I don’t think I ever realized there were so many special days set aside to honor particular foods. As it turns out, today is National Chocolate Chip Day! I have to thank to wonderful world of Twitter for alerting me to these very special occasions! Out of all of the foods that deserve a holiday, I would say the chocolate chip is definitely one of them. They’re not only for cookies after all! Check out this recipe for healthy Banana-Split Pancakes (with chocolate chips!)

-Lexi

Banana-Split Pancakes

Ingredients

1/3 cup Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 plus 1/16 tsp salt
1 packet Stevia or 1 tbsp Sugar
Handful chocolate chips
4 chopped cherries or strawberries
1/2 medium banana
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Milk
1 tbsp coconut or veg oil, or 1 more tbsp milk of choice

Preparation

Combine banana, berries and wet ingredients in a bowl

In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir

Preheat a greased or oiled pan to medium, then pour wet ingredients into dry and stir to combine.

Drop 5-6 dollops onto pan once it’s hot, and cook on medium-low. Flip once per pancake.

Simple and delicious! My favorite kind of recipe!

If you have any great recipes you think I should try/feature on the site, let me know!

Yummy recipe brought to you from ChocolateCoveredKatie.com!

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day! is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

Cinco De Mayo is tomorrow inspiring me to search of an authentic Mexican dish. Along the way I found this adorable festive cookie and couldn’t resist posting! I’m off to find the perfect cookie cutter so I can try to have these completed by tomorrow!

-Lexi

Piñata Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
Mini M&M candies
1/2 cup powdered sugar (frosting)
2 teaspoons milk (frosting)

Preparation

1. Cream sugars with butter. Beat in eggs and add oil. Combine dry ingredients together, and then gradually add them to the mixture. Mix in vanilla and almond extract.

2. Split dough into five, even-sized balls and one smaller ball (this will be the black one). Add food coloring to each of the dough balls until desired color is achieved. Gel food coloring gives you more intense colors than liquid.

3. Use a container the same approximate width of your donkey/burro piñata cookie cutter, and line it with plastic food wrap. Split all of your colored dough balls in half (except the black) and begin layering the dough in the container, starting with the black dough on the bottom. Alternate the colors so that you end up with two layers of each color by the time you’re done.

4. Cover the layered dough and freeze for four hours or overnight.

5. Remove the dough from the container and cut into slices, approximately 1/4-inch wide. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.

6. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, use your burro piñata cookie cutter to cut the cookie shapes. Working in sets of three, be sure to cut two burro piñata cookies in one direction and the flip the cookie cutter to create a cookie in the opposite direction.  This way you can hide the baked, bottom sides.

7. For the middle cookies in each set, cut off the ears and legs, and cut out the center where the M&Ms will go. Work quickly and then let them cool on the baking sheet before you move them and remove the excess, outer cookie.

8. To assemble, take the first piñata cookie and lay it upside down so that the baked bottom is facing up. Outline the center of the piñata body with a “frosting glue” mixture of milk and powdered sugar.

9. Put the middle cookie on top of the frosting glue and add the M&Ms to the open center. Put another outline of frosting glue on the middle cookie and place the opposite-cut piñata cookie on top. Let these sit and harden for at least 30 minutes.

And voila! The perfect Piñata cookie!

Thanks to Sandra at SheKnows.com for this great idea!

Happy Cinco De Mayo! is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

Lexi Ainsworth was recently featured on the Bella Petite Radio show for Bella Petite Magazine. If you missed her interview, check out the details HERE! Bella Petite recently released additional questions that weren’t aired during the interview. Read on and don’t forget to visit BellaPetite!

The indelibly pretty petite celebrity soap starlet 5’1″ Lexi Ainsworth (age 19) is a breath of fresh air on the young Hollywood scene.  Lexi was born to a dentist father and a teacher mother in Oklahoma City, perhaps not the most likely upbringing for a Hollywood big screen actress.  Lexi says that her small town life is what encouraged her to want to break out and pursue something fun and different!  Lexi started acting at the very young age of 6, including live theatre work and involvement in acting workshops.  Some such workshops required travelling to Los Angeles for additional training, which eventually led her to a breakout role on the hit soap General Hospital, in the role of Kristina Davis Corinthos.

BELLA PETITE:  What is your favorite thing to do other than acting and traveling?

LEXI: I love trying new restaurants. I’m a big foodie who loves to eat and cook. I actually have a list on my phone of my favorite restaurants and ones that I need to try in NY and LA. You could call it a hobby.

BELLA PETITE:  What are your favorite outdoor activities?

