Funfetti Friday

We've officially started "Cupcake Friday" at my work...

Rumblings of Funfetti Friday started a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon this recipe.

Yesterday was the long awaited day.

Funnnnnfettttiiiiii Friiiiidaaaayyyyy!

It was marvelous.

 It made me realize that sprinkles make everything better.

 As do cupcakes.

 So you can imagine that the combination does wonders.

 Every office needs Funfetti Friday.

 Or at least Cupcake Friday.

 Try it! You'll see.

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 Tbsp vanilla extract (I used almond extract instead; it was great!)

3 cups flour

2 Tsp baking powder

2/3 cup milk (I added 1/2 tsp lemon juice to my milk to make it like buttermilk)

2/3 cup brightly colored sprinkles, plus more to top the frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the milk. Once mixed, add remaining dry ingredients. Fold in sprinkles.

Pour into cupcake tins and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Let cool, then frost and top with sprinkles.

Vanilla Buttercream:

2 cups (4 sticks) of butter, softened

5 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk, if needed

Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until completely smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly. Gradually increase mixer speed and add vanilla, then beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl. If frosting is too thick, add a little milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. If it's too thin, add sugar gradually until it thickens. Frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles.

Eating Organic: Where to Start

This is a topic that seems to make some people feel uncomfortable, but this is a guilt free zone. You have to do what is best for you and your family - there's no judgement here. 

 (Source)

Our organic journey started about a year and a half ago and has developed over time as we've learned more . It started when a friend told us about the documentary Food Inc. The content of the movie really opened our eyes to the food industry and how our food is being handled/processed before it finds itself in our kitchen. Another concept that really stuck with us is the idea that we're all voting with the purchases we make. The brands we buy, we're supporting as if we're voting with approval for what that company does (and the way it processes food). I won't go into more detail about the movie since you can find a lot about it online, but if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it for the purposes of educating yourself about the food we eat.

If you're interested in eating organic and don't know where to start, produce is a good place to start for many people. Here's a list of produce that typically have more chemicals on them ("dirty dozen") and ones that are fine to not buy organic ("clean 15") as they aren't as susceptible to the chemicals or pesticides used on them.

Dirty Dozen: Buy these organic

 

1

Apples

 

2

Celery

 

3

Strawberries

 

4

Peaches

5

Spinach

 

6

Nectarines – imported

 

7

Grapes – imported

 

8

Sweet bell peppers

 

9

Potatoes

 

10

Blueberries – domestic

 

11

Lettuce

 

12

Kale/collard greens

 

 

 

 

Clean 15: Lowest in Pesticide

1

Onions

 

 2

Sweet Corn

 

3

Pineapples

 

4

Avocado

 

5

Asparagus

 

6

Sweet peas

 

7

Mangoes

 

8

Eggplant

 

9

Cantaloupe  - domestic

 

10

Kiwi

 

11

Cabbage

 

12

Watermelon

 

13

Sweet potatoes

 

14

Grapefruit

 

15

Mushrooms

 (Source)

 

 

 

An easy list we've got on our fridge is this one:

(Source)

Here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

(Source)

This is just the tip of the organic iceberg, but it's a starting point. 

So what do you think? Any thoughts about eating organic or about Food Inc?  We're definitely NOT experts on the subject, just have learned a little by little to educate ourselves about what we put in our bodies.