7.13.2009

Weekend Update

I hope y’all had a great weekend. My weekend was too short. Aww, I wish I had another day. Oh well...

I’ve mentioned my friend, Leslie, on my blog before. However, I must formally introduce Leslie. I call Leslie "My Famous Friend." Leslie is one of the Shamu trainers at Sea World-San Antonio. She is so talented! Now that I’m living in San Antonio I’m so excited about hanging out with Leslie more often. If you happen to visit Sea World-SA and Leslie is the trainer at the Shamu Show, be sure to cheer extra loud. Here are a few photos my sister took of Leslie at work.







This is my favorite picture! I'm so amazed at Leslie's skills. If you know me, I'm 110% unathletic. I don't like to walk outside unless it's to and from the car! I don't like to be wet, unless I'm showering. I don't like the majority of animals (I won't hurt them) but I'm kinda grossed out. So, I can't imagine jumping off Shamu's nose and flying through the air. Amazing!

My sis is working in San Antonio for a couple of weeks. Saturday night we invited a couple of girls to the town house for a Girl’s Night. Jenn made Shrimp Tacos that were delicious and healthy. I made Guacamole and Diet Soda Cupcakes. I didn’t get many pictures on Saturday night but here’s a few.



Middle Sister Wine~ a gift from me



Me and Leslie




Guacamole

~Guacamole Recipe~

I don't have an exact recipe for guacamole; it's "to taste." You'll need avocados, lime, fresh cilantro (a must), tomato, onion, salt and pepper. For this batch, I used 7 small avocados.

Scoop the avocado into a mixing bowl, don't mash. Squeeze the lime juice over the avocado. I used about 6 small limes. Add fresh cilantro. Cilantro really makes the guacamole; I don't think you can have too much. Add 1-3 chopped roma tomatoes. Add about 1/4 cup white or red onion, chopped. I prefer red onion in this dish. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. As you mix mash the larger pieces of avocado with a fork. I like it a little chunky.

The trick is you have to taste the guac and determine what adjustments need to be made. After I made this batch, I added more cilantro, salt, and pepper.


Diet Soda Cupcakes

~Diet Soda Cupcake Recipe~


Use 1 box of store bought cake mix. Add 12 oz. of diet soda. Optional~ add 2-3 egg whites. This will make the cake fluffy. Follow the baking directions on the box. Bam! You have low cal. cake. I used a white cake mix and 12oz. of diet 7-Up. This time I made real buttercream icing but you can use cool whip or low fat pudding.


Here are some great diet soda and cake mix combos...


Spice Cake Mix with Diet Orange

Banana Cake Mix with Diet Root Beer

Lemon Cake Mix with Diet 7-up

Chocolate Cake Mix with Diet Coke

White Cake Mix with Diet Cherry 7-up

Lemon Cake Mix with Diet Ginger Ale

Orange Cake Mix with Diet Mountain Dew

Lemon Cake Mix with Diet 7-up

Angel Food Cake Mix with Diet Orange

White Cake Mix with Diet Orange

Yellow Cake Mix with Diet Orange

White Cake Mix with Diet Peach

Spice Cake Mix with Diet 7-up

White Cake Mix with Diet Ginger Ale

Chocolate Cake Mix with Diet Cherry Coke

Devils Food Cake Mix with Diet Vanilla Coke

Chocolate Cake with Diet Rootbeer

Marble Cake Mix with Diet Cream Soda

Lemon Cake Mix with Tangerine Diet Rite

Red Velvet Cake Mix with Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper

Banana Cake with Diet Root Beer

Pineapple Cake Mix with Diet Squirt

20 comments:

Taryn said...

Hi! I'm a new reader...love your blog. The cupcakes are adorable. Thanks for the recipe! :)

Shoshanah said...

All those cake idea look like so much fun. I'd most want to try Red Velvet Cake Mix with Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper.

How much fun would it be to be a trainer at Sea World. Your friend must be awfully lucky

In This Wonderful Life said...

cute pics!!! HOW FUN! I want to try these!!

Amy C said...

Hey Jill..that bowl with the guac...I have the same one!! I painted it in Mexico on our honeymoon!

Jordan said...

I love the cupcakes. They're so pretty!

Jill said...

Yeah, the guacamole picture is from a Girl's Night in May. I didn't take a pic of my guac this time so I used an older photo but it tasted exactly the same. :)

Jules said...

It sounds like a fabulous weekend and I've told you before how cool I think your friend Leslie's job is.

The cupcakes look really good and I still have yet to try the diet soda trick. I need to get on that and save the combos you posted. The possibilities are endless :)

I have that same B**** wine. I saw it one day and had to try it because of the funny name and the fact that the label was pink. I wish I had a better reason than that...HA!

Wearing Mascara said...

LOVE the combos you listed for diet cupcakes. I haven't seen those before but now I have new ones to try!

Melia said...

What a cool job! I wish I had a job that was half as exciting.

Your cupcakes sound delicious! I have made a cake with diet coke before, but have never tried cupcakes.

Rachel H. said...

The cupcakes look and sound great, as well as, the guacamole. I'm wishin' I had me some Mexican right now!! :)

Heather @ Simple Wives said...

OH....Guacamole is a favorite!! :)

Sweet Simplicity said...

What a fun job! I am salivating over the thought of shrimp tacos and fresh guac. yum, yum!

Jennifer said...

I'm going to have to try out the Diet Soda cupcakes! Yum!

midnight macaroons said...

I saw Leslie last year at Seaworld. Ask her if she remembers me? LOL!!!

I'm going to try out your cupcake recipe...Sounds delish!

LWLH said...

I wanna try those cupcakes! :)

Kate said...

I am so jealous of your friend. What a fun job!!

penny lane said...

you are one brilliant lady! thanks for the great cupcake recipe. i am totally going to make them for my friend's house warming party!!

hope all is well with you!




xoxo

Danielle Moss said...

I am taking a break but had to stop by your blog to see what you've been up to.

when I come visit, can we go see shamu? that would be amazing!

ww said...

Those cupcakes are beautiful and sound very interesting - what do they taste like? If someone doesn't like the taste of diet soda, would they taste it in these cupcakes? Thanks!

Your sister said...

the cupcakes were fab & it's great that they were low-fat. of course the icing is not :(