Counting My Cupcakes

Lightened-Up Tuna Salad Stuffed Pitas

2013-05-09T08:58:00.000-04:00

I love a nice healthy, filling and satisfying lunch. This is one of those. A 'trifecta' of lunches if you will. Of course, this overstuffed pita sandwich can be eaten for dinner too, but it sure makes a great lunch. After all, I am more of a 'hot' dinner kind of girl.

I have always enjoyed tuna salad, mostly the Subway variety. Classy, I know. I don't remember the last time I ordered tuna salad from a restaurant though. I know it's normally made with fatty mayonnaise and any benefit from eating tuna is instantly negated. So now I make my own healthified version. Nix the mayo, add plenty of colorful veggies, and make it all stick together with mustard (which is naturally super low-cal). Since we're saving all kinds of calories and fat with this lightened up recipe, don't forget the mozzarella cheese to top things off.

If you don't like tuna, I'd imagine this would be just as good made with shredded chicken. I haven't cooked or made anything with chicken in quite some time, but I say give it a go and let me know how it turns out!

Lightened-Up Tuna Salad Stuffed Pitas

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
5 ounces chunk light tuna
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup spinach or other mixed greens
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large whole wheat pita pocket, sliced in half

Directions:
1. Combine tuna, mustard, bell pepper, onion, tomato, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well with spoon or fork until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
2. Fill each pita half with half of the spinach first. Then stuff half of the tuna mixture inside, followed by about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Use a spoon or fork to press everything tightly inside the pita pocket. Serve immediately. (Optional: Microwave on high for 15-20 seconds to melt the cheese before serving)

A Sugar Addiction

2013-04-30T20:10:00.002-04:00

When it comes to us cupcake fanatics (and cake fanatics in general), there are those of us who are Team Cake and those of us who are Team Frosting. I am Team Frosting all. the. way. Don't get me wrong, it's obviously the combination of the two that makes it so great, but adding a little extra frosting on top only makes things better. Amiright?

One night last week, the day I started typing this post, I had just finished off the last of a container of Funfetti frosting. No, I didn't eat the entire thing at once. There was probably about a quarter cup left. I told myself, "Just one spoonful." I put the container back in the fridge, continued to clean up the kitchen from dinner, and then went back for more. After another bite or two, I realized there wasn't much left and I was at the point of no return. I had to finish it. There wasn't enough to justify putting it back in the fridge for later.

The things I tell myself.

Fast-forward to another night this past weekend. I finished dinner, which of course meant it was time for dessert. I had a serving of a No-Bake Banana Cream Cheesecake that I had prepared that afternoon. But I couldn't stop there. Greg was eating some Peanut M&Ms and I couldn't resist. I told myself I'd just have a couple. Yeahhhh right. About 20 M&Ms later, I became angry at myself for going overboard and took the bag back to the freezer (side note - if you don't already, I highly recommend storing your M&Ms in the freezer. They even better sucking on them cold!)

Why can't I just have a single serving of a sweet treat and call it a night? Why do I always have to go back for more when I've clearly had my dose of sugar?

I think it's finally time I admit it. I'm saying it out loud (if we can just consider typing this on the internet for the whole world to see being 'out loud'). I, Brittany, am addicted to sugar.

This may seem dramatic or like I'm just trying to be cute. But no, in all seriousness, I am addicted. It's a real thing (look it up if you don't believe me) and the more I think about it, the more I believe it.

Like many addictions, I feel like I have to have it. I think it about all the time and revolve other meals around dessert - making sure I don't eat too much during the day so I will have the calories "left over" for my nightly indulgence. I can tell myself I have it under control, but just a little taste only causes me to want more and more.

It wasn't always this way either, but over the past several weeks I've noticed myself continually going back for more even after I've just finished a bowl of fro yo with whipped cream and sprinkles and a piece of chocolate and, and, and...

Call it lack of self-control or an over-active sweet tooth. But I'm diagnosing myself with a sugar addiction. A real, true, serious sugar addiction.

I'm not a doctor or a nutritional expert, but I do like to think I have a pretty good grasp on what it means to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Recently, this so-called balance is taking an unhealthy turn for the worse. Although my total caloric intake has remained about the same (yes, I count calories, but we can talk about that another day), more of those calories have been the wrong kind.

That is why this week I'm challenging myself. I'm not eliminating sugar completely, but I am drastically cutting back. I bought those Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bliss candies, and counting on those to keep me sane. I am allowing myself two of those each night this week as dessert and that is it! Greg is here to hold me accountable in case my self-control falters. I told him if I try to eat candy or fro yo or any junk food after dinner, besides my allotted two pieces of chocolate, that he needs to yell at me to go get an apple!

I don't want to say I can't eat a post-dinner snack if for some reason I feel hungry, because I think it's important not to let myself feel deprived. Instead, I'll have a piece of fruit or a small bowl of this granola (link to recipe can be found below). Something with substance and nutritional value.

I'm hoping cutting back this week will remind me what a normal, healthy serving of sweets is and then I can proceed with life as usual, eating controlled portions again.

Okay, so I know I've practically written you a novel today, but I needed to get this out. Thanks for reading and pray for me that I stay focused with my goal this week!

The recipe for the granola shown above can be found here. (It's called Crunchy Quinoa, Toasted Almond and Dark Chocolate Brown Butter Granola. Ummm yeah, you want to make it!!)

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

2013-04-25T06:55:00.000-04:00

Remember how I used to actually do this thing called baking? Then I would tell you all about the delicious creations and show you pretty pictures. I didn't always leave this internet page of mine alone and occasionally stop by to only review what and where I ate. Those were the days.

But wait! Those days are back. See...

Cupcakes! Pretty little cupcakes! Just for you.

I know I sound like a broken record, but this wedding thing is getting so close. In less than three weeks I will be in Columbus just days away from walking down the aisle.

