Weekend Wardrobe: The Five Apparel Items I Purchased for Spring, Based on a Theme!

A hint for my spring wardrobe purchase theme (from Nicole Hollenstein)

I decided that I would buy five new pieces for my spring wardrobe this year.  The one item I knew I had to buy was a pair of chinos in a light tan, as this is a warm weather wardrobe staple for me and the pairs that I own were due for replacement.  I really like the new style of chinos being offered by Coldwater Creek, so I bought a pair in a color called Washed Sand earlier in the year (and thank goodness I did so, because these pants sold out fast!):

Coldwater Creek Hidden Stretch-Waist Chinos in Washed Sand

I wanted some sort of unifying theme for the rest of the pieces I purchased for spring, and a dress I happened to find on the Boden website decided that theme for me:

Boden Phoebe Jersey Dress in Mariner Blue Gallop

Even though navy blue is not normally a color I prefer, I loved the horse print, and the fit of this dress on me is ideal.  I chose a horse print theme for my next two purchases, which are lightweight blouses perfect for spring weather:

H&M V-Neck Top in Natural White/ Horses

Gap Factory Two-Pocket Boyfriend Shirt in Horse Print

The first shirt is a real bargain at just $9.99 (and until April 2nd you also get free shipping with the code 1274).  The second shirt is actually a very dark navy print rather than black, but it is dark enough to pass for black so it looks fine with the model's black pants.

For my final purchase, I decided to go with a print featuring another favorite animal - the Dalmatian!  This blouse from Boden is silk and it is rather expensive, but I got it on sale and figure it will last for a very long time, not to mention the fact that I may never find a nice top in a Dalmatian print again:

Boden The Silk Shirt in Ecru Dalmatian Spot

So here is my new five-piece collection for spring!

Can you tell that I don't care for traditional spring colors?

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Not everyone is as wild about horse and Dalmatian print apparel as I am, but these purchases make me happy!  (You may not know this, but my Blogger name, Cee Pluse, is actually a take on "C&E", which was the very first username I ever created (for the old HGTV Dream Home blog) and stands for "Canids and Equids", my favorite companion animals.)  All of the print tops work with my new chinos, and all of the pieces, including the dress, will probably come with me on my next trip, which will be a mid-June family reunion in Pennsylvania.  And now I can concentrate on five new pieces for summer (I have to admit that one is already purchased, but I will describe that item when summer arrives).  I hope you too have found some new apparel for spring that makes you smile!
             

Foodie Fridays: Chipotle Shrimp and Veggies Soft Tacos

I have been craving a shrimp dish for some time, I had some vegetables in the fridge to use up, and I was in the mood for Mexican food, so I decided to make up a taco recipe with these ingredients.  For the right flavor, I bought a jar of my favorite salsa for cooking.  Sam's Choice Salsa Rojo Roasted Tomato & Chipotle is the salsa I use when I want to make a slow cooker Mexican-inspired shredded chicken*, so I knew it would be the right salsa to add to my taco filling.  (If you would rather use a different salsa, look for one that is thick and not too chunky, and add some canned chipotle in adobo sauce to taste.)

Make sure your veggies are bite-sized for ease of taco consumption!  Cut the bell pepper and onion into long thin slices and then cut these slices into thirds or quarters.  Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into rounds and then cut the rounds into thin slices.  I tend to undersalt my food, so if you prefer a saltier taste add as much as you like.  Use any additional toppings you enjoy (avocado would be tasty). Any corn tortilla will work, but my husband ordered some Masienda Bodega Blue Corn Tortillas online that are quite delicious, so I used them for my tacos (the color is also very pretty).  This recipe is quick and easy, and made a very satisfying lunch!

Chipotle Shrimp and Veggies Soft Tacos

2 T. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into small slices
1 medium onion, cut into small slices
1 zucchini, cut into small slices
1 yellow squash, cut into small slices
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C. frozen corn, thawed
2/3 C. Sam's Choice Salsa Rojo Roasted Tomato & Chipotle (plus more for serving)
1 lb. peeled and cooked extra large shrimp, tails removed
8 corn tortillas
1/2 C. shredded cheese (I used my favorite cheddar-mozzarella blend)
sour cream (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the bell pepper and sauté for about 4 minutes.  Add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Add the zucchini, yellow squash, and salt and sauté until all vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook one minute longer.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the corn.  Stir in the salsa and heat through.  Add the shrimp and heat through.

