Spring Equinox. Mercury retrograde. Snow. Rain??? Cold?? No, not that bad.

There’s so much going on !??!! One of these days soon, I’m going to get my life together and get organized. I just need some time, sigh. On a brighter note, the snow that came Wednesday is melting rapidly. The birds are out, and it looks like it’s going to stay in the 40’s and 50’s for the next two weeks. It’d be lovely if it got into the 60’s, but I’m afraid to ask.

I stocked up recently on all my favorites from Athleta recently (thank you work for providing me a gift certificate for an award I received!), and I am absolutely loving my new  tank tops. You can find them here! They’re stretchy but not too tight, and they come in great colors. I’m excited to use them for yoga, lifting, etc.

Not a whole lot of other things going on with me, just dropping in to remind you to remember your intentions for Spring, stay true to yourself, be kind to yourself and others, and have fun! There’s no reason these days to not enjoy yourself every now and again. Stay tuned for more delicious recipes this weekend… for now, here are some matcha green tea cupcakes.

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes (Paleo)

Prep time: 20 min

cook time: n/a

serves 3-4 as a meal, 6-8 as an app

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp matcha green tea powder

For the icing:

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked in filtered water for at least 4 hours**, drained, rinsed, and gently dried
• 2/3 cup coconut cream chilled*
• juice from one lemon, about 2 1/2 tbsp
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature (solid)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup, plus more to taste
• pinch of ground sea salt
• 1/2 tsp of matcha green tea powder

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cups.
2. In a food processor, blend cashews on high until they form a paste. Scoop the excess paste down from the sides to ensure the mix forms properly.
3. Add remaining ingredients and continue to blend or process on high for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is creamy. Refrigerate until using, for up to 24 hours.
4. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, almond milk, honey, vanilla, and then coconut oil. Slowly add your almond flour, baking powder and salt. Distribute your batter evenly among the cups. Bake for about 20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven, transfer to a rack and allow to cool completely before frosting. You can either frost with a spoon, or with a pastry bag.

Enjoy!

-S