Besides just counting days and weeks, I am quantifying everything I do in terms of how many times I will do it before the wedding. For example, when leaving Trader Joe's on Sunday, I told Greg, "We will only go grocery shopping three more times until we're married!" (Side note - in our efforts to be more money-conscious, we've successfully cut back our frequent grocery shopping trips to just one streamlined trip per week. It's been fabulous).

My energy has been pouring into planning and organizing, in addition to the usual working, puppy-raising, and running (which, by the way, has gradually increased to the point where I'm running about two times as much as I ever have before. I think that explains a lot of my extra tiredness too).

Baking and cooking anything new or exciting has been put on the back burner, no pun intended. But all hope is not lost. These sweet cupcakes proved to me there is light at the end of the no-homemade-baked-goods-in-the-midst-of-an-upcoming-wedding tunnel.

When life is busy and you feel like you don't have time or energy to bake, but just absolutely need a homemade sweet treat, these are the answer! Don't even look at those packaged baked goods in the grocery store. Seriously. Stop it! They're not worth it.

These are worth it.

They take approximately 5-10 minutes to throw together (depending on your level of sugar deprivation), and can be made in one bowl. A dozen cupcakes and only one dirty bowl later and you'll be onto your next busy life task in no time, wondering why you even gave those pre-packaged grocery store baked goods a second look.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
With Vanilla Buttercream
(Adapted from The Cupcake)

Makes 12 cupcakes

For the Chocolate Chip Cupcakes-
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
7 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 batch of vanilla buttercream (recipe below)
Sprinkles as desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line standard size cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add flours, butter, sugars and eggs. Use a hand mixer to beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Pour batter into cupcake wells until about 2/3 full. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the Vanilla Buttercream-
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
In a medium bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add salt and vanilla extract. Slowly add milk while beating on low speed until frosting reaches desired consistency.

A Restaurant Review - Mosaic Cafe

2013-04-24T06:41:00.000-04:00

Time is just flying on by isn't it? This past Thursday was the one-month mark until my wedding. What?!

It also marked the five year anniversary of when Greg and I began dating. It sounds crazy to me to say that. Here we are, five years after it all started, closing the chapter on one part of our relationship and about to begin the next. I need to cherish this last month of being a fiance! Not a girlfriend, not yet a wife. (Yes, I was just channeling my inner Britney Spears with "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman.")

To celebrate this special time in our lives, we did what we normally do for special occasions and went out to dinner. I have had a Living Social coupon to Mosaic Cafe for far too long (in fact, it had already expired, but you can still use it for face value), so I told Greg in the morning that's where we should go. He didn't oppose, so after work and a relaxing bike round around the island, we headed to Mosaic.

We had the Smoked Gouda Dip ($6.99) as an appetizer. Sounds good, right? Well...I wasn't impressed. I only took a bite or two before deciding it really wasn't worth the calories. Greg agreed that it wasn't close to what we were hoping.

For my entree, I had the Fit Life Burgers ($8.99): "Spicy, mini black bean burgers, served over spinach, garnished with edamame hummus, cucumber-yogurt sauce feta, grape tomatoes & roasted peppers."

Unlike the appetizer, the Fit Burgers were delicious! I enjoyed every part of this dish and could feel good about eating such a nutritious meal too.

Greg had the Charleston Chicken Roller ($9.99): "Grilled chicken, bacon, smoked Gouda pimento cheese, spinach, tomatoes, basil mustard on a tortilla." (minus the mustard for Greg.)

I asked Greg for one bite and ended up having many more than just that. It was SO good! Especially the pimento cheese. Mmmm, mmmm. We all know I don't eat much meat, but when it tastes this good, it was well worth it.

I also have to mention they have the most amazing cookies. A co-worker brought some to our office a long time ago and I remember falling in love then. I couldn't leave without getting one, the only question was what kind would I get?! Although the white chocolate raspberry sounded great, I opted for my favorite cookie flavor of all time, oatmeal raisin. Greg says I always pick the worst flavors, but I'm willing to bet some of you would agree with me that oatmeal raisin is the best. Right?

I polished that baby off in no time...hence the lack of a picture. Let me tell you though, it was super thick, chewy, full of texture and simply amazing.

In the end, we were happy with the meal, despite the disappointing appetizer. If you don't go for a full meal, I highly recommend stopping in for a cookie. You won't be sorry.

Weekend Eats 4-21-13

2013-04-22T06:37:00.000-04:00

Hi friends. This weekend wasn't too exciting on the foodie front, but here's a look at what I loved the most:

On Friday, we drove to North Carolina to visit with Greg's family and celebrate some birthdays. On the {rainy} drive up, we grabbed Chick-Fil-A for dinner.

Did you know Chick-Fil-A is about to revamp their salad menu? I am SO disappointed, because the Southwest Chargrilled Chicken Salad is my favorite thing on their menu. Apparently they don't think their salads are healthy, even though I'm pretty sure grilled chicken, tons of leafy greens, fresh veggies, and black beans are healthy. Especially for a fast-food joint! I've looked at their new salads which are being released next week, and am not a happy camper. Maybe I'll end up finding a good replacement, but it's going to be hard to do.

I'll get over it I guess.

On Saturday afternoon, Greg and I went out to do some shopping...actually I went out to do shopping and Greg just tagged along :) We had Moe's for lunch and it was just what I needed to fuel my afternoon. Rice, veggies, chips and salsa filled me right up.

Later in the afternoon, I was ready for some fro yo. A self-serve place called Di'lishi is just down the road from Greg's parent's house and we've made it a 'must-have' every time we visit. The day had started out awfully chilly, but turned into a beautiful warm day. Fro yo was the perfect treat.

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

A Restaurant Review - Another Trip to Crave!

2013-04-17T06:45:00.000-04:00

I told you that my girlfriends and I went to Crave for dinner on Saturday night to celebrate my bachelorette party, but I didn't say much else about the meal. Ready for the details?

We started by ordering some wine - a bottle of red and a bottle of white. We sipped away while studying the menu and snacking on the complimentary warm bread and butter.

