Sometimes my mom takes on the shape of an angel, a cupcake carrying angel.
Yeah, this totally happened.
Bottom two are mine, but the others deserved to be in the picture too because they are gorgeous. Especially middle left. Lets take another look from a different angle.
I don’t know if I should admit to people how amazing I feel inside just looking at cupcakes like this. There is an ART about cupcake decorating that just gets me excited. You know what else gets me excited..secrets..inner secrets.
Food porn as its finest.
To balance out the cupcakes I’ve been inhaling eating, I am also making myself decent meals. I’ve really started to fall back in love with the concept of taking the time to cook.
Cous cous, avocado, tomato, and pistachios over a bed of Swiss chard.
I bring bowls like this to work with me to prevent me from cracking out on too much coffee. It’s all about balancing the caffeine with real food, or so I tell myself. This snack takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together, but is so much heartier than a PB&J.
Insanity is still insane, and running is going fine. I have felt a bit tired these days, but I think it’s because I’m not eating enough cupcakes..that’s obviously why (however these cupcakes fueled my 7 mile run this weekend at a 9:42 pace per mile.) I’ve also been ravenous at times due to the extra calories I am burning, which helps give me motivation to continue making myself some solid dinners.
I had a recent craving for gnocchi, because I think it had been at least a year since I last had it! One day I will make my own from scratch, but for now the tricolored gnocchi from my local market does just fine. Paired with roasted beets, roasted Brussels sprouts, and sauteed asparagus for a complete meal. Let’s get a close up of that saucy gnocchi.
I made a walnut cream sauce to lather on top. For those of you that love the heavy cream based sauces I encourage you to try making a nut based sauce, it will change your life.
Walnut “Cream” Sauce
- raw walnuts (or sub in any nut-cashews are my favorite, but this is what I had)
- water
- garlic powder
- salt
- lemon juice
-This is somewhat of a DIY recipe, basically you will need equal parts water and nuts. Combine the two in your high powered blender, or food processor and blend. For a thicker sauce, add more nuts, and for a thinner sauce add more water. Experiment with whatever consistency you prefer. I used about a cup of nuts/water for two people.
-With the seasonings I used about 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder, and about 1/2 tsp of sea salt. I squeezed in half of a lemon (completely squeezed, you will need to drain that lemon dry.) Blend again. The fattiness of the walnuts balance these flavors perfectly.
With the leftover sauce I plan to make more veggie/grain bowls and continue gettin saucy!
Q: What’s your favorite sauce? SALSAAAA and mustard find their way onto most things I eat, but I am always a fan of nut sauces!
Blissfulbritt 
80 thoughts on “Let’s Get Saucy!”
Lisa
I need that walnut cream sauce in my life asap. It looks SO tasty and I just so happen to have a huge bag of walnuts in my freezer right now. Perfect timing, I’d say!
Also I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a tasty looking cupcake. The frosting to cake ratio is perfect.
My favorite sauce – definitely tough to choose! Lately I’ve been all about the vegan cheese sauce.
Her Happy Balance
Your nut sauce is so cool! I want to try and make my own! I’ve never ever thought to make a cream sauce based on nuts and their awesome potential creaminess. Love it. Also, your mother is a cupcake-wielding saint.
sincerelylily
yayyyy for cupcakes. amazing. it is pretty crazy how they can be so beautifully decorated. same thing with cakes.
Sounds like your running is going uber well! and that snack for work… this looks like something i would make. i bring my lunch every day and it literally is like 10 lbs of fruit, salad, chicken, etc. i have bags of snacks and pretty much eat throughout the day…. although i wish i got coffee drinks like you throughout the day.
MUSTARD. we are two souls in the same…. wait, i said that wrong. we are two bodies with the same soul. I love mustard. I dip my popcorn in it, pretzels, carrots, pretty much anything. honey mustard is my favvvvvvvvv.
I need to try the nut sauce – sounds tasty!
