On working out...

...I have to give myself a couple of props. I've done Jillian's Shred for 7 of the last 8 days (with one day off when I pulled my hamstring).

I feel fantastic.

I have more energy, my running is easier than ever, and I'm sleeping like a bebe. Jillian's mean and I love it. When she says "I want you to feel like you're going to die," I do. I do, Jillian, I do.

So what do you do when you're doing so well on your health kick??

BAKE CUPCAKES! Woo!

Coconut cupcakes with dulce de leche cream cheese icing

They're so purdy!

This is me in my cutie-patutie apron that I won from Cupcakes Takes the Cake. DH thinks I'm adorable in it. At the risk of sounding conceited, I think I am pretty dang cute. I give all credit to Carolyn's Kitchen for the amazing apron. Cheers to them!

I've got some serious double-chin going on but my Jillian arms are looking pretty good.

And yes, that is the full extent of my kitchen. Told you it was small. Anywho, for those interested in all things cupcake, here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup of room temperature butter (I used Simple Earth)
* 1 1/4 cup of sugar
* 3 eggs, room temperature
* 1 cup of canned coconut milk
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 2 1/4 cups of flour
* 1 teaspoon of salt
* 1 teaspoon of baking powder
* 1/2 cup of sweetened desiccated coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in one bowl. In another add 1 cup of a well shaken can of coconut milk and a teaspoon of vanilla. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix, then add 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Alternate the wet and dry mixtures, ending with the dry. Don't overbeat.

4. Fold in the coconut then bake for 18 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a minute or two in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Delicious warm and even better the next day!

For the icing I made a simple cream cheese frosting and added 1/3 c. dulce de leche. It's very sweet so I think I'd probably try to add in some lemon to keep the sugar rush down.