WEEKLY ROUNDUP

So I can't believe I have never done a baking post on this blog even though I really love to bake sweeties! I think because our apartment in New York had such a small kitchen, I was never really inspired to bake anything unless it was a pop in the oven type of product. Being home I get to use my parents glorious kitchen and all of their supplies and ingredients and it makes it so much more fun!
I've had the cook book "The Craft of Baking" for a long time (I bought it when I wanted to go to culinary school... oh how time changes those dreams) and I never really baked any of the recipes in it besides the Banana Tarte Tatin which actually didn't turn out as awful as I expected.
This cook book is definitely not a beginners book as it requires a culinary expertise that, let's just face it, most people don't come equipped with unless you are a true and devout baker.
Today I decided to bake the Banana Cupcakes recipe because my sister is
going to stop by and she loves anything banana. The Peanut Butter Buttercream was a risk... I really didn't know how it would turn out. But in the end it is absolutely scrumptious!

Cupcakes 
Ingredients (MAKES 1 DOZEN):
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (like who has grapeseed oil waiting in the cupboards???)
3/4 cup mashed banana (about 1 1/2 medium bananas, mashed with a fork)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176.7 degrees Celsius). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. Whisk in the banana, egg, egg yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk, mix the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them three quarters full. Bake, rotating the tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Invert the cupcakes onto a wire rack, turn them top side up. and let them cool completely.

Buttercream
Ingredients: 
2 large egg whites (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon pure vanillla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

To make the buttercream, fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan, and whisking constantly, heat the egg mixture until it is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on medium speed until the whites become translucent and shiny and form a soft peak, about 5 minutes more.
With the machine running, add the butter, a cube at a time, and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and add the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, beat until the buttercream becomes shiny and creamy, about 10 minutes. Spread the buttercream over the tops of the cupcakes, swirling it decoratively.



Enjoy! Xoxo Sam

Let me start off by saying I am not here to tell people how they should live their lives. These are just some of the experiences that I have had with food & nutrition that I thought I would share with you all. Every has their own way of life and I respect that their choice is exactly that... THEIR choice.
When I was a kid I was always very lanky. My diet mainly consisted of chicken stars from Carl's Jr. and I was crazy picky with other foods. When I got to middle school I got that awkward heaviness that usually comes with puberty. I wasn't over weight but I had what my best friend's mom called "puppy tummy." Of course when I grew almost a foot (5'2'' to 6'0'') in a year in eighth grade I leaned out again but I was never by any means overly skinny. I had hips and bigger breasts and that was just the way I was.
I played volleyball very seriously during high school but always seemed to be out of shape. I would do the same exercises as my teammates, eat the same, etc. But I was always last to come in when we ran, I would grow very short of breath, and at one training I actually when into aerobic shock and passed out. At this point my mom was concerned and so I went and got my lungs checked out and it turned out I had asthma. This made me feel much better about myself because finally their was an explanation for why I could never quite get over this barrier that I faced when I was active.
When I quit volleyball my muscle mass went down dramatically but of course without all the activity I actually became less and less healthy. I've never had a great relationship with food and eventually I found myself being consumed with calorie counting. Towards the end of my senior year of high school I started to purge the food I was eating. No one knew except for a close friend and she, being a naive high school girl, was surprisingly supportive of it. At the time I felt happy that I could share this secret with someone and not feel any guilt from them.
By the time I got to college I had a full on eating disorder. And surprisingly enough I was the heaviest weight I had been. I would eat anything I wanted (cookies, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks) and walk back to my dorm room, sit in the shower, and puke it up. Then one day I told my best friend from home because I really thought nothing of it. When he flipped out on me I really didn't know what to do. No one had reprimanded me for my behavior and I felt like I was getting away with doing these horrible things to my body.
Eventually my sister found out and the wrath really came down on me. I am so so happy she intervened because I was very content with that lifestyle. I would lie if I said I am 100% over that mentality. I thankfully haven't purged in almost 3 years now but the calorie restriction is a daily battle I face.
Being home always makes me feel more active. Perhaps it was growing up playing volleyball that I enjoy hiking, jogging, biking, etc. when I'm home. Unfortunately when I'm in New York I have fallen into very low caloric diets to stay thin but my body has been incredibly weak because of it.
The reason I started this post was because I have recently had a turn around. I'm tired of the lack of energy, untoned muscle, and just generally laziness I have when I'm at school.
My Goal: 
I don't intend to lose weight by any means because according to the bmi for my height I am healthy. But I know that my internal healthfulness is seriously lacking and the only one who is going to benefit from changing my habits is me. My goal is to work out a minimum of 4 times and week with a goal to workout every single day. Even if it's just going on the bike for 25 minutes to get my heart rate up. I also intend to cut cheese and eventually all dairy from my diet. Luckily the fitness communities on Instagram, Youtube, etc. are very supportive of all body types. By my graduation I want to feel energetic and fit before I take the next step. Obviously May isn't too far off but I know that I will face some battles along the way (mama loves candy) but I really want this to be a lifestyle change that I can maintain for years to come.
We hear it all the frickin' time but we only have one body and we really should be taking care of it the best way we possibly can. If you sat through this long post I applaud you ha ha! But if you are feeling the same way I say let's band together and start this journey to a happier and most of all healthier lifestyle!
Much love alway xoxo Sam