Breakfast lover

After yesterday’s indulgent afternoon, I needed a GOOD sweat. I headed to a gym with Adam around here because they offered us a free pass. When we got there a bootcamp class had just started so I headed in while Adam went to do his meathead stuff 😉

I walk in and the instructor tells me to grab some weights. I grab 7 pounders (I’ll admit I have weak arms) and she glares at me and says in her russian accent “what you gonna do with those” and attempts to hand me 15 pounders. I politely declined and she continued to glare me down. I kept thinking to myself that i should probably make a run for it because the instructor clearly already had it in for me.

When it was time to run in the resistance bands guess who wanted to be my partner?? The instructor.

(p.s. that’s not us)

Let’s just end this horrific story by telling you that I felt like I was going to vomit when I left. I also was forced to run a mile home in the pouring rain after being tortured at boot camp class. Lovely.

I needed a wholesome feel good dinner so I made something simple.

Grilled lemon pepper chicken on a bed of sautéed spinach with garlic chips, whole wheat couscous and roasted zucchini.

Today I’m sore from my class in hell at the gym and might just walk/bike ride around town.

Every meal so far today has been breakfast-y.

Breakfast: 3 cereal combo – Kashi Honey Sunshine – Fiber One 80 calories – Kashi Heart to Heart

w/ strawberries, blueberries, cinnamon and chia seeds in almond milk

Snack: Yogurt with blueberries

Lunch: Rice cakes w/ almond butter, sugar-free strawberry jelly, banana slices, chia seeds and the rest of the banana w/ almond butter

Afternoon snack will probably consist of some cottage cheese w/ pumpkin seeds

and then I might go all out and make some pancakes or a breakfast sandwich for dinner. What do you think?

QUESTIONS: If you could eat one type of meal all day what would it be (breakfast, lunch or dinner)? Should I make pancakes or a breakfast sandwich for dinner?

Banana Cupcakes w/ Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Hi, my name’s Alyssa and I love cupcakes.

*Hi Alyssa*

I’ve been putting off making these cupcakes for 3 days now. Why? Because I knew I had zero plans of making them healthy. Because I knew that I would want to dip my fingers in the peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Because I knew I couldn’t be trusted with 24 cupcakes in front of my face.

Don’t worry, I practiced self-control. I only ate 2. I had plans to eat 1 but then I thought it would be weird to have Adam bring in 23 cupcakes to work because it’s an odd number. You’re welcome for saving you the embarrassment babe.

These cupcakes are fluffy and moist. They’re silky and delicious. They’re simply irresistible.

Banana Cupcakes w/ Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
• ½ cup buttermilk

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8oz package cream cheese frosting
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• Vanilla wafers (optional)
• Chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.
• Mash bananas in a separate bowl and set aside.

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.

• Add the sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add the bananas. Beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low.

• Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low-speed for a few more seconds.

• Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full.

• Bake for 18-20 minutes rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on the rack to cool completely.

• While cooling you can prepare your frosting. Add all ingredients (powdered sugar, peanut butter, cream cheese and butter) and beat with a mixer until smooth.

• Once cupcakes are cooled spread evenly on top.
• Add 1/2 of a vanilla wafer or chopped peanuts to a top if desired

I wish I could tell you these were fat-free, that you could eat 10 of them without feeling guilt and that you wont need to run 10 miles after eating them. But, I can’t – I’d be lying. I’m no liar. I’m off to run 10 miles.

*Sorry that some pictures are so fluorescent looking! That would be the awesome lighting in my kitchen.