Brown Butter Ghee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have always loved trying different variations of chocolate chip cookie recipes. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my husband absolutely loves chocolate chip cookies. I stumbled upon the idea of making gluten free chocolate chip cookies that called for ghee instead of butter, coconut palm sugar instead of white sugar and almond flower instead of white flour in the recipe. I have to admit, I was skeptical of the cookies tasting like anything other than cardboard (just keeping it real here!). However, these cookies turned out incredible! So incredible that my husband who is the cookie cridic in our house, was completely blown away and really enjoyed them! I brought some over to our neighbors and they had the same reaction. You have to give this recipe a try! 

There are so many good things to say about this cookie dough. It is incredibly easy to make, especially if you buy brown butter ghee already prepared. The dough also taste amazing by the spoonful! But then again, what cookie dough doesn't?! 

The key to these cookies is the mix of chocolate chunks and chocolate chips that I used. They gave the cookies amazing flavor and also prevented them from being really thin and flat.

When I pulled the cookies out of the oven, I immediately sprinkled them with some flaky sea salt. It really elevated the flavors! Even though the ingredients might not be traditional to chocolate chip cookies, you still get that incredible smell when you bake them!

These cookies taste amazing fresh out of the oven when they are still slightly warm yet crispy around the edges. I love the nutty flavor from the brown butter ghee and of course the gooey chocolate. I piled the cookies onto a platter and my husband and I enjoyed one too many of them with a tall glass of milk!

These cookies also make great gifts, especially if someone has dietary restrictions. I like to cut small squares of natural parchment paper and place them in between the cookies. You can either package them up in a cute bag or jar and make someone very happy :)

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Brown Butter Ghee Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown butter ghee
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups fine almond flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1/3 cup milk or dark chocolate chips
• Additional sea salt for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat (what I used). 
2. In a stand mixer (or handheld beaters), beat the brown butter ghee and coconut palm sugar for 2-3 minutes, or until lighter in color and smooth.
3. Add the maple syrup, egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, and sea salt and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple times.
5. Stir in the chocolate chunks and chocolate chips.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, drop 6 cookies onto each prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until just starting to brown around the edges.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Allow them to cool before removing from the pan (if you can wait that long!). Serve and enjoy. 

*This recipe was adapted from this original recipe. 

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad With Burrata

Since moving back to Northern California, my husband and I are thoroughly enjoying the Fall season! While living in Southern California, we didn't realize how much we missed the changing of the leaves, crisp mornings and nights, and enjoying all of the yummy seasonal produce. When we were at the farmers market this past weekend, it was hard to miss all of the gorgeous beets and carrots. Their colors alone screamed fall. I had been craving easy, delicious and healthy fall side dishes, and I knew these beets and carrots would be perfect topped with creamy burrata cheese and pepitas!

I have found myself roasting any and all veggies this fall season. There is something so comforting and simple about them. What I love most about roasting beets and carrots is the slight earthyness and sweetness you get from them. I drizzled them with some olive oil and seasoned them with sea salt before popping them into the oven.

While the vegetables were roasting, I made a very simple vinaigrette to pour over the top of the salad once it was assembled. I also sauteed the beet greens in a pan so that they were slightly wilted. I had never actually eaten the beet greens before, and they were a nice component to this dish. You could also use chard or spinach if you prefer.

I love putting this dish on a big platter and layering the ingredients starting with the beet greens and topping it all off with the burrata and pepitas. It makes for a beautiful presentation. 

This dish pairs well with just about anything! We enjoyed it along side some herb chicken for a simple rainy night meal. It would also be great on your Thanksgiving table perhaps with a cup of soup or on its own for a vegetarian meal with a loaf of crusty bread. 

I hope you give this incredibly yummy and nourishing dish a try this fall or winter season! 