Warm the tortillas over a flame, or in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel (I do the latter).  Place about three of the shrimp and a spoonful of the veggies onto each tortilla.  Top with a spoonful of additional salsa.  Sprinkle each taco with 1 T. of the shredded cheese.  Microwave on HIGH for up to a minute to melt the cheese.  Top with a dollop of sour cream if desired and fold in half to serve.  Serves 4.

*For my version of Mexican shredded chicken, just place 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a lightly greased slow cooker, top with the entire contents of a jar of the chipotle salsa, and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours.  Shred the chicken with two forks in the pot, combining with the sauce, and serve any way you like.  My husband loves this shredded chicken!
               

Holiday Hits: Manatee Appreciation Day!

Who could resist these faces?
(from National Geographic Kids)

Today is Manatee Appreciation Day, and I just had to post the video of my favorite manatee commercial!  There are three recognized manatee species, including the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) which inhabits the waters of the southeastern United States, normally ranging as far north as Georgia and as far west as Texas.  These gentle giants of the sea are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, mainly due to habitat loss.  Giving them their own holiday is a great way to raise awareness of their existence and encourage people to learn more about them.  Just for fun though, watch this hilarious commercial and enjoy their uniqueness (I would love to cuddle that little manatee)!

               

This 'n That Thursdays: The Return of Trading Spaces

From One Country

Is anyone else as excited as I am about the return of Trading Spaces?  I used to love watching the original show when it first aired almost 20 years ago.  Some of the designers and carpenters became very well known and had shows of their own when Trading Spaces finished its run in 2008.  Fast forward to the present, and the show will be back in a little over a week (April 7th at 8 PM EST on TLC).  Best of all, almost all of the original cast will return as well, including host Paige Davis.  Take a look at the sneak peek below, then mark your calendars and get ready to watch the premiere episode on April 7th (until then, you can watch some of the episodes from the original series on the TLC website here).

             

Wish List Wednesdays: Beautiful Bakeware from Victorian Trading Co.

Victorian Trading Co. has some lovely baking pans perfect for springtime cake baking.  The delicious-looking beehive cake shown above can be created with the Nordicware Beehive Cake Pan ($54.95):

Do you prefer individual serving sizes?

Then the Beehive Cakelet Pan ($54.95) could be the one for you!

Or perhaps you are more partial to baby bunnies than buzzing bees?

Not a problem - the Baby Bunny Cakelet Pan ($44.95) will bake up six little cuties in no time!

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While you may not receive any of these pans in time for Easter, the season is just starting so you will have plenty of opportunities to practice your spring baking skills with any or all of these pans.  Happy (or hoppy) baking!
             

Weekend Wardrobe: Spring Garden Tour Weekend Getaway Travel Wardrobe

From TripAdvisor

One of these days I would love to visit Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia.  Almost any time of the year would offer opportunities to see beautiful color, but I am especially drawn to the spring blooms of the Daffodil Gardens, which are advertised as "the largest daffodil display in the nation".  Since the gardens are a few hours away from where we live, this destination would be the perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway, driving at our own pace and stopping at whatever attractions happen to catch our fancy along the way.

Springtime weather is notoriously fickle, so this weekend getaway wardrobe would have to be planned accordingly.  If the weekend is nice, then the apparel would be appropriate for lots of walking, but even if conditions turn chilly and wet the casual collection would also work well for lazy days lounging about in a cozy inn.  I went with more subdued colors this week as a contrast to the previous two weeks' very bright and colorful choices, but a few fun floral patterns bring some playfulness to the outfits.

Here are the items to wear/carry in transit:

Clockwise from top left: Coldwater Creek Day-to-Day Long Sleeve Cardigan in Charcoal Heather; Joules Golightly Waterproof Jacket in Grey Garden Ditsy; Baggallini Triple Zip Crossbody in Charcoal; ZhouLianFa Cactus Pattern Watch in Blue; OGIO Layover 22" Rolling Carry-On in Graphite; SAS Walk Easy Sneaker in Nero/Charcoal Nubuck; Aeropostale Women's Floral Jeggings; L.L. Bean Women's Elbow-Sleeve Scoopneck Pima Cotton Tee in Brightwater Blue.