After much indecisiveness on everyone's part, we were ready to order. I ultimately decided to order the Spinach and Tomato Grilled Cheese ($9) as an appetizer for the table to share. I knew I HAD to have it one way or another, but most of the girls were ordering some of the more expensive entrees. I felt like I should get something a little fancier too, but didn't want to give up the grilled cheese. This was a perfect compromise. I could have a few bites of my grilled cheese and also get a fancier dish as my main meal.

It was just as good as I remembered and it was gone in no time. Everyone quickly knew why I love this sandwich so much.

Now, if I thought I was in love with the grilled cheese, I fell even more in love with the Sea Scallops ($25) I ordered for my entree. The seared scallops were served with green beans and the most amazing lobster risotto in the world.

Actually, I don't think I can honestly say I've ever had any other lobster risotto, so technically I don't have authority to declare it the best in the world, BUT I promise you...It was heavenly. Everything about my dish was above and beyond my expectations.

I also sampled a few bites of my sister's fish tacos and my mom's black bean salad. Oh yeah. Maybe a few bites of the award winning mac and cheese too.

I was overwhelmed with pure goodness for most of the meal. So many delicious things coming from all directions!

Although we were just about stuffed by then end of dinner, I couldn't pass up dessert. Our waitress recommended the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake ($8) so we decided to get a slice to split. Thankfully my dear friends let me have more than my fair share of bites, or maybe I was just a little agressive with my fork and forced the others away.

This cake is one of their several gluten free menu items, in case that is of interest to you. I didn't even realize that until we had just about finished the piece, but you would never know the difference. It tasted like any other gluten-filled cake I've ever had.

If you can't tell, I love this place. It's a Charleston MUST for locals or visitors alike.

They have plenty of options to suit any palate or dietary need, so there's really no excuse not to give it a try.

Sunday Blessings - Bachelorette Weekend with My Best Friends

2013-04-14T21:10:00.000-04:00

This weekend my best friends and I gathered in Charleston for my bachelorette party. I put together a little welcome gift for the girls including a bottle of wine with a custom label (from Etsy and I'm totally in love) and a praline.

Everyone got into town super late on Friday night, so we just chatted for a bit then went to bed in order to get a good night's sleep in preparation for a long day on Saturday.

I knew I wanted to show off all of Charleston's amazing food. We started off on the sweet side with donuts from Glazed.

We got a Cinnamon Twist, Chocolate with Sprinkles, Maple Bacon, and the star of the show: Berry Mascarpone.

We ended up having to go back and get a second Berry Mascarpone donut. It was unreal.

After strolling through the Farmers' Market (it was the first weekend they were back up and running for the year and it was packed!), we continued to stroll down King Street for some shopping. We worked up an appetite and grabbed lunch from Verde before calling it a day downtown.

Time for the beach!

We got a little bit of sun, but since it was already late in the afternoon, it was cooling down outside and we didn't last too long. We headed home to get dressed up for dinner at Crave.

I'm do a full review of the meal tomorrow, so I'll spare you more pictures now. I will tell you this - it was one of the best meals I've had in awhile. We were all raving over our different dishes. Love this place! Love it so much in fact that I'm going back this week with Christina and Erica! (I hope our plans are still on girls!)

We went out for some drinks on Market Street downtown, but we didn't get too crazy...not really my style ;) But we had a great time talking about life. I could tell you that we went around the table and shared our five-year plans, but then you'd think I'm a loser. Whoops. Too late now! But that's exactly what we did.

I loved talking with my best girlfriends about our lives...where we are and where we're headed. For some of them, it was their first time meeting. So I thought it'd be nice to get to know each other better. Plus, since I don't get to see or talk to my out of town friends as much anymore, even I felt like I didn't really know their current wants and desires in life.

After all the girl talk, we went back to my place where my friends had surprise gifts for me to open. They really are the best friends in the world.

One by one, the girls started to make their way out of town, back to their homes. By late morning, it was down to my sister, mom, and cousin. We went to church, then brunch at Charleston's Cafe, where I had the most amazing whole wheat blueberry pancakes EVER.

Going, going, gone!

Finally it was time to say goodbye to the last of them. As expected, this weekend went way too quickly, but we really did squeeze in just about as much fun as we could have asked for. I am so grateful for all of them making the trip to celebrate this weekend - coming from Indiana, Ohio and Florida, I know it wasn't easy.

God has blessed me with the best group of girls in my life and I can't wait until we're together again for the big day in just over a month!

Weekend Eats 4-7-13

2013-04-08T07:03:00.000-04:00

Lots of deliciousness this weekend. LOTS of deliciousness.

Friday night trip to Trader Joe's meant lots of fresh veggies for a massive salad: spinach, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, strawberries, avocado, goat cheese, sliced almonds, raspberry vinaigrette. Perfection.

Breakfast taco on Saturday morning: scrambled eggs and avocado wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. Plus a big mug of coffee to get me going.

Saturday night called for another whole wheat tortilla, this time filled with homemade tuna salad made with mustard, onion, and a shake of salt and pepper. Simple as can be. Sliced apple, carrots and steamed broccoli served as side dishes.

Sunday. We all know Sunday means brunch around here. With so many events going on in Charleston this weekend, restaurants were pure madness. We were told it would be an hour wait at one place, so we moved to the next. We were told 30 minutes so figured we'd wait it out. By this point, we. were. starving.

Then, after almost an hour of not being sat, we gave up and headed to old trusty- Coleman Public House. No wait at all! Woohoo.

I had the Huevos Rancheros. HUEVOS. I love saying that, don't you?

Here is where things get really good. Have you had this, or any coconut milk ice cream for that matter? Technically, it's a 'frozen dessert' according to TJ's, not ice cream. But it's easier just to call it ice cream...made with coconut milk. I ate mine with a couple spoonfuls of cool whip. Such a refreshing treat on these warm and beautiful spring days!

