Well HELLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Sweet Brothas & Sistas!

How are we all feeling today? IT'S WEDNESDAY! So that should give you some boost in mood & energy, as you anticipate the weekend's festivities, or lack thereof.  C'mon Peeps! Let's get

PUMPED-the heck-UP!

...whether it's for something, or nothing at all...the WEEEEEEEKEND is a comin' and that's reason enough! Even though I don't work a normal 9-5 office job, I STILL very much look forward to sleeping in (I get this booty out of bed at 7 during the week days!) , indulging in bad TV, being lazy (I usually avoid the gym), and throwing back a cocktail or two.  It's our moment just BE. To unwind. To chill out. To break rules. 

...and speaking of "breaking rules," that is something I try to do a little of each and every day. Kimosabe said what?!? Yeah, you heard me! As I mentioned in my previous Fun Friday Vlog http://youtu.be/E-nOhz8J4fE I would rather have a little fun, than stay super regimented, and it works for me! So, (almost) every night, I like to indulge in a sweet treat -- whether it be a homemade cookie I baked, some sexy dark chocolate, or "healthy" PB cup. But, there's a catch here, folks...With the exception of the store-bough chocolate and special occasions  (although I do make sure I buy super high quality dark-I'll share my faves at end of post!)

I Will Only Eat What I Bake!

When I bake myself, I can control EXACTLY what's going into my body (and my cookies!), and you can't beat anything that's fresh out the oven !  Here are ways I infuse my sweet treats with nutrition:

• Use Oat Flour, NEVER refined white flour. (Sometimes WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY or BAKING FLOUR)
• Add Oatmeal, Chia or Flax seeds to add texture
• Use pureed banana or pumpkin in place of egg (but I still use egg in certain recipes)
• Use very little butter or oil, except for in specific recipes where removing would result in nastiness. *Side Note: In recipes that do call for butter, I 1/2 it. I also sometimes replace dairy butter with coconut oil, which has a very rich and buttery flavor-it's delicious in baked goods!*

Some Favorite Store Bought Sweets:

• Chip 'N Dipped Chocolate Bars --> http://www.chipndipped.com/html/nutritional_information.asp​

• Emmy's Organics (LOVE the Dark Cacao Macaroons)​ --> http://emmysorganics.com/

Now, this is all fabulously delicious information, but you might be scratching your head, wondering why I've entitled this post as "Holy Frosting Balls..." when in fact, there's been no speak of "frosting balls."

Well, lovers, THIS is why:

MMMmMMmmMMmm My mouth is watering at the mere glance of this concoction! I found a recipe for "Frosting Shots," on this super cute blog, Chocolate Covered Katie http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/16/chocolate-frosting-shots//--> 

The beauty of this recipe was:

• It took ZERO time to make (minus the time you need to let coconut milk sit uncovered in fridge overnight
• It's dairy free, vegan, & gluten free
• It's SUPER RICH, so a very small amount will more than satisfy!

​

I wanted to dig right into mine, so there was no fussing with piping, or whipping, so BALLS it was!  And enjoyed my Balls, I did! It's also important to note that I used 2 tsps of raw sugar to sweeten, and added some choc chips to really have some fun! 

So if you're craving the following:

• Frosting
• Chocolate
• Ice Cream
• Mousse

These frosting shots are a GOLDEN TICKET, indeed!

That's a sweet wrap on today's post, Pumpkins! It's been real...

PEACE, LOVE, & BESOS 

xoxo, Mrs. Daily Dubes 

P.S.: My HOT & SPICY Newsletter is rolling out TOMORROW! Today's your LAST CHANCE to get in on this F-U-N! BAM! (Sign up at top right hand corner of page!)

Hello There My Precious Love Buttons!!!

...Do you know what time it is?!?!?! ....(reply with a resounding....)

. * . * . C o O k i E   T i M e . * . * .

...But not just any cookie time...

CHRISTMAS COOKIE TIME ! ! !

Cookies here! ...

                                ...Cookies there! ....

                                                   Christmas Cookies are EVERYWHERE!!!

At least in Casa de Constantiner they are!!!

So the FIRST OFFICIAL batch of cookies that yours truly whipped up, were Mama J's Spritz Cookies! --> http://dailydubie.com/S=4baa86b27cfba0d7440f37b622ea59fe34e68d26/post/a_fancy_schmancy_affair_to_remember...hopefully

We already know those were a WILDLY SUCCESSFUL...So let's take a look at my Freshest Batch:

The Gingerbread Men ...with hearts & candy canes 

I forgot that these guys are more involved than standard cookies- they require dough chilling time (1+hrs), so they took longer than expected - and were a bloody workout to roll out & cut! Oy vey! But after breaking a sweat, I managed to get these babies BAKED! ...and boy were they good! I LIVE for a spicy, molasses cookie! MMm Mmm good!

and SURPRISE! ***SPOILER ALERT!*** ...