Brittany
I wish I had more down time to eat all day!! At TJ’S I would escape to the back anytime the hunger beast hit, but at Starbucks I can’t do that!! SO I JUST GET RAVENOUS AND ATTACK MY FOOD when I get a lunch or a break hahaha.
Oh man, mustard is so amazing. I wish I could bathe in it. Errr maybe not…YES I DIP EVERYTHING IN IT TOO!!
shashimcharles
I love “cream” sauces with no dairy in them (severly lactose intolerant-tmi i know!)
Your walnut one sounds scrumptious!
I am a chilli sauce fanatic – topped with chilli flakes 🙂
Hahaha – love your synopsis of why you are so tired – we ALL need to eat more cupcakes – specially ones that look like these!
http://runninsrilankan.com
Brennan
Oh yum! That walnut sauce looks divine. I’m definitely going to try it!
Glad Insanity is working out… or working you out. Haha. Seriously, it revs up your appetite to astronomical levels. Just hold on tight for the ride!
miq
What!? A nut cream sauce? I think I may know what we’re having for dinner in these parts!
Megan
Scrumdillyumptious! I used to work at an Italian restaurant in college and became friends with the owners and would occasionally help make the gnocchi. SO MUCH FUN. But then again I didn’t do the dishes.
spectacuLAUR
I loooove grainy mustards! I’m a big fan of ketchup, too, but more so on the mustard train! Choo choo! Those cupcakes look delish and I wish my knee would hold up to trying insanity because I think it would help me justify the amount of cupcakes and bakery cookies I’ve been eating as of late. Lol! I had a fluffernutter cookie yesterday. DIED. Soooo good.
Brittany
You make me so proud with the sweets you eat! HAHA.
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles
Oh my god, cupcakes. Those look fabulous…I think I need to get on that. And favourite sauce? Umm…I’d have to give you a list. ketchup, BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, marinara…I’m just a fan of sauces and condiments, apparently.
Catherine @ A Two Storey Home
1. Gaaaaah roasted beets and brussels sprouts are SO, SO delicious! I weirdly find myself craving both of those sometimes. 2. I am definitely going to try that sauce!! My husband can’t eat dairy, and I shouldn’t (but still sometimes do,) and it’s tough to find a substitute for a good, creamy sauce!
Amy @ A Desert Girl
Ohhhhh, all of that looks soo good. Especially the cupcakes and the couscous. Yum yum yum. I’m intrigued by the idea of nut sauces. Never tried one before….
thoughtsappear
Is that a Snickers on that cupcake? I love your mom. Is she adopting?
Brittany
Bahaha yesssss, and no.
Davida @The Healthy Maven
Your healthy eats look equally as good as those cupcakes!!! Ditto to above, is your Mom/ARE YOU adopting lol
cleaneatingveggiegirl
I will take one of those cupcakes, please!! It is my blogiversary, after all ;).
Brittany
YAYAYA HAPPY BLOG BIRTHDAY!
Christine @ Gotta Eat Green
Umm those cupcakes look SO DELICIOUS! Holy yum. And I am also a big fat fan of nut sauces.. cashew cream is by far my fav!
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
Is chocolate sauce an acceptable answer? Because that’s pretty much all I can think of after looking at those cupcakes. Holy.swoon. But if chocolate sauce isn’t acceptable, then I’ll go with salsa or ketchup – and tomato based sauces are AMAZING. Not cupcake amazing, but they’ll do 😉
Brittany
YES chocolate sauce counts!! It counts MORE than savory sauces!
kathy @ vodka and soda
YUM!!!! insanity is so awesome; i bumped up my calories during month 2 because i was always starving! will you be blogging before/after results?
Brittany
I did take some before photos, but I don’t think I will blog them haha. I’m not following the nutrition plan and I am also running a lot so I don’t think my progress will be really noticeable, I just wanted to give it a try! It’s been two weeks and I see no difference..POOP!
Erin
My favorite sauce is probably pesto…And stop it with these cupcakes gahhhhh
B.
Definitely trying that sauce. I like cream-based sauces but being lactose intolerant really puts a halt on that.
