Apple Cider Cupcakes And Vanilla Nutmeg Frosting

So you know how in my post from earlier this week I may have mentioned the fact that I don't fit into any of my pants.....well I'm not helping matters this Sunday. 

When I saw this recipe I just couldn't help myself!!

These cupcakes were originally featured on one of my favorite blogs Eat, Live, Run and because I had just bought some apple cider from Fresh Market, I considered it destiny!!

Now I'm not one to favor things from a box, but cupcakes are usually one of those things that the box mixes have perfected so well that they are hard to resist. I've had way to many experiences where "made from scratch" cupcake recipes take forever and are hard as rocks.

This recipe breaks the mold because they taste delicious, and are so easy to make!!!!

Ingredients: 

Cupcakes

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened 

2/3 cup of sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups of flour

2 tsp. of baking powder

3/4 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1/4 tsp. of nutmeg

1/4 tsp. of ground clove

1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract

3/4 cup of apple cider

Frosting

1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. of nutmeg

A pinch of salt

Makes 12 cupcakes....and a whole lot of frosting (if you like your cupcakes heavily frosted, go ahead and make the whole recipe, but halving it would be just enough to cover them all). 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place liners in your cupcake tins and set aside. 

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between as well as vanilla extract.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves into a separate bowl. 

Slowly and gradually mix dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. At this point the batter will look very thick.

With the mixer still on low, drizzle in the apple cider. After this step, it will closely resemble the consistency of a frosty!! Which made me think...if Wendy's had an apple cider flavored frosty, I'd be a happy girl. (If anybody associated with Wendy's reads this...think about it!!)

Fill the baking cups 3/4 of the way full of batter. 

Bake in the oven for 20-23 minutes or until they start to brown slightly and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack. 

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting!

Beat the softened butter, vanilla, and nutmeg while very slowly adding the powdered sugar. Continue beating for close to 10 minutes or until fluffy. I know 10 minutes seems like a long time but....it's worth it!!.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, you can either spread or pipe the frosting on. 

I've never been very good at piping frosting, but I tried my best....and I think they turned out just fine!

Some of them I did very uniformly, and some I just went crazy. 

Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon and stuff your face!!

What I've Been Doing Instead Of Blogging

So lately I have felt a little guilty about ONLY posting recipes and neglecting my "lifes funny moments" posts. 

To alleviate this guilt I thought I might talk about some of the other things that I have been up to that have caused my absence.  

And in case you haven't noticed, the blog looks different!! This is because I decided that my colors were looking a little springy/summery....and I was hating it. So I decided to make things more...seasonal. Look forward to more changes as the seasons go by. :) 

So here it goes: 

- Drinking copious amounts of coffee. A new Starbucks opened close to my house, and it has a drive through...enough said.

- Getting hypothermia at work. No amount of clothing is helping me at this point. 

- LIVING, BREATHING, AND EATING COCONUT OIL. Now Kevin (and just about everyone else) has informed me that he is tired of hearing about my obsession so I won't bore you with all of my uses for it, but the list is about a million pages long. All I'm going to say is that, for your own good, look them up!!! I've replaced about 7 beauty products with it so far....it is natural and magical!!! Just make sure you get organic, virgin, unrefined, and cold pressed...yes, it makes a difference. 

- Wandering wide eyed and aimlessly around Fresh Market. I've discovered it...and I'm in love.

- Trying, UNSUCCESSFULLY, to eat as healthy as I can.

- Not fitting into any of my pants (see above). 

- Trying to decide if I should start to exercise or just buy all new pants.

- Getting angry at the leaves for not changing color.

- Making this wreath with this pretty bow!!

- Decorating my pumpkin with this pretty bow!! 

(By the way I'm going to pretend I thought of this because it's adorable, but pretty much it was the laziest way I could get away with "decorating" my pumpkin. After thinking long and hard I have discovered that my life motto lately has been "when in doubt, slap a bow on it"...I've had no complaints so far.)

- Filling my apartment with all things cinnamon scented.

