Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Cake

Well then. It's been over a month.

Don't worry. I didn't keel over. Nor did Mr. C. Nor did our little sunflower plants. It was all in my head really.

You might have read about my brand new health problems that I mentioned in the last post. Afterwards, I received some emails from some baking buddies. They were worried. Actually far more worried then I was. And that was sweet. It made me feel loved. (You guys are such darlings).

But that got me thinking. Was I truly healthy?

Ginger Carrot Cupcakes

There's foil wrappers scattered across the floor. Cadbury creme is covering every flat surface in your house. You are slumped in a corner, probably in a sugar induced coma. If you have children, they are currently climbing the walls. Literally. Why? Why oh why oh why?

Bloody Beet Cupcakes

I like to hide vegetables in things. Maybe it's my vegan nature. Maybe I physiologically feel better about eating a crapton of sugar if I know there's a bit of spinach hiding in there somewhere. Who knows.

I mentioned before that I'm sorta in a Halloween rut. Usually by now I've pulled a billion spooky recipes out of my butt and shared them all with you. But not this year. Nothing inspired me. Until I went to the farmers market and got a load of those Giant. Red. Beets.

 

The Green Thumb: Sweet Pea Cupcakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Candied Mint

There are some colours that are pretty verboden when it comes to a dessert plate. No one wants to see electric blue or crayon purple next to their spoon. Magenta and chartreuse are even worse. It's hard not to imagine how many chemicals and food colours are hiding inside those unnatural shades. Then there is our old friend, green. It's fine on your dinner or lunch, but when it pops up in the middle of your confectioneries, it might turn your stomach a bit.

But, really, if you think about it, the healthiest things in life are green.

Spinach Banana-Nut Muffins

So, you over did it during Super Bowl weekend, didn't you? One too many chicken wings and mugs of cheap beer? I understand. For some reason, you think a bunch of guys tackling each other in tight pants is a big deal. Enough of a big deal to absolutely throw that New Years resolution to the wind and completely engorge yourself. And now, even days after the big game, you've still got heartburn. What's worse, you've finally noticed the flat tire that's started to settle around your middle. It's like the ghost of Thanksgivings past has come to haunt you.

But, it's okay. Football season is now over. You now have couple days to detox before you consume that giant box of stale cinnamon hearts. Time to make the best of it.

The Tale of Two Chips

We got a dehydrator for Christmas. Sort of out of the blue. Sort of bizarre. But I'm totally into it. Mr. C wasn't so sure about it, until I mentioned we could use it to make jerky. Now he's totally on board.

I realize this blog is a temple for sugar and butter worship. But, as you know, I'm the sort of weirdo baker that usually reaches over the cupcakes and cookies so I can get to the vegetable crisps. When we received the dehydrator, I knew it and me would be great friends. With it by my side, I could make yummy chips made out of any vegetable known to man. Yam. Zucchini. Hell, I'd even try to dehydrate a whole mini pumpkin if Mr. C would let me (he still says no, but I'm sure we can make him change him mind). So, we started to experiment.

The thing about experimentation is, for every victory, you have a failure.