Cupcakes and Fitness

Hey Ya'll. Just doing a quick little check in since we are barreling towards Sunday which mean...back to school or the ever popular #BTS2015. I am actually looking forward to going back to work and seeing all the ladies that I work with. I also have some great ideas that I hope to introduce to the school this year and of course, I am completely looking forward to catching up with everyone. That is always my favorite part of pre-planning is the chit chat of summers, traveling, big news, and all that fun stuff. I am excited to hear about everyones traveling. You can bet that I will be taking my travel planning notebook with me to write down some great ideas for future travel.

Not much is new on the home front other than these mongrels I have living with me again. Just kidding! I love these sweet fur babies but they are obviously traumatized since they follow me everywhere. It used to just to be the bathroom (weirdos) but now it is up the stairs, to the kitchen from the couch, and they have to constantly be near me. It does get a bit old but I completely understand. One day mommy was there and then boom 9 months later they make the trip of a lifetime; I am cutting them a bit of slack with the obsessive neediness. And I might like listening to them snore 24/7.

My hubby and I want to start something like the 21-day fix plan to kick start our fitness routine here in the next week. However, I suggested that we finished out the groceries that we already have and really plan ahead for it so we are totally prepared and we have everything we need. So we should  be ready to go by Sunday which is fine by me because school definitely helps me establish a routine. I am refusing to buy the color-coded containers so I am finding containers that are the appropriate sizes and labeling them. I have also dug through Pinterest to find how to determine your calories needs so we will know what to eat. I tell you Pinterest is the goldmine of the internet right now. There are so many freebies on there to print out to help with not only the 21 day fix but any thing else you need. I remember back when Pinterest was the new kid on the block and you had to have an invite to join and it took like three days to be 'approved'. Ahhh, the good old days.  The reunion with the KitchenAid stand mixer may or may not be partially to blame for the delay in the heath wagon coming around again. Not my best work but I will figure it out with the difference in ingredients. They are quite tasty though! Minions Muffins (Banana) on the left and my quite popular Oreo cupcakes on the right.

And what is a little random post without a picture of the amazing sunset here in Abu Dhabi with cranes galore! Lots of building going on all over the place. I can't wait to see some of the new things that are planned.

Scrumptious Pecan Pie Muffins

Hey there & Happy Wednesday! I hope that your week is going great and you've had some times to have a creative outlet or you've been able to whip up something in the kitchen. I am going to share a recipe that was shared with my via a few different friends for Pecan Pie muffins. I am a huge pecan pie fan so these peaked my interest pretty quick. However, I knew that making them would be difficult since I am on a 15 day cleanse (come on Saturday) that has been extremely helpful in jump starting weight loss after a plateau. So here they are - super easy and might I say DELICIOUS!!!!

Pecan Pie Muffins (yields 12)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups of chopped pecans
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
2/3 cup of butter softened (or 11 tablespoons - yes, I had to google it to double check)
2 eggs beaten

*Cupcake liners optional

Directions:
1. After chopping the pecans, mix the dry ingredients with the pecans in a separate bowl and set to the side (I mixed them all in my stand mixer aka "Mrs. Sparkles" - I have no idea where it came from but its cute and it fits, plus I love to use the stand mixer).

2. Next beat the butter and eggs together in a bowl (or stand mixer) and beat until thoroughly mixed (about 2 minutes).

3. Add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until all ingredients have been mixed together. It will be a little thick.

4. In a cupcake or muffin pan lined with cupcake liners (or just greased with Pam) fill each cup half way full with mixture. Then place a full size pecan on the top of each one as pictured.

Bake on 350 degrees for 13-17 minutes

These little babies are amazing! They taste just like pecan pie and if they are not over cooked even have the same texture as the pie, well maybe not as gooey. Quick & Simple, these are gonna be a new household favorite.

I'd love to hear from you if you try them out. I am sure you will love them!