(Healthier!) Birthday Cupcake for One

It’s MY party…

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And I’ll eat a vegan cupcake if I want to! 

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Last weekend was my (gasp) 27th birthday.

And while the majority of the day was spent returning from a little vaca break in warm and sunny California all the way back home to cold and snowy Boston, that didn’t stop me from indulging in a tasty birthday treat (after all, scientists say dessert is perfectly acceptable on your birthday, right? ;) ). So, as soon as I got home– jet-lagged and all– I made my way to the kitchen and whipped up a sweet and fluffy frosted vanilla cupcake for one. Because, well, why not?!

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Now I’ll admit it– this little birthday splurge was quite a feat for me. I’d spent many birthdays and special occasions passing up cake and ice cream because it wasn’t considered “healthy.” And come to think of it…I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d even had a bite of birthday cake (or at least a bite that didn’t make me feel guilty afterwards). Whenever the occasion arose, I’d find every reason in the book NOT to have a slice of dessert– and then immediately I’d feel selfish, snobby, and rude for not accepting the offer. The celebration was for ME after all…

 

That all changed as soon as I became vegan.

 

Suddenly I am no longer faced with that dreaded “birthday cake pressure”–namely because most people don’t know where to buy vegan desserts, how to make vegan desserts, or they don’t realize tasty vegan desserts exist in the first place. Now, on a day-to-day basis I’m typically 100% fine with this, (I take pride in my health and in what I put in my body), and when I do want dessert, much of the time I’d prefer to make a “healthier” version on my own that keeps me light on my feet as opposed to weighing me down.

From a health and fitness perspective this all sounded pretty great, but this also meant no more birthday cake at all. Right then and there I knew something about this birthday was different.

Seemingly out of the blue, this simple thought made me feel pretty sad. And as much of a health fanatic as I am, I suddenly considered it a crime NOT to have a bite of dessert on my special day. Heck, who says it has to be your birthday to have a tasty treat?? Everything in moderation people! Besides. It’s a crime in itself that I don’t have a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe on this blog yet.

Enter the (Healthier!) Birthday Cupcake for One.

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With options for a fat-free, low-fat, or full-fat version, this quick and easy cupcake recipe (you only need 20 minutes!) is sure to please your sweet tooth and your conscience. No birthday necessary :) .

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(Healthier!) Birthday Cupcake for One:

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons spelt flour (you can also use whole-wheat pastry flour or white flour if you’d like– however the whole-wheat option is preferred :) ).
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • slightly under 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance buttery spread (for a fat-free option, you can sub  applesauce or mashed banana for butter, but the cupcake will come out a bit chewier without the Earth Balance option and will have a slight banana flavor if you go that route. For a low-fat version you can do half buttery spread, half applesauce or banana).
  • 1/2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 packets of stevia (use sugar if you prefer– taste test until you are satisfied with the level of sweetness. If you use liquid sweetener, reduce the amount of milk by a teaspoon).
  • 1/2 tablespoon 100% maple syrup (optional but highly recommended)
  • Dash of almond extract (optional)


Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 340 degrees.
  • Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until no clumps remain.
  • Spoon batter into a muffin pan sprayed with all-natural non-stick spray (I like to use coconut oil spray).
  • Cook for 15 minutes (or until the edges begin to brown slightly).
  • Allow your cupcake to cool before you pop it out of the pan and begin frosting (I know, I know. Waiting is the hardest part! I tossed the cupcake in the freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process :) ).
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Frosting Ingredients:

(Please note: This recipe makes much more frosting than you probably need! But I won’t judge you if you use it all on one lonely little cupcake ;) . If you want fat-free frosting, omit the Earth Balance and reduce the milk to 2 teaspoons). 

  • 1/2 cup confectionary sugar
  • Slightly under 3 teaspoons almond milk
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of Earth Balance buttery spread (room temperature– NOT melted)
  • Dash of almond extract (or vanilla if you don’t have almond)
Directions:
  • Mix all the frosting together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy (add more confectionary sugar as needed if you need to thicken it up).
  • Frost and enjoy!
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See? Now you can have your cupcake and eat it too :) .