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Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Burrata Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 red beets with tops
• 3 golden beets with tops
• 6 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
• Burrata Cheese torn into bitesize pieces 
• Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
• olive oil
• Salt and Pepper 

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. champagne vinegar (or other white wine vinegar)
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1 small shallot, finely diced 
• 1 tsp. thyme, minced 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the tops of the beets, reserving the beet greens. Cut the ribs of the greens off, and cut the beet greens into bitesize pieces. Set the greens aside.
3. Scrub the beets clean. Half and slice the beets into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Keep the red beets separate from the rest of the vegetables if you don't want the colors to bleed.
4. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on sheet pans. Again, keeping the red beets separate if you don't want the colors to bleed. Roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are fork tender and browned.
5. In the meantime, combine the vinaigrette dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine and set aside.
6. With a few minutes remaining in the vegetable cook time, heat a skillet over medium with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the beet greens and lightly sautee for a few minutes, until they are slightly wilted. Trasfer to a platter.
7. Layer the beets and carrots over the beet greens. Using your hands, break bite size pieces of the burrata cheese and place over the vegetables. Drizzle the dressing and top with fresh thyme and pepitas. Serve the salad warm or cold and enjoy! 

Pear and Walnut Focaccia Bread

This past week my husband and I finally had the opportunity to explore our new local farmers market. It is still pretty warm in California but we have had a mix of warm days with a slight chill in the in air. As we were walking there, we both looked at each other and said, "we're ready for Fall!" Much to our surprise, there was a vendor at the farmer's market exclusively selling pears. We knew they had to be good, so we picked up a few to take home and try. The pears were incredible on their own but I wanted to try them in a new Fall recipe. This pear and walnut focaccia bread turned out incredible and it also makes your house smell exactly like Fall when it's cooking. 

I found that using ripe but not overly ripened pears works best so it doesn't make the dough too soggy. 

The mix of the pears, walnuts and thyme and the cinnamon sugar make for the perfect salty-sweet combination. I added some Maldon finishing salt when I took it out of the oven and it was over the top! You could certainly leave off the cinnamon sugar for a more savory bread. 

Although this recipe may look fancy, it was super easy to make! I bought already prepared pizza dough from Trader's Joe's, which is a great short cut without compromising on flavor. 

Making a fist, dimple the dough and sprinkle the walnuts into the indentations. Then you can layer on the thyme and pears and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture.

If you want your house to smell amazing before company arrives, pop this bread into the oven a few minutes before, and you will definitely impress them when they walk in the door!

Baking it in the cast iron skillet allows you to get the most amazing golden crust without drying out the bread. The pears get slightly softened and the cinnoman sugar bakes into the dough. 

You could serve it for a brunch, afternoon snack, with a bowl of soup or salad, as an appetizer or dessert. To give it more sweetness, you could add a drizzle of honey. Or, if you wanted to make it more savory, you could serve it a long with some gorgonzola or blue cheese. The possibilities are endless, and I can't wait to hear how you serve it!

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Pear and Walnut Focaccia Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Trader Joe's plain pizza dough (or 1 pound of your favorite pizza dough)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1-2 firm but ripe pears, sliced into thin wedges (about a 1/2 inch. thick)
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnomon 
• Sprinkle of Maldon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
2. With slight greased hands, remove the pizza dough from the package and place it on a lightly floured surface for about 20-30 minutes. 
3. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9 inch cast iron skillet. Place the dough into the skillet and evenly spread it on the skillet. With light greased hands, dimple the dough creating small indentations. Place walnut pieces into the indent, then sprinkle the thyme evenly over the dough. Arrange the pears evenly over the dough.
4. Combine the cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the pears and dough. 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the top is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature for best results. 

Please note: The bread is best enjoyed right after it is baked. However, if you have leftovers, you can put it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it up. Enjoy!

One Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

After a brief hiatus over the Summer, I could not be happier to be back in the kitchen and back to this ol' blog of mine! I took some time off while my husband and I relocated from living in Southern California back to Northern California. We are thrilled to get back to our roots and be closer to our families and friends. As someone who likes to cook, having to pack and unpack our kitchen was one of the hardest parts for me. We are finally (almost) unpacked, which means I can actually cook again! I found myself looking for easy, healthy and comforting meals which lead me to come up with this incredibly tasty one sheet pan meal. It is perfect for the upcoming Fall season, an easy weeknight meal, and it also makes for amazing leftovers to have throughout the week. 