LEXI:  I was in surf club at my high school for P.E. I love going on hikes and finding new trails. I started skiing when I was 3, and recently have taken up snowboarding. My family and I try to go skiing at least once a year. This last Christmas we went to Lech in Austria.

Lexi Ainsworth Online (Fan Site run by a Fan):   What is your most memorable moment on General Hospital, on or off set?

LEXI: I would say my birthday! Everyone surprised me with a cake and sang Happy Birthday and I got a birthday shot (no silly) in the scene that we were shooting!

Visit Bella Petite for even more answers to fan questions!

Lexi Ainsworth: Bella Petite Extended Interview is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

I’ve been finding so many amazing recipes on Pinterest but this one really grabbed my attention! Check out this recipe for Pan-Fried Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage. Sound delicious right? Trying this ASAP! Let me know if you do, and how it turns out!

-Lexi

Pan-Fried Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage

Ingredients

1/2 cup skim milk ricotta
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup freshly grated parmegiano reggiano
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon zest (use a microplane grater) (plus extra reserved for garnishing)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted plus more for dusting (see sifting tip above)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs fresh sage, plus more for garnish
shaved parmegiano reggiano for serving (use vegetable peeler)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300F

1. Combine ricotta, pumpkin parmagiano, yolk, zest and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the flour on the mixture, gently turn with spatula a few times to incorporate. Dump mixture on clean, lightly floured countertop or you can still do this in the bowl. Sprinkle remaining flour on top of the mixture. Gently knead with your fingertips, just bringing together the mixture until flour is incorporated through. This only should take a minute or two. Any longer and you will be over-kneading.

2. Dust a clean, dry surface with a generous sprinkling of flour. Divide dough into 4 parts. Take one part and roll into a long, 1″ diameter log. Cut gnocchi into 1″ pieces.

3. Heat a large frying pan or saute pan with just 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add a few gnocchi – enough to cover surface but not touch each other. Fry on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, turn and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Remove gnocchi, place on large baking sheet to put into oven to keep warm. Repeat with rest of gnocchi.

4. When all gnocchi is finished, discard butter/oil in pan and clean pan with paper towel. Heat pan on medium heat and when hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the fresh sage. Let the sage brown and sizzle (but not burn) for a couple of minutes until very fragrant. Remove the sage and discard if you want (or keep it in to eat — as many people in the comments below like to do!) To the pan, add the balsamic vinegar and whisk. Let simmer on low for 1 minute and pour over the gnocchi.

5. Serve with shaved parmegiano reggiano and a sage leaf for garnish.

Courtesy of SteamyKitchen.com

Pan-Fried Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

The event featured art, music, photography, games and food with each activity allowing participants to create gifts for at risk youth in Haiti.

Also in attendance at the event were Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, Stefanie Scott (A.N.T. Farm), Nathan Kress (iCarly), Caroline Sunshine (Shake It Up), Kenton Duty (Shake It Up) and many more!

Children Mending Hearts is dedicated to empowering disadvantaged youth through educational and arts programs that build empathy and global citizenry. They aim to engage the youth of America in global children’s causes where they can positively impact the life of another child and ultimately realize their potential to effect change both in their own community and around the world.

Lexi Ainsworth At The Children Mending Hearts Spring Benefit is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

By now many of you know that I won’t be reprising the role of Kristina on General Hospital. I love Kristina and cherish my time I’ve spent with the character, but I also embrace the opportunity to pursue other projects. I’ve learned so much from my time on GH and I look forward to growing even further!

I want to thank you for all of your support. It is overwhelming and unrelenting. I am beyond grateful!

Stay Tuned!
Lexi

Thank you! is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

Lexi Ainsworth was interviewed for an upcoming soap opera themed documentary appropriately titled “Soap Life,” which follows the life, and possible death, of daytime soap operas.

Several past and present actors, producers, journalists and writers were interviewed for the documentary including Lisa LoCicero,Rick Hearst, Kristen Renton, Jill Larson, Bradford Anderson, Carolyn Hennesy, Mimi Torchin, Shenell Edmonds, Ronnie Marmo, Cady McClain, Derk Cheetwood, Jordi Vilasuso, Max Tapper, Lexi Ainsworth, Crystal Hunt, Bobbie Eakes, Gary Tomlin, Sean Ringgold, Francesca James, Julia Barr, Eileen Fulton, and many more.

Watch a clip here!