And here are the items to pack:

Clockwise from top left: Coldwater Creek Day-to-Day Long Sleeve Cardigan in Lapis; Talbots Pop Floral Woven Scarf in Ivory/Clover/Magenta; Coldwater Creek Roll-Sleeve Denim Dress in Medium Blue Wash; Toms Women's Ella Booties in Forged Iron Grey Suede; Coldwater Creek Lightweight Tailored Denim Trousers in Medium Wash; L.L. Bean Women's Elbow-Sleeve Scoopneck Pima Cotton Tee in Dark Celadon; Center top to bottom: L.L. Bean Women's Elbow-Sleeve Scoopneck Pima Cotton Tee in Light Ocean; Coldwater Creek Lone Cactus Necklace; L.L. Bean Women's Elbow-Sleeve Scoopneck Pima Cotton Tee in Coral Rose.

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You probably noticed a couple of fun cactus-themed items in this collection.  Cacti seem to be a new fashion trend this year, and one that I love, so I just couldn't resist adding them to this garden-oriented wardrobe.  After all, even the prettiest panoramas contain a few prickly plants!  I hope you are enjoying an abundantly floral spring in your neck of the woods!
             

Foodie Fridays: Three-Ingredient Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

I really thought that I was done making cold-weather comfort food, but Mother Nature fooled me again by sending us a chilly blast of winter thanks to yet another nor'easter pummeling our northern neighbors.  I have been on a roll lately experimenting with all kinds of macaroni and cheese recipes.  Normally I prefer a baked macaroni and cheese, because I am from the north where the baked form is typical.  Stovetop macaroni and cheese was unheard of until the highly processed boxed version with the orange powdered cheese substitute hit the shelves when I was younger.

Here in the south, however, the stovetop variety predominates.  I was looking for a fast and easy recipe to try when this recipe from Serious Eats caught my eye.  For once I did not substitute a bean pasta for the wheat kind, since the wheat starch is one of the necessary ingredients here.  Because the pasta is cooked in so little water it does not need to be drained, which is crucial to this recipe because the pasta starch which cooks out will thicken the milk to a creamy sauce.  I usually avoid evaporated milk in favor of fresh, but apparently canned milk will not scorch in the pan so I gave it a try.  I did not even notice a difference in taste and smell that evaporated milk can sometimes give to recipes.

Any good melting cheese can be used, but the combination I happened to have from leftovers in the fridge was just delicious.  I am officially declaring that smoked cheeses make the best macaroni and cheese!  The cheese sauce is thick, creamy, tangy, and slightly smoky if you use smoked cheese.  Be sure to grate your own cheese rather than use prepackaged shredded cheese - you can use a food processor, but I decided to hand grate my cheeses for the arm workout, since this is definitely not a diet dish and I figured I needed to earn the extra calories!  Even with that extra step it still took me less than 30 minutes to make this macaroni and cheese.

If you are in need of some serious cold-weather comfort food that is pretty much as fast and easy as a boxed mix, please give this recipe a try!

Three-Ingredient Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

12 oz. elbow macaroni
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
12 oz. grated cheese*

Place the macaroni in a medium-sized saucepan with just enough cold water to cover (you can add a pinch of salt if you like but I find it unnecessary).  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.  If your pot happens to accidentally boil over as mine did, you may need to add more water since you are starting with such a small amount, so keep about a cup of water handy just in case.  Continue to cook, stirring, until the water has been almost completely absorbed and the pasta is almost al dente, about 6-7 minutes.

Immediately add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil, still stirring.  Add the cheese, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts and the liquid reduces to a creamy sauce, about 2 minutes longer.  Remove from the heat and, if needed, allow to sit for a few minutes so the sauce can thicken even more.  Serves 4-6.

*I used a mix of 4 oz. each smoked gouda and smoked cheddar, plus 2 oz. each Irish cheddar and Manchego cheese, just because I had leftovers of all four.  It's a great combination!
               

This and That Thursdays: My Favorite Oscar Night Fashions (and a Couple of Regrettable Choices!)