I am so excited that I can finally grow a mini herb garden since our new kitchen gets a lot of great natural light. I used our homegrown herbs, mixed with farmers market vegetables and chicken. With minimal prep work involved, dinner practically made itself. 

I used a combination of all of the vegetables we had on hand: carrots, mini tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, red potatoes, mushrooms and red onion. You could certainly use any and all vegetables for this dish! 

When I first tested out the recipe, there was not enough flavor, so the second time around I added cumin and paprika. Those two spices helped to elevate the flavors without being overpowering. I also used a mix of fresh and dried herbs. 

It took me about 15 minutes to get the veggies and chicken chopped and mix up the spices. Once it was all combined, I put it all on a sheet pan and topped it with some fresh thyme. It really is that easy :)

This dish makes the kitchen smell amazing when it's cooking! What you end up with is a healthy and comforting meal all in one. Since I added potatoes to ours, we didn't feel a need to serve it over rice but you could definitely serve it over rice or your favorite starch. It is also really yummy served on top of a salad. 

Aside from the minimal prep and cook time, the best part is that it makes for very easy clean up. This time of year I am always looking for easy make ahead meals and this one definitely checks all the boxes. My husband and I will be making this meal a lot this season. :) 

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One Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 2-3 red potatoes 
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2- 1 cup of grape or plum tomatoes (I used 1 cup)
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1-1/2 cups bell peppers, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish

Spice Mix:

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried herbs
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• Dash of worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 3-4 Tbs. olive or avocado oil (depending on the amount of meat and veggies you use)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 
2. Chop all of the veggies into large pieces. On a separate cutting board, chop up the chicken into cubes. 
3. In a bowl, combine the veggies, garlic. Add in the chopped chicken and coat the mixture with the oil, salt and pepper.  
4. In a small bowl, mix all of the spices together. 
5. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken and veggie mixture. Coat evenly. 
6. Place the mixture onto the sheet pan and top with sprigs of fresh thyme. 
7. Bake for 15-25 minutes depending on your oven, until the veggies are charred and the chicken has cooked through. 
8. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! 

Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad

My current Summer obsession is salads! But not just your typical lettuce and veggies, although you can never go wrong with that. I had a watermelon left over from the 4th of July holiday, so I sliced it up with some fresh cucumbers, feta cheese and mint and it cured my salad cravings. It is perfect for lunch on a hot day or BBQ out on the patio for dinner.

I started by scoring the watermelon on the diagonal and then horizonally, which created 1 inch cubes. I also cut up the cucumber and feta cheese into 1 inch cubes so all of the ingredients were about the same in size. 

This salad is amazing because it comes together so quickly! Once all of the ingredients were chopped up, I thinly sliced mint and made a vinaigrette dressing to top the salad with. 

I love all of the flavor you get from the liberal amount of freshly ground pepper and the fresh mint. This salad has the perfect balance of salty sweet. 

This recipe makes enough for two, so my husband and I enjoyed it along side some grilled chicken for dinner and it was amazing! You could certainly double or triple the recipe for a crowd. 

We have had a busy Summer so far with lots of time on the road, entertaining guests and enjoying the sunshine. It's nice to have this simple recipe at our fingertips for a quick yet satisfying meal. I had a moment today where I was feeling ready for the Fall season, and then I remembered we are not even halfway through the Summer and I better enjoy it while it lasts! Anyone else get that itch for the next season to begin? Regardless, be sure to add this to your Summer recipe rotation :)

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Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 1 seedless cucumber, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 2 Tbs. fresh mint, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Cut the watermelon, cucumber and feta cheese into 1 inch cubes. Thinly slice mint. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
2. Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Pour over the ingredients and toss until well combined. 
3. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend. 
4. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately. 

Grilled Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

We were greeted with a heat wave to kick off the first official days of summer here in California. Are you getting the heat where you are? It seems as though any lingering gloomy weather has disappeared and the heat is here to stay. All of which led me to create this amazingly easy and fresh grilled corn, tomato and avocado salad. These few simple ingredients are transformed into the perfect salad to serve at a BBQ or to keep on hand for an easy lunch or dinner during the summer months. 

