Time to gather, celebrate and eat cake!

My husbands birthday was this past week and that means gathering, celebrating, and CAKE! I love cake. But my biggest problem always is making a cake that I can eat (dairy and refined sugar free) and also that everyone else will eat too.


So after countless of research and blog hunting I came up with a winner. I present you with the BEST carrot cake I have ever made.

The Best Carrot Cake

All Natural Carrot Cake with Orange Zested Tofu Frosting

• 1/2 cup sucanat sugar (if you can't find this brown sugar will work) 
• 1/2 cup (a little less than) PURE maple sugar or Raw honey would work 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 
• 1/4 cup orange juice 
• 1 tbsp orange zest 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp cloves 
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp ginger 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 cups spelt flour 
• 1/2 cup all natural bread flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (from 2-3 large carrots), patted dry 
• 1/2 cup raisins soaked in hot water (optional) 
• 1/2 cup pineapple (optional)

Frosting

• 1 package Silken Firm Tofu
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix (if you want a sweeter frosting use the full package)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan. 
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and eggs until smooth. Beat in melted coconut oil, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, spices and salt. 
3. When combined, sift in the flour and baking soda and gently stir it into the batter until no streaks remain. 
4. Stir in shredded carrot, then scrape into prepared pan. 
5. Bake for 36-42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
6. Cool on a wire rack before frosting. 
7. For frosting combined all ingredients in your food processor or blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. 
8. Chill frosting in fridge for at least one hour. 
9. For best results store cake in fridge to keep the frosting from thinning out.

Chicken Enchilada soup with Fire Roasted Veggies

 This winter (or lack thereof) soup has been on the menu and tonight was no different.

Chicken Enchilada soup with Fire Roasted Veggies

• 1 lb of Chicken
• 1 cup Enchilada Sauce (I used homemade)
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 to 3 cups Water
• 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Fire Roasted Sweet Peppers
• 1 Onion
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Hungarian Hot Peppers
• 1 can Black Eye Peas
• 1/2 to 1 cup Red Wine
• Salt and Pepper

1. In a large crock pot place the chicken, enchilada sauce and chicken broth on high for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Once the chicken is cooked pull it apart with  tongs and shred.
3. Add the water, tomatoes, red peppers, and black eye peas.
4. In a saute pan caramelize onions, garlic and hot peppers.
5. Delaze your onion and pepper pan with the red wine and add the peppers and onion to the soup mixture.
6. The soup is ready to eat at this point but I let mine cook on low for another 2 hours.
7. Serve with a crusty bread or homemade tortilla chips.

Eat from the spoon

TGI Wednesday. Which that means the week is half over. (insert happy dance here)

What a better way to celebrate Wednesday than a recipe. Over the weekend I decided to make my own nut butter. I am trying to come up with little ways to save money and I go threw nut butter like it is going out of style. 

See I just signed up for the Health Coach and Nutrition program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition . One year from now I will be a certified Health Coach. I am so excited. Now I can share my passion for health, nutrition, and fitness with others. I truly believe you are the only one that is in charge of your health. What this also means is that I had to come up with $4,000 to pay for the program. So if it means not spending $5 on a jar of nut butter that I can make at home for $2, then I will do it. Every little bit adds up.

Now on to the recipe!

Toasted Pecan, Peanut, and Sunflower Seed Butter

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup salted dry roasted peanuts
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp RAW honey

1. Place the seeds, pecans, and peanuts on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven on 325 for 15 minutes.
2. Let the nuts cool for ten minutes then place all the ingredients in your food processor.
3. Process away!
4. Every minute or so you will have to stop your food processor and scrap down the side. Process for about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. The final result will be AMAZING.
6. No need for bread, just eat by the spoonfull!

Veggie pork tenderloin soup

Ingredients 

• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 to 2 tbsp hot Mexican and chili seasoning
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 red onion (chopped)
• 1 pepper (chopped)
• 12 oz portabello mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 1/2 cup dry mini pasta (I used Barilla Piccolini Mini Rotelle Wheels made with Zucchini and Spinach)
• 1 peppercorn marinaded pork tenderloin

Steps

1. Over medium heat place the first 5 ingredients in a large stock pan and bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile in another pan saute the red onion, pepper, mushrooms, garlic and rice vinegar. Saute until the  rice vinegar is absorbed and the vegetables have a nice color to them.
3. Place the sauteed vegetable in your stock pan mixture and continue to simmer.
4. Slice your pork tenderloin very thin in small pieces and brown in your empty pan that your vegetables were in. Once your pork is browned nicely, add it to your soup mixture and simmer for about 20 minutes more.
5. After your soup is done simmering add your spinach and let simmer for ten more minutes.
6. Ten minutes before you are ready to eat cook your dry pasta to a very Al dente state (I only cooked my pasta for 4 minutes. The box recommended cooking it 6 minutes for Al dente)
7. Add pasta to soup and serve!

2011 Workout Summary

I cannot believe 2011 is over with and it is not January 3 2012.

So here it is; the workout stats for 2011

I ran a total of 502.2 miles including one full marathon and one half marathon

I walked 77.2 miles

I cycled 384.2 miles

I hiked 116.5 miles

and

I did the elliptical for 336.1 miles

for a grand total of 1,416.2 miles. wow what a year.

Let's play dress up!

Or not. I don't think the Mouse was too happy about this, but hey what else do you do on a lunch hour. You have to play dress up with your dog.

Dear Santa, I can't believe you have to wear this hat!

Better late than never. The one and only 26.2

After a month of recovery I finally decided to post some pictures of my one and only marathon. I don't know if you realize how long 26.2 is. VERY LONG.

But I am very  happy I got to run it with my dad. This was an experience I will never forget. Love you dad.