gluten free yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting

So since realizing that i was gluten intolerant months ago i have been trying to replicate all of my favorite baked goods, some with success some...lacking. One of the biggest challenges has been cake. Every time i tried a different recipe it would be grainy or tasting slightly of beans...yummy in a burrito but not so much in a cake. Well, i finally scoured books at the local Barnes and Noble (to the chagrin of the employees who had to put them all away) and found this recipe. It is the closest i have come to what i remember yellow cake is supposed to taste like. It's fluffy and light, just the right amount of sweetness and actually tastes yummy warm (a requirement in my book). First of all the trick was to change up my flour, i realized that the Red Mills gluten free flour is good for many things but for sweet things like cakes i needed a more finely ground and sweeter flour. This recipe calls for white rice flour, which is not very healthy but let's face it, if you are making cupcakes is not really a requirement. i found it easy to make and topped with my favorite chocolate frosting it was delish! Even my mom, who is an amazing cook and baker, said she couldn't even tell they were gluten free which is the ultimate compliment! So here you go!

Classic Yellow Cake

1 cup plus 2 Tbls. white rice flour

1 cup corn starch

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. xantham gum

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1. preheat oven to 350

2. grease pans or prepare cupcake papers

3. in med bowl wisk together dry ingredients (except the sugar)

4. in another larger bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs and beat.

5. add dry ingredients and mix until combined

6. add milk and vanilla and blend until batter is thoroughly combined and fluffy.

7. bake rounds for around 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean, if cupcakes it's right around 18 minutes.

8. frost with your favorite frosting.

(from Elizabeth Barbone's book Easy Gluten Free baking

pandora

So the other day daniel had music playing through the computer when i came home and i asked him what he was listening to and he replies, "pandora" HUH? What is pandora?...and thus my world has changed. I think that I am the last person in the world to figure it out but if you are like me and you have no idea what i am talking about prepare to be amazed. Go to www.pandora.com to try it. All you do is put an artist or a song in, for example regina spektor, and they CREATE a station for you based on whatever band or song you put in. So you get to hear all sorts of amazing music that sounds similar to the music you love! i KNOW i couldn't believe it either AND it's totally free. I am LOVING it and finally feeling like i can be cool enough to say, “have you heard of the broken bell?” now all i need is some some jorts that have the pockets hanging out, oxfords and a bowler hat.

clothes i need

under shirts

another summery dress

a perfect leather jacket, soft and light but still tough

how CUTE is this?!

i love dresses

summery dresses

a floral skirt

floral watercolor (i truly had this description on my list and i think this dress hits the nail on the head)

more summer skirts

though not on my list exactly it is now

this just says "wear me to the beach" but can also be great for work

a fun flirty blouse

a button-up white blouse

casual "weekend" pants

black trousers

kind of like wearing my yoga pants but not so shlumpy

i couldn't decide which ones i liked better so i put both "black heels for work"

So, i have an ever growing list on my phone of items that i need to buy, so that when i am out shopping i don't say to myself..."what am i forgetting that i need?!" What tends to happen anyway is that i pick up things i like and not the staples i need to stretch my wardrobe. Buying a white button up is infinitely less interesting than buying a flowered skirt or bright heels, so i am going to go through my list and post pictures of options for myself so i can get inspired to get the pieces i truly need.

quinoa fail

rinsing the quinoa

sauteing the onions in oil and a little butter

the finished product with BBQ'd chicken and veggies

This was my first time trying to make quinoa and to be honest...it wasn't my favorite, I liked the nutty flavor but it felt like maybe something that should be given to cows to bulk them up for the slaughter. I was going to post the recipe but I think this one isn't worth passing on. The veggies and the chicken were amazing, thanks to the hubby and his mad grilling abilities, but i would have gladly just eaten those and not the livestock food. Oh well you can't have a winner every time!

way too late to be cool

(the blue veil*)

i know, i know. EVERYONE has a blog now but i decided that since 1. i didn't have one yet 2. i just started being gluten free 2a. i started collecting recipes that were gluten free 3. i waste my time on so many other things why not start something else to fill my time 4, 5,6-100. why the hay diddle diddle not? Sooooo here i am, starting a blog about whatever my whimsy of the day is, so i hope you enjoy!

*the print that daniel got me for Christmas that i am wanting to frame.