Gluten Free Lemon Cake With Honey Lavender Whipped Cream

Lately I have realized that like many other people, I might have a problem with gluten. I know what most of you will think when I say that, "is everyone gluten intolerant?", but the answer is no, not everyone is gluten intolerant. The problem with gluten in present day is that it is filled with chemicals, therefore things we should not be putting in our bodies. Your body is only as good as the way you treat is, so everyone should treat it that way. With that being said, you don't need to deprive it of all of the delicious foods there are out there, because I know I am not about to deprive myself. While at New Seasons a couple of weeks ago at their wine night, there was a vendor their who caught my attention. The first part that I loved was that it was a charming little stand with a 1950's vibe. The second part that caught my attention and immediately helped me fall in love, was that their cake mixes are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free and vegan! All in all, anyone can eat these, and once I tried the sample, I wanted to buy every kind that was available. The first kind of mix that I bought from Julie's Original was their white cake mix. Julie actually happened to be at the stand, so I decided to pick her brain about different recipes she had for this particular mix. She told me about how to transform it into a lemon cake, since that is what she had to sample that night. One element that is so great about her cakes are that all you have to add to the mix, is a non-dairy milk and oil. Below I will have directions how to make the cake, and how to make the whipped cream!

As you can see, the packaging for this cake mix is so delightful to look at and just makes me want to bake in a cute polka dot apron. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

To the mix, I added 1/3 cup of melted coconut oil and 1 1/2 cups of soy milk (we ran out of our usual coconut almond milk). I wanted to have this be a lemon cake so I added 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and the zest of one lemon. If you want it to be a basic white cake, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead of the lemon extract and zest. Once those are added to the mixing bowl with the cake mix, beat for 15 seconds or until all blended and smooth. I wanted to make this into a two layer cake, so I divided the batter two 8 inch circle pans, and did not grease them. My pans are non-stick, therefore they don't need to be greased.

Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until cooked all of the way through. Stick a toothpick in the middle to check if they are finished or not. Mine took about 32 minutes.

After the cakes are finished baking, let them rest and cool. While those are cooling, start making your honey lavender whipped cream. In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of dried lavender. Allow this to heat for about 30 minutes on medium-low heat.

Once this is done cooking, use a fine mesh sieve to strain the lavender out. Allow your lavender cream to cool. You will add 4 tablespoons of honey, zest of 1 lemon, and juice of 1 lemon to the lavender cream. Beat this all together with a electric hand mixer until light and fluffy.

Now you are ready to assemble the cake! For mine, I laid down one layer on my cake stand, then spread a layer of the whipped cream on top, making sure there was an even amount. Then, set your second layer of cake on top. Your extra whipped cream will be used as a substitute for frosting on the cake!

Enjoy everyone!

Chilled Cucumber Mint Detox Soup

This weekend was a great one, but filled with beer, which has a habit of sitting at the bottom of our stomachs for a while and bloating you. With that being said, I was in need of a lunch today that was light but also refreshing and healthy so that I could get those nutrients that I lost over the weekend. As I was looking around for a recipe that was all of the things I needed, I stumbled upon this greatness that is chilled cucumber mint soup. The best thing was it is a detox soup which is exactly what I needed since I can still feel the beer and grease coming out of my pours (a face mask is on the lineup for tonight with The Bachelorette). Once I looked at the recipe I realized how easy it is to make also. Below I have some pictures from when I made it and the instructions.

Recipe: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Detoxing-Cucumber-Mint-Soup-Recipe-30788336

 I know the pictures don't look the most appetizing, but I promise that this soup will not disappoint you if you love mint and cucumbers like me! This is also very Bikini Bootcamp friendly!