These aren't just butter, sugar, and flour...I managed to squeeze in SOME nutritional value by substituting the All-Purpose white flour, for White, Whole Wheat Baking Flour! BAM!

Without further ado, I'm going to show you just what these Gingerbread Men are made of!

RECIPE: Derived from @FitSugar

Ingredients

2 cups white, whole wheat baking flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3/4 cup dark molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature

Directions

Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and clove in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.
Combine sugar, butter, and molasses in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until fluffy and light, about two minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, add egg, and mix until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until moist throughout, about two minutes. Turn dough onto a dry, clean surface, divide in half and form into flat disks, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour or up to three days.
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut dough into three-inch round cookies and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather remaining dough into a ball and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before re-rolling.
Bake cookies until edges are brown but centers are still soft, about eight to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly on the baking sheet (about two minutes), then remove to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

...And now, for the MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION:

What Will Be My Next Cookie Conquest?!?!?

I welcome your ideas! Give me somethin' to ponder, Brothas & Sistas! 

Aight, I'm out for now Peeps! I need to be a good Wifey & cook us some DINNAH! Nom nom!

Kiss Kiss 

Love,

Mrs. LDC* xo 

Good Morning My Beautiful, Beloved Readers!

...I'm not here to post "The Post" yet, rather, I HAD to let y'all know that my Spiced Double Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe needed 

More spice! 

+

Don't get me wrong...they still taste fabulous, but if you're a sucker for that ginger & cinnamon flavor...you better ADD more to my recipe!

Take it up a notch to:

• 1/2-3/4 tsp Ground Ginger

• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

....It's all about expirimentation! ...

I'm out for now! I have a HOT DATE with your eyeballs later!

Besos!

Mrs. LDC* xoxo

Bonjour Poupées!

Comment allez-vous?! Bon Je L'espére! 

Yes yes..I am Française today because Mama J & I had ourselves the most fabulous, beautiful, delicate, & sexy sweet nothings on Planet Earth! ..Oh, and they're French, hence my jibber jabber about being "French-i-fied" today. 

We spent the day on the UES, and had been liesurely walking along Mad(ison avenue) when all of the sudden, my eyes caught a beautiful, unfamiliar store between 70th and 71st Street. As luck would have it, we coincidentally stumbled upon the very world famous macaron shop we were just reading about in the recent Town & Country...

Ladurée

These are DIVINE!!!!!!! I must say, macarons don't usually excite my taste buds, but these...oh these are something very special, my friends. They are light, buttery, melt-in-your mouth good. The good that's too good to only have one, or two, or even three! Heck, we went back for a second round, picking up a beautiful box of 8! Ladurée's goods isn't only what's good; the store itself is equally delightful & elegant, offering up a wide variety of chic gift boxes, coming in all shapes & sizes, making them *the perfect* hostess gift.

Unsurprisingly, you will pay a pretty penny for these Parisian pastries, but, I assure they're well worth it -  bites of heaven!

As it now stands, my favorite flavor is their classic Vanilla, but I do have coconut and chocolate yet to try...I'm sure both won't fall short of perfection.

Délicieux! Délicieux!

Au revoir for now, Pumpkins!

xo,

Mme. LDC 

Good Morning Pumpkins!!!

...Really quick, I HAD to share my *new* Milkshake concoction with your eyeballs! 

The skinny of it is that last night we partied & danced our socks off, so today I had a wee case of hangover-ness - not too bad, but still out of sorts and in the mood for something nutritious, yet delicious! No fails for me are always: Bananas, Peanut Butter, & Oatmeal...so I thought, why not just blend them together?!

Introducing

The Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal (Almond)Milkshake!

Nom Nom Nom!!! ... This was truly FANTASTIC! ...Although I chose to have this as my "breakfast" (at 12pm, no less), this would best serve as a *DESSERT*! My mind is going WILD thinking of all the possible, amazeballs-in-your-mouth combos! 

Here is what's in this baby:

• 1 Large Frozen Banana

• 1-2 T Organic, All Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter

• 2 T Rolled Oats, dry

• ½ - ¾ Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

THAT'S IT! 

I HIGHLY recommend y'all get on this bandwagon! Another perk is that this is ENTIRELY VEGAN, SOY & DAIRY FREE!!! Sis-this would be right up your alley! 

Alright Lovers....I have a lazy Sunday ahead me now...I need to get these BUNS MOVING...er, not moving .

Muchos Besos! 

Lve,

Mrs. LDC* xo

Good Afternoon Dolls! ...I'm sure y'all have gathered from the title that...

It's COOKIE TIME over here!!!

I waste no time! ...

Among many things, getting MY KITCHEN well-stocked, organized, and Cookin' after being away is TOP PRIORITY! I made my go-to batch of Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, only this time, I added

CHIA SEEDS!

