Chocolate Cake for the Calorie Challenged

The story behind this cake was actually a frugal quest to use up some yogurt that I knew I could not finish by the expiration date.  I searched for a brownie recipe, but decided to experiment with what I found.  I ended up with cake.  I love cake, so this was not a problem!

Note: If you are used to standard desserts, this cake may seem less sweet to you.  That’s just how I like it!  However, if you like it sweeter, feel free to add more sugar.

Chocolate Cake

• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 16 ounces vanilla yogurt (I used 4 Activia Organic Vanilla 4 oz. containers)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease an 11×17 inch pan (I used glass).

In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, blend the sugar, cocoa powder, yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Add in eggs and egg whites, and blend until mixed.

Slowly add in the flour, salt, and baking soda, until completely blended.  Scrape down sides of bowl to ensure it’s all mixed in.

Pour batter into greased pan, and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Coconut Milk Frosting

Ingredients (Important: base recipe and specific method to prepare found here)

• 1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk (or similar full fat coconut milk)
• two packets of Stevia
• 1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• pinch of salt

Cut cake into 24 slices, and when ready to serve, add approximately 1 Tablespoon of frosting to your slice.

(I’m sorry I did not measure out to see if there are 24 servings of frosting in the frosting recipe.  So, if you are serving all 24 slices at once, you may want to double up the frosting recipe just to be safe!)

Each slice with the frosting will have approximately 124 calories.  Without frosting, it’s only about 97!

Not bad for an afternoon treat with coffee!  Mmmmm… coffee.  Time for a break!

Handmade Advent Calendar

I’ve been perusing Pinterest way too much.  Yeah, so what?  Wanna make something of it?  (Sorry, I was channeling my Pinterest monster.  Woops.)

Anyway… I decided early on that if I was going to invest any time in Pinterest, then I was going to make sure I did some of the projects that I was pinning.  I didn’t want it to be another way to waste time on the internet.  If you don’t know what Pinterest is, you may just be missing out.  I consider it my own personal customized magazine.  It only has the items in it that I like, because I picked it out!  Cool, right?

So, here is my first crafting, DIY project from, well… you know where.  I am not obsessed.  I am not obsessed!

It’s an advent calendar.

I started out with a piece of cardboard with a fold in the middle from a large box.

I then covered it with wrapping paper on what was to be the outside.

Next, I ran across a big paper shopping bag.  Perfect!  I lined the inside of the calendar with the 2 largest pieces of the shopping bag.

The handles make an automatic hanger.

My next objective was to make little pockets for the notes.  I ran across these little envelopes from my Christmas stash.  I cut them in half, and then taped them to make two sturdy little pockets out of each envelope.  These were smaller than invitation envelopes, originally.

Now, for the fun part!  Sort of.  I have been saving all kinds of junk Christmas cards and paper scraps.  I knew one day I’d find a use for them!  I carefully cut out papers and festively “designed” (I use this term loosely here) each of the 24 pockets.  I stuck them all in an orderly fashion onto the cardboard base with double-sided tape.  (My favorite weapon of choice.)  Then I numbered the pockets 1-24, and stuck some embellishments (aka stickers, in my case) all over the place.  Finally, I folded 24 cute pieces of paper and stuck one in each pocket.  Sometime down the line, I will write fun activities for the kids on each paper, to be read one per day, starting December 1st, and ending on December 24th.

These will include such things as: driving around to see the Christmas lights, eating a special treat, opening one gift, making a craft, decorating cookies, etc.

Here’s a look at the final project.  It looks homemade.  And that’s why I love it!

Folded up.

The Inside:

Boy Wonder made the snowman in the photo below.  I HAD to include it, because it’s just that awesome.

I love the 3D embellishments in the next picture.

What it will look like in the wall:

I only hope the kids are half as excited as I am!

I’m still trying to think of ideas for all the fun things we’ll be doing.

Let me know in the comments if you have any fun ideas.

Granola, Granola

When I saw the Wildtree Hearty Morning Granola Mix, I was not very enthusiastic.  I’ve had granola from the store and have been totally unimpressed.  Since I happened to have a box of it, I decided to give it a try.  I’m so glad I did!  It was so much tastier than I could have imagined!

It called for a few ingredients.

Hearty Morning Granola Mix

Grapeseed Oil (I used Wildtree’s Natural — it’s the pretty green stuff).