Do It For You

It's the season where there are going to be many people starting diets and cleanses in preparation for bikini season. There is nothing wrong with doing these for the summer, but to do it more effectively, having it be a lifestyle change, and something you are doing for you, is beneficial. With this new bikini bootcamp (previous post talks all about it), I am doing this more as a lifestyle change rather than something to just get in shape for summer and then go back to old ways. This is something that I want to stick from here on out, and to do this for me and no one else. Putting myself first is something that I have never really done in my life, but have started to do that recently. Before you can be with anyone else, you have to love your self and like being around yourself. My biggest motivation is that I had a weight gain a couple of years ago that I was not ok with. Ever since then, I have been a on a mission to lose this excess weight. Finally, I am back to my original weight, but more importantly I am feeling better about myself. With the weight gain I began to feel very self conscious about what I wore and was not proud of my body. It was not that I had put on the weight, but I was not taking care of myself and was having someone else influence what I was putting into my body, which was garbage. Now I am on a mission to maintain and tone my body, and live a healthier life. Your mental and physical health go hand in hand with each other, so it is important to take care of both. The best part of this bootcamp is that it does not completely cut out your favorite foods, but instead encourage to have them in moderation. Doing it this way, allows you to transition easier when the bootcamp is over, if you choose not to make it a permanent thing. Yesterday I was able to have a BBQ tofu sandwich, guilt free, because I know how to limit myself and not over eat. But one thing I do recommend, and Selena Gomez's trainer recommends this too, DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF! Just gage your progress by how you clothes fit and how you feel. One of the hardest things I have found in my life, is putting me first, because I always put others before myself. But with this bikini bootcamp, I am doing this for me and no one else. That is the most important thing to remember is that you need to do it for you and not anyone else. But by doing this bootcamp, it is a great start for everyone to do something for themselves. Update on the bootcamp, it is going great! The recipes have all turned out delicious and are extremely doable. I will write up a post about it and post pictures in the next couple of days! That way you all can see how they turn out! Below is a picture of my delicious lunch I had yesterday at Russell St BBQ! I ordered the smoked tofu sandwich with classic BBQ sauce and cole slaw.

Changing Things Up

Lately I have been thinking of a way to get my life back together, and be ready for summer time. This is the time of year to make changes, before summer time.  Every year I do Lauren Conrad's Bikini Bootcamp, which has proven to be excellent. It is completely doable for everyone, and does not require insane amounts of money to be spent in order to do the bootcamp. What I typically do to make sure I complete these bootcamps is I make a chart and tape it to a wall in my room. That way I am reminded everyday to stay on top of the program, and have motivation to keep going with it. Usually I do this program for a month, but this time I am going to go for the whole summer, to make sure it becomes a lifestyle change, instead of a temporary one. Below is my personal chart of daily meals and workouts that I will be doing. I will also attach the links to the workouts and meal plans I am doing. 

Below is the initial Bikini Bootcamp plan:

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2015/06/get-fit-the-2015-laurenconrad-com-summer-beach-ready-bikini-boot-camp-plan/

Here are some of the meal plans that I am using bits and pieces of:

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/04/good-eats-3-busy-girl-breakfasts-overnight-oats-green-smoothie-allison-norton-2013/

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2014/01/good-eats-energy-breakfasts/

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2015/05/healthy-habits-why-you-should-try-a-fructose-free-smoothie/

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/04/good-eats-3-busy-girl-lunches-ilana-saul-april-2013/

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/04/good-eats-3-busy-girl-dinners-quick-easy-recipes-healthy-ilana-saul-2013/

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/08/good-eats-3-perfect-brown-bag-lunches/

Here are the workouts I am combing and using throughout the bootcamp:

https://www.toneitup.com/workouts/new-workout-beach-bod/

https://www.toneitup.com/workouts/new-workout-total-body-tone-up/

https://www.toneitup.com/workouts/best-of-the-tiu-challenge-mash-up-workout/

I will be checking in every couple of days to see how everyone that is trying this is doing, and let you all know how I am doing with it!

Became An Absentee

It has been a hot minute since I have posted for you all on here, and so sorry for the absence! But I am back at it and so excited to start blogging again because I really do enjoy it. It's just a matter of making time in my busy schedule to post a few times a week. Things to update you all on since I posted last, I have finished my vegan month and it was VERY successful! I lost the last amount of weight I needed to lose, and now I am all about maintaining and finding a balance. When I went vegan I realized that it is really not hard for me to cut out the bad things in my diet or eat lesser amounts of them. Also, finding things that were healthy substitutes for those unhealthy foods, was key in finding this balance. The gym has also stayed my best friend, but I have also been doing more activities outside and will continue them as the weather gets nicer here in Oregon. Another update is two of my best friends and I got matching tattoos a couple of weeks ago! We have been best friends for years, and all thought it was appropriate to mark our bodies to show the world how close we are. I had been wanting a new tattoo anyways, and could not think of something better than getting one with them. We wanted something that was small but meaningful to the three of us. This past month has also been the month of me making sure to make time for my friends, and realize that they are so important to me. So making time to see them all, is a priority of mine now. Good thing I have a very organized planner to make sure I can plan out everything! Another update is I have started to do a girls night once a month with my friends, and the first one was such a success! The best thing I did to prepare for it was to create a menu that was easy and friendly for everyone, as well as buying some Charles Shaw from Trader Joes. Considering Trader Joes is one of my favorite places in the world, this was the best place to stock up on goodies for our night in. I had decided that each girls night would have a theme as far as food and drinks go. This first one was Italian themed, so that meant pasta, marinara sauce, kalamata olive bread, spring salad with balsamic dressing and our array of wines. Getting different kinds of wine helps, especially when everyone has a different preference of wine. For the next girls night the theme is Mexican, which will include tacos and of course, margaritas. This past month I bought Lauren Conrad's Celebrate book, since she is my idol, and have been reading it non stop getting party ideas. So be on the look out for the next girls night post!