I always get so excited when the produce at the farmers market changes with the seasons. I found this fresh white corn at my local farmers market and I love the way it tastes in this dish. It gives it a nice crunch and slight sweetness. You could certainly use fresh yellow corn as well. 

Tomatoes are also a summer staple in our house! There really is nothing like having vine ripe tomatoes to put in a summer salad.

Once I gathered and washed all of the produce, this salad comes together very quickly! I simply grilled the corn for a few minutes so that it got a little char but I didn't cook it all the way so it remained tender and crisp. 

I also had some fresh mozzarella cheese on hand and since I am a big fan of adding cheese to my salads, I just had to add it! Feta cheese would also be amazing. 

What you end up with, is the perfect mix of summer flavors, a nice crunch from the corn and slight creaminess from the avocado and cheese. The best part about this salad is that you can make it ahead of time (add the avocado before serving) and you don't have to heat up the kitchen to make it! 

My husband and I enjoyed this along side some freshly grilled salmon and it was amazing! I also packed up some for a BBQ and put it in my favorite jars. It was not only easy to make and transport, but everyone loved the individual servings! 

I hope you give this recipe a try this summer! I would love to hear what some of your favorite summer recipes are, so be sure to comment below or on my Instagram :) 

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Grilled Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad Recipe
 

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn, husked
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 cup diced mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar 
• Maldon salt and fresh cracked pepper 

Directions:

1. Shuck the ears of corn and brush lightly with olive oil. 
2. Grill the corn for about 5-7 minutes, turning often until slightly charred. Cool the corn and cut it from the cobs. 
3. Whisk the olive oil and red wine vinegar in a bowl to blend. 
4. In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes, avocados, and mozzarella cheese with the cooled corn. Add the chopped cilantro. 
5. Pour the olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing over the salad. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper and salt to taste. Toss to combine.

Peach & Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake

I get so nostalgic when I think about the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Growing up, it not only meant kicking off the Summer season but also that school was almost out. As I have gotten older, I look forward to the holiday weekend to kick off grilling season, lots of outdoor entertaining and taking advantage of the amazing produce that's in season. I got excited when I saw that peaches and blueberries were back in season at my farmer's market, and I knew I wanted to put them into a dessert for the holiday weekend. This peach and blueberry greek yogurt cake is perfect to enjoy over the Memorial Day weekend or anytime throughout the Summer months. 

I started by picking out some of the sweetest and juiciest peaches at the farmers market. It's important to use fresh ripened peaches and blueberries in this recipe (but not overly ripe) so that it gives the cake a natural sweetness and keeps the cake moist. 

I used two different kinds of peaches which gave it a nice flavor and texture but you could certainly use whatever kind of peaches you'd like.

With just a few simple ingredients, the batter comes together really quickly! I poured it into a 9x3 springform pan lined with parchment paper. From there I layered the peaches in a spiral design and topped it off with the fresh blueberries. 

I love how colorful this cake looks both before and after you put it in the oven. The fruit cooks down a bit and the cake rises nicely to fill in the gaps. The cake holds up well to the fruit and compliments it without being too sweet. 

Once the cake was completely cooled, I sprinkled lots of powdered sugar over the top since everything just looks prettier with a little dusting of sugar, right? 

The cake is amazing on its own, and you could also serve it at a brunch or summertime lunch. I made this for our friends who came over for our first BBQ of the season, and topped ours with some fresh vanilla ice cream. All of the flavors brought me back to the Summer nights I so loved as a child growing up.  

Whether you are staying home for the holiday weekend or heading out of town, I hope you add this recipe to your weekend BBQ's! My husband and I are looking forward to heading out of town to enjoy lots of pool time and of course to eat lots of cake :) 

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Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, brought to room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 peaches, sliced into wedges
• 6 oz blueberries
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease the side and the bottom of the pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom of a 9x3-inch springform pan (or 9 inch round cake pan) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper too.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, together into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and 2 eggs until very light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and continue beating until very creamy and light in color, for about 1 more minute.
4. Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mix until combined. Do not over mix.
5. Transfer the cake batter to the springform pan. Top with sliced peaches, and scatter blueberries evenly on top in the spaces between the peach slices. Sprinkle the fruit with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.
6. Bake until cake turns golden, and the tester comes out clean in the center, about 35-40 minutes, depending on your oven. 
7. When the cake is done baking, let it cool (still in the baking pan) on a wire rack. After cake has cooled completely, release the cake from the springform pan. Slide your hand under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom portion of the springform pan and move the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate easily. 
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with vanilla ice cream (optional). Serve and enjoy!