But the best part of my weekend? THIS. Another successful TJ's purchase. This chocolate bar was everything I hoped it would be and more. Get yourself ~~one~~ two. Go!!

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

Just an Update!

2013-04-01T21:32:00.004-04:00

Hi Friends...at least I hope you're still my friends even after abandoning you for so long. I feel like it's been months since I've blogged, but in reality it's only been about a week. That's not so bad, right?

Last week, after returning home from a long weekend in Ohio for my bridal shower, I spent a couple of days trying unpack my suitcase along with the many, many gifts from the shower. I've had a lot of rearranging and organizing to do to make room for all of our new things - mostly in the kitchen! It's proving to be a difficult task, but exciting at the same time. In between a little something called WORK, working out, taking care of the pup, and trying to finalize all of the wedding plans, this blog of mine has taken the back seat. Not to mention, we went out of town again for a last minute trip to spend Easter weekend with Greg's family in North Carolina.

I love blogging, I really do. But to completely honest, it's been refreshing to focus on spending any of the minimal free time I have these days with my family, in the present, laptop free. Now that it's April, I can officially say our wedding is NEXT MONTH! Greg and I are getting more excited every day. I am soaking in this final part of being an engaged couple and need to just focus on US. Oh yeah, and the ever-growing Great Dane of ours. Zoey is currently 6 1/2 months old and about 75 pounds. Ah! She has not outgrown her cuteness though (as if she ever will). While there have been times of her puppiness driving me crazy, I currently think everything she does is absolutely adorable. My Zo girl is the best.

I'm definitely not going anywhere for good, but for the next several weeks (until after I become a Mrs. and go on our Hawaiian honeymoon) my posting may continue to be at a minimum. That being said, I have plenty of delicious recipes to share so stay tuned! I just wanted to give a quick explanation for my absence in case you were worried.

Have a great rest of the week! I'll see ya again soon!

Testing with Bloglovin'

2013-03-27T15:43:00.000-04:00

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Tea Party Bridal Shower

2013-03-26T21:59:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, my sister (maid of honor) and mom hosted a bridal shower for me in Columbus. Growing up, the girls in my family often had tea parties with my mom and grandma. It only made sense to make this a tea party themed event as well.

Everything was absolutely perfect.

I feel unbelievably blessed to have so many loving people in my life who could join me for this party. We had a great time enjoying bellinis, scones, mini sandwiches and wraps, cheese, fruit, tea and of course...cupcakes! I can honestly say it was one of the best parties of my life.

It was all too pretty not to share with you. Enjoy this extra long photo steam, starting....now:

After popping several of these deliciously addicting mini cupcakes into our own mouths, we sent a plate over to the boys who were hanging out at the bar watching basketball. I thought it'd include a note just in case there was any question where they came from ;)

Thank you to my amazing family for such a great party and making me feel so loved!

{Vegan} Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

2013-03-21T06:29:00.000-04:00

Breakfast hasn't tasted this good in a long time.

Yes, I'm baking with oats...again. Yes, I'm baking with bananas...again. But you know the saying. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." When it comes to oats and bananas, it's hard to go wrong in my book. Combine the two, then add some chocolate chips and, well, we've got quite the delicious treat.

I instantly pinned these when I saw them on Jenna's blog a while ago and have been dreaming about the day I would make them ever since.

These are so perfect for breakfast. I've been eating them all week. I almost feel like I get to eat a cookie for breakfast.

Almost.

Don't get me wrong. They are great for a mid-day snack or even dessert too. But something about them screams: BREAKFAST! I guess it's probably the oats screaming that.

The bars are just the right amount of sweet without being too sweet for breakfast. You know me - I love a good sugary doughnut or sweet pancakes for breakfast. But especially during the week, I try to keep breakfast as healthy as possible. I don't know about you, but I do (and feel) so much better throughout the day when I eat a healthy breakfast and lunch. Then, after a well-rounded dinner, I don't have a problem treating myself to a bowl of fro yo or chocolate candy. If I start off with something like a doughnut, I only crave sugar that much more throughout the rest of the day.

What I'm trying to say is that these bars are a great compromise. They're satisfy my sweet tooth without bringing on more cravings, and still offer the healthful benefits I look for in my breakfasts. They're hearty and filling and, and, and...

I'm obsessed. So obsessed.

{Vegan} Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
(Adapted from Eat. Live. Run.)

Makes about 8-10 bars

Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chai seeds
1 3/4 cup rolled oats
6 tablespoons chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Add mashed banana, oil and brown sugar to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, chai seeds and oats. Stir to evenly distribute all ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the large bowl. Stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into the pan and gently spread with a spatula or spoon in an even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Weekend Eats 3-18-13

2013-03-18T06:40:00.000-04:00

First things first - Wedding Day is two. months. away. Ah!!!!!! alkfjsdlfjsldfjsdlfjsd!!!!!

Okay, now that I got some excitement out of my system, here's the tasty food I ate all weekend.

Saturday:

Greg and I met some friends on Sullivan's Island for (pre) St. Patrick's Day festivities. After standing around outside in the gorgeous weather for most of the afternoon, our appetites were raging...even more so than I realized. We grabbed dinner from Taco Mamacita, yet another new-to-me restaurant (third one in a week!).

I had one black bean taco and one blackened mahi taco with Mexican Street Corn on the side. Ummmm....yeah. It was ah-maze-ing. I practically inhaled the tacos.

Greg had sweet potato fries as his side dish. We ended up splitting our sides, because the fries were sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and I simply could not resist.

Sunday:

Brunch at Triangle. Duh. Blueberry pancakes for me!

Anndddd some coffee.

I made sure to fit my veggies into the day with a big bowl of shredded brussel sprouts, onion, bell pepper, zucchini and broccoli sauteed in chicken broth for din din. I topped it all off with a little crumbed goat cheese.