I have also posted pictures from my latest trip to Pips Doughnuts! 

  

New Kind Of Easter

Easter is a holiday that has tons of candy and sweets associated with it. That being said, I have a huge sweet tooth and knew being vegan this Easter would be difficult. But where there is a will, there is a way.

Once I found a recipe for vegan funfetti cupcakes, I knew I had to drop everything and make them. What I knew would be difficult and interesting would be the binder for the cupcakes. Since there are no eggs in them, I looked at many different binders that could be used to substitute the eggs. In the recipe that I ended up using, it called for non-dairy milk mixed with apple cider vinegar, which then curdles and creates the binder. This completely shocked me. Not only did the batter taste like regular cupcakes (I do lick the spoon), but the cupcakes tasted like them too! 

Below is the link for the cupcakes and pictures of how they look before and after they are cooked. Just a note, I used the tiny round sprinkles instead of the stick kind.  Also I will be posting more recipes this week!

http://minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-vegan-funfetti-cupcakes/#_a5y_p=2337245

The Secret to the Garden

    Today is day 3 of being vegan and I have to say, I am feeling better than ever.  That being said, I still miss cheese quite a bit and can't wait to have it again.  Going to the gym is better because I have more energy, I am wanting to get out more, and just overall in a better mood.  On Saturday I went to New Seasons to just get a few staples of things I would miss.  Below is a picture of everything I picked up.  Since I knew I am going to miss cheese, I bought two different kinds, one shredded cheddar by Vegan Gourmet, and the other is an almond jalapeño jack style cheese by The Original Almond.  Knowing yogurt would be a good snack option and for breakfast, I bought SO Delicious Greek style coconut milk yogurt in three different flavors.  Ice cream is the best thing to have at night because it just satisfies me, so I got Almond Dream mint chocolate chip ice cream, which is definitely one that I do not feel bad about eating. Lastly for this shopping trip, I bought Veganaise and Tofurky deli sliced meat, for sandwiches and the Veganaise will also be used for an eggless egg salad mix (recipe will be posted in a different post).  Another thing I have majorly limited is drinking alcohol, which I only drink once a week and have a maximum of two drinks.  This will help me not have any toxins in my body and not put on the weight or regress me with toning.

     Will all of this new energy, I am now able to really kick my workouts up a notch.  I have almost doubled everything that I do, and still have energy once I am done working out.  When I go to the gym, which is 6 out or 7 days a week, I do cycling for about 20-25 minutes, and then do an entire routine to work out specific parts of my body, as well doing full body workouts.  Below I will post links to different workout options to try that I recommend.

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/21-Day-Butt-Challenge-37204809#photo-37620425

https://laurenconrad.com/blog/2014/02/tone-it-up-love-your-body-with-kettle-bells/

ANY TONE IT UP WORKOUT! (I love them and their workout routines)

     A great alternative to working out in the gym, is working out outside.  This morning one of my best friends and I went on a hike through Forest Park to the Rose Garden, then went to lunch.  Since we were feeling so great after our hike, lunch was going to be something that would keep this energy up.  I had been hearing and seeing posts about Garden Bar, and since its not too far from our hike, we decided to give it a try.  Boy oh boy, I already love me a good salad, but this one is heaven.  It is a very simple format, where you can order a salad that they have come up with already on the menu, or make up your own.  Since I am all about the creativity of cooking, I wanted to try making my own up.  First was the picking the lettuce which I chose the garden mix because I didn't want to limit myself to one kind of lettuce.  Next you are able to put 6 topping on it, mine being; avocado, carrots, tarragon corn, cucumber, pepperoncinis, roasted mushrooms, and pepitas.  Last but not least at all, is the dressing, which they ask you if you want it put on light, medium or heavy.  I cannot even tell you how many times I have been somewhere and ordered a salad, then it's either soaked in dressing or there is barely any one there.  So I opted for medium dressing on mine, and chose the green goddess dressing.  This dressing is a new obsession of mine and I am dying to get my hands on the recipe for it.  Eating out is something that could end up being difficult, even in a city that is very vegan friendly.  But it is something that is easy to do once you find substitutes and find go to places that can accommodate to those new dietary restrictions.

    In a few days I will post some recipes for you all to try and can promise you will not miss any animal products when eating it!