* This recipe was adapted from this original recipe. 

Grilled Asparagus and Caprese Salad

Recently I have found myself wanting to cook healthier meals that have simple yet quality ingredients. I think it has something to do with the warmer temperatures and the looming bikini season coming up.  I took all of my current favorite seasonal vegetables and came up with this delicious and simple grilled asparagus and caprese salad. It is perfect for a spring or summer night!  

I found these gorgeous asparagus at my local farmers market that I could not pass up! I like to buy the stalkier asparagus whenever I am grilling them since they hold up better. I started by tossing them in olive oil and sprinkled them with sea salt before grilling for about 6-8 minutes.

While the asparagus were grilling, I prepped the rest of the ingredients. I found a mix of red and yellow cherry tomatoes that I sliced in half and mixed with good olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sea salt.

The next thing I did was finely slice some fresh basil leaves. I absolutely love the smell of fresh basil in the kitchen! It instantly makes me feel like I am in Italy making a fancy meal, even on the most ordinary of week nights. 

Assembling this dish is so incredibly easy. I started with the grilled asparagus as the bottom layer and then added in some feta cheese to the tomato mixture before I poured it on top. You could also use goat cheese, mozzarella, or cotija; these would all be amazing as well. 

The addition of the cheese breaks up all of the veggies and gives it a nice salty flavor. Once you sprinkle the cheese on top, it's time to enjoy it!

My husband and I enjoyed this dish along side grilled chicken but it would be a great side dish to any protein. The best part about grilling dinner is that it makes for super easy cleanup in the kitchen after (score!). 

Cheers to kicking off grilling season and warmer evenings! I would love to know what you think of this recipe, so be sure to comment below or on my Instagram. 

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Grilled Asparagus and Caprese Salad Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh asparagus (about 2 bundles)
• 1 pint red and yellow cherry tomatoes 
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade or thinly sliced
• 2 oz. crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese, mozzarella or cotija) 
• 4 Tbs. olive oil, divided 
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sea salt, divided
• Freshly cracked black pepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees. 
2. Wash and dry the asparagus. Remove the tough ends of the asparagus by snapping it at its tender point at the bottom. Drizzle 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. 
3. Spread the asparagus on the grill and grill for about 6-8 minutes, turning once until they are slightly charred. Remove from the grill and set aside. 
4. In a small bowl whisk 2 Tbs. of the olive oil with the red wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Slice the tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Chiffonade or thinly slice the basil and add to the bowl. Stir the mixture completely. 
5. To assemble, place the asparagus on the bottom and top with the tomato and basil mixture (down the center). Top with crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold and enjoy! 

Homemade Walnut Butter

We have been traveling a lot lately and just flat out busy! In an attempt to keep some sort of balance, I always try to keep healthy food on hand. Whether that means healthy snacks for road trips, or healthy food in the fridge when we return. Recently, I was looking for a healthy snack idea to have during the week and something we could take on the go. I love nut butter, but sometimes it can have a lot of additives and cost quite a bit. I came across the idea to make homemade walnut butter and decided to give it a try. The best part about it is that it only has 3 ingredients, it's easy to make and it's incredibly delicious! 

I always buy nuts in bulk and keep them in my freezer so they stay fresh. For this recipe you can just leave them frozen and put them directly in the food processor. 

To the food processor, I added 1 tsp. of honey and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt. After you blend it, test it for saltiness and sweetness. I added more honey since I tend to like things on the sweeter side. You can add up to another teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of salt, if needed.

I wasn't expecting these three simple ingredients blended together to be so delicious! It has the perfect nutty flavor yet it almost takes on the flavor of a cookie dough. It's that good! 