From Native

I never watch the Academy Awards specials - they are on too late and last too long for someone who finds it hard to stay awake past eight o'clock at night!  However, I do like to read about the results the next day, and also take a look at the fashion choices of the attending stars.  I find it interesting that fashion "experts" can disagree completely on the outfits the attendees wore, as one person's best dressed list can easily overlap with another's worst dressed selections.  I do not know much about men's fashion, but I do have my own preferences for the best dressed women on Oscars night.  I tend to like sleek, classic, and restrained apparel with just a touch of uniqueness that emphasizes each woman's particular style.  So who made my best dressed list for 2018?  Take a look at my selections below:

By far my favorite look of the night was worn by Helen Mirren.  Mirren is always a class act, and I think her well-fitted, not too revealing dress was an ideal choice.  That unique slate blue shade sets off her blue eyes and white hair to perfection.  And her accessories coordinate flawlessly with the dress.  Well done, Ms. Mirren!

My choice for best red dress of the evening goes to Alison Janney.  It was a tough call, as Meryl Streep also looked lovely in red, but Janney's dress just seems to fit better (the oddly placed bow/belt on the front of Streep's dress did not flatter her waistline).  I do not normally find lots of draping fabric, especially on dress sleeves, particularly attractive, but Ms. Janney was more than able to pull off the look.

While pink is not one of my favorite colors, and I am at the age where I am not likely to a wear sleeveless evening dress, Viola Davis pulled off both looks beautifully, and with a smile that just lights up the room.  She even makes giant hoop earrings look good (says someone who does not even own earrings).  You look gorgeous, Ms. Davis!

My award for best strapless dress goes to Ashley Judd, who looks fabulous in purple!  Even though she is wearing a necklace, bracelet, and earrings, all of her jewelry pieces are understated and complement the dress well.  It takes a lot of confidence and very good posture to carry off a strapless dress, and Ms. Judd seems to have both in spades.

Anyone who reads my blog will not be surprised when I say that I am not a fan of pale colors, of which there were many examples at the 90th Academy Awards.  Even so, I do think that Laurie Metcalf wore a pale shade best with this sleek and simple dress.  A good fit and classic style work perfectly for this actress.

While the dress worn by Whoopi Goldberg did not garner many positive comments, I think that for her the look works.  I love the fact that this woman with the big and bold personality chose to wear a dress with the same qualities.  The sunglasses are certainly incongruous, I don't know what is going on with that little insert in the bodice, and personally I am not a fan of exposing huge tattoos, but you have to love the panache Goldberg exhibits as she sashays out in this colorful floral creation.  And while the little red bow may clash with the colors of the dress, as far as I am concerned wearing a symbol for a worthy cause beats a trivial fashion faux pas any day!

This dress worn by Haley Bennett (who was very good as the doomed housewife in the 2016 movie "The Girl on the Train") just made me laugh.  It was really not the most awful outfit of the night, and you have to give the woman credit for originality - after all, no one else thought to show up at the Academy Awards wearing what appears to be a bale of hay!

And finally, for me this bizarre outfit sported by a musician called St. Vincent was hands down the worst look at the Oscars.  It seems as if she felt the need to throw the skirt of the dress over her shoulder while she was dressing, and then just forgot to put it on properly when she stepped out for the night.  I honestly don't even know what to call this type of apparel - it looks like a badly fitted old-fashioned bathing suit.  This is the sort of look that makes you wonder what she could possibly have been thinking, although if the goal was to get attention I think she certainly achieved her mission.  After all, supposedly there is no such thing as bad publicity!

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So that's a wrap on my list of fashion hits and misses at the 90th Academy Awards.  Whether you agree with the Oscar winner selections or not, it is a lot of fun to find out who gets chosen, and even more fun to form an opinion on the night's fashion choices.  I can't wait to see what happens next year!

Wish List Wednesdays: Cool Cookware from World Market

World Market often offers unique and colorful items for the home, and recently I discovered some delightful cookware on their site.  Shown above is their Blue Tile Terracotta Tagine (on sale for $20.99).  I have been wanting a tagine for a while now, and that turquoise blue color is just lovely.

The Mattone Ceramic Chicken Press ($34.99) will cook a spatchcocked chicken to juicy and crisp perfection thanks to the heavy lid that acts as a press to keep the chicken uniformly sized while cooking.  The fact that red is my favorite color makes this cookware even more appealing to me.

Isn't this Terracotta Pig Grill ($29.99) just adorable?  I am normally not someone who does any outdoor grilling, but with a cute grill like this one I could easily be convinced to give it a try, especially now that the weather is finally starting to warm up!

