Tag Archives: cake

The Healthiest Ways to Celebrate a Birthday!

A new trend is officially gaining steam: Healthy Birthday Celebrations! When it come time to blow out the candles, it seems like boozing and binging are out and exercise and eating well are in.

To be fair, this could be a sign of being a certain number of years out of college, but I don’t think getting older is the only thing at work here. It’s probably about getting wiser too. I have definitely noticed an increase in the healthier birthday party: For my roommate’s birthday a year or two ago, we all woke up at six in the morning to go on a group run. We spent the rest of the day antique shopping, walking around town (even more exercise), and ended the night with a glass of champagne each.

That’s right. Birthdays do not have to be about totally throwing your healthy lifestyles out the window. Here are some fabulous (and yes, still really fun!) ideas for a more adult birthday party. Enjoy!

Fitness Class Fun
Yoga, Zumba, Indoor Cycling, Pilates, ballet, kickboxing?! There are so many different exercise classes that are an extremely good time—why not bring your friends? Your birthday wish can (and should!) absolutely revolve around getting your best pals to join the fitness class you love. A lot of gyms and fitness centers have group rates or bring-a-friend prices, so definitely take advantage of them. What better way to start a new year in your life than with a little healthy sweat alongside your best friends?

Group Run Get-Together
Similarly, a nice group run is a wonderful way to set yourself up for success. Start your special day off right with a gorgeous run outdoors. Yes, gyms are great, and treadmills are good for your joints, but Vitamin D is important and it’s a lot more fun to run en masse in a park or along a trail. You can even theme the run. How fun would it be to run with birthday hats on or along a trail of landmarks from your childhood? Make it a little more interesting and your friends will definitely be in.

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Posted on May 14, 2023 by Jessica Tholmer

Make S’more Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting to Survive Six S’more Weeks of Winter

Has this been the longest winter ever? It’s starting to feel like it. Currently it’s a -21 wind chill outside and I’m starting to convince myself the sun may never come back; summer will always be a distant fond memory.

Like S’mores. That little campfire treat is one time I put my guard all the way down and say screw it! Gooey marshmallows, melty chocolate (I always splurge and use dark chocolate), and that crispy little graham cracker turn any dull summer night in to an instant memory maker. And right now, as I watch another winter storm swirl around the backyard, I’m clinging to those sweet memories of last summer to keep me warm.

Another way to keep warm? Baking, duh! All that batter beating and pre-heating turns the kitchen in to a little den of coziness. A den of coziness with cupcakes!

And not just any cupcakes, but big, fat S’more cupcakes.

And not frosted with just any frosting, but big dollops of homemade chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Winter just became manageable, folks. (more…)

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Natalie K

Our Exclusive Recipes Featured at FitBottomedEats.com

We really love Jenn and all the Fit Bottomed Girls, so when we learned last year that they’d be adding a third site to their sassy suite, we couldn’t help but ask if we could be a tiny part of it. FitBottomedEats.com is one of our favorite places to share our original recipes. Each month we craft a dessert, or breakfast, or entree that fits in to the lives of the easy-going, no-fuss ladies who visit there. We never make anything we wouldn’t, or don’t, eat ourselves and love that marriage of healthful and flavorful ingredients that always result in a winning recipe.

Each link will take you to the original recipe featured at FitBottomedEats.com. Be sure to tell Jenn we sent you!

Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Enchiladas

stuffed peppers done

We took everything we love about the classic green chili enchilada and stuffed it in to a big ‘ole bell pepper. In ditching the carb-loaded tortillas and typical cheddar cheese, we can focus on the flavor and wholesomeness of this quick and satisfying dinner.

Better Breakfast Burrito

We stuffed a soft spinach tortilla full of everything you love at breakfast and still managed to make it healthy! We used Applegate’s breakfast sausage links, which cook in mere seconds in the microwave, scrambled an egg, chopped fresh bell peppers, and sprinkled a bit of cheese. It’ll fuel your morning without interrupting your flow. (more…)

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Natalie K

A Strawberry Lemonade Cake For Your Sweetest Spring Celebrations

My daughter is turning three this week. As any mother can attest, I just can’t understand where the time has gone. She’s smart, sassy, full of song, and has been waiting for her birthday for months. With no prompting she has provided constant reminders of her wish for birthday hats, balloons (one of each color), and a cake (with fire on top) for months. I was happy to finally oblige with all three this weekend.

The cake, of course, is the centerpiece of any birthday party. But I’m also that mom and sugar is a rare treat in our house – birthdays being a reasonable exception. Still, I didn’t want to overload her, myself, or our guests with a sugar bomb topped with more fat and sugar in the frosting. So, I shared my vision for a fresh, homemade, but easier-on-the-sugar cake with our assistant editor and resident baker extradordinaire, Dana.