 

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Healthfully Yours,

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Ashley Michelle

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Back in Action! Rockin’ Your New Year’s Resolutions

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I have three addictions.

 

Shoes.

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Statement necklaces.

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And SMOOTHIES…

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I swear — I’ll never get bored with a single one of them as long as I’m experimenting with the latest trends (YES. Smoothies can be trendy. And NO I will not be giving up any of these three things for a New Year’s resolution. You can’t make me).

 

Shoes and jewelry exciting? Sure! I’d bet most of you are on board with that. But smoothies? You’re probably thinking that they can be pretty boring– but I beg to differ! In fact, this past fall I did a 30-day smoothie challenge and wasn’t bored one bit! It all started when I kept Instagramming pictures of my tasty smoothie concoctions day after day. Finally, a friend asked if I was doing some sort of smoothie challenge. When I told her I wasn’t, she demanded I create  little a project out of this thing in the form of a 30-day challenge. It sounded pretty fun to me so I obliged.

 

Besides.

I never turn down a challenge.

 

For 30 days I had a healthy vegan smoothie for lunch and/or dinner (sometimes breakfast too!) and experimented with different ways to keep them interesting. And you know what? I enjoyed whipping up tasty recipes so much that I extended challenge well beyond the 30 days. You may think I’m crazy, but allow me to let you in on a little secret….

 

If you do something over and over again, it becomes HABIT! (Promise).

 

Eventually that habit will become routine, and routine ultimately shapes your life. Once you truly put your mind to something and get in a groove, it becomes much easier for you to implement change into your daily life. Some people say it takes 21 days to create a new habit, but I don’t exactly believe that’s true (and neither do scientists). The reason? Everyone’s brain is different. For instance, it usually takes me three or four days before I can get into a new routine, but it may take someone else longer– and that’s okay! Change is never easy, but it does get easier over time (you know it’s the truth!).

 

And what better time for change than now?!

Can I get a “Happy New Year?!”

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Credit: brit.co

 

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Now that it’s officially 2014, the resolution season is upon us (over a week upon us at that!)…and you know what that means– everyone and their roommate, sister, brother, mother, boyfriend, uncle (etc…) is promising to exercise more, eat right, start a cleanse, and lose those stubborn pounds. First of all, I applaud you for wanting to take charge of your health– there’s absolutely nothing wrong with resolving to be a healthier, happier, better version of  YOU. However, moderation is key and tackling your resolutions in a healthy, mindful way will make all the difference in the world when it comes to resolution success.

 

While I can’t exactly be there in person cheering you on at the gym, cooking up your dinner, and reminding you to put down the pint of ice cream (I swear I would if I could!), I can help to get you on the right track. I’ll be here posting healthy recipes, ideas, and motivating tips to keep you inspired along the way–feel free to Instagram, tweet, comment, and Facebook me with your progress! I love to hear from my prettyfitlifers :) (P.S. WATCH OUT WORLD! I just got a Ninja blender over the holidays so keep an eye out for all my tips and tricks for building a better smoothie!).

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And don’t worry if you haven’t set any healthy goals yet– you have the ability to start now!  But to get you started off on the right foot, I thought I’d share a few of my tried and true tips for success first:

 

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Ashley’s Tips for Success:

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1.) Be realistic:

That list you made with 20 different resolutions? Guess what. You’re biting off more than you can chew, and that’s a recipe for failure. Try to pick the resolutions that mean the most to you (stick to one to five, although even five is a bit generous) and focus all of your energy there. After all, there’s no need to overwhelm yourself before you’ve even started! Set yourself up for success, and success will be yours. REMEMBER: A New Year’s resolution doesn’t need to start the minute the clock strikes midnight on January 1st. You can start today, or you can start tomorrow or the day after that. JUST REMEMBER– YOU NEED TO START :) .

