Halloween is on FRIDAY, Gorgeouses! Can you believe!? October went by in a FLASH. To help us celebrate, our favourite, FRIENDLIEST witch, LYN from Wizard and Witch — your resource for all things spiritual — has prepared an awesome recipe that is sure to delight the palette AND be very VERY SCAAAAAARRRRRRYYYY!! It’s MOULDY BLOOD MUFFINS! CHECK IT!

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ¼ cups coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 3 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Topping
• 3 tablespoons coconut
• 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• Green food colouring

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat oven to 400°
• Sift together flour and baking powder; stir in sugar and coconut.
• Beat the egg, vanilla extract, milk and oil together.
• Add the dry mix to the wet mixture.
• Mix just until combined.
• Drop a large tablespoon of batter into each tin.
• Add a teaspoon of jam to each and the rest of the batter.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch.
• Leave the muffins to cool on a baking tray.
• For the topping mix the coconut and a few drops of food colouring.
• Add the confectioners sugar then add water until a paste forms.
• Press the topping mixture into the cracks of the cooled muffins.

THANK YOU, LYN!

And, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!

Let us know how you like them, Gorgeouses!
xo Haley-O

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve even glanced at Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious….

But, today, I wanted to bake something special for my little monkeys. Maybe it’s a first-day-of-school syndrome for us moms. Anyone else go crazy in the kitchen today?

Anyway, I had some cauliflower in the freezer, and I was in the mood to party purée and fill my picky eaters with VITAMINSES. So, I pulled out the most “deceptive” cookbook I own…. And, with a few modifications, her “Banana Bread” recipe did not disappoint. CHECK IT!!!

BANANA MUFFINS WITH HIDDEN PUREED CAULIFLOWER

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 12 Muffins)

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar (I USE 1/2 CUP SUCANAT)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1.5 cups banana puree (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat MUFFIN TIN with cooking spray.

2. Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

3. In another larger bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix the oil and sugar (or sucanat, for a healthier alternative) until nicely combined. Stir in the egg whites, cauliflower and banana purees, and vanilla.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin.

6. Stick it in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out clean. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.

ENJOY for breakfast, snack, or dessert! They’re DEELISH!

GRAPES, BEAUTIFUL GRAPES! Maybe it’s just this batch I bought today. I. DON’T. KNOW. But, MAN, I’m addicted now. And, THANK GRAPES, these grapes totally got me through this evening without noshing like I usually do AS SOON AS the kids are FINALLY in bed (and what a time I had tonight trying get them to bed — INSANITY).

Anyway, there’s a little twist to this treat….

As soon as I brought these delicious, bulbous, juicy orbs of SWEETNESS home from the grocery store, I washed them, placed a bunch of them in two ziploc bags and threw ‘em in the FREEZER. About 9 hours later, here I am. Mmmmmmmm. Just popped one in my mouth, and it was DEELISH.

Best part of all? No guilt.

FROZEN GRAPES, Gorgeouses. Try it. You will love it. And, your body will thank you.

Guess what I have playing OVER AND OVER in my head?

Give up?

Well, I don’t blame you for not guessing it right because it’s not a song.

No. It’s a FREAKING SENTENCE. In a FREAKING FRENCH ACCENT:

“If you wish to see the chef, you will have to wait until all the other customer have gone.”

OVER AND OVER…and OVER my HEAD!

Of course, it’s from my monkey’s favourite movie, Ratatouille, WHICH we have watched almost every day since we got it. We got it some time in December.

“Anton Ego is just another customer. LEZ COOK!”

ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!

It won’t stop!

A-NY-WAY. I can still talk to you, even though I have Collette babbling away in my head….

So, this weekend? Some interesting things transpired.

I drank my first Starbucks Chai Tea Latte of 2008…. Yes I did. I had it with soy milk — mmmm….so creammmy and sweet! Why am I not freaking out at myself in my usual self-denigrating style? Because I’m happy about it.

Once a week, Gorgeouses. I’m allowing myself my favourite thing in the whole world once a week. Because this diet thing sucks. Yes, BECAUSE this diet thing sucks, I’m allowing myself one day a week to have my favourite things. And, that day would be Saturday.

So, this Saturday, I sipped my chai in a new way: savouring every single little sip! I enjoyed my favourite Italian grilled vegetable sandwich. And, I munched on my favourite Sunspire Sundrops (the all-natural edition of M&Ms). Mmmmm….

I also mixed all these treats with a healthy dose of speed walking (not the geeky kind), and a healthy, home-cooked dinner. Check it…CHILEH:

That looks a bit like vomit, doesn’t it…. Well, it tasted better than it looks. Josh-O and the monkey loved it. So there!

I also bought a pilates DVDV (as the monkey calls it…hee!). We’ll see how that goes.

And, in other news….

Today, at a 9:30am birthday party (thankyouverymuch), I resisted THIS:

And, instead had this:

How very, very boring of me.

Hmph…, cheaty little monkey….

“If you wish to see the chef, you will have to wait until all the other customer have gone.”