Honey

Pure Maple Syrup

Pecans (Optional)

All this, mixed up and baked, turned into a delightful crunchy, toasty treat.

It made so much more than this, too.  This product will definitely go into my favorites category.  That’s code for “I may have to hide it from the kids.”

GMO’s

I am so happy that I am able to share Wildtree products with my readers, because they do not have any GMO’s (aka Genetically Modified Organisms).

If you don’t know about GMO’s, here’s a quick guide:

http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/about-gmos/

If you like nerdy science stuff (like me), here’s a more in-depth, yet to-the-point, snapshot about GMO’s:

http://www.nongmoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/GM-Crops-just-the-science.pdf

One of the best ways to avoid GMO’s is to eat organic food.  (Hey – did you know Wildtree is going certified organic in the next year?!  I was thrilled when I heard this!)

Here’s to eating smart!

My Personal Wildtree Story

My Wildtree story:

I had no intention of selling Wildtree.  I had a good friend who sold it in another state, and I desperately wanted to try the products.  (I had been trying to put my family on an all-natural, non-gmo, non-additive, whole-food nutritional plan, so it was right up my diet alley, so-to-speak.)

I’m a major food geek.  I love to eat it, cook it, read about it, talk about it…  You get the idea.

Unfortunately, there were no reps in my area.  So, instead of picking and choosing a few items, I decided to buy the Business Kit, and give it a try.  My friend told me that if it didn’t work out for me after a few parties, I could just “eat my kit.”  Here I am, five parties later, and I’m loving it.

Of course, my number one plan was to enjoy the perks of being a rep, so I could feed my family healthy, nutritious food.  Score!  It worked.  The term “will work for food” applies to me.  I’m like one of the college kids who works for Gap, and promptly spends their whole paycheck on the new cable-knit sweaters and cotton tees.  And I’m okay with that!  My kids are Wildtree converts.  What can I say?  We really love it!  So, when I’m gushing about the products, please know that it’s because we are really eating it for dinner.  And breakfast.  And lunch.

The thing that I have liked most about it, so far, has been it’s flexibility.  I can keep a blend in my pantry, and use just what I need out of the jar, and put it back.

For example, Boy Genius likes Alfredo sauce, but hates tomato sauce (What?!  I thought about disowning him for this.  Too much paperwork.).  On the other hand, Boy Wonder likes tomato sauce with meat (Like normal people.  Except for “normal” vegetarians — I suppose there are a few of you…).  What’s a mother to do?  So, instead of buying a whole can of the Alfredo sauce, using 2 Tablespoons of it for said abnormal boy, losing it in the fridge for a month, finding it, sniffing it, gagging, tossing it, and crying about the money I just threw in the trash…  I simply spoon out some Alfredo Extraordinaire (hey people, I didn’t make up the name), a touch of butter, and milk, heat it up and serve.  No waste.  For the rest of us, I mix up some Hearty Spaghetti Blend with a can of crushed tomatoes, and add some browned meat.  Everyone’s eating and there’s no crying.  Or gagging.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Pancake Syrup

Too easy on a random Friday morning.

I can’t really take credit for this one.  I didn’t even need a recipe.  I just followed the directions on the box.  But when the kids smiled, they were smiling right at me.  I guess I don’t mind taking a little credit…

(But, really, who are we kidding?  The coffeemaker in the background made it all happen.  We all know… without that, there would be nothing.  Even the sun needs java just before daybreak.  True story.  I once saw the sun in the coffee shop drive-thru.  It was still dark.  That’s all I’m saying.)

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies made with Zesty Lemon Grapeseed Oil, and NO butter!

You can substitute 1/3 cup grapeseed oil for every 1/2 cup butter called for in a baking recipe.

These were seriously delicious.  Dangerously, so.  I didn’t miss the butter at all!

http://www.wildtree.com/Recipes/RecipeView.aspx?RecipeID=459

Hello world!

I started this blog, so that I can share and clip my pictures through varied mediums, including Pinterest, etc.  I am a Pinterest freak.  Now, I just want to write and share my love for healthy eating, cooking, momming, and the like.  It will also be obvious that I am a Wildtree rep.  I think I mention it three hundred times once or twice.  And I also like pretty things.  Hey  – you asked!  Didn’t you?