... vanilla cupcakes and Nutella frosting ...

It is not secret that I try to use Nutella wherever I can ... and those who know and follow me, know about my piping obsession ... so to fulfill both needs I decided to make the following recipe ... my inspiration originally came from these two posts, one from Brown Eyed Baker which includes a wonderful vanilla cupcake recipe and from this other post from Just Putzin' Around the Kitchen which features a delicious recipe for Strawberry Crepe Cupcakes.

I did a mixture of both recipes ... I used the cupcake recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and the frosting recipe and filling idea from the Strawberry Crepe Cupcakes.

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As you can see I did not quite fill up the cupcakes to the same degree.  

Since I am not a fan of the swirl look, but since I still wanted to add a droplet of Nutella along with the strawberries, I filled the cupcake liners with half of the total mixture and then added the Nutella.  Unfortunately I was not very successful at leaving the Nutella in the middle so some actually touched the borders as you see in the cupcakes below.

After letting them cool I proceeded to frost.  Here I used the Just Putzing Around in the Kitchen frosting recipe.  

I am not a fan of frosting as it is often too sweet for me, however I was very pleased with the outcome of this recipe.  

My piping abilities are not up to par lately ... I am better when using the round tip ... maybe I should go back to it!

Please excuse my pictures ... the family was anxious to taste and after a long day at work ... well, lets just say I am not in my best shooting mood.

I love the fact that both recipes ... frosting and cupcakes are for 12 cupcakes.  I love the fact of having the strawberry inside the batter with the little hint of Nutella inside as well.

... and now looking at these cupcakes again ... I must make a mental note to practice my piping skills!!! :)

... a dopo ... J

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Daily Recap

1. #photoaday (-3)

2. #plankaday Streak #2

3. exercise streak #2

4. #RWRunStreak #2

... and the training begins ...

I remember in 2010 I was an unexperienced runner and my friend (boss and avid runner), challenged me to train for my first half ... I was at a different time of my life I guess, because I was driven to complete it ... nowadays I have weeks of super dedication and weeks in which I really can't motivate myself. But today ... the training begins ... after skipping my second half due to injury ... I am going to do it ... my second half ... 

Today is a holiday and I made great plans yesterday as I entered my training plan in my calendar ... but this morning again my motivation was not at its peak ... suddenly I just got dressed knowing well that it was just way too late to run ... I also knew that I would find an excuse not to run later that evening ... so I got changed without thinking much about it and headed out the door ...

The Run

Well, lets just say it was miserable ... my times were not too bad, but I was hot and thirsty!  I think that the only thing that improved was my runner's tan.

I considered walking because of the heat, but fortunately talked myself out of it ... and here I am happy that the run ... the horrible run is over ... but I did it ... 

Summer Running Streak

I was catching up on my blogs and was reading Tina's blog CNC and she was speaking of Runner's World Summer Running Streak ... it entails running at least one mile a day from Memorial Day until Independence Day ...  I am already nervous as I have two tradeshows back to back in June ... 

However I am in ... though it changes my half training I figured I could train Dante where my training does not call for running ...

My Intentions

So lets see how I am doing in my new intentions:

1. #photoaday (-4)

2. #plankaday Streak #1

3. exercise streak #1

4. #RWRunStreak #1

So not too bad! ... a dopo ... J

... will I ever complete a photoaday challenge?

I truthfully wonder if I will ever complete a #photoaday challenge ... I have tried in the past and I have completed them, however I have not completed them in the true photo a day way ... I am always catching up ... so here it is ... I will try to do the photo a day challenge in June ...

I am also starting my formal Half Marathon Training ... yes ... that too ... I have more than the 12 weeks needed, so hopefully I will be able to disregards the 2 weeks I have of straight shows in June, and that most likely won't include any type of running.

My #plank a day continues ...

I will try to have an accurate count of my streaks ... #photoaday, #plankaday, Half Marathon Training streak.

I will restart everything tomorrow. You know a Monday, day 0, new beginnings.

1. #photoaday (-4)

2. #plankaday (-1)

3. exercise streak (-1)

Thankfully I believe in new beginnings ... unfortunately this year it seems I have been needing them quite frequently ... I just need to remember ... to be forgiving ... I guess no one is keeping count but myself.

... a dopo ... J

... Butterfly Bakery ... Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Review ...

When I was given a chance to review Butterfly Bakery's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies I was happy to oblige.  I do not eat gluten free but I have a growing interest in improving my diet and that of my family.  

I have to say our family eats very healthy, as we do not eat much junk food in or out of our house, we eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and we enjoy home-cooked meals daily ... however there is always room for improvement and there is always time and need for an indulgence here and there, and if the indulgence happens to be a healthy option well ... this is always a positive point.

First of all I wanted to take the opportunity to thank Butterfly Bakery for sending me the products free of charge, my only responsibility is to provide an honest review.

I must admit I was hesitant as I am not to knowledgeable on gluten-free eating and did not know what to expect.  

I figured I would start with calorie content, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the calorie count and total fat count are significant lower than my go to ready made chocolate chip cookie dough.

I then proceeded to taste the cookies with my family ... Mr. semplicemente j ... absolutely adored them ... he actually found a slight licorice undertone ... and loved the fact that they were on the light, crispier side ... this however was my daughter's complaint ... she enjoyed the cookies but would have rather they be chewier, most likely because this is the way she has been accustomed to eating chocolate chip cookies.

The mind is an incredible thing, it stores along with information much misinformation and many preconceptions ... looking back I think I should have not told them much about what I was doing, and just offered some cookies for them to munch on ... I think my daughter was just comparing the two cookies and for this reason asked for a chewier cookie.

I myself was able to tackle the task at hand ... I bit into them ... I immediately saw from their appearance that they were going to be crispy cookies, however they are still moist ... I found a slightly nutty hint to them ... though I would not describe them as your traditional chocolate chip cookie taste, these are a delicious treat for the family to enjoy, and with the added benefit of being gluten free.

 

... I am unable to review on how they stand the test of time because Mr. semplicemente ... j did not leave much for me to test ... in a way that is a good thing, right!  


I have emailed the company to tell me where to find the products so I will be able to advise about pricing and selection at the store.

... so stayed tuned, more to come ... a dopo ... J

... back home ...

I am back ... after 6 flights and 8 cities and and and 8 day trip ... I am back from Brazil ... it was a great trip ... but I am glad to be back home and recuperate a little of my weekend back.  

Here are a few tidbits of my trip from left to right and across:

1. Traveled light - at least on one flight ... I never do!

2. Pics from my eats ... not diet oriented that is for sure! (2,4,6,8, 9, 10, 14)

3. Though pics 7 and 12 look exactly the same ... and they are for sure not the only times I partook in FroYo :)

4. Culinary sights ... salad buffet ... delicious salad ... pizza (brasilitalian style) ... Brazilian food buffet ... grilled octopus ... yummy churrascaria ... appetizer buffet.

5. Last but not least ... after a red-eye ... bagels ... but not any bagel ... Einstein Bros. Bagels ... my favorite!  (Just opened close to my house!)

Now it is on to some resting and enjoying time with the family!

... a dopo ... J