Falling into Autumn... Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

It’s coming, or it’s already here for many of you. The air is a little crisper. The leaves are beginning to turn. And suddenly cinnamon, cloves and pumpkin are all you can think about.

Autumn. or Fall. Whatever you call it, this cooler season is upon us. 

Boots. Sweaters. Scarves.

Pies. Cookies. Mashed potatoes. Soup. 

Pumpkin patches. Apple picking. Giving thanks. Turkey dinners.

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Baking is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the cooler months.

These pumpkin muffins sure did hit the spot.

greek yogurt & almond butter breakfast {w/ recipes}

It all started in high school. You see, until then I had never thought of yogurt as a breakfast food. Strange, I know. Yogurt was always a lunch item in my house, but high school sleepovers at my friend Amanda's house introduced me to yogurt and granola - one of the best breakfast combinations ever (and I LOVE breakfast).

Then came Greek yogurt. Thick, creamy and slightly tangy. At first I was sure I was eating sour cream. But all the labels said it was of the trendy and nutritious, Mediterranean cultured variety.

Bacon Cheddar Pancakes {w/ recipes}

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it, but breakfast is my favorite meal. It's one of those things I could, for lack of a better phrase, eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact breakfast for dinner is my go to when I don't feel like cooking. I can scramble some eggs, toast some bread, or heck, just pour a bowl of cereal. But the creme de la creme, in my opinion, is pancakes.

I love waking up early on Saturday mornings and heating up the griddle.  Fluffy, light and buttery, flap jacks. You can top them with fresh fruit, or dot them with chocolate chips.  The possibilities are nearly endless. Be prepared to add another flavor combination to your repertoire: bacon and cheddar cheese. I saw this on the menu of a cafe once and was intrigued. Salty bacon, sharp chedder, with sweet maple syrup drizzling down the sides...helloo breakfast!

PB Toast and Nectarine break.fast

hi friends. A few things to share with you today.

one. I made this delightful breakfast the other week before a long beach day. I needed some protein (go peanut butter!) to keep me energized. Combined with some fresh fruit and yerba mate tea - it hit the spot. 

two. You should all go visit the lovely Chelsea of Chelsea's Culinary Indulgence, in hopes of winning an adorable apron from Pink Butterfly Aprons. The giveaway closes Thursday at midnight, at which point one lucky lady (or gent) will win the apron of their choosing. Even if you don't want/need a new apron, you should still stop by and browse her amazing recipes, including creations like Maple Bacon Donut Bites and Watermelon and Goat Cheese Bites. {who doesn't love bite sized goodies?}

three. I have been cooking and baking quite a bit lately, even if I haven't been blogging much. But not to worry, all kitchen successes (and flops) have been well documented and will be shared soon.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Overnight Oatmeal

good morning friends.

Are you a morning or a night person? I'm not quite either. I wish I was a morning person, but truth be told it is a struggle to get out of bed at 6am for work each day. You'd also be hard pressed to find me up after eleven on a week night. I guess I just need my full 8 hours.

Despite not being the classic "morning person", I do enjoy the early hours of the day. And although I'd prefer them all to be like Saturday morning - where I can sleep until I naturally wake up and lounge around until I feel ready to actually get up and start my day - I try to make the most of my weekday early mornings. Which includes eating a good breakfast.

I found this recipe idea on Pinterest a few weeks ago. The website has several different flavor combinations all based off a simple combination: oats, milk, chia seeds, and Greek yogurt.



I had fresh blueberries, but no real maple syrup (as suggested in the recipe), so I substituted with brown sugar. I also added flax seed for some added healthy goodness.

The result was wonderful! A super easy, make it the night before, breakfast. It is perfect for rushed mornings and lazy ones alike. Plus, I'll admit that I am totally on the mason jar bandwagon. How cute are they? Not only is this recipe healthy and delicious, it is adorable!