I had a bunch of apples on hand, which made for the perfect healthy snack. It is also delicious with celery sticks, and I even put a some of it in my morning smoothie. It is so versatile. 

I also decided to put some in my favorite jars to give as a gift. You could package it up with some fresh apples and it would make for a great hostess or Mother's Day gift. 

The next time you're looking for a healthy snack or gift idea, I hope you give this homemade walnut butter a try. I would love to hear what you think, so be sure to leave a comment here or on my Instagram! 

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Homemade Walnut Butter Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsalted walnuts (or any nuts)
• 1-2 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp.- 1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Place the walnuts in the food processor and pulse for 2 minutes, or until it forms a butter-like consistency. Add 1 tsp. of honey and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt. Blend until smooth.
2. Remove the walnut butter and place into a bowl. By hand, mix in an additional teaspoon of honey or half a teaspoon of salt, according to personal taste. 
3. Serve with your favorite fruit or veggies and enjoy!

*This recipe was adapted from this original recipe. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

When you have banana's in the kitchen that start to turn brown, what is your go-to approach? Do you eat them, throw them away, freeze them, bake something with them? Sometimes I do a combination of all the above (minus throwing them away) but this time I wanted to try something new. I am such a sucker for banana bread and with the Spring season approaching and lots of entertaining coming up, I thought muffins would be more fun. These chocolate chip banana bread muffins are perfect for brunch, a quick breakfast or to give as a gift! 

I had been dying to try What's Gaby Cooking's banana bread recipe ever since I saw her make it on her snapchat. When I finally got my hands on the recipe, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a few simple ingredients yet was packed with flavor- score! 

I originally wanted to add mini chocolate chips to the recipe but I was out of them, so I ended up using regular chocolate chips. I'm glad I did because you could really taste the banana bread and the chunks of chocolate. Sometimes when I use mini chocolate chips, it gives it a chocolate flavor throughout and you miss the flavor of the banana bread itself. 

The muffins don't rise very much since it is a banana bread recipe, so be sure to fill the muffin tin almost to the top. I used these in place of traditional muffin wrappers and they turned out great! 

One thing is for sure about this recipe: your kitchen will smell amazing as they bake! Once the muffins were slightly golden brown on top, I removed them from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. 

Once they were (finally) cooled, I couldn't wait to try one. I was blown away at how amazing they were! All of the things I love about banana bread but in muffin form :)

These muffins are delicious on their own, or you could smear some softened butter or cream cheese to really take them to the next level! 

Once my husband and I had consumed one too many of these muffins, it was time to get them out of the house. He brought the rest of them to the office and everyone loved them! Let's just say there was not a single crumb left. 

I hope you add this muffin recipe to your brunch menu this Spring, to give as a hostess gift or to simply enjoy with your morning cup of joe. I would love to hear how you like this recipe, so be sure to leave a comment below or on my Instagram account. 

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar 
• 2 eggs
• 4 tsp. milk (I used almond milk)
• 3-4 ripe bananas (I used 4)
• 2 cups flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 1 cup chocolate chips, plus extra 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and whip for 2 minutes until combined.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly combined.
4. Add the milk and the bananas and mix for 30 seconds. The batter will look a little curdled, this is normal.
5. Add the flour and the baking soda and mix for a few seconds until the flour is evenly combines. Add the chocolate chips and give it all a quick stir.
6. Line your muffin tin with muffin wrappers. Add about 2 Tbs. of batter to each, or enough to fill almost to the top. Sprinkle added chocolate chips on top. 
7. Transfer the muffin tin(s) to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a knife can be inserted in the center and comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing them from the pans and serving.

*This recipe was adapted from this original recipe.

Easy Dessert: Pots De Creme

It is no secret that I love to entertain! It is also no secret that I love watching the Academy Awards every year. I watched them with my mom and sister growing up, and now my husband and I are all about it. We try to watch as many of the best picture nominee films leading up to it because we like to fill out ballots with our predictions. I love to find food that feels "Oscar worthy", yet is simple to make. For our viewing party this year, I made these incredibly easy yet delicious dark chocolate pots de creme. They are the perfect dessert for entertaining, watching the Academy Awards, or just because!  

