REAL Delicious Cupcakes

Who doesn't love cupcakes? They are much easier and more fun to eat than cake, and of course they are super cute. I want to apologize for taking so long to post this recipe. I tested out a few recipes before I managed to come up with the perfect one. I wrote down each recipe on a note cards and then I misplaced the them during all the commotion of studying for law school mid-terms. After spending most of this week cleaning and organizing, I finally found the "perfect one" note card and am so excited to share this recipe with you all. These cupcakes are 100% REAL food. There are no preservatives in the cupcakes or frosting and all ingredients are completely natural. 

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Sticks or 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
• 1.5 Cups Honey
• 4 Eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Hand mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a liquid-measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla and set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and honey in a large bowl (about 4 minutes).
5.  Add eggs one at a time to the beaten butter and honey. Mix well after each addition.
6. Slowly add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the beaten butter and honey. Next add the milk and vanilla mixture followed by the remaining dry ingredients.
7. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (20-25 minutes).
8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a rack before frosting.

This recipe makes flat top cupcakes, which are perfect for frosting.

 Frosting 

Ingredients

• 2 8oz packages Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 Cup Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk

Directions 

Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Suggestions

Whole milk, 2% milk, or skim milk can be used instead of almond milk.

To prevent over baking, check the cupcakes after 20 minutes. If they are not ready then check after each additional minute.

Use a Ziploc bag to frost the cupcakes. Fill the bag with frosting and cut a small hole in the corner to dispense the frosting.  

Store cupcakes in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Greek Yogurt and Pure Liquid Whey

Greek yogurt has double the protein of regular yogurt, but it is also more than double the price. That seems way too much when the only difference is that Greek yogurt is strained three times, while regular yogurt is only strained twice after the cooking process. An easy way to save money on Greek yogurt is to buy regular yogurt and strain it yourself. 

Straining is very easy, and only requires a few simple household items: a large bowl, mesh strainer, and coffee filter or cheesecloth. Place the mesh strainer over the bowl, line with either the coffee filter or cheesecloth, and empty the yogurt carton into the lined mesh strainer. Place the yogurt in the fridge and let it strain overnight. 

Yogurt After Straining

Another added benefit of straining the yogurt yourself, is that you also get the liquid whey left behind after straining. Pure liquid whey contains 4 of the most important minerals for the body (potassium, calcium, magnesium & phosphorous), and all 10 essential amino acids. There are 20 amino acids, 10 essential and 10 non-essential. Both are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but the human body cannot produce the essential amino acids. The only way we can obtain the 10 essential amino acids is through food consumption, which is why pure liquid whey is a great addition to your diet. 

Pure Liquid Whey

From each 32oz carton of yogurt, I end up with a little less than 2 cups of liquid whey. Although the protein count of liquid whey is not nearly as high as that of whey protein powder, it is a very nutritious and most of all natural product that can be used so many recipes, such as smoothies, soups, baked goods, or pancake/waffle batter. I freeze the whey in silicone bake wear overnight. Then, remove the whey cubes and place them in a Ziploc bag for long term storage in the freezer. 

Individual Greek Yogurt Cups

I pay $2 for a 32oz carton of plain yogurt. After straining I am left with about 20oz of yogurt. At the same grocery store a 32oz carton of Chobani Greek yogurt is $6.49. The price of my Greek yogurt is $0.10 per oz, while the Chobani is $0.20 per oz. To some people a savings of $0.10 per oz might not seem like much, but I eat at least a cup of Greek yogurt a day, and by making my own I save $5.60 per week or $291.20 per year. If you factor in the cost of whey protein powder as well the savings is significantly more.

Tips

If you happen to forget about the yogurt, and it ends up too strained for your liking, then simply mix some of the liquid whey into the strained yogurt.

It is important to buy plain yogurt to ensure there aren’t any unnecessary added sugars or preservatives. Plain yogurt will also prevent the liquid whey from ending up flavored, which would limit the recipes that you could later use it in.

An easy way to make flavored yogurt is to use plain yogurt and add frozen fruit. If you prefer your yogurt to be sweeter then add vanilla extract and honey to the yogurt and fruit. Allow the mixture to thaw in the fridge overnight, and thoroughly mix before eating.

Salad Jars: A Quick and Healthy Lunch

Salad jars are a great way to ensure you get your daily serving of vegetables.  They are also very convenient for people with busy lifestyles. In less than an hour you can have a whole week’s worth of healthy lunches ready to grab and go in the morning. 

 All you need to make a salad jar is a quart size mason jar, and your favorite salad ingredients, including dressing. The only rule with salad jars is do NOT let the dressing come into contact with the lettuce until you are ready to eat. I recommend adding your protein layer directly after your dressing. This layer will be in contact with the dressing for a few days, so it’s best to use a sturdy layer that won’t get soggy.

