Cats

So I'm kind of a crazy cat lady....I mean how could you not love these two cuties. I've loved cats ever since I was a kid...we always had at least one. Our first cats were kitty and Moo...I loved kitty but UNFORTUNATELY she did not like me. She would sit on my bed and if I tried to take her off she wans't having it! Calico's can be temperamental... I know a lot of people don't like cats but if you find the right breed they really can be great! I've found that orange tabbies, tuxedo and blue russians are extremely friendly :) I have a blue russian and he's probably one of the most social cats I've ever met and will ever meet.  I mean I made them homemade cat treats for god sakes!

I actually had a ball making them :)

Still love this

Crazy cat ladies UNITE!

biscotti

I've always been a lover of cookies....It was my trademark thing to make when I first started baking in middle school! My dad worked for a bakery for a short period of time and he loved to bake as a hobby. He taught me the basics and it's where my passion for food and baking blossomed :)

I still love making cookies but this was my first venture in trying out biscotti and it turned out great! Traditional biscotti has no butter and more crispy than chewy. It's even more delicious when dipped in coffee!  The recipe I used is the perfect consistency of being crisp but not break your teeth hard. The recipe is a very good one BUT the cooking time is too long. I REPEAT if you don't want the biscotti to be rock hard do not cook it as long as it says.  It says to bake 50 minutes the first time around and 20 minutes on each side the 2nd and 3rd. I cut time in half and baked for 35 minutes then 15 minutes on each side and it turned out much better. I also melted some chocolate and dipped the ends in :)

Almond biscotti

***Don't skip the amaretto and make sure to toast those almonds, they really bring out the flavor! All you have to do is throw the almonds and roast in oven for ten minutes at 350!

Enjoy!

Fun runs

Have you ever done a color run or some sort of "themed" run? They are a blast! I did it last year with a couple of friends and we all had a ball...It was a really good time and more laid back for a 5k. They blasted music, families were all around, some people walked, AND you get to look like this in the end! It's a great first kind of run to do if you've ever had the goal to run one!

I love color

Get out there and get active, have some fun with it! :) 

I did color me rad but this is another one!

Have a great Wednesday! 

Homemade Nut butters

Have you ever tried to make your own nut butters?  It's actually EXTREMELY easy and cheaper than buying it from the store! This chocolate almond butter is to die for!

I'm kinda obsessed with peanut butter......I mean I did name my site purple peanut butter...I wasn't always this obsessed but once I started changing my diet and eating and feeling a lot better it became this yummy indulgent treat!  There are actually a lot of healthy benefits to REAL peanut butter, not all peanut butter is created equal. And I know you may not believe me but once you start eating healthy and just treating your body that way you should, you start to crave those healthy delicious things for you! Read this

My best advice is to PLAN AHEAD. I plan my meals in advance everyday. I already have in my head what I will eat that day and thats whats I'm gonna do.  I know it takes some extra time but it's so worth it in the end!

And for fun here is some awesome fancy peanut butter to indulge in 

Delicious and for a good cause

So many flavors!

and one more

Muffins

Muffins are one of my favorite baked goods to make, especially banana! Banana muffins can be moist and delicious without adding a TON of fat and sugar to them.....These are my favorite recipes which are very interchanagle. Don't want raisins? Take them out! Want chocolate chips? Add them in! Another trick I use is if it calls for milk I LOVE to use unsweetened almond milk. It's so great in baking and gives it a little more creaminess then just skim milk! Now go make some muffins for breakfast, snacks, or dessert!

Oatmeal Raisin Banana Muffins

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Chocolate Banana Chip muffins

Pictures taken with iphone :) 

Friendly reminder

Just a positive reminder to myself and everyone! Hope your Monday is going alright! 

New blog

I originally planned to do a dinner/dessert blog wit my fiancee Alex. It quickly turned into him setting it up for us but I was the only one posting. I LOVE everything about food and I LOVE to bake and I LOVE to cook with my fiancee....I however DO NOT love to write recipes. What I am good at though is finding recipes, finding useful and interesting facts about food and how it effects peoples lives. I am going to use this new blog to post the recipes I find on the internet, tweak them, and make them delicious! I'll also update you all on the great things I read about every day in the food world. One of my favorite things to do is get up every morning, get ready for work and sit down a half hour before enjoying my breakfast, drinking coffee, and reading my food blogs.

routines


I'll leave you with a delicious buffalo cauliflower recipe I found a couple weeks ago. It's a great appetizer and a healthier way indulge rather than chicken wings!

Buffalo Cauliflower