SoapOperaNetwork.com

Lexi Ainsworth Included In Upcoming ‘Soap Life’ Documentary is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

The indelibly pretty petite celebrity soap starlet 5’1″ Lexi Ainsworth (age 19) is a breath of fresh air on the young Hollywood scene.  Lexi was born to a dentist father and a teacher mother in Oklahoma City, perhaps not the most likely upbringing for a Hollywood big screen actress.  Lexi says that her small town life is what encouraged her to want to break out and pursue something fun and different!  Lexi started acting at the very young age of 6, including live theatre work and involvement in acting workshops.  Some such workshops required travelling to Los Angeles for additional training, which eventually led her to a breakout role on the hit soap General Hospital, in the role of Kristina Davis Corinthos.

Lexi is a natural born performer, and has spent most of her life on stage or film, including roles in such films as “The Gray Man” and  ”Wild Child,” opposite petite celebrity 5’1″ Emma Roberts.  Lexi has also appeared in a number of popular television programs from Gilmore Girls to iCarly, though she is most widely known for her portrayal of Kristina Davis Corinthos on the daytime drama General Hospital.  Lexi quickly became a fan favorite and won the hearts of viewers with her portrayal of a young girl struggling with the emotional and physical effects of domestic abuse.  Her performance even won her a 2011 Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series.  In the fall of 2011, Lexi left General Hospital and has been pursuing other projects, including a guest-starring role in the CBS drama Criminal Minds and the upcoming film release, “So This Is Christmas” starring Vivica A. Fox and Eric Roberts.  Lexi says that she will continue acting as long as it’s fun and she keeps getting the right offers!

Lexi’s fans were very instrumental in getting her on the Bella Petite Hour, and we discovered that Lexi’s fans are very passionate and committed to bringing attention to this fast rising young celebrity!  With such a supportive fan base, we received 100′s of questions for Lexi, and she wanted to show her thanks by answering some more questions that we were not able to fit into the radio show!   If you’re as big of a fan of Lexi as we are, please join us in demanding that General Hospital writers bring Lexi back this season in our comments section below!  We are starting the first online petition for Lexi, so tell them why you love her and share this article to spread the word!

PRE-INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

BELLA PETITE: Do you have any upcoming red carpet appearances and or awards that you are nominated for later this year for us to follow?

LEXI: I am nominated for another Young Artist Award for “Best Performance In A Daytime Series”. The red carpet event takes place on Sunday, May 6, 2012. May 4th is the official announcement of the Daytime Emmy nominees for which I am currently pre-nominated for another “Outstanding Younger Actress In A Drama Series”!

BELLA PETITE: What do you love most about being a petite celebrity?

LEXI: I think being petite is an advantage.  I will look younger longer.  I will be playing younger than my age for a long time!  I am proud and confident to be petite!

BELLA PETITE: Your thoughts about the fashion industry and the lack of petite models and fashion?

LEXI: I think that it has been long overdue for a magazine to promote petite models. We all come in different packages and I’m happy to know that people are recognizing that models don’t have to fit a certain mold and they are free to do what they’re passionate about.

BELLA PETITE: If you were to return to GH how would you like to see your role as Kristina Corinthos evolve?

LEXI: I think it would make sense if she found out at college that her parents were the ones who got her into Yale and for her return seeking revenge. Her professor boyfriend could come to Port Charles perpetuating her fascination with older men due to her daddy issues and stir up some more problems.

BELLA PETITE:  What is your favorite thing to do other than acting and traveling?

LEXI: I love trying new restaurants. I’m a big foodie who loves to eat and cook. I actually have a list on my phone of my favorite restaurants and ones that I need to try in NY and LA. You could call it a hobby.

BELLA PETITE:  What are your favorite outdoor activities?

LEXI:  I was in surf club at my high school for P.E. I love going on hikes and finding new trails. I started skiing when I was 3, and recently have taken up snowboarding. My family and I try to go skiing at least once a year. This last Christmas we went to Lech in Austria.

LEXI AINSWORTH FAN QUESTIONS: 

Lexi Ainsworth Online (Fan Site run by a Fan):   What is your most memorable moment on General Hospital, on or off set?

LEXI: I would say my birthday! Everyone surprised me with a cake and sang Happy Birthday and I got a birthday shot (no silly) in the scene that we were shooting!

Lexi Ainsworth The Next Chapter:   What type of role would you like to play if you could choose?

LEXI: Anything that is challenging and far from who I am in real life.

Fan Lexi Ainsworth: If you couldn’t be an actress, but be in the business…like direct, produce, make-up anything behind the camera what would you like to do?

LEXI: I would probably direct. I haven’t had any experience except in a film camp I did in NY’c but I think it would be fun having the big picture in mind and putting it all together. Any way to incorporate work and traveling the world would be my dream job!

Fan Lexi Ainsworth:  Where do you see yourself in five years or where would you like to be in five years?

LEXI: Hopefully still working and doing films all around the world. I could see myself living somewhere outside of the US. I love traveling!