A couple notes from my experience:

• the recipe said to put the lid on and shake the jar to combine the main ingredients, but I didn't. In fact I think it would be messier and much more difficult that way. Instead I just used a spoon to mix the ingredients.
• I added a bit more oatmeal and yogurt to fill up the jar
• recipes are great guidelines, but as with my philosophy for nearly all recipes, they are just that: guidelines. By all means add and subtract ingredients and do what you want to make it your own. 
• I also tried the raspberry and vanilla combination but ate it before I could snap any pictures. The recipe called for raspberries, raspberry jam, and vanilla. I went jamless but it was still great. I mashed the raspberries throughout the mixture so the flavor was in every bite - no sweetener needed!  

Blueberry and Brown Sugar Overnight Oatmeal {serves 1}
adapted from The Yummy Life

1/3 c uncooked old fashioned oats
1/3 c milk
1/4 c Greek yogurt
1-2 t chia seeds
1 t flax seeds
2 t brown sugar (to taste)
1/4 c fresh blueberries

1. Combine oats, milk, yogurt, seeds, and brown sugar in a half pint mason jar. Carefully stir to incorporate all ingredients.

2. Add fresh blueberries and gently mix so that jar is full.

3. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

Enjoy!

Saturday Morning Breakfast

hello friends. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. When I started this blog I made it a personal goal / requirement to post at least once a week. I figured that would be realistic, given my other commitments. But look at me, one month into blogging and I'm already falling behind. Whatever my excuses (busy weekends,  work, poor weather) they don't really matter. So here I am back to the blog.

So often I find myself cooking the same meals, week in and week out. And while I have no complaints from the husband (he would be happy to eat California burritos 5 times a week), I love to try new things and get out of my comfort zone. So I've resolved to try new recipes, and new crafts for that matter. I will be calling it "Pinned it & Did it". 

So here is my first for this series. I saw the recipe this morning while laying in bed, "pinning" on the iPad. It was simple and I already had the ingredients, so I did it. 

via Pinterest

These Baked Eggs and Prosciutto Cups are so delicious and very easy. I imagine they'd be perfect when you have a lot of mouths to feed, but also worked wonderfully for the husband and me. I used spinach instead of leeks and cheddar, and was very happy with the result. For husband's I scrambled the eggs (since he's not much of a soft yoke person) and added a Mexican blend cheese. He added Cholulu hot sauce to spice them up a bit. 

Here was my Saturday morning breakfast: baked eggs in prosciutto cups with fresh organic spinach, rye toast with plenty of butter, plain Greek yogurt with blueberries and a bit of agave syrup, and English Breakfast tea. 

Lemon Popover Pancakes

hello world. Hope you are having a fantastic start of the week. San Diego was hit with a major rainstorm this weekend... we even had hail! Which in San Diego, is cause for much excitement. I stayed in most of the weekend, reading and baking. As much as I love a good rainstorm, I got a little antsy, longing for the return of sunshine.

Luckily, these breakfast beauties are a helpful stand-in. They have a tart sunny-ness about them, that is sure to lift your spirits on a gray day.

This recipe is originally from Steven's aunt Dawn, but given to me from Steven's mom Debbie. I've altered it a bit, as what may serve 2 normal adults, is not quite enough for the hubs and I. Plus, I prefer a little {read LOT} more lemon.

Lemon Popover Pancakes {serves 2}
3/4 c milk
3/4 c flour
3 eggs
2-4 T butter (melted)

1-3 lemons (juiced)
powdered sugar (to taste)

These "pancakes" are baked in the oven. You can use 2 medium sized ramekins or popover baking dishes. I use a muffin tin and make about 8 small pancakes.

1. In a medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk together milk, flour, and eggs. Do not over-whisk. It's ok if there are a few lumps.

2. Grease baking dishes and then pour melted butter evenly among dishes. Divide batter and add on top of melted butter. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on what size dish you're using.

3.  While pancakes are baking, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar. Meyer lemons work best as their natural sweetness will let you cut back on the powdered sugar. I usually use 2 medium sized Meyer lemons, but you can use 1 large lemon, or 3 if they're very small. A few tablespoons of powdered sugar usually does the trick.

4. You'll notice that the pancakes "pop" up in the oven. When they're golden brown remove from heat and drizzle with lemon syrup. Enjoy right away!