My husband and I do not eat much pizza, and I have never even thought about making my own food-fired versions, but I am very tempted to start thanks to this amusing Blue Fish Terracotta Pizza Oven ($149.99).  The price tag is rather steep, and it is a good idea to read the reviews on use of this oven before starting, but the novelty of both the beautiful one-of-a-kind oven and the idea of making wood-fired pizza just might win me over!
             

Seasonal Style: Spring Bright Geometrics

From Aldomartins

Spring has finally arrived, and I am craving lots of clean bright colors, like those in the dress shown above. I love the bold geometric print and the simple style as well.  The living room below has the same simple but colorful geometric look.  Just looking at these images makes me forget about our current gloomy weather conditions and look forward to lovely spring days to come!

From Living Room Ideas

             

On the Homefront: St. Patrick's Day Pups Table

Lucky the Irish Dalmatian welcomes you to the St. Patrick's Day celebration!

I had planned to publish this post on St. Patrick's Day, but my husband precipitated a menu disaster so I we ended up not being able to celebrate as planned.  I was finally able to restock the ingredients I needed and prepare the intended meal, so here is my tablescape and menu for the holiday just a little bit late!  As I vowed earlier in the year, since this is the Year of the Dog all of my tables for 2018 will feature dogs, and this one is no exception.  Lots of green plus some Dalmatian décor are included for this St. Patrick's Day setting:

Natural cotton placemat (from HomeGoods last year); dark green dinner plate (from Target eons ago); Karen Donleavy Dalmatian Medium Plate; green woodland print napkin (from Kmart Martha Stewart collection years ago); The Pioneer Woman Cowgirl Lace Pearlized Handle Flatware (green no longer available) plus stainless steel salad fork since one was not included in the flatware set; pale green water goblet.

Those mugs look black, but they really are dark green!

Darby O'Dalley presides over a bowl of Peppermint Extra Dark
 Chocolate Lindt Lindor Truffles (he is happy to share!) surrounded
by Shamrock Rabbit Salt and Pepper Shakers and green shamrock
votive candle holders.

A centerpiece that I use fairly often - a large green pillar candle
surrounded by mini pine cones in a shallow brown ceramic bowl.

The Karen Donleavy Dalmatian Large Plate is ready to hold the
dessert cupcakes.  A spotted cow creamer, black sugar bowl, green
teapot, and dark green mugs are included for coffee and tea service.

The meal we were supposed to have on St. Patrick's Day consisted of foods featuring the color green. Unfortunately, my husband for some bizarre reason decided to cook the chicken I had purchased for himself.  His cooked chicken would have been fine for a chicken salad or casserole, but was too dry to serve as a main dish, and I did not have time to rush out and buy more, so this holiday dinner had to be postponed.  I finally got the chance to get more chicken today, and I am happy to report that the pesto chicken recipe worked out quite well.

Champ is an Irish recipe for mashed potatoes combined with sliced green onions.  I made a cheater's version by quickly sautéing about a cup of onions in 2 T. butter for a few minutes (they will just start to wilt but still retain a bright green color) and stirring them into store-bought mashed potatoes (if you want to make a homemade version, a good recipe can be found here).  Place a mound of the hot potatoes on each plate, make a depression in the center, and fill with a pat of butter to serve in the traditional Irish manner (eat the potatoes from the outside in, dipping each bite in the melted butter).

Go for the Green Menu:

Pesto Chicken with Irish Cheddar*

Champ

Buttered Green Beans

Low Carb Chocolate Cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting

Coffee or Irish Breakfast Tea

*Pesto Chicken with Irish Cheddar

1/2 C. pesto (store-bought or homemade)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved (or 4 small)
1/4 C. shredded Irish cheddar cheese

Combine the pesto and chicken breasts in a large bowl and toss to coat.  Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet covered with heavy-duty foil and top with any pesto remaining in the bowl.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.  Place 1 T. of the cheese on top of each piece of chicken.  Bake for 2-3 more minutes to melt the cheese.  Serves 4.

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I hope everyone had a fun St. Patrick's Day!

My favorite St. Patrick's Day greeting card.

"On St. Patrick's Day, everybody's Irish!"

