Have I ever told you about my mom’s apple pie? It’s killer. She always makes it deep-dish style (like Chicago pizza). Sometimes she’ll make it with a double crust and sometimes she’ll make it with what she calls a “French crumble topping”, and her thick apple layer is perfectly spiced and sweetened. It is hands-down the best apple pie. In the world. (Tall claim, but I’m sticking to it…but I won’t argue if you tell me the same about your mom’s pie.)...
Blueberry, Buckwheat + Chia Seed Muffins {Gluten-Free; Naturally-Sweetened}
I get a lot of emails from people telling me they want to start their day off with a healthy breakfast, but they don’t have time for the usual healthy go-to breakfast-y things like eggs or hot cereal. Or even smoothies. (As a side note, I am a firm believer that making a smoothie shouldn’t take longer than five minutes! That is less time than it takes to sit down and eat a bowl of cold cereal; not that cold cereal can’t be healthy, unless it’s the sugar-laden junk, but eating a bowl of cereal still takes longer than a smoothie, since a smoothie can […]...
Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
There was this cute little café that I used to frequent with a friend for lunch. It was just this hole-in-the-wall from the outside, but it was decorated in a charming, eclectic way inside. The food was quirky and full of charm too....
Sicilian Sunrise Cakes
If you’re a coffee drinker, I think you’ll swoon over one of these cakes with your coffee. (But yes, they are wonderful paired with a cup of tea as well!) These golden sunshine-colored beauties get their lovely rich yellow color from cornmeal and pistachio or olive oil. They have a soft crumb that’s subtly sweet, tender, and moist, and are faintly scented of sweet citrus and vanilla....
Biscoff Muffins with Coffee Cake Crumble Topping
I made these muffins a long time ago. So long ago that I almost forgot what they taste like. So long ago that it was before I cut myself off from biscoff spread, realizing it was just a little too dangerous to keep in my pantry....
Pistachio-Chai Muffins
A couple weeks ago I happened to briefly mention to my mom that I had never seen The Sound of Music. (How does this come up randomly in conversation?, you ask. Well, as it were, we were driving through the countryside with my niece and I happened to nonchalantly say Look, there’s a deer – a doe! And then my nine-year-old niece broke into that song that even I’m familiar with, although I’ve never seen the musical.)...
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Muffins
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Muffins made with a combination of whole wheat and buckwheat flour, bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, and honey are a healthy breakfast or snack! It’s back-to-school time, and even though Mike and I don’t have kids, I’m always trying to come up with new back-to-school snack ideas for my niece. She spends the night at our place every Friday for our “sleepover night” and I like to make sure I have healthy treats on hand....
Kiwi, Coconut, & Lime Muffins
Here honey, don’t forget the muffins! I practically shoved a tray of these muffins at Mike as he was running out the door one morning on his way to work. All the sudden he picked one up and started sniffing it. Wait, I know this flavor…it’s something I used to love as a kid! What’s in them, do I like these?, he asked, holding up a muffin to examine it further. Instead of waiting for me to answer, he started grabbing muffins off the tray like there was no tomorrow, telling me to save them for him for later....
Coconut-Chocolate Chunk Muffins {Paleo}
A couple weeks ago my mom and sister came over for coffee one afternoon; snacks were a must and I was prepared with these muffins. As my mom reached for one, she asked what they were. Just give them a taste…you’ll like them, I coaxed. (I didn’t want to turn her off to them before she had even tasted them by saying they’re paleo…my mom is a healthy eater, but she’s very much a traditionalist. She hears paleo and thinks cardboard texture and flavor.)...
Honey-Nut Banana Muffins {Gluten-Free; Naturally Sweetened}
Ever notice subtle seasonal changes in your eating habits? I don’t just mean the gravitation towards soups in the winter and salads in the summer…these days it seems like I crave something warm and comforting all day long. Case in point, every day around 3 o’clock in the afternoon I like to make a cup of tea…it keeps me warm on these chilly January days. And of course a little treat along with tea never hurts, right?...