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2.) Be specific:

Do you want to eat healthier? Do you want a toned, energetic body? Do you want to try a vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free diet? Rather than just saying these things, PLAN out how you are going to accomplish these goals. Your focus should be on making lifestyle changes that you can carry over from year to year rather than starting crazy crash diets and cleanses that will keep you on track for a week only to make you irritable, starving, and ready raid the cabinets for a decent snack. Instead, plan out a specific approach.  For example, start eating healthier by packing a healthy, veggie-filled lunch the night before so you aren’t tempted to hit the vending machines or unhealthy cafeteria food at work. Get a healthy, toned, energized bod by cutting out processed foods and sugar and make a point to sweat it out (almost) every day (yes, walking and yoga can count! Just crank up the intensity ladies). Try a plant-based diet, but taper off slowly. Swap regular milk for almond milk in your oatmeal or smoothies and commit to eating fish/meat only three (mayyybe four) times a week. As you get more comfortable with creating hearty, plant-based recipes, you can reduce meat consumption further (i.e. eat organic meat just 1-2 times per week, cut out cheese and dairy etc…).

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3.) Write it down!

Once you know the direction you’re headed…WRITE IT DOWN! Buy yourself a pretty little notebook and create a contract for yourself based upon the plans you’ve devised above. Use the notebook to keep track of your successes, and yes, even failures. A slip up doesn’t mean you’ve blown the rest of 2014…after all, you have the whole entire year ahead of you to make up for it! Write down the mistake, accept that it happened, and move forward. Having to write down that you didn’t do something is often motivation enough to get you back on track and working even harder than before.

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4.) Hold yourself accountable:

Tell people your plans! I don’t mean you have to broadcast all over Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but if that’s your thing…go for it. Tell your best friend, your boyfriend, your roommate, you mom and let them know how motivated you are to keep up your healthy New Year’s habits. Have them to check in with you or ask you how it’s going. If those who are close to you know your plans and feel as though they are a part of them, they just might cut you some slack when you ask if you can host a healthy dinner party at your place instead of  heading out for game-day pizza and beer :) .

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5.) Be positive:

I can’t stress this one enough. BE POSITIVE, BE POSITIVE, BE POSITIVE! Change takes time– it isn’t going to happen overnight. But you are going to hit your goals much faster if you are positive during the process. Negative energy is crippling– believe in yourself and have faith. If you want change badly enough, you will get there. You’ve already committed…that’s the hardest part of all. Now sit back and enjoy the ride!

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6.) Reward yourself with love and happy things:

Okay, this sounds a bit fluffier than it really is but hear me out. Changing your lifestyle, being healthy, and keeping New Year’s resolutions are hard! be sure to love and honor yourself throughout the process. Meditate, buy yourself a nice book, take a bubble bath, get a manicure, buy new workout clothes, get a massage, take a nap, bake a healthy treat (don’t reward yourself with naughty food!)….the option is yours! Set some goals for yourself in that little notebook of yours and do something nice for yourself each time you reach one. After all…you deserve it!

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 It also doesn’t hurt to find a little inspiration :)

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Credit: quotesandsayingsblog.com

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Credit: herbalife mom

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Credit: thethingswesay.com

Credit: Pinterest.com

Credit: yourdailyenlightenment.wordpress.com

 

Credit: Pinterest.com

Credit: dailypositivequotes.com

Credit: peachypalate.com

Credit: Pinterest.com

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My new year’s resolution?

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To get back into my blogging schedule! Life got a little hectic these past few months, but I’m back and better than ever before. I can’t wait to share my healthy posts with you all and I can’t thank you enough for all of your loyalty and support– I love each and every one of you to the moon and back. And if I can leave you with just one word of advice as you head off to conquer those resolutions for the rest of 2014, it’s this:

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Stay motivated and you will amaze yourself at what you can do!

 

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Healthfully yours,

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Ashley Michelle xo