad {let's be honest, it's my favorite part of a BBQ} make this one:

1 box Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, 50 Turkey Pepperonis, 2 small cans sliced Black Olives, 1 cup low fat shredded Parmesan Cheese, Fat Free Italian dressing to taste {I used a little less than a cup}

--it's still high in calories but is MUCH better for you nutrition wise!--

OK, so who is coming over to cook out?

Greek Turkey Meatloaf

Sometimes I feel like we get in a major dinner rut - eating healthy is great and all but I feel like I have a much harder time coming up with new and fun recipes that don't break the calorie bank. So when I saw this recipe for Greek Turkey Meatloaf, I knew it was one I had to try. I am Greek, so I LOVE Greek food but also had a lot of the ingredients already on hand alng with others to make the recipe my own. Here's what I did....

INGREDIENTS:

 -2 lbs Ground Turkey

-1 cup Reduced Fat Feta Cheese Crumbles

-1 White Onin {chopped}

-2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach

-1 egg {lightly beaten}

-2 cloves of Garlic {minced}

-1/4 cup Coconut Flour

 -1/2 cup Vegetable {or Chicken} Stock

-1 tbsp. Olive Oil

-2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

-1 tsp Salt

-1/2 tsp Pepper

-1 tbsp Oregano

-1 tbsp Lemon Juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 352F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper - saute until the onions are soft. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook until wilted. 

3. In a large bowl, combine onion & spinach mixture, ground turkey, coconut flour, vegetable stock, egg, oregano, lemon juice and worcestershire sauce. Mix until well combined. 

4. Place half of the turkey mixture on baking sheet and shape into a flat rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cover with feta cheese, pressing to adhere to meatloaf. Place remaining turkey mixture on top and shape the whole thing into a rough loaf looking shape. 

5. Bake for 1 hour or until inside is cooked - be mindful not to overcook because it will dry out.

6. Cut into slices and top it off with some Tzatziki Sauce. I like to make my own using this recipe, otherwise Archer Farms has a great Tzatziki Sauce if you prefer to buy it.

via

I served it with a cucumber and kalamata olive salad tossed in olive oil with dill. SO YUMMY and both Jason & Kenley approved!

be sure to visit my friend:

Customizable Chicken Tortilla Soup

A while back, I attempted Chicken Tortilla Soup for the first time. I started out with this recipe for a Paleo version and quickly found that I wanted to make it my own. 

The base of this recipe is really simple and really delicious and could easily be customized to fit your likes or dietary restrictions. Paleo, Yeast Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Low Fat, Vegetarian, or None of the Above are all option as you will see below. 

No matter how you plan to customize this recipe, here is what you will need:

Obviously, if you're a vegetarian omit the chicken. If you are yeast free or paleo you're ready to rock. If you want to mix it up a little, do as I did and add 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt and reduced fat shredded cheese to your grocery list. I also added sliced tortilla to Jason's because he needs the extra calories to fill him up. 

Here's what you do:

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil and add your onion and garlic to let simmer. Once the onions are soft and lightly browned add the vegetable stock and vegetables and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, slice your chicken into 1/2 inch strips. Add the chicken, seasoning and tomato paste. Cook on low for 2 hours or until the veggies are soft. 

Once the chicken is cooked, it should shred pretty easily. I removed all the chicken slices, threw them on a plate and shredded with two forks then returned the chicken to the soup. At this point taste test the soup and add salt and pepper to your liking. 

If you so choose, stir in the Greek yogurt right before serving, adding a somewhat creamy texture to your soup. 

Finally, garnish as you wish, some ideas would be....

-Flour or Corn Tortilla

-Avocado

-Shredded Cheese

-Sour Cream

-Doritos

-Lime

I simply used half an avocado, a tbsp of shredded cheese and a little extra cilantro.

Yum! Yum! Yum!

My Week in Food

I have received a ton of comments and emails regarding my Budget Friendly Healthy Meal Planning tips and a bunch of you have said it's inspired you to hop on the meal planning train. Again, I can't say enough about how much meal planning has helped me both in the healthy eating department and in the budgeting department. I thought since so many of you are trying to meal plan I would share what I planned and ate this past week in hopes of giving you some ideas.  

I should preface this by saying I eat pretty much the same breakfast, lunch and snack every day. It's not super exciting but I typically don't get sick of what I'm eating and it eliminates the need to buy ingredients for multiple different lunches thus saving money - I do definitely mix them up week-to-week so I don't get sick of anything. 

1 cup Almond Milk, 1 Banana, 1tbsp Organic Peanut Butter
{I don't use ice because I prefer the creamy and smooth consistency}

--or--

1 cup Almond Milk, 1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach, 1/4 cup Frozen Peaches, 1/4 cup Frozen Mango, 1 celery stalk

Chickenless Noodleless Soup {inspired by Erin's Noodleless Chicken Soup}

32oz Vegetable Broth, 2 cans Garbanzo Beans {drained}, Carrots, Celery, White Onion, Cauliflower, 2 cups water, 1.5 tsp Rosemary, 1 tsp Sage, pinch of S&P {makes 12 cups, I have 3 cups for lunch}

--or--

1/2 Avocado, 1 tbsp Reduced Fat Feta Cheese, 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, 1/3 Cucumber, 2 tbsp Hummus

4 5inch Celery Stalks w/ 1 tbsp Organic Peanut Butter

--and--

1/3 Cucumber w/ 2 tbsp Hummus

Throw 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in a crock pot with 1 celery stalk, 1/2 onion (chopped) & 16oz Vegetable Broth. Cook on low for 8 hours, remove chicken and shred. Reserve 1/2 cup vegetable broth from crock pot & throw the rest. Return chicken to crock pot with 1/2 cup broth & 1/2 cup Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce - cook for 30 more minutes. Serve with lettuce, carrots and celery {would be amazing with ranch dressing if your diet allows}.

{inspired by}

For Sauce: 1lb extra lean ground beef OR 1lb extra lean ground turkey, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato paste, 1/2 onion (chopped), Garlic, Oregano, Basil, S&P. Brown meat then add remaining ingredients to taste - let simmer for 10 minutes.

For "noodles": Add 1 bag Broccoli Slaw to pot and add 1 cup of water. Boil until water has evaporated, slaw should be soft but not wilted.

{inspired by}

Combine 1lb extra lean ground turkey, 1 package frozen spinach (cooked & drained well), 1 egg, 2 tbsp Coconut Flour, 1/2 onion (chopped), 2 gloves garlic (chopped), 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp oregano, S&P. Form fist sized meatballs, cooked in greased pan for 15-20 minutes (or until inside is cooked) at 400 degrees. Serve with black beans and avocado!

{inspired by}

I would say that Jason and I eat 98% of dinners at home, and of course the week I decide to document my meals I had THREE away from home dinners - go figure. Eating at restaurants is so hard when you're trying to eat a certain way, so I'm learning to make the best possible decisions despite the 1,000 calorie + salads and tempting queso dips. This week I did really well with 2/3 of the meals out:

Sunday = Country Club dinner with my step-dad, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Monday = Business dinner at Raku, California Roll & Cucumber Roll made with Brown Rice & Gluten Free Soy Sauce

Failed to take a picture of my sushi because I didn't feel like explaining to my co-workers and clients that I have a blog and need to photograph everything I eat. #weirdo

Wednesday = Timberwolves tickets with FREE food & drinks, also known as CHEAT DAY, see below:

..............AND..............

Everyone congratulate Carrie! She won the FREE 8x10 Canvas Print from Easy Canvas Prints!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carrie - email me at mamaandmou@gmail.com so I can send you your code!