In the pictured salad jars I used 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil for salad dressing. Then I added a layer of mushrooms, followed by shredded chicken breast. I’m not a mushroom lover, but I eat them since they are so nutritious. I found that by adding the mushrooms first, and allowing them to marinate in the dressing, they tasted so much better, and I actually enjoyed eating them. 

The next layer is for various vegetables. In this layer I added carrots, radishes, celery, green peppers, and tomatoes. Even though the mushrooms and chicken completely covered the dressing, I added the carrots first, since they are sturdy, just to be safe.

The final layer is for lettuce. In my jars I added romaine lettuce, goat cheese, feta cheese, avocado, and crushed almonds. I also chose to add more delicate toppings in this layer because I didn’t want the flavor of these topping to change if by some chance they came into contact with the dressing.

Once your jar is filled to your liking, attach the lid and store in the fridge until you are ready to eat.  At mealtime, shake the jar to mix up all the ingredients, pour into a bowl or eat straight from the jar, and enjoy.

Suggestions

• It is much easier to eat straight from the jar if you use a wide-mouth mason jar.
• Use a FoodSaver, or other vacuum sealer with a mason jar attachment to keep your salads fresh for a longer period of time.
• Have a side with you salad jar, such as a baked sweet potato or brown rice, to keep you full until your next meal or snack.
• Use a pint size jar if you prefer side salads as opposed to meal-sized salads.

Real BBQ Sauce

This is an all natural BBQ Sauce, with absolutely no preservatives, GMOs, or high fructose corn syrup, all of which are found in BBQ Sauces bought at grocery stores. I offered samples to some law school students, who tend to consume highly processed foods on a regular basis, and all agreed it was one of the best BBQ sauces they had ever tasted. One even referred to it as being "Saucesome." This just goes to show you that all natural, unprocessed foods are just as tasty, if not better than processed stuff, while also being much better for you.

 

Ingredients

• 1 6oz Can of No Salt Added Tomato Paste
• 1 ½ Cup of Water
• 9 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• ¾ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ¾ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except olive oil to a pot and bring to a boil, using a whisk to stir occasionally.
2. Once boiling, remove pot from heat and stir in olive oil 

Recipes yields about 3 cups of sauce

 

Notes

Tomato Paste: It is best to use no-salt-added tomato paste, because then you can control the amount of sodium within the recipe. However, if you can’t find a no-salt-added tomato paste then omit the 

1 ½ tablespoon of salt.

Maple Syrup: To keep this recipe “real,” as in no preservatives, only use 100% pure maple syrup. Using a syrup with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or corn syrup (CS) defeats the purpose of making your own BBQ Sauce. Pure maple syrup can be expensive, but I recently found out that Aldi carries an 8.5 oz glass bottle of pure maple syrup for only $3.99, and it tastes amazing.

Worcestershire Sauce: No matter how organic, vegan, or natural your store bought Worcestershire sauce claims to be it is not a “real” food. Almost all store bought versions contain HFCS or CS, and those that don’t tend to have a long list of ingredients, most of which are preservatives. Basically make your own or omit it completely, which will alter the taste (it is good without Worcestershire sauce, but I like the extra zing it provides). I use Martha Stewart’s recipe, but I substitute the ¼ cup brown sugar for ¼ cup honey. The recipe can be found here: http://www.marthastewart.com/258132/homemade-vegan-worcestershire-sauce

Tips

Tomato Paste: To easily remove the tomato paste from the can, use the can opener and completely remove the lid. Turn the can upside down over the pot, and then completely open the bottom. Once the bottom lid has been opened don't remove it from the can, then press the lid down into the can until all the tomato paste slides out of the can and into the pot. Remove the lid from the tomato paste in the pan, and you are ready to go.

Tomato Paste with bottom lid still attached.

Measurements: If you don’t want to measure out tablespoon after tablespoon, 9 tablespoons equals ½ cup and 1 tablespoon, while 6 tablespoons equals ¼ cup and 2 tablespoons. The first time I made the recipe I measured out each tablespoon, and I thought it was a hassle. The second time I used the above equivalents, but I thought that was even more inconvenient, since I ended up with more dirty dishes. So I have provided both measurements, and you can choose to use whatever you feel is easiest.

Storage: I used a pint size mason jar to store the BBQ sauce, which was too small, so i used the excess to marinate pork chops for dinner. If you plan on using a mason jar, I would recommend a quart size jar. Be sure to pour the sauce into the jar immediately after mixing in the olive oil, place the lid on the jar, and twist the band into place. In about 40 minutes the jar will seal itself from the heat of sauce. When you here a pop sound, your jar is sealed.

Dinner: BBQ Pork Chops, Green Beans, and Whole Wheat Macaroni with White Cheddar Cheese Sauce