Weekend Wardrobe: St. Patrick's Day Week-Long Getaway Travel Wardrobe

Boden Mallory Blazer in Sap Green Floral Meadow

Today's travel wardrobe was inspired by spring, St. Patrick's Day, and the brilliant green floral print blazer shown above.  I pulled three of the wardrobe colors from this blazer - the green, obviously, plus black and white - and added daffodil yellow as a fourth hue.  Green and yellow really proclaim spring to me, as they are among the first colors to make an appearance here.  Our destination of choice will be somewhere that celebrates St. Patrick's Day in a big way, perhaps to Savannah for their famous parade? For me, Savannah is within easy driving distance, so I wouldn't even need to worry about packing light for a flight!

Here is the outfit to wear in transit:

Clockwise from top left: Boden Mallory Blazer in Sap Green Floral Meadow; Earrings Galore Shamrock Earrings; Narrow Water Gifts Ladies Shamrock Dial Wrist Watch; Duluth Trading Company Women's Lifetime Leather Travel Tote Bag in Black; Travelers Club Luggage Madison 20" Hardside Carry-On Spinner in Green; Lands End Women's Comfort Slip-On Shoes in Black; Lands End Women's High Rise Straight Leg Jeans in Black; Boden Double Layer Front Tee in White.

And here are the rather numerous items to pack (I just could not stop finding great pieces in yellow and green!):

Clockwise from top left: Boden Favourite Crop Crew Cardigan in Sapling; JCPenney 14K Gold Jade Bead Necklace; Boden Favourite Crew Cardigan in Mimosa Yellow; Boden Crew Neck Tee in Scattered Lemons; Coldwater Creek Holly Summer-Weight Ponte Pants in Black; G.H. Bass & Co. Whitney Weejuns in Soft Mustard Tumbled Leather; Boden Tabitha Saddle Bag in Mimosa Yellow; Boden Hope Mid Heel Pumps in Black; Boden Hampshire Ponte Skirt in Sap Green; Coldwater Creek Interlock Knit Tee in Black; Women's St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Scarf; Center (top to bottom, left to right): Aldo Noedia Wallet in Green; Lands End Women's Scoop Neck Tee in Bright Lemon; Boden Printed Scarf in Mimosa Spot; Talbots Bumble Bee Trouser Sock in Clover Multi; Boden Double Layer Front Tee in Sap Green.

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This wardrobe has enough apparel to accommodate a week-long trip if necessary, and trust me, Savannah is a destination worthy of a week of your time!  Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!
               

Foodie Fridays: Low Carb Chocolate Cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting

Ever since I drastically reduced the amount of carbohydrates I eat, I rarely consume cakes or cupcakes.  As far as I am concerned, these desserts are all about the frosting, and frosting contains way more sugar than I want in my diet on a regular basis.  However, I have had a can of key lime frosting sitting in my pantry for far too long, so I decided that St. Patrick's Day would be the perfect occasion to take a break from my diet and have a green-frosted cupcake!

I did want to keep the cake part of this dessert as low-carb as possible, so I played around with a recipe for a gluten-free chocolate cupcake made with almond flour I found in a mystery book I read not long ago.  The original recipe seemed way too dry to me, so I increased the number of eggs and added a little vegetable oil.  The resulting cupcake was perfect for my purposes.  It was quite moist but a bit more muffin-like and therefore not too crumby, so I had no trouble spreading on the frosting without getting crumbs in it.  I halved the recipe to make only six cupcakes, since it will only be my husband and myself eating them.  I just hope they last long enough to make it to St. Patrick's Day!

Low Carb Chocolate Cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting

1 C. blanched almond flour
2 T. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 T. sugar (I used coconut sugar)
2 eggs
1 T. safflower oil (or any light vegetable oil)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 can (16 oz.) Pillsbury Key Lime Creamy Supreme Frosting

Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until thoroughly combined (the batter will be thick).  Line a 6-cup muffin tin with paper liners.  Scoop the batter evenly into the liners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool completely, then frost with the key lime frosting.  Serves 6.

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Here is the chocolate frosting option from the mystery novel if you cannot find the canned key lime frosting (I intend to play around with some low-carb frosting recipes in the near future to see if I can come up with a key lime version):

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

2/3 C. heavy cream
4 oz. dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil and remove from the heat.  Stir in the chocolate until it is melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla and salt.  Cool the ganache at room temperature for five minutes, then chill in the fridge until it thickens and becomes shiny and spreadable (about 15-30 minutes).