Why not?! Adding various nuts, seeds, and spices to your standard cookie dough is a simple, yet fantastic way to enhance the healthy-factor of your cookies! This is especially wonderful if you have kiddies-they can taste NO difference! Very deceptive! 

My Base Cookie Dough Recipe

*Yields 8-10 cookies*

1.5 Cups Oat Flour
3/4 Cup Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Raw Sugar
1/2 tsp each of: sea salt + baking soda + baking powder
1/2 Cup puréed fruit: Banana, Pumpking, or Apple Sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp canola oil
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Add In Ideas:

• Flaxseeds (2-3 T)
• Ground Flaxseeds (2-3 T)
• Ground Maca (1 T)
• Ground Cacao Powder (2-3 T)
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (2-3 T)
• Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut (1/4 Cup)
• Raisins, Cranberries (1/4-1/2 Cup)
• Cinnamon (1-3 tsp)
• Nutmeg (1/2 tsp)
• Ginger (1/4 tsp)
• Cayenne, or Chipotle Pepper (works best with chocolate) (1/4 tsp)
• Raw Cacao Nibs (1/4 Cup)
• Almonds, Peanuts, Pecans, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts (1/4-1/2 Cup, Chopped)

I've also finally gotten to one of my *monthly goals* -that has taken me two months, to actually achieve, and that is:

Sprouting!

Sprouting is MAGNIFICENT for your body, and (seemingly) quite easy to do at home! My Health Counselor encouraged me to give this a go, especially while it's still warm outside. The benefits of sprouting can be summed up as follows:

• Contain ALL elements a plant needs for life & growth

• At this stage, it has the highest nutritional value 

• Vitamin and Protein levels increase exponentially

• Removes Enzyme Inhibitors 

• You are, essentially, consuming hundreds of miniature, yet fully grown, plants!

• It's CHEAP! 

I've decided to sprout Garbanzo Beans First, then make us some delicious hummus out of it! Check out Stage1 of my sprouting experience:

These will soak 8-10 hours, before I move onto the next stage. I will continue to share my results with you, as it can take anywhere from 1-4 days to complete the process! Very Exciting!

And now, friends, it is about that time to call a wrap...

Enjoy the rest of your TUESDAYS!

Hugs,

Mrs. LDC* xo

Good Morning Pumpkins!

I hope y'all have been using the Daily Dubie words of wisdom as a guideline on how you can enjoy a healthy holiday weekend, but still

indulge, and not deprive! It's ALL ABOUT BALANCE ...

I mentioned yesterday that I had a baking challenge ahead of me, and, boy, did it turn out to be FANTASTIC! In fact, a new, favorite cookie was born!

To preface, my Sis just had another little nugget, aka: baby, and she needs to avoid dairy and soy for breastfeeding purposes, BUT she LOVES chocolate, ice cream, yogurt, etc., so I wanted to come up with a delicious, yet healthy, treat for her to enjoy! ...The result:

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

*These are totally Dairy and Soy Free*

This was, indeed, an experiment, so I was crossing my fingers the turnout would be, at the very least, good...but they were more than that...they were WONDERFUL!

Here is how!

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Oat Flour

3/4 Cup Rolled Oats

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 Cup Raw Sugar

1/4 Cup Banana Purée (you can mash with fork too to save time & mess)

1/4 Cup Organic, All Natural, Creamy Peanut Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (I was going to use Almond but was all out - next time will try with almond)

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Roasted, Lightly Salted, Peanuts, Chopped

...I also made my regular Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies (should the others have failed) and I was finding myself reaching for these, instead!

Eat up, Buttercups! 

I encourage you to send in any of your favorite recipes that you want madeover for one reason or another! Wether it be to lighten them up in general, or for dietary purposes, I always love myself a challenge! Send, send, send away, Dolls!

That's all for now, friends! Keep yourself in check today! Don't fall into any traps! Stay focused on yourSELF and yourHEALTH!

Big Kiss,

Mrs. LDCizzle xoxo

No words here, Dolls. Photo speaks VOLUMES! 

It's ON THE SHELVES!!! Party in the U.S.A!!! 

For those in NYC, I found mine at Bottlerocket Wine, located on 19th, between 5th & 6th. (FANTASTIC store bytheway!)

Cheers!

xo, Mrs. Daily Dubes

Buen dia Mis Amiguitos!!! ...

Ay Dios Mio! ...I've been in for a wild ride since deplaning at the always lovely John Wayne Airport...But no complaints here! 

My decision to make this impromptu trip out West (and I would NEVER have it any other way!), has temporarily ceased me from being able to focus on blogging up a storm, as I had previously intended on doing.

But for me, *Family Always Comes First*.

..So if that means my blogging, and other responsibilities have to go the wayside for a few days, so be it. I will now forever have this special memory that I would never have had, if I prioritized the small things in my life.

Just look at this face:

*Priceless*