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

Restaurant Review(s) - SNOB & Mi Xao

2013-03-15T06:38:00.000-04:00

This has been a very eventful week when it comes to - my favorite thing - FOOD! Therefore, you can say it's been a great week. To make things even better, work has continued to be busy making the days fly by. And not the "oh my gosh I'm so stressed I can't even breath" kind of busy, but the good kind of busy. A couple Sugar Free Red Bulls may have helped too.

Let's get back to my first thought though - the food!

Greg's aunt was in town and invited us to dinner at S.N.O.B. (Slightly North of Broad), which is a very well-known restaurant in Charleston. I had somehow never been there before and was so excited to finally check it off my Charleston restaurant bucket list.

We started with some appetizers to share - a delicious fruit and cheese plate and chilled shrimp. We were also given a bread basket for the table with both cornbread and a traditional white baguette.

When it came to my entree, I kept things simple with the Vegetable Plate.

While this can seem like a boring choice, it was not boring in variety or flavor. My plate was filled with steamed spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, lima beans, green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, a few cuts of cheese, and a small scoop of grits. It could not have been more perfect.

I had asked the waitress how the dish was prepared, because I wanted to avoid having a plate of super oily veggies. She told me some were steamed and others were sauteed in chicken broth. I loved that idea! I can't be the only one that has never thought of that, right?? I'm so excited to implement that new-to-me cooking method.

I finally made it to Mi Xao this week as well, thanks to Christina's recommendations. It is a relatively new Vietnamese restaurant in Mount Pleasant with the cutest little dining area.

Greg and I split an order of the spring rolls, which was a great decision. They were awesome on their own, but also came with the best little citrusy dipping sauce ever. Greg had a traditional chicken stir fry with brown rice as his main dish. I had the Tom Yum Kung Pho. Christina has raved about this pho and I knew I had to have it too.

The menu describes this bowl of noodle soup as having: Shrimp, rice vermicelli, lime, chicken broth, cilantro and green onion. Oh my goodness, it was just as good as Christina made it out to be! It was one GIANT bowl, that's pho-sho ;) I probably didn't even finish a third of it. The menu says it's spicy and they're not kidding. But as long as you like spicy, you will be happy. I can't wait to finish it off for lunch tomorrow!

{Vegan} Whole Wheat Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

2013-03-12T06:12:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I bake things that I know are going to be good before I even start. If I'm following a tried and true recipe, or sticking with traditional flavors and ingredients, I don't usually worry about the outcome.

This was not one of those times.

Yesterday I showed you my breakfast from the weekend - a bagel, spread with mashed avocado, and topped with sliced bananas. I was one bite into the bagel when I knew what I would bake later on that day.

In my head, it had potential. When I said it out loud, it just sounded weird. But I could not get the idea out of my head. I wanted to...needed to...combine the banana and avocado flavors into my most beloved dessert. I worked up the courage and decided to go for it.

The only question was: banana cupcakes with avocado frosting? Or avocado cupcakes with banana frosting. Judging by the title of this post and the pictures, I think you know what the answer turned out to be.

Once I had the flavors figured out, I wanted to take these cupcakes one step further. I wanted to healthify them.

Besides the fact they're filled with all-natural fruits, I brought in whole wheat flour and cut back on the sugar. I even made them vegan by leaving out butter and eggs, instead only using vegetable oil.

The end result was better than I even imagined. I mean really, what's better than a (somewhat) healthy cupcake?

You want to make these soon. And because of the green frosting, I think you need to at least make them this week/weekend for St. Patrick's Day, no?

Yes.

{Vegan} Whole Wheat Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes-
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup almond milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed

For the frosting-
3/4 medium avocado
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon almond milk

Sprinkles, if desired

Directions:
For the cupcakes-
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake tin with liners and place aside.
2. In a medium/large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk well and set aside. In the bowl of a stand-alone mixer, add vegetable oil, milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add mashed banana and continue to beat another 2-3 minutes. Turn speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined, be careful not to overmix. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the batter a couple stirs.
3. Fill cupcake wells with batter, about 3/4 full. Bake 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting-
1. Add the meat of the avocado to the bowl of a stand-alone mixer. Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.

Weekend Eats 3-11-13

2013-03-11T11:18:00.000-04:00

I kicked off the weekend with Mexican food and a margarita, on the rocks, with salt. The best way to do it.

I ate a half bagel with jelly, apple slices and hot tea for breakfast one day.

I snacked on mixed nuts during the day while working at my company's conference (I mostly picked around the peanuts and went straight for the almonds and cashews, mmm).

On Sunday I ate the other half of the bagel, this time with avocado and sliced banana. You may think it's weird, but I promise it's delicious. (Hint: this may be foreshadowing a recipe coming your way later this week...)

After church, I stopped at Whole Foods for a simple veggie and hummus wrap from the deli counter to fuel my grocery shopping.

I also ate pralines. Sugary, melt-in-your-mouth pralines. If you aren't familiar with these, they are a true Charleston/Southern staple and I highly recommend you get yourself some if you ever have the chance. We hand them out to guests at our conference and any leftovers? Yeah, they come home with me :) Nice perk if you ask me. The combination of pecans, brown sugar and butter is a wonderful thing.

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

Cake Batter Oat Balls

2013-03-08T09:32:00.002-05:00

It's gonna be a good day.

That's what I'm telling myself to avoid writing negative thoughts right now. I could complain about how crazy busy this week has been (let's not pretend I do that every week, because this week takes the cake). I could tell you how stressed I was, feeling like I was being pulled in a hundred different directions. My appetite has been really off, but that does make sense when I think about the stress.

Where is all this stress coming from? My company is hosting our annual conference this weekend and my team is in charge of planning just about every detail. We've been finalizing plans all week and I've been running around like crazy. I won't be able to completely relax until the conference is over tomorrow night, but the end is in sight!

If this is how I feel about a work conference, I can't imagine how I'm going to be the week of my wedding. Eeek! I'm sure I can keep it under control. Maybe this conference preparation is just a way to get it out of my system now. I can learn from this experience and stay calm during wedding week.

