Love & Red Velvet Cake

I know it's a bit early for Valentine's Day, but bear with me.

Love is in the air!

Thinking about Valentine's Day makes you do one of two things: groan (if you're single) or have incredibly high expectations for your significant other (if you're in a relationship). I fall into the first category - that of being single. However, this year I'm not groaning.

Because this is the first Valentine's Day in a couple years that I'll be single, you'd think I'd be a little heartbroken and disappointed that I won't be receiving chocolates and roses. Yet I'm just the opposite. Why? Because the love of friendship is in the air!

It sounds cheesy, I know. But the 2012-13 school year, even with my massive breakup, has been one of the greatest years of my life because it has allowed me to develop close friendships with people that I didn't see often before. Especially within Navigators - the people I have become close to have inspired me to grow closer in my relationship with God and with other Navs members. I've been intellectually challenged by friends and, honestly, have probably learned more this year than ever before because of the people I hang out with. As I recently read in the book Imagine by Jonah Lehrer (I highly recommend it, by the way - go read it!), we intentionally place ourselves around smart people because we become smarter by hanging around them. And it's true - I've noticed myself doing that this year, and I'm incredibly excited about the level of my intellectual growth.  

So, that brings us to three types of love in the air - a love for friendship, a love for God, and a love for knowledge.

Who cares about being in a relationship, anyways? We should be satisfied with being on our own. Spending our time hunting for a boyfriend isn't how we should be living life. We should be engaging with others, developing friendships, seeing the world, learning, and having fun. God will bring us the right person when the time is right.

With that being said - be happy to single this Valentine's Day, and go bake yourself a cake! If you want to be specific, you can make the white chocolate cherry red velvet cake recipe below. It's delicious and it's pretty - what more could you ask for?

Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Cherry Frosting

Based on this recipe 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups oil

1 cup skim milk

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 oz. red food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.

Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.

Then make the frosting.

White Chocolate Cherry Frosting

3 T. white chocolate chips

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

6 T. cherry preserves (or more to taste)

5 c. powdered sugar

Directions

In a microwavable bowl, melt chocolate chips. Allow to cool slightly. 

Beat together cream cheese and butter until combined. 

Add melted chocolate and cherry preserves and stir. 

Slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated. 

Frost cake and enjoy!

Cherry Lime Muffins & NuNaturals Stevia

I think cherry and lime is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Have you ever had a cherry limeade from Sonic? They are so delicious! They are a classic flavor pair that works extremely well together.

Today, I bring you a recipe for some scrumptious Cherry Lime Muffins, made with products sent to me from NuNaturals to review. NuNaturals strives to make sugar-free taste yummy by creating products made with stevia, an all natural, plant-based sweetener. They offer a huge selection of products. Quite frankly, I think they are one of the best (if not the best) producer of stevia-based products out there. Just browse araound their website and you can see that they offer supplements, baking blends, liquid stevia, products to keep your blood sugar in check, and much more. My personal favorite is the wide selection of liquid stevia. They are very versatile and can be used in pretty much anything.

What I was sent to review:

MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend

Pure Liquid Orange NuStevia

Pure Liquid Vanilla NuStevia

NuStevia White Stevia Packets - 100 Count

Pure Liquid Alcohol Free Stevia

Pure Liquid Clear Stevia

Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract

NuStevia White Stevia Quick Dissolve Tablets

That's a crazy amount of stuff, right?!

I thought everyhing tasted good and did what it was supposed to do. The MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend can be substituted 1:1 for sugar in a recipe. I used mine to make muffins (see the recipe below) and only substitited a little under half of the sugar with the baking blend. I thought it tasted good, but I definitely would not have replaced the sugar 1:1, or it would've had too strong a stevia taste.

All of the Pure Liquid stevias I received worked well in a variety of recipes. I made a chocolate crust using the cocoa bean extract and clear stevia and found the flavor to be delicious and naturally sweet. I also really enjoyed the flavored liquid stevias (orange and vanilla) because they re so versatile and provide sweet flavor without calories or sugar.

The stevia packets are very convenient for when you want to take your stevia with you. You can toss them right in your purse and sprinkle your stevia on anything you want when out with friends! And the quick dissolve tablets - these threw me off a bit. At first, I wasn't sure about it. Why can't you just sprinkle some powdered stevia in your drink and call it a day? Well, I guess the idea is that these tablets are easier to dissolve in liquids, especially cold liquids. Try these tablets when making lemonade or if you want to sweeten your tea.

I made Cherry Lime Muffins with the MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend.

Don't they look great?

Cherry Lime Muffins

Based on this recipe

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cups MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend

3/4 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 3/4 cups red cherries, pitted and cut into quarters

Zest of two small limes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cupcake pan/muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla; mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low; alternate adding reserved flour mixture and milk to mixer, beginning and ending with flour. Remove bowl from mixer; gently fold in cherries and lime zest by hand. Divide batter among muffin tins; sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until light golden, about 45 minutes for large muffins, about 30 minutes for small muffins. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely.

I love this company, and I know you will too when you try their products!

The Daisy Rating

5/5 daisies

Much love,

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats

Hey everyone! 

So, I've noticed there is currently an overnight oats craze going on in the health blogging world. I've always been intrigued and wanted to try them, and a few nights ago I realized I had everything I needed to make overnight oats in my dorm room. So what did I do? I tried them for the first time! 

Oats before thickening overnight

These were actually pretty good, although I think next time I'll experiment a bit more and use different flavors or yogurt and toppings. I would love to try making a key lime pie, banana cheesecake, or apple cinnamon variety!! Give this recipe a try for yourself and let me know what you think! 

Oats the next morning!

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats
Based off of this recipe from Peanut Butter Fingers 
Makes 2 servings
1 6oz. container Whole Soy & Co. cherry yogurt
2 T. cacao nibs
2 T. chia seeds
2/3 c. oats
1/2 c. vanilla flax milk + 1/4 c. for morning add in
Honey for topping

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients (except honey and 1/4 c. flax milk) in a large container. Cover and place in fridge over night.
2. The next morning, stir in 1/4 c. flax milk. Drizzle top with honey and enjoy!

Calories per serving: 364 (without honey)


Happy eating!

What is your favorite kind of overnight oats?
Much love,