My favorite sauce is probably verde sauce or any kind of green salsa. or pico de gallo. YUM!
ahellams
Somehow your meals full of veggies look as good as the cupcakes….I’m not sure what kind of voodoo you are using!! The middle left cupcakes wants to be in my belly right now though…nom nom!
Ja @Ja on the RUN
Okay, the cupcakes got me to click your post first out of the other posts on my feedly! LOL! I want some!!! 🙂
Choc Chip Uru
Haha my mum is a cupcake/cake/sugar angel too sometimes 😛
Isn’t it the best!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Jan @ Sprouts n Squats
I’m obsessed with tomato sauce, similar to ketchup for you guys but slightly different.
Those cupcakes look so delicious 🙂
sugarcoatedsheridan
Oh the cupcakes…How I love them. You are right…they truly are an art form. I enjoy staring at them the whole time I’m eating them 🙂
pickyrunner
I’m not a very saucy person (food-wise or personality wise) unless it’s caramel, marshmallow, or chocolate. So dessert sauces? But anyways, we run for cupcakes. I fully support the fact that cupcakes make me faster. Even if it isn’t 100% true I’m still sticking with it.
Brittany
YES dessert sauces are just as important!
jessiebearwhat
Oooh so bookmarking this recipe too- another good one! 😀 And omg yes to those cupcakes
PNWRunner
Now I must have cupcakes. I was eating a delicious quest bar, but it doesn’t have the same taste as a lovely chocolate cupcake with the works!! Favorite sauce- Verde salsa or any hot salsa. I cannot make any sauce from scratch. Maybe ranch from the packet! 😉
Amy
Ohmygosh salsa is my favorite sauce EVER! I use it as salad dressing, as pasta sauce, and right now, I eat it with spinach as part of my breakfast every morning. Seriously. If you stack 4-5 leaves of baby spinach together, they’re almost as sturdy as a tortilla chip, so I just dip that in the salsa and pick up a huge gob like it’s regular chips and dip. Amazing.
And I will ALWAYS run for cupcakes! Especially filled ones. I started trying to fill my own cupcakes, and it’s really fun! Especially because it means I get to eat all of the middles that I carve out and don’t have to share. 😉
Brittany
ME TOO I put it on EVERYTHING HAHAHA! I like your spinach chip idea haha.
Amy
I went to order a salad today from a make-your-own salad place, and I wanted to ask if they had salsa… But I was stuck with ordering extra tomatoes and jalapeños instead. 😉
Lauren
Cupcake art should be a thing. They should dedicate whole museums of pictures of cupcakes just like you have here. They’re the definition of food porn–so beautiful!
Tessa @ Amazing Asset
Those cupcakes are so pretty Brittany, cupcake art should really be a thing! Glad to see you are cooking again (while I haven’t been blogging, I still lurk around these here parts) and that sauce sounds so interesting! Clever girl :p Oh and yes, more cupcakes will most certainly make you less tired, more sugar please!
Brittany
Tessa my loveee it’s so good to hear from you, I have surely missed you!!
P
Walnut sauce, mmmm!
Lately I’ve been craving babaganoush and hummus. I guess I’m on a Mediterranean kick :P!
Nicole @ FruitnFitness
Okay the walnut cream sauce sounds wonderful! Last winter I made a soup that had soaked and puréed cashews in it and was shocked how creamy the nut addition made the tomato soup. I’m glad your runs are going well!
Emily
I feel like whenever I see cupcakes on your blog (which is often) I always say OOW I WANT THAT, THATS WHAT I WANT. And then I never freaking get a cupcake. Well YOU KNOW WHAT. I’m marching into Whole Foods tomorrow and buying like 9 cupcakes.
Brittany
DO IT!! DO IT NOW!!! GO GET A CUPCAKE! HAHAHA!
Kristina at damntenpounds
I want to eat everything on this post. Mostly the cupcakes, but you even make the veggies look delicious 😉 I’ve never thought to make my own sauce, let alone with nuts as the base. Definitely going to put this in my back pocket and give it a whirl. In the meantime, I will continue to drown my meals in cholula, tapatio and sriracha.