Again, just trying to be positive. There's no need to put negative vibes in the air. I actually have the morning off and don't have to be downtown for the conference until this afternoon. I went for a long run and am now spending quality time with Zoey before then. See? Positivity all around!

If you had a stressful week like I did, or even if you didn't, there's nothing like popping some hearty cake batter oat balls in your mouth and saying, "Ahhhh. Friday!"

Cake Batter Oat Balls
(Adapted from Chef in Training)

Makes 12 balls

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup yellow cake batter mix
3 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup vanilla candy melts
Sprinkles, if desired

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine oats, cake batter mix and honey. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are evenly distributed (you may need to use your hands as well). Place bowl in refrigerator and let chill for up to one hour. Roll mixture into one-inch balls.
2. Add candy melts to a double-broiler over medium heat. Stir constantly until completely melted and smooth. Use a spoon to carefully dip oat balls into the candy melts one at a time. Place dipped balls on a cookie sheet and add sprinkles immediately. Let cool at least 10 minutes before consuming.

*Store any leftovers in frige for up to 3-4 days.

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Soup

2013-03-06T06:22:00.000-05:00

This year I have really been into soup more than ever before. I admit, some of it has been from a can, but increasingly more of it has been homemade. Who knew it was so easy?!

Thinking back, it makes a lot of sense that I find so much joy in soup. Way back in the day, Ramen Noodles (the chicken flavor only!!) were one of the first foods I learned how to "cook." I don't know if I should be embarrassed to admit that, but it's too late now. Now the ~~whole world~~ tiny group of people reading this knows my secret. Yes, I consider cooking Ramen Noodles my first cooking experience. You gotta start somewhere!

Even now when I see Ramen in the store, I am almost a little tempted to buy a few bags. I mean, seriously, they're what, 29 cents each or something crazy like that. Such a good deal.

With my newest soup creation, Ramen is straying farther and farther from my mind. Or is it "further and further?" I just don't know. I try to be good with grammar. I'm a stickler for that sort of thing. But in this case I'm too lazy to look it up and what difference does it really make anyway? You're probably also thinking I'm the biggest hypocrite ever with my last statement about being good with grammer considering I average about five incomplete sentences in every post I write and begin every other sentence with a conjunction. Sorry I'm not sorry.

ANYWAY.

I could eat this stuff all day every day. Just make sure I have some cold water nearby, because this is HOT. Not just in temperature, but also in flavor. It's one of the spiciest things I've ever made. That being said, I guess it's probably best to keep this to a wintertime meal. We all might die of heat strokes if we try to eat this in the summer. It's already March and spring is quickly coming upon us. So make this while you still can! In just a few weeks I'm hoping and praying to be laying on the beach, soaking in some sun preparing my wedding day tan!!

If you like spicy, you will love this. If you don't, well then just cut back on some of the cayenne pepper and you're set.

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

3 1/2 - 4 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth works fine too)

1 1/2 bell pepper of choice, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces

1/2 of a whole yellow onion, sliced

20 baby carrots, sliced (or two large carrots)

1 cup cooked corn kernels

1 cup sliced mushrooms

5 baby potatoes, quartered

10 grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread out the sliced and chopped vegetables in an even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil across vegetables and use a spatula to gently toss until oil is evenly distributed. Roast in oven for about 25-30 minutes, flipping veggies about halfway through. Remove when veggies have developed a nice brown color.

2. When veggies are finished roasting, add to a large saucepan with the vegetable broth and seasonings on the stovetop. Cook over high heat until soup begins to boil. Turn to low, cover and simmer about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

*Any leftovers can be stored in airtight container for up to one week. I have also heard of freezing soup, but have never done it myself.

Weekend Eats 3-4-13

2013-03-04T06:43:00.000-05:00

No time to mess around today. Let's get to it!

Friday night, on our drive to North Carolina, Greg and I stopped at Chick-Fil-A. While I almost always get the Southwest Chargrilled Salad, I wasn't feeling it that night. Instead, I got the Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap with fruit on the side and a diet lemonade. It was perfect.

I had the same breakfast both days this weekend - quick cooking oats mixed with cinnamon, a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter and a sprinkle of chopped pecans. Sliced apple on the side.

Again, perfect.

On Saturday night, we went out to dinner with Greg's parents. I got a salad and was sure glad I did, because I did not feel the least bit guilty eating the most delicious frozen yogurt concoction....ever!?!? Yes. I think so.

Sooo, I ate half before I took the picture. I couldn't help myself. In the bowl was a mix of dark chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate chip cookie frozen yogurt. Then I topped it with peanut butter cups, M&M's, whipped cream, caramel sauce and walnuts. I normally top my yogurt mostly with fruit and avoid many of the candies. I let myself go a little bit this time and couldn't be happier with the outcome. Seriously, I couldn't get over how good it was.

My weekend ended with a healthy serving of sauteed sweet potato and veggies topped with goat cheese, and a toasted english muffin with a thick spread of mashed avocado.

It was a pretty delicious weekend if I do say so myself.

And with that, I'll leave you with a pic of the puppy-wuppy to put a smile on your face this Monday morning.

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

Happy, Happy, Happy

2013-03-01T15:48:00.001-05:00

Thank goodness for Friday and thank goodness for peanut butter banana toast. Am I right or am I right?

It's been one of "those" weeks. Not to say it's been a bad week, just busy, busy, busy. But you know what makes me happy, happy, happy? It's duck hunting season! Jussssst kiddingggg. I don't hunt and want nothing to do with it actually.

Okay now I'm just confusing you. Let me explain. Do you watch Duck Dynasty? It's one of the few "man" shows Greg watches that I actually find entertaining too. Si! Oh my gosh, Si. He CRACKS ME UP! The rest of the show seems so extremely scripted, it only drives me a little crazy, but Si is so funny I don't even care. The new season just started and one of the new episodes focused on the start of duck hunting season. Phil, the dad/grandpa on the show, always says, "happy, happy, happy." Maybe you just need to hear it for yourself.