This recipe requires very little prep work and comes together really quickly. It is naturally sweetened with honey so there are no refined sugars (which is always a plus!). I did a rough chop of a 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate bar and then threw the chocolate and the remaining ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. Unlike traditional pots de creme, you do not have to use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. You warm up the coconut milk and pour it over the chocolate mixture, which makes it all come together.

Honestly, the hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool in the refrigerator! Once it has cooled for at least 2 hours, it turns into the most delectable, rich chocolate dessert. Since I wanted to impress our guests, I added some fun toppings but you could certainly eat it as-is. 

I made an easy coconut whipped cream to put on top with the leftover coconut milk and it was a really nice addition. I also topped them with some raspberries and mint, but you could top them with anything you have on hand.

This dessert also fits most dietary needs since it is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. However, it is not free of flavor!

I would love to hear how you like this recipe, so be sure to comment below! 

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Pots De Creme Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 4 ounces chopped unsweetened chocolate 
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (I used the Trader Joe's brand- extra thick)
• Optional toppings: whipped coconut cream, 1 pint of raspberries, and mint

Directions:

1. Roughly chop up the 4 oz. of chocolate.
2. Add all of the ingredients, excluding the coconut milk and optional toppings to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Heat the coconut milk in a sauce pan until very hot (but not boiling). 
4. With the blender running on low, carefully and slowly add the hot coconut milk into the blender. Blend until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and thick. 
5. Pour the chocolate mixture into serving cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours or over night. 
6. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

*This recipe is adapted from this original recipe

Sweet Potato & Turkey Burger Sliders

With Super Bowl Sunday just days away, it got me thinking: what food are we going to serve? Let's be honest- it's all about the food, right? No matter what team you are cheering for, having good food that is not only delicious but easy to eat, is key. I also like to try to avoid filling up on food that completely weighs you down and has you in a food coma for days. That's when the idea of lightening up the classic cheeseburger popped into my mind. I used roasted sweet potatoes in place of traditional hamburger buns, and used ground turkey to create sweet potato sliders. They turned out to be a huge success, even for the pickiest of football fans in our house!

I started by slicing a Hannah sweet potato into 1/4 inch thick slices and brushed them on both sides with a good olive oil and salt and pepper. You can certainly use any type of sweet potato, this is just what I had on hand. And they do look like little hamburger buns :) 

You want to cook the sweet potatoes until they have slightly browned around the edges so that they hold up to the meat of the burger. You can also make these ahead of time and then just warm them back up in the oven for a few minutes when you are ready to serve them. 

We chose to use ground turkey and melted cheddar jack cheese on top, but you could use any ground meat and cheese combo that you'd like. 

I love to create a condiment station to house all of our favorite burger toppers. I stuck with the classics on this one, but the possibilities are endless. You could caramelize onions and mushrooms, bacon, pickles, and on and on! We used Sir Kensingonton's ketchup and mustard since they are all natural and my husband and I love them. 

You could either assemble the sliders and serve them on a platter, or you could create a burger bar for everyone to make their own. Since they are bite sized, I chose to preassemble ours with all the fixin's and they were a big hit! 

They are so incredibly fun to eat! My husband was a bit skeptical at first but pleasantly surprised that he didn't miss the traditional hamburger bun at all. And, you have a built-in side of fries :)

I hope you give these sweet potato sliders a try and love them as much as we did. Cheers to a fun Super Bowl Sunday filled with lots of delicious eats! 

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Sweet Potato & Turkey Burger Sliders 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of ground turkey (or other lean ground meat)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 in. slices
• Sliced cheddar jack cheese, cut into small squares
• 1 Tbs. olive oil 
• Sea Salt
• Freshly ground pepper 
• Optional toppings: small thinly sliced tomatoes, lettuce torn into bite sized pieces, avocado slices, ketchup and mustard. 

Directions:

1. Shape ground meat into 8-10 mini patties. Size them according to the size of your sweet potato slices. Season them with salt and pepper and set aside. 
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/4 in. thick slices. Brush with olive oil on both sides and season them with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes (flipping halfway through), or until the edges are slightly crispy. 
3. While the potatoes are cooking, heat a skillet with olive oil to medium high heat. Place the turkey patties in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until they are cooked all the way through. 
4. Assemble the burgers, placing the mini burger in between the two sweet potato slices and garnish with your favorite toppings! 