BELLA PETITE HOUR 

Podcast Now Playing: Tune in to a fabulous guest celebrity “Entertainment Edition” on the Bella Petite Hour with host Ann Lauren featuring handsome actor Jeff L. Williams, along with a petite celebrity profile with the pretty General Hospital Soap Star and big screen actress Lexi Ainsworth.

There will be sexy talk with Jeff L and exciting chat with the young, talented and fast rising starlet Lexi Ainsworth!  Find out how important fans really are and what advice they have for new talent going after a career in Hollywood!

By: Bella Petite (Podcast are available on the Bella Petite radio page and itunes.)

General Hospital Soap Star Petite Celebrity Lexi Ainsworth is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

Lexi Ainsworth was a featured guest on the April 10th webcast of the Bella Petite Hour. Bella Petite Magazine focuses on petite fashion, entertainment and lifestyle. Lexi, at 5’1 was a popular choice for the show. Lexi Ainsworth fans united, sending requests for weeks for their favorite petite star.

Lexi Ainsworth started her career on stage in her hometown of Oklahoma City, OK. Lexi talked about her upbringing in Oklahoma and her start in the business. “When I was 11, I joined a local acting workshop with a manager from Los Angeles. Through the workshop I found out about an acting boot camp in LA and I convinced my mom to take me. Little did I know at the end there was a showcase with agents and that’s how I got signed with an agency.”

Lexi spent her time traveling between Oklahoma and Los Angeles for 6 months at a time until the lifestyle became too hectic. With the support of her parents, they made the move to California so Lexi could attend a small private arts school in Santa Monica while pursuing auditions. “At this point I didn’t know this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, but it’s been this constant journey of discovering what I want and pursuing what I love…for however long that may be.”

After a series of guest starring roles, Lexi scored the role of Kristina Corinthos Davis on the daytime drama General Hospital. It wasn’t long before Lexi became a series regular on the popular soap opera. It is this experience that Lexi calls her favorite role and best learning experience. “It’s 5 days a week and 30 pages of dialogue. It’s a lot of fun I can see why people stay so long. I’ve gotten very close to Kristina and my General Hospital family over the past 2-½ years.”

Lexi as Kristina on General Hospital

Though she feels very close to her character, she doesn’t see many similarities between herself and Kristina. “She and I are really nothing alike except for our love of family. I’m definitely more rational than she is, but it wouldn’t be as interesting if she didn’t get herself in some trouble. She has good intentions; her emotions just often get the best of her.”

There is a lot of speculation surrounding a possible return to the daytime drama. About the possibility Lexi says, “A lot of people are asking and I don’t really have a specific answer. I met with new head writer but you never know on soaps, it changes constantly. I have a feeling the fans would know before I do; they are always on top of it!”

Lexi has a strong fan base constantly rallying for her return to General Hospital and consideration for future roles. “They are dedicated and so loyal! They make whatever they want possible and this interview just proves that.” Lexi also enjoys interacting with her fans as much as she can. “I have a lot of fun talking to them through my Facebook and Twitter. These networks are great for connecting with fans on a more personal level. They get to know you as a person. I like to share photos and I also have a Pinterest account now. It’s another cool way of getting to know my interests and my personality.”

Lexi in "So This Is Christmas"

Lexi’s recent roles include a guest starring appearance on CBS’s Criminal Minds and a starring role in the upcoming movie, So This Is Christmas. The movie, costarring Eric Roberts and Vivica Fox, was submitted to Cannes and is currently being screened for distribution.

Currently, Lexi is auditioning for pilot season and making summer plans. Her current debate? Taking a trip to either Australia or Greece this summer.When asked what her fans don’t know about her, Lexi says, “Maybe that’s the downside, I’m not as interesting anymore cause they know me so well.” With loyal fans like hers, we’re sure this is not the case!

Lexi Ainsworth’s Bella Petite Hour Interview is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!

I’m excited to be featured on the Bella Petite Hour web cast tomorrow, April 10th! Many of YOU made this possible and I want to thank you for all of your dedication! You guys rock! Visit HERE to listen in! 10AM/PST & 1PM/EST!
xo
Lexi

The Bella Petite Hour is a web-cast will be a weekly entertainment variety show with celebrity guests, fashion, beauty and entertainment professionals! April 10th is a celebrity edition on the Bella Petite Hour! We have General Hospital soap star and big screen actress Lexi Ainsworth and Desperate Housewives star Jeff L. Williams on to talk about his new play Finding The Burnett Heart opening night April 20th! 

Lexi Ainsworth On Bella Petite is a post from: Lexi Ainsworth Official Website!