Anywho.

One reason I am happy, happy, happy is because I had such a great evening throwing a bridal shower for my friend and co-worker. We went to Uncorked Wine Bar for drinks and appetizers.

It was so much fun celebrating Kaitlyn's upcoming wedding and made me even more excited for my own. I had a flight of three different red wines - a malbec, merlot and syrah. We munched on spinach dip, a variety of cheeses, mac and cheese, chocolate truffles, and some chocolate chip cupcakes I brought for everyone. So delicious! Oh, and they manager was so kind to bring us all a complimentary glass of champagne! It was the perfect touch.

Another reason to be happy, happy, happy? More cupcakes! Not that I really need another cupcake right now, but hey, I'll take it.

Did you know today is National Employee Appreciation Day? I don't think there is anything better for our management to express their appreciation like a red velvet cupcake! I'll be eating this for dessert tonight and cannot wait.

I am also happy, happy, happy, because in a couple hours Greg, Zoey and I will be on our way to North Carolina for a last minute weekend getaway at his parents' house. I'm looking forward to relax and do a bunch of nothing :)

Have a good one!

A Restaurant Review - Crave Kitchen & Cocktails

2013-02-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

You guys. Ohhhh my goodness. I'm dying over my dinner from Crave last night. You want to know how good it was? So good that I, Brittany "Dessert-Obsessed-As-in-I-Have-to-Have-it-Every-Night" Dahn, passed up dessert in turn for finishing off my leftovers later at night.

That never. ever. ever. happens. Taylor Swift style. So let me tell you about it.

A friend and I (Hi, Kaitlyn!) were supposed to grab sushi before our painting class. I looked up a place that was supposed to be in the same shopping center as the art studio, but after driving around for a few minutes, we didn't see it and didn't have much time to keep looking. Crave was right there and since I've read such good things about it from Christina, I was excited to give it a try.

I had to make a quick choice, which can be really difficult for me when I haven't planned ahead and researched the menu. (I had already narrowed down the sushi rolls I wanted, but obviously that was no help now).

I was torn between the Cobb Salad and the Spinach and Tomato Grilled Cheese. Our waitress said both were very good, but said the grilled cheese in particular was really amazing. From my picture above, you already know which I picked. I figured you can get a good salad at a lot of places, but it's not everywhere you see a grilled cheese on the menu made with goat cheese (!!!!!), provolone, spinach and tomato. If I see goat cheese listed in the menu description, I can't get my mind off of it.

The sandwich was everything I hoped it would be and more. And then there were the sweet potato chips - which are really thick-cut round crinkle fries. I could not stop eating those, they were seriously addicting.

This morning I did the longest run that I've done in probably two years. I'm attributing that accomplishment to my meal last night. It must have magically powers.

Needless to say, I can't wait to go back to Crave. I would love to have this sandwich again, but there are many other things I'm looking forward to trying too. They even have weekend brunch including pancakes, which are apparently the "biggest pancakes you will ever see" according to the menu. Count me in.

Oh yeah, and after I tweeted to Executive Chef Landen Ganstrom about my fabulous meal, he said:

Chef Landen, you've got yourself a deal!

Lemon Blueberry Skillet Sugar Cookie

2013-02-26T06:36:00.000-05:00

I am going to come right out and say it. I cheated with this recipe. I used packaged sugar cookie mix. Gasp!!!

Betty Crocker to be exact. You know what? I don't feel the least bit guilty either. I have made some good sugar cookies from scratch in my day, but I honestly don't think a homemade recipe could have beat what this turned out to be.

I was hooked after the first bite. Super thick, soft and chewy with just a hint of lemon and blueberry to brighten the flavor. It almost makes you think spring is here. Almost. So incredibly perfect in every way. So perfect it's annoying. Annoying in the sense it keeps calling your name and won't leave your mind alone until you take another bite. It's a good kind of annoying if you ask me. I'm always up for another bite if it asks me kindly enough.

Then there's the bad kind of annoying, like when someone STEALS YOUR IDENTITY! Sorry, was I yelling? I'm a little upset.

I received a call from my bank on Sunday morning asking me to verify a few purchases on my debit card. Sure enough, I didn't recognize a single one. The little thief tried to make three different purchases of $200+ at True Religion in Florida.

Seriously?

What a punk. That's what I'm imagining this person to be anyway - a punk. The things people will do to steal other people's information, only to go off and buy jeans of all things? Unreal.

I am so thankful for my bank catching this right away and it seems it's going to work itself out. I won't be financially responsible for the charges as soon as I finish some paperwork.

So while this little punk may have stolen a piece of my bank account, what he doesn't know is that he missed out on a slice of THIS. At least I still have this.

Lemon Blueberry Skillet Sugar Cookie

(Adapted from Munchkin Munchies)

Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

3 tablespoons blueberry Greek yogurt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup vanilla frosting

Sprinkles for topping, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine sugar cookie mix, Greek yogurt, butter, egg and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add dough to cast iron skillet and press down with your hands to spread the dough in an even layer across the entire pan.

3. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the top of the cookie just becomes golden brown and edges slightly break away from the pan. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting. Slice and enjoy!

Weekend Eats 2-25-13

2013-02-25T06:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend was bipolar.

Friday and Saturday were filled with rain. Rain, rain, rain. All day. I actually didn't mind, because it really set the tone for what I hoped my weekend would be: lazy and relaxing. When Sunday turned into such a beautiful warm day, I made myself get outside a bit, but still relished the opportunity to lay on the couch and do nothing.

Before the laziness started, Greg and I hit up Graze for date night on Friday.