- Getting really excited about the approach of black Friday shopping...list making will ensue shortly.

- Using this really attractive face mask twice a week. 

- Continuing my annual obsession with The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. 

- Taking pictures of my favorite model. 

- Eating A LOT of almonds. 

- Reading other blogs. 

- Witnessing this masterpiece being created by A Sweet Sensation.

- Avoiding installing this mess that Comcast sent me...unfortunately I have to get on this soon because they want the old modem back....sigh. I think I've glanced at the instructions a half dozen times and have resorted to putting it off further. Hey, at least I finally took everything out of the box....it's progress. 

- Letting my hair do whatever the hell it wants...and kind of loving the results.

- Overhauling all of my makeup. Pretty much Bare Minerals is my life now, and it feels amazing and natural!!

- Completely washing and detailing my car, only to have it look filthy again a few days later, naturally.

- Spending way to much time on Pinterest....what else is new.

- Coming up with a million things to blog about, but not having enough time or energy to actually write about them.

So there you have it. This is where I've been and what I've been doing. I feel better now that I have explained myself. 

Enjoy the new look of the blog! 

P.S. Sorry if the new color combination I have used offends anyone. I am aware that it is football season and I am just letting everyone who is not an FSU fan know, this was not on purpose....garnet and gold are just a really nice fall color combination. I wouldn't get used to it though, I will probably go through about a million more color changes before I decide on one I love enough to live with.

Sweet Basil Pork Chops And Smokey Potato Wedges

Today you get two recipes in one post!!

These recipes go so well together, I couldn't help but post them as a whole meal.

Not only are they both super easy to make, but they combine some of my favorite ingredients to cook with; basil, chili powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar. 

Pork Chop Ingredients:

2 boneless pork chops, about a 1/2 in. thick

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried basil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Potato Wedge Ingredients: 

3 large sized red potatoes, cut into wedges

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 Tablespoon of honey

3 teaspoons of chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Both of these can be cooked at the same temperature, so pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. 

The potatoes will need to be baked longer so we will start with those!!

Thoroughly wash the potatoes since the skin will be left on. 

I am only feeding Kevin and I so this is plenty, but the recipe will work no matter how many potatoes you are using. Just adjust the seasoning to be enough for more potatoes!

Cut the potatoes into small wedges, and place in a greased baking dish. 

To the baking dish add the honey, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and melted butter. 

Stir the potatoes around until they are all completely coated. 

Put in the oven, and bake for 35 minutes or until tender.

Remember: half way through the cooking time, give them a good stir!

After these puppies go in the oven, you can start the pork chops. 

These chops, take just a simple rub to make them taste delicious!

To a bowl add brown sugar, chili powder, basil, salt, and olive oil. 

Rub onto both sides of the chops and place in a greased baking dish. 

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are no longer pink in the center. 

If you plan it right, both the chops and the potatoes can be done at the same time!

Add a vegetable, and voila!!! A whole meal done simply and quickly...plus there aren't many dishes!!!

Healthy Orange Chicken

Like a lot of people, I'm a sucker for Chinese take-out.

The problem is...it's not the healthiest of meal options.

This recipe will satisfy your craving in a healthy manner by using simple yet flavor packed ingredients!! 

Ingredients: 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

1 orange, zested and juiced 

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons of honey

2 teaspoons of soy sauce

1/2 pound of asparagus 

2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

Brown rice 

First, cut the tough ends off of the asparagus and throw them away (they are gross and bitter) and then cut the remaining stalks in half. Set them aside for later.

Use a zester (or cheese grater like me) to zest an entire orange.  

To a bowl, add the juice of the orange along with the zest, soy sauce, and honey. Whisk together until blended. 

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan, and bring to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pieces of chicken, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked add the asparagus to the pan and continue to cook for 3 minutes or until the asparagus is bright green. 

Pour the orange juice mixture over the chicken and asparagus and heat for about another minute. 

Serve over brown rice, for a simple and healthy meal. 

This recipe has a little heat to it, so if you prefer things less spicy go light on the red pepper flakes :)