Healthy cupcakes?!

Nope. Cupcakes are not health food. Cupcakes are never going to be health food - at least not if they are going to taste good at all!
So my daughter wanted to share cupcakes with friends for her birthday. I don't have a ton of junk in the house - no powdered sugar, margarine, white flour... so I made cupcakes with what I have around! They are not healthy. They are not low-sugar. They are not low fat. But they ARE slightly less guilt-inducing than your standard cupcakes, and they went over very well!

Here's the recipe - I adapted a very unhealthy recipe and came up with this:

4 T. ground flaxseed + 1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 cup oil (I used canola, use what you want)
2 cups raw sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. soy milk
1.5 c. whole wheat flour
1.5 c. cocoa
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

First combine the ground flaxseed with boiling water. Mix it well and let it rest 5-10 min. Add other liquid ingredients (+ sugar) and mix really well. Then add the dry ingredients. Mix well.
Fill up 24 muffin/cupcake cups (I use silicone muffin cups. works perfectly). Bake at 350 F for about 25-30 min. When done (test with a toothpick), remove from the oven and dot the top of each cupcake with a square of chocolate. Tent the pan with foil, and allow the chocolate to get soft. Spread it around the top of each cupcake. Allow to cool and serve!
Enjoy, and don't feel so guilty about serving them. They are whole wheat, after all. Just NOT health food.

Sunday Night, Feb. 20, 2011

It's so gray and dreary out - looks like rain. I know we need the rain, and I'm looking forward to lots of it - I just prefer that it rain at night...

Anyhow, this rain is making me think of split pea soup - one of my favorites. And I just discovered another bag of split peas tucked into a corner of my freezer (yes, I keep all my grains and legumes and flours in the freezer (I have a BIG freezer!). A lesson learned in Texas after one too many bug infestations...).

Here's what we'll be eating tonight, keeping in mind all those foods I have to use up:

Split pea soup - onions, garlic, celery, and carrots sauteed in olive oil, cover the pot and cook over low for another 10 min. Add split peas and soup stock. Season to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 1 hour, or till thoroughly cooked.

Pasta Alfredo with steamed broccoli

Roasted Onions, Tomatoes, and Zucchini with Basil - if this was just for me, I'd roast them all together. But I have to keep in mind the picky kids, and I'm actually going to roast each vegetable on its own. Then they can be eaten individually or mixed together. It's really not much extra work - just a couple of extra pans to wash, and if it gets the kids to eat, its worth it!

Chocolate Cupcakes (leftover from Shabbat!)

Are you working on clearing out your pantry yet? Please let me know!