We started with the Pomme Frittes - "truffle oil, parmesan cheese and garlic aioli" ($6). From our previous experience ordering these fries, we asked for ketchup to dip them in. I know this is sometimes looked down upon, but honestly the aioli just doesn't do it for me. It doesn't taste like anything actually. The truffle oil and parmesan are amazing, but I can't resist just dipping them in a little ketchup.

The only dish I had previously had from Graze was the Pinenut Crusted Eggplant with a goat cheese couscous. Seriously one of my favorite meals in recent memory. I was sad it is not on their current menu, but also glad it allowed me to try something else without feeling like I was missing out on the eggplant. For my entree on Friday, I had the Pecan Crusted Atlantic Salmon - "Parmesan whipped sweet potatoes, broccolini, warm bacon-maple dressing" ($19). It was good, but I wouldn't say GREAT.

Greg had the Chicken and Waffles - "Tabasco and buttermilk marinated boneless chicken breasts, housemade waffles, honey butter, pure maple syrup" ($16). That was a first for both of us trying this increasingly popular dish. The couple bites I took were pretty darn good and Greg really enjoyed it too, but in the end I think the maple syrup and waffles were too sweet for his liking.

We skipped ordering dessert at the restaurant, because I only had one thing on my mind. Fro yo!

We stopped at Menchie's where I got a mix of cake batter, dulce de leche and strawberry yogurt. I kept things super simple and topped my bowl with a spoonful of cool whip and a few cherries. Perfect end to the night!

Saturday is when the relaxation really started. The rainfall made it easy to lay around in my pajamas for longer than usual. After a morning of lounging, I finally convinced myself to get my workout in before it was too late. Once that was out of the way, I had a hot bowl of my homemade vegetable soup for lunch.

Later that night Greg and I met some friends to go bowling. I hadn't been bowling in years so it was fun to show off my skills. Ha! Just kidding. I have no skill when it comes to bowling. I only scored 100 points in one of the two games, and that was only because Greg went for me on one turn and got a strike. Anywho, I had been craving a margarita, so that's what I got to sip on while we bowled the night away. My weekend also included one of my favorite healthy snacks - a golden delicious apple and greek yogurt.

This has been a long post already so make it quick with this one. Sunday involved brunch, as usual. We went to Triangle, as usual.

I had the veggie omelet, fruit and home fries. We split some cinnamons rolls as well. Oh yeah, and since I gave up coffee for Lent, I was more than ready to have my Sunday dose! Everyone does it differently, but growing up I was always taught that you can, and should, 'break' Lent on Sundays. So that's what I did. I think I downed almost three cups. Giving up coffee has been tough! I miss it so much.

Okay, friends. I think that about highlights all of the most delicious things from my weekend.

What was the tastiest thing you ate this weekend?

Sunday Blessings - (Wo)Man's Best Friend

2013-02-24T14:20:00.000-05:00

My baby Zoey is growing up so quickly! I figured it's time for an update.

She is a handful...maybe a hundred handfuls. But more than that, she is my precious lovebug. Recently I've found myself speaking my mind out loud to her. Like my best friend, she gets to hear all of my thoughts. She might thing I'm crazy. Greg sees it firsthand and I ignore his laughs. Secretly I think I may be going a little crazy too. But love will make you do crazy things.

She is about 5 1/2 months old and about 62 pounds. The scary thing is that she's not even half way done growing.

Obviously I knew going into it that she was going to be big, but reality is slowly starting to set in. There have been a few moments where I think, "Oh my goodness, what have we done?" But then we see Breaker, the full grown Great Dane at the dog park, and my heart melts for the gentle giant. I can't wait for her to be a gentle giant too. Zoey is the sweetest, cuddliest pup I could ask for, but there is no denying she is still a puppy at heart. It's easy to forget that sometimes since she's getting so big.

She loves to eat and is never more proud of herself than when she finds a good stick to carry around for a couple minutes, only to chew it to shreds a minute later. After playtime at the dog park and filling dinner, she loves to tuck her face away and take a pre-bedtime nap.

I am so blessed having for Zoey in my life. If I have this much unconditional love for a puppy, I can't imagine how I am going to feel when I have babies of my own. Toomuchlovetohandle!!!

Roasted Carrot, Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

2013-02-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

There are officially less than three months until my wedding. WHAT?! That is insane. Most of the planning is done, just some little things here and there to finalize. But you know what is super annoying right now? Postage.

I really want and need to get the invites out like, yesterday. I sent Greg to the post office to get postcard stamps for the RSVP cards but they only had apples. I do love apples, but not on my wedding postage. On the bright side, at least Greg was smart enough to know this was not okay and didn't buy them. So I've been looking online and I don't think wedding postcard stamps exist. At least not for face value. I don't want to spend $1 for each customized one. That is insane.

Now that the wedding countdown begins with, "two months and ___ days," it's time to get serious about wedding body shape! More importantly, honeymoon shape. Did I mention we're going to Maui?! Well, we are. We just about have everything booked for our Hawaiian getaway.

I like to think I do a pretty good job of eating a balanced diet on a regular basis, with the occasional weekend indulgences. But it's easy to get a little too comfortable with the comfort foods during cold winter days.

A hot, filling, and somewhat spicy soup like this does the trick of satisfying my belly, while keeping me on track and ready for Hawaii!

I'll just be daydreaming about another cup of this soup and maybe the postcard stamps I need will magically appear.

Because that makes sense.

Roasted Carrot, Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
(Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, Jan/Feb 2013)

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about half of a medium squash)
1 sweet potato, diced
1/2 pound carrots, sliced (about 25 baby carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese for topping, if desired (about 1 tablespoon per cup of soup)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay squash, sweet potato and carrots on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil and gently toss everything to evenly coat with oil. Roast about 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown.
2. Add roasted vegetables to a large saucepan over high heat. Add water and vegetable broth. Bring to boil then turn heat to low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes.
3. Pour contents of saucepan into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add to a clean saucepan over low heat. Stir in sage, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with a tablespoon of crumbled goat cheese immediately before serving.

*Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.

~About 65 calories per cup~