Close to good for you..

*


I had a hankering for cupcakes but after almost not getting out of in front of the house once yesterday, there was no way I was gonna risk it again. So whats a junkie to do? Make them myself!

Very close to vegan chocolate cupcakes. I have heavily modified this recipe based on one I found on the PPK.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Splenda
5 Tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 banana, mushed well
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Oven at 350. Line 12 cupcake pan with liners. I have these awesome ones that are unbleached and practically fall off anything you put in them.

Combine sugar, splenda, oil, vanilla and banana and beat until smooth. Oh Kitchen Aid. You make everything so easy.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well mixed. Add dry to wet alternately with milk, scraping down sides of bowl. Stir in choccy chips.

Spoon into cups and bake for about 20 mins or until they spring back when touched and/or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

YUMMAY! These come in at about 150 cals each. Not iced, but damn a chocolate ganache would be amazing on these. You know providing they last longer than a day or so. Which these won't. No way.

So seriously? Every single Oscar nomination? Ugh. I am such a philistine.


*Actual photo of cuppycake. Holy shit are these good.

Hey! I missed it!

This is my 201st post! You'd think I'd be more on it huh? WRONG. Oh well.

I have been up since 5am. I had to let the dogs out. Pickles sometimes has to go you know? And he lets me know by standing by the door and mooping. Very quietly, but still. Mooping. Or squeaking. Anyways I can usually fall back asleep but not today. Today I was tantalised by the thoughts of rice pudding. I guess that's what happens when you go to bed hungry huh?

Rice Pudding

4 cups of milk. I use skm cause thats what I buy.
1/2 c arborio rice. You know, risotto rice.
a few tbsp of sugar (I use splenda)
half a vanilla bean. Go on, even Safeway has them.
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, cinnamon to taste.

Put your milk, rice and sugar/splenda in a heavy bottomed pot. Split your vanilla bean in half, and slit along the length to let out all the vanilla goodness. Scrape it out into the milk, and toss the whole thing in. Bring your mixture to a gentle boil and turn down to a nice simmer. Stir this. Alot. Don't go sit down and read the internets and let the bottom scorch. No, keep stirring. For like 30-40 min intermittently. You'll know the rice is done by tasting it. Arborio rice holds a lot of moisture and still retains its shape. Like risotto. Get it?

I like mine a little on the wet-ish side as I find if its dry, it doesn't keep in the fridge as well. And its creamier that way. Anyways, when it's done cooking, take off the heat and add the vanilla extract and cinnamon. I make this not that sweet on purpose, so you can sweeten it to your taste. The first batch I made I used 1/4 c splenda and I found it too sweet. The vanilla bean seems to add a lot of sweetness for me, but you know what you like so adjust accordingly. Store the leftovers in the fridge and reheat or don't. yum.

I eat this for breakfast, for afters, for fun. Seriously, its good for you! A nice big serving of calcium, some rice? All kinds of goodness.

My parents are in Hawaii right now. Not covered in slush and getting stuck in front of the house. I hope they are having a fabulous time.



I seem to have a case of the January blahs. So do the dogs. See ^. I have a whole bunch of stuff to put up, write up and photograph. Lets see how long it takes to get through it. Maybe I just need more coffee...

I gave in. (all about the stuff man..)

I did. I resisted as long as I could but in the end it was futile. I got an ipod. AND OMG HOW DID I EVER NOT ALWAYS HAVE ONE!?!? It is purple and shiny and when I shake it the song changes and it has games and I LOVEITLOVEITLOVEIT. Who knew 16g were this fun?

So um yeah.

Oh and I got some awesome new boots too. They have penguins on the bottoms! Very warm and good for Dog Park!

I finished a sweater, a hat, and a cowl. Pictures will follow. I hope. The sweater is simply amazingly snuggly. Why did I wait so long to be on the Rowan train? Argh.

We have had a bit of a debacle regarding Chris' new TV. He was disappointed, angry, sad and hopefully tonight, well on his way to actually getting one. Poor Chris.

I could go for some yam fries.

Post Holiday Breakdown. In a good way.

Things we did this holiday season (not in order.. not even close):

Drove up North for my parents 50th Wedding anniversary! Holy cats! 50 years! We got the whole family together (for the first time since Chris and I got married. You know.. almost 10 years ago?) for dinner. Its shocking when the wee little nieces and nephews are not so wee. When they are taller than me. And you know, adults. Able to drink the liquor and live on their own with a boyfriend and go to college. sigh. Of course not many good pictures were taken, but it was nice to see everyone. Time passages.




We saw Jake and took him shopping for many, many things. Clothes, Cd's, shoes. All in stores I would never have gone in. With loud hip hop music. And baggy pants that need to be belted about ones butt to be the ultimate in cool. Um yeah. We threw some gang signs*, hung out and had a good time. He is such a funny kid.



Gave the dogs a bath on New Years eve. I know, hold the freaking phone, the excitement never stops. I had a bath using a LUSH bubble bar and when I was done I decided to dunk the dogs as they smelled, well.. doggy you know? And I reckoned how could a geranium scented dog be worse than the usual? Impressed? Judge for yourself.









Went shopping. A lot of shopping. My husband really really REALLY apparently NEEDED a new TV so we have a new addition coming next week. Voodoo man knows where a 52 inch LCD will go, but since this means we can pretty much ignore the theatre from now on, I'll make do.

Found out one of our LYS is closing. That is a sad state indeed, but the owner told me she'd been trying to sell for a year with no takers and she wants out before the economy slows down even more here. High end yarn shops are hit hard with the looming recession and the Internet makes price shopping EASY and with no overhead? You do the math. She is right, but its sad to see it go. Upside? I found some awesome discontinued Rowan Soft Tweed. Enough for a sweater! Hoo-rah!

Saw some friends we hadn't seen in ages.

Ate a lot of bad for you but oh so good food.**

Bought 2 Giftmess trees! 2! Both pink, both tinsel! Go ME!

Watched all of Deadwood. I learned new and exciting combinations of curses I never thought of. I also am now pining for some resolution, but what can a girl do? C@*&suckers! Oh and got a thumping big crush on Ian McShane.

Shovelled the walks like fourhundredeleventybillion times. And its snowing now. ENOUGH ALREADY.

and how was your holidays?


*Good thing I got my nails done.
**Note to self. No buying any jeans until after the feeding frenzy ok?