Alisha's Appetite
Dude. Your sauce recipe is genius. I’m already looking into my kitchen to think of what I could put it on if I make it this week. Yum!
Khushboo Thadani (@KhushbooThadani)
I don’t even love cupcakes but I want one NOW…especially the middle one on the left!! I need to make that sauce stat- it looks seriously legit!! And with the billion kinds of nuts available, the variations are endless- thanks for sharing, girl!!
Kumar's Kitchen
your sauce recipe is so tempting us to make it tonight and we certainly are…lip smacking good,we love salsa too 🙂
Britta
I had cupcakes this weekend and all I kept thinking about was, “Brittany would be so proud of me right now” – that’s not weird right?! Love the big ol’ bowls, so fresh, delicious, and simple. I should jump on that bandwagon. Gnocchi look DIVINE, and that sauce?! How do you come up with good stuff like that? My mind doesn’t even go there. I am too dull 😀 I am and will always be obsessed with ketchup.
Brittany
YAY this comment made my morning hahaha. I often think about other bloggers while I eat certain things..totally not weird. HAHA.
Meghan @ fitnesscrEATures
Well of course I want those cupcakes in my belly now! Food porn from you should be illegal, you always have the best looking stuff girly! 🙂 🙂 Tell me where you got those cupcakes so when I’m in Seattle I can go there ASAP! 🙂 Great job on your 7 miler pace lady, that’s awesome!!! I can imagine it’s starting to feel wonderful in Seattle, weather wise, so I’m sure that’s encouraging. 🙂
Brittany
I actually live about an hour SOUTH of Seattle, but Seattle has a ton of vegan sweets!! You must go to Mighty-O Donuts! YUM! I WANT DONUTS NOW!
Luv What You Do
Those cupcakes look INCREDIBLE! I agree that they are so artistically decorated! I love when I take time to plan out and make meals. Although tonight is most likely going to be popcorn for dinner, I should make something like your cous cous dish!
katalysthealth
I want a cupcake angel mom!! Can I pick one up at Costco or something? 😉
My favorite sauce is either guacamole, salsa or ketchup!!
Brittany
Hahah love this comment, Costco DOES have everything so I don’t see why not!? 😉
pjsassifras
Wait just a dang minute, I call CUPCAKE FOUL!!! How on earth can you show us those gorgeous pictures and then NOT TELL US WHAT KIND THEY ARE! Especially the one with the pink stuff in the middle?!?!? I’m drooling. I see Snickers & Rootbeer Float. Esplain the rest, please.
On another note, the rest of your meals look so delicious. I think I’m going to plan your couscous dish for lunch all next week. Those roasted beets look heavenly, too. I’ll be saving this one for when the weather cools a bit more. Everything in that bowl is something my husband loves so it’ll be easy to talk him into an extra ‘meatless’ dinner night. Thanks for sharing!
My favorite sauce? Hot sauce! I put in on everything.
Brittany
HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT WAS ROOTBEER!?!?! YOU are a cupcake Goddess!! I had no idea what that flavor was and when my mom said rootbeer even then I was like, “huh, I guess I see it.” HA! The two I ate were chocolate and a LEMON raspberry!! YUM!
pjsassifras
Ohh, Cupcake Goddess, I love that. It’s because I am old enough to recognize the little rootbeer keg shaped candy on top. Also, the straw gave it away.
That lemon raspberry looks soooo good. I bought one the other day from our local truck and was so disappointed it wasn’t raspberry filled. I’m living vicariously through your photo!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
You knew I was going to say that the SECOND you pressed POST THIS BLOG – Sugar…… GAHHHH! But you know what, have that food gasm for me! I totally would SHOVEL IN the cupcake with the candy bar in it…. And you know what? If Derek Hough wanted me to eat it, I don’t think I would say no… He would just have to deal with the repercussions afterwards – I am not so sexy when I am doubled over in stomach pain, but hey, maybe that would turn him on?!?!
