Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

It's time to celebrate! This weekend is all about graduation and I am enjoying every minute.

First, Bri and I have been in a long distance relationship all through college.  He has been in St. Louis and I've been up in Madison.  Last night, I flew from Madison to St. Louis because he is graduating today.  This also marks the END of our long distance!!! I am very excited to see what our future has in store!

After Bri's graduation  we are going to his favorite restaurant, The Fountain.  The food here is great, the drinks are fun and yummy, and the desserts are out-of-this-world amazing.  I'm pretty pumped.  Then, we have to pack up his apartment and drive back to Madison because I graduate tomorrow!

I am graduating with a degree in Secondary Math Education and I already have a job teaching high school math.  I am so excited and proud that this day has arrived.  Of course, I am also sad that things are going to change so much, but I am excited to see what life is going to be like now that I'm like a "real" grown-up.

So, lets celebrate! Today I have what is basically my favorite cupcake combo: Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream.  I adapted the cake recipe from Food and Wine and I used my yummy Mocha Frosting.  The cupcakes were perfect, the buttercream amazing, and I treated myself to one of these in honor of graduation.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream

Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
pinch of salt
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1 tsp vanilla
For the Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp espresso powder
3 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cupcake pan so that you can make 16 cupcakes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter with canola oil and water.  Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.  Beat in egg until well combined.  Beat in vanilla.  Stir in creme fraiche until just combined.
4. Fill cupcake wells about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.
5. To make the frosting, beat butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until you have 3 cups.  Beat in espresso powder and vanilla.  Add more sugar for a desired consistency and taste.  Frost cupcakes!

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Memorial Day BBQ

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about Memorial Day! Just follow the rules and link up your festive BBQ recipes! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up BBQ Pulled Chicken, Fancy Mac and Cheese, and Thai Turkey Burgers.

Top 3:

1. Key Lime Pie Parfait

2. Mom's Good Cookies

3. Strawberry Cheesecake Tart

Most Clicks:

1. Great Grandmother's Oatmeal Cookies

2. Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

3. Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispies

And Host Favorites! 

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Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins

It's Strawberry Season and I have been in such a great mood because of this whole getting a job and graduating thing and I just felt like baking something scrumptious with strawberries!  I used the same base as I did for my Perfect Blueberry Muffins to make Perfect Strawberry Muffins! I also doubled the recipe because I wanted to share my treats! All my friends who are still "real students" are taking finals and I brought these muffins to a study session to share with everyone! I don't have finals since I am a student teacher and I have to go to school every day until the end of the high schools school year.

Perfect Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and lightly grease a muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar until pale yellow, beat in milk, yogurt and vanilla.  Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the strawberries.
4. Fill the muffin pan all the way to the top and bake for 5 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 375 and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.

Enjoy :)

Thai Turkey Burgers

I GOT A JOB! Well, I haven't signed anything yet and I don't know many details, but I do know that I got a job offer at a high school to teach math! I am crazy excited and can't wait to start getting ready!

Also, now that I know where I am going to be, Bri and I are moving forward on looking for an apartment! I can't believe all of this.  I feel a little too grown up right now.  

Since, it is Monday, I also have a Half Marathon Monday update for you all.  I got up to 12 miles and now I get to taper off a little.  My long run this week was 9 miles and honestly it felt like a breeze.  I love getting out there in the morning and getting in a long run.  During the week I didn't run as much because of how busy I was, but I am still feeling great.  The run is only 2 weeks away and I can't wait! 

And, of course I have a recipe to share! This is a super yummy recipe and I found it over on How Sweet It Is.  These Thai Turkey Burgers are full of flavor and super healthy.  I had them for lunch at school and everyone was jealous of how yummy it smelled! I love the flavors here and it was a perfect little meal to have for dinner and then leftover for lunch.  

Thai Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean turkey

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup shredded carrot

salt and pepper

4 whole wheat buns

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup light coconut milk

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

2-3 tbsp hot sauce or chili sauce (depending on taste)

3 cups coleslaw mix

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Make the sauce: whisk together the rice vinegar, coconut milk, garlic, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce.  Pour into a small sauce pan and heat until simmering.  

2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey meat with the carrots and green onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour about 3/4 of your sauce mixture into the turkey mixture and combine.  

3. In another bowl, place the coleslaw mix and toss with the peanuts. Pour the other 1/4 of the sauce over the coleslaw and set aside.

4. Form the turkey meat into 4 patties.  Place in a grill or saute pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until browned, flip patties and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  

5. Place burgers on buns, top with coleslaw and serve!

Enjoy :)