Sweet Lemon Blossoms

These remind me of a baked doughnut that is smothered in a tart lemon icing...little bites of heaven! If you like lemon desserts you will LOVE these delightful bites of lemony goodness!! Made with a cake mix makes them extra easy to whip up too!!

1 (18.25 oz. box) yellow cake mix

1 (3.4 oz.) instant lemon flavored pudding mix (I used vanilla pudding mix & it was pretty amazing)

4 large eggs

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray miniature muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and 3/4 cup oil. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter into each muffin tin, and bake for 12 minutes. Let rest about 5 minutes in pan before turning the cakes onto a cloth towel.

In a medium bowl, sift confectioners' sugar. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and water, stirring until smooth. Dip the cakes into the glaze while they are still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible. Place the cakes on a wire rack with wax paper underneath to catch the drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.

Sweet Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Vanilla Icing

 

So I originally found this recipe on Pinterest but made a few changes. It's sweet & cake like & Lemon-tastic tasty!! Got Zucchini? Well here you go...

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil (canola or vegetable oil can be substituted)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup grated zucchini (you don’t need to peel the zucchini before grating it)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan or 3 mini loaves; set aside.

In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.

Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan or 3 mini loaves and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, (mini loaves for about 35 min)or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes; Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

LEMON VANILLA ICING-

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, & vanilla until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.

Chocolate Fudge Zucchini Cookies

Got Zucchini?? What to do with ALL that zucchini that you can't pick fast enough from your garden? These chewy & chocolaty cookies will be your new favorite! The zucchini makes them especially moist & delicious! Mmm...

1 1/4 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
 In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars. The mixture will be thick and resemble sand-that's ok. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Gradually add to the flour mixture, stirring until moist. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
 Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes or until cookies are firm. Remove cookies from sheet and cool completely on wire racks.
Note-Squeeze the shredded zucchini in a paper towel and pat dry to remove the excess water before using.

Flourless Protein Muffins

 

Okay so these muffins can be made so many ways...I've made banana/chocolate/apple cinnamon/pumpkin of course not all of them combined, pick your flavor & use suggested amount below but the options are plenty!  I make them about once a week and I'm always throwing different things in & substituting different ingredients and it's all whipped up in the blender. Easy peasy! I haven't taken a fancy picture yet so the one you see is a batch of pumpkin muffins I took that I sent to my sister on my phone but you get the idea, right?

1 cup oats (old fashioned kind, not quick cooking)

1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt (any yogurt works here, I've also used cottage cheese)

1/4 cup milk (I use coconut or almond but any will do)

2 eggs

1/4-1/3 cup sweetener of choice -you can adjust the sweetness to your liking

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder (use chocolate for chocolate muffins if you have it)

2 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (When I make the pumpkin or apple cinnamon I also add some nutmeg, allspice, cloves, all the warm spices that belong with apples & pumpkin)

2 bananas/1 cup pumpkin puree/1/3 cup cocoa powder/1 green apple grated (of course NOT all of them, pick your muffin flavor & use suggested amount)

Important: The paper liners don't work well when baking with a base that does not include flour, they always seem to stick to the paper. I sprayed the muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or you can use foil cupcake liners or a silicone muffin pan.

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners, (or just use a silicone muffin pan).

2. Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until oats are smooth.You may need to help it along by scraping down sides a few times.

3. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

You can change this & add other seeds, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc. Enjoy!!

Banana Bread Breakfast Quinoa

With all the yummy taste of indulgent banana bread without the sugar, flour, & guilt! This breakfast treat will have you going bananas!!

1 very ripe banana – mashed

¼ cup dry quinoa

¼ cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

2 Tbsp walnuts

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

Cook the quinoa on the stove to package instructions. After the quinoa has finished cooking (while over low heat), stir in the almond milk, mashed banana, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix the walnuts into the quinoa or add on top. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy warm. Yield- 1 serving

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs with Homemade Pizza Sauce

How adorable are these cute little puffs of cheesy pizza goodness?! Little bites of pizza perfection served with my all time favorite & simple pizza sauce! You're gonna love these!! 

 3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

2 oz mini turkey pepperoni, (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup pizza sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile make Pizza sauce over stove. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce.

Pizza Sauce-

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 half of an onion minced

1 garlic clove minced

Dash of sugar

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion & garlic in olive oil in a medium saucepan for about 1 minute. Add herbs and seasonings. Pour in tomato sauce & sugar. Let simmer on low about 10 minutes. Add Parmesan and taste for seasoning. YUMM!!

Pumpkin Protein Shake

After so many years of having blah protein shakes this one brings me much hope that there are many ways to jazz up those protein packed muscle drinks! I especially love this one because the pumpkin is full of fiber & vitamins not to mention it is more like a dessert than a health drink!! Yumm!!

In a blender combine-

8-10 ounces of water (any kind of milk would work here I just wanted less calories)

1-1/2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (your favorite brand)

about 1/3-1/2 cup of canned protein (not the pumpkin pie filling!) 

a couple shakes of pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon, or both! 

a few ice cubes if you want it thicker.

fresh grated nutmeg & extra ground cinnamon to sprinkle over top (optional)

That's it! This takes the protein drinks to a whole new delicious level! Enjoy!