Ugh, speaking of pain, my stomach hurts right now.
Oh and my favorite sauce is TOTALLY my dad’s clam sauce or puttenesca sauce!!! You’d LOVE the puttenesca!!
Heather @ HeatherRunsFast.com
Those cupcakes. Oh Em Gee. Sadly, I haven’t had an amazing cupcake in a long time, like a month. LOVE the idea of a creamy nut sauce (saying that as I typed it, it sounds so wrong, haha). You are so creative! My favorite sauce is a combo of mustard and sriracha or a simple tomato basil sauce.
Brittany
Hahaha this comment made me love you 10x more. I’m glad I’m not the only one with my mind in the gutter at times.
An Unrefined Vegan
I feel like a rotten blogging friend. I’ve missed your last few posts, dear – –
Anyway…gaaaaahhhh those cupcakes!! Thank goodness you are running and doing Insanity, that’s all I can say!
Lauren
Just catching up….walnut sauce, oh my! Insanity AND training, oh my! That black bean burger and cupcakes, oh, oh my!!! 🙂
Courtney
That gnocchi looks spectacular! 🙂
Corrie Anne
Frosting is my favorite sauce!
Life After Swimming
we make homemade pastas for holidays … last year was gnocchi but it wasn’t nearly as delicious as our ravioli ahaha…those cupcakes look amazing! I love ketchup!
Melissa @ Al Forno Mementos
I love looking at nicely decorated cupcakes! wish I could take a pastry class to learn. if I only had some more time in life … and money to sign up for classes. the walnut sauce looks GOOOOOOD!
Colin DeWaay
You don’t happen to like cupcakes do you? LOL! 🙂
Brittany
One word…obsessed. Haha.
jessielovestorun
I think it’s safe to say your mom deserves the #1 mom of the year award. She sure knows how to pick out some delicious looking cupcakes. Feel free to send some my way if you can’t finish 🙂
Meredith
Love the sounds of that sauce! I am a marinara/tomato based sauce girl at heart but that looks like one I’ll try for sure!
Um can I please come eat cupcakes with you? Those are gorg!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
You’re bringing Brittany back. Them other bloggers don’t know how to act. Take it to the bridge.
I use almond or soy milk in almost all of my “cream” dishes, although I love the idea of making a cream sauce out of nuts because well, nuts are delicious. Your picture of the cous cous salad with the avocado, tomatoes and pistachios was gorgeous and a wonderfully balanced meal. I’d like a bowl of that please. Not that I would turn down anything else here; far be it from to poo-poo fancy cupcakes either.
Brittany
Dirty baaabbbeee you see these shackles baby I’m your slaaveee!! AKA I am a slave to your meals on your current post! You kill me..So much amazingness.
Elizabeth
I love honey mustard and horseradish. I put them on everything and I’ve asked to be buried with a jar of each. I’m also a hot sauce virgin and will remain so until the day I die. 🙂
kelly @ racesrepsramblings
Those cupcakes. My gosh. Seriously – where did those come from?? Yum. And I think you are DEFINITELY working out enough to inhale those puppies! Glad running and Insanity are going well =) WOOT!
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The Healthy Flavor
Oh man that walnut sauce sounds amazingly delicious! I love walnut butter. I’ll be sharing my recipe on my new blog. Anyways, I’m absolutely dying over your cupcakes…seriously, I could eat all 6 in 5 minutes….I think I love cupcakes as much as you. I made double chocolate muffins the other day and ate FIVE all at once. Pig, I know!
Mary
Those cupcakes are amazing. Your Mom is amazing! 🙂
My favourite sauce is definitely pesto. I could literally eat pesto sandwiches every single day. No other filling required! I’ve never heard of any walnut based sauces before. It’s gonna be a true experiement when I test this out, but it sounds yum!!!
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Rach @ This Italian Family
Those cupcakes look divine. Oh lovely that they are!
Also, I haven’t tried making a “creamy” sauce by using nuts. I’ve heard of it, but haven’t tried it yet! I need to do this!