This Strawberry Lemonade Cake was a hit! It was rich and dense like a restaurant or bakery cake, but felt clean, light, and perfectly sweet. That’s because we didn’t use any butter and went light on the sugar, but made up for it with honey and fresh strawberries. (more…)

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Natalie K

King Cake Gets a Calorie-Cutting Makeover this Mardi Gras

For some, indulging in King Cake on Mardi Gras is well-worth the calories, particularly if sweets are something one is giving up for Lent. However, there are some creative ways to save on calories that are in keeping with the festive spirit of the holiday. Below are some ideas and lower-cal recipes to consider before you bake a cake with 250 to 500 calories per serving.

Calorie Saving Swaps

Former Biggest Loser contestant Heba Salama suggests having a healthier Fat Tuesday by making your King Cake with an angel food cake and frozen low-calorie whipped topping. “To make it a layered cake simply slice the cake in half, spread whipped topping down the middle, re-stack and keep cool until ready to serve,” she recommends. You can use food coloring to add the right colors without adding more sugar.

If King Cake just isn’t right to you without puff pastry and cream cheese, use these healthy swaps in any King Cake recipe. “You could replace nonfat Greek Yogurt for the sour cream and use four egg whites instead of the two eggs and use skim milk in the icing,” says Alison Lewis, cookbook author and president of Ingredients, Inc. “If a recipe calls for cream cheese, the light one-third less fat cream cheese is a great substitute.”

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Posted on February 20, 2024 by Margaret

Healthy Wedding Cakes Perfect for Your Special Day

The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of wedding season as couples across the country take advantage of the warmer weather and higher likelihood of sunshine to tie the knot. While the onslaught of summer weddings might tickle your inner romantic, they can create a hefty dilemma for dieters. The food served at weddings is typically high in calories and fat – and that’s even before you consider the cake.

According to Frost Magazine, a piece of wedding cake can set you back approximately 650 calories – which certainly won’t help you snap into shape for the summer swimsuit season. If you’re attending a wedding as a guest it can be hard to say no to cake on someone’s special day. If you’re the bride or the groom, choosing the cake can be no easy feat: you want one that looks gorgeous, fits your wedding theme and tastes delicious. The quest for the perfect cake can be even more difficult when you want to find something figure-friendly, too.

Luckily, some clever couples have moved away from traditional wedding cake and are choosing to serve figure-friendlier desserts that will still satisfy the sweetest sweet tooth.

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Posted on May 27, 2023 by Maris

Your Royal Wedding Watch Party Checklist

It seems the whole world is anxiously waiting for the upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. If you are one of the many planning a royal wedding watch party for your friends and family to witness the sure to be beautiful ceremony, make sure you have everything you need to throw the perfect royal wedding bash.

Thankfully, we have compiled a list of all the ingredients for a perfect royal wedding watch party that might get you talked about more than the wedding itself.

First off: the food. You can’t celebrate a royal English wedding without traditional English food. Check out our delicious list of Healthier Royal Wedding Watch Party Recipes for main dishes, side dishes and desserts that make you feel like you hopped the pond- without breaking your calorie bank.

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Posted on April 27, 2023 by Kelly

Let them Eat Cake: Royal Wedding Cake Recipe Revealed

Royal Chef Darren McGrady

Princess Diana’s personal chef Darren McGrady has announced that he holds the key to Prince William’s Royal Wedding cake recipe. When many are speculating about the ingredients of Chocolate Biscuit Cake, McGrady offers the true recipe in his cookbook Eating Royally that’s published by Thomas Nelson.

“I was thrilled to learn that Prince William had chosen the Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe from my book Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen, for his wedding cake because it is also his grandmother’s favorite cake,” says McGrady. “I used to prepare it for both of them when they had tea together. The Queen would request the cake in the menu book for Sunday tea when she knew her grandson William would be joining her from Eton.”

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Posted on March 30, 2024 by Maris

Healthy Recipes for Your Mardi Gras Celebrations

New Orleans might be the hub for Mardi Gras parades and celebrations on Tuesday, March 8, but you can easily get into the spirit of this holiday no matter where you are. Mardi Gras, also called Carnival in some countries, is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian faith.

The kickoff of Mardi Gras is known as “Fat Tuesday,” which for some, might imply that it’s hard to celebrate without loosening your belt or spending some extra hours at the gym. Instead of overindulging, recreate some of your favorite Cajun and Louisiana recipes for Mardi Gras this year — but with a healthier twist. (more…)

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Maris

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