My PB + J

banana & nutella cupcakes {recipe}

While we were in NYC my goal was to go on a cupcake tour. Well, that necessarily didn’t happen but we did manage to stumble upon Billy’s Bakery after our tapas dinner in Chelsea. The shop was so cute and the pastries that were offered were right up the line of what I would serve in my dream bakery. I wanted to order a few but I only ordered a banana cupcake with nutella buttercream. I have been thinking of that cupcake ever since and decided to whip up a dozen for our last minute Labor Day barbecue. I started off with this banana cake recipe. I ditched my go-to recipe because my original goal was to bake a cake but time got away from me. Plus, I love checking “to-bake” recipes off of my Pinterest board. The cake is to-die for, like seriously, to-die for. I wanted nutella buttercream to top the delicately moist cake but I wanted my version to taste more like nutella vs. Billy’s not-so-nutella. The recipe for my nutella buttercream is below. In the words of my two-year-old, “Seriously?!…So yummy!”

Nutella Buttercream
(recipe makes enough for one dozen cupcakes)

1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Nutella
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup half & half (whipping cream or milk works as well)

Cream together the butter and nutella, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once combined add the half & half. Beat the frosting for roughly five minutes. The frosting should be pale brown, light and airy. If the frosting is still too thick add in additional milk until you achieve the consistency you are looking for. Decorate how you desire.

chicken apple sausage gourmet pizza {hillshire farms sponsored post & giveaway}

My family loves Hillshire Farm products. I remember as a child my Dad making kielbasa with onions and barbeque sauce. I loved that dish so creating my own dishes using Hillshire Farm quality meat products for my family brings back so many memories while creating new ones.

While at BlogHer my first booth visit on the expo floor was to the Hillshire Farm booth. I quickly realized that I was able to create my own dish with their new gourmet creations fully cooked sausage. I can still taste that dish and have been dreaming about what I could make using the chicken apple with gouda sausage. I thought and thought and finally came up with a gourmet pizza using the chicken apple with gouda sausage as the star ingredient. The pizza was probably the best pizza I have ever tasted in terms of flavor combinations. Here’s what I did:

Start off with Hillshire Farm Gourmet Creations Chicken Apple with Gouda smoked sausage. 
Ingredients – walnuts, granny smith apple, caramelized red onion and sliced dates (not pictured) 

Slice the sausage and cook according to package directions.  

Your going to need pizza dough. Whether you make it or buy it, it’s up to you. I got mine from my old employer and fav pizza place. You can go to any pizza place and ask them to purchase a ball of dough, avoid chain pizza places because they will not. My dough gave me enough to make two mediums and one mini. 

Roll your dough out – make sure to let your dough rest before rolling out. Otherwise you might not get anywhere and you’ll be playing a fun tug-of-war game with the dough. 
Next, take a fork and poke holes all over the dough except for the crust area. This pizza is essentially sauce-less so drizzle some EVOO on the crust and spread it around. 
You have to have cheese for pizza, how much you use is up to you. I used mozzarella as the base and dollops of ricotta on the top. 

After you have the oil spread around, sprinkle the cheese. Have your kids help with this, it makes it more fun and they feel like they are helping. Next layer. the cooked sausage. 

Once you have the base done add the remaining ingredients: caramelized onions, sliced apples, walnuts, dates and then creamy morsels of ricotta goodness. Bake at 450º for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. 
voila! An amazing gourmet pizza in the comforts of your own home! 
Want to try this recipe out for yourself? Hillshire Farm is giving one MY PB+J reader three coupons valued at $17.97 to use on any product. Enter the rafflcopter form below to win! 

Skinny Edamame Fried Rice

I am always on the search for lighter alternatives for some of our favorite dishes. While fried rice isn’t something we tend to eat unless dining out I couldn’t pass on trying out this recipe for healthier fried rice. The dish came together in less than ten minutes by using Trader Joes frozen organic brown rice and let just say it was really tasty! We did not miss the extra fat and sodium that restaurants pack into theirs. I even went as far as omitting all oil and added in sriracha. Our little tot couldn’t shovel it fast enough into her mouth. 

* I also added in 1.5 cups of bean sprouts. 

Wedding Recap + Lusciously Lemon Cupcakes

Over the weekend I baked for another wedding. These clients found me from their venue but more importantly from Amira’s wedding from 2010. The theme was burlap and lace with teal, orange and gray as the color palate. I loved all the details the bride worked into the wedding from her gorgeous table assignments, the Texas barbecue and plenty of mason jars to go around. But of course, this all wouldn’t be complete if there wasn’t a gorgeous dessert table to compliment this vintage wedding.  
The dessert table consisted of: 
mini chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream, mini lemon cupcakes, toffee crunch chocolate cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies and brownie pops. 

The bride & groom opted for a small top tier (what I tend to do and what I am most comfortable doing).

Then there were these little gems. It was hot that day, a summer storm rolled through as I was setting up and lightening darted through the dark gray skies. I looked upon these beauts and knew they would put a smile on any face because of their light and airy cake and lemon curd cream cheese frosting. They were a smiling bite of heaven in your mouth. 
Because I love you all and I feel like everyone should try this cupcake I am sharing where I found the recipe. I searched a long time for the perfect lemon cake (besides my family ice box lemon cake which is my all-time fav). The cake recipe is versatile, you can omit the lemon and make it vanilla cake which I do or you can even add in King Arthur Flour’s Princess emulsion. Giving away my secrets today people! You’re probably asking well, what about the frosting recipe? Well, here you go…
Lemon Curd Cream Cheese Frosting
frosts roughly 48 minis or 24 regular 
1 (8) oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened 
1 pound powdered sugar 
1/2 cup lemon curd (homemade or store-bought) 
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 
1. Using a mixer combine cream cheese and butter until fully combined. 
2. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. 
3. Add in lemon curd and vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined. 
Note: If the frosting consistency is too thin or too thick add in additional sugar or a splash of milk. 

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

we are on a quinoa kick over here. maybe it’s because of it’s light, toasty character or that you can add it to just about anything. this salad was no exception. it made for a perfect sunday afternoon lunch paired with a refreshingly cold margarita. 
barbecue chicken quinoa salad 
serves four. 

what you’ll need: 

1 cup dry quinoa cooked according to directions
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded 
1/2 cup barbecue sauce 
1 can black beans, drained
1 ear of corn cut off the cob
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 avocado, diced 
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 green onions, chopped 
4 TB pepitas 
baby salad greens 
here’s how:
combine shredded chicken and barbecue sauce, toss to coat. in a large bowl combine all ingredients except for pepitas, avocado and salad greens. plate the salad on top of a handful of greens. top with avocado and pepitas. enjoy! 
* you could easily add some pepperjack cheese for an extra kick or a tad of ranch dressing. however, i am working on cutting out cheese from a portion of meals and the dressing isn’t necessary since the barbecue sauce coats everything nicely.