Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Leesburg, Day 2: Devil's Food Cupcakes

Another pro for suburban sprawls is that the combined number of stores from each shopping center serve every convenience at a close distance. Most of the stores are chains--Target, Home Depot, Costco, etc.--so they are also found at home in New England, whereas further don the East Coast, different chains pop up.

Thankfully, one of these chains nearby is an LA Fitness, so there is no excuse to skip the gym.

My cousin and I went to a spinning class there this morning.


...Ouch...


The LA Fitness had a nice smoothie and shake bar that prepares protein-rich post-workout smoothies. Even though the shakes made with sweeter ingredients--chocolate--may be thought to be loaded with processed sugar, it it sweetened by a minimal amount of beet sugar. I had a chocolate mint smoothie made with Ghiradelli chocolate--not a bad alternative if you cannot have Robeks.

I had Ghiradelli chocolate later today while making cupcakes with my four-year old second cousins. Sliced white and milk chocolate Ghiradelli sqaures garnished the Devil's Food Cake cupcakes with organic chocolate frosting. The girls loved scooping and stirring the ingredients in the bowl.

The smoothie bar in LA Fitness
After the gym, we ran to Wegmans to pick up groceries. We walked by the baking aisle on the way out and they had an impressive array of baked goods.



Baking with the girls!

Ghiradelli chocolate


The cupcakes decorated by the girls
Dinosaur cupcake party also arranged by the girls
Sometimes it's nice not to go exactly by the book and make the recipe your own.

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