 

Kale & Mint Salad with Golden Raisins and Almonds

Sunday evenings in our house means one of two things: making a home cooked meal together or ordering pizza. My husband usually pulls for the latter (shocker!). Since I try not to eat pizza all the time, I always order a salad to go with it. Thankfully our favorite local pizza spot has this amazing kale and mint salad with golden raisins, almonds, parmesan cheese and a lemon vinaigrette that I fell in love with. I found myself craving it throughout the week, so I decided to recreate it at home. 

I started by shredding a large bundle of lacinato kale that I picked up from the farmers market. I prefer lacinato kale to curly kale since it is slightly sweeter and less bitter but you could certainly use whatever you have on hand. 

Have you ever added fresh mint to your salad? It adds an amazing depth of flavor and is very complimentary to the kale. It also adds an element of freshness, and kind of makes you feel like you should be eating it at a spa ;)

The golden raisins add a slight sweetness while the almonds add a nice crunch. In the past whenever I had almonds on a salad, I always had toasted sliced almonds but I had never had raw almonds. To my surprise, leaving the almonds in their almost natural state adds a lot to the overall dish. 

The lemon vinaigrette on the salad from the pizza joint has a slight sweetness and creaminess so I wanted to mirror those flavors. I played around a bit and came up with a slightly sweetened lemon vinaigrette using all natural honey and dijon mustard and it is amazing! 

Definitely don't skimp on the dressing! The kale absorbs the dressing well, so you can either dress the salad ahead of time or drizzle it on top before serving. To top off the salad, I added freshly grated parmesan cheese because let's be honest- you can never have enough cheese! 

Having this amazing kale salad recipe reminiscent of our favorite pizza spot might not stop my husband from ordering pizza on Sunday nights, but at least I have found a better alternative! 

You can enjoy this as a side salad with your meal, or you can add chicken or steak to make it a complete meal. Whatever you choose, I hope you love it as much as I do! 

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Kale & Mint Salad Recipe

Ingredients For The Salad:

• 1 bunch lacinato kale, thinly sliced 
• 2 Tbs. fresh mint, thinly sliced 
• 2 Tbs. raw unsalted almonds, cut in half
• A handful of golden raisins (about a 1/4 cup)
• Freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese
• Optional: shredded chicken or steak 

Ingredients For The Dressing: 

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup champagne vinegar 
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard 
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and set aside. 
2. Wash and shred the kale and mint into thin strips. Add to a bowl and top with the almonds and golden raisins.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

*Salad dressing recipe adapted from this recipe.

Herb Roasted Nuts

I hope you are having a wonderful new year so far! Are you the type that likes to start the new year off with resolutions or do you like to ease back into the day-to-day after the holidays? Personally, I do not make resolutions, but rather seek balance and set goals that I would like to accomplish. One of my goals as a blogger this year (among other things) is to bring useful content to my readers that they are seeking answers to. I love connecting with my followers and hearing what recipes, entertaining ideas or home decor needs they have. With that said, I have received a lot of recent requests for healthy and easy snack ideas. I came up with a recipe that hopefully suffices all those hunger pains in between meals.

When I started thinking about this recipe, I knew I wanted it to be something that you could easily make on a Sunday to prep for the week and I wanted to keep the ingredients to a minimum without compromising on flavor. What I came up with is a 5 ingredient snack that takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. And the flavor is amazing!

You start by combining olive oil with fresh rosemary and thyme, maldon salt and pepper. There really is nothing like the smell of fresh herbs when you're cooking. So good! 

I chose to use all cashews because I happen to love them, and because I honestly burnt the first test batch I made that was a mix of almonds and cashews (oops!). But you can certainly use any type of nut that you prefer. Once all of the nuts have been coated in the dressing, lay them in an even layer on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

Although the nuts only cook in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, they make the house smell amazing in that short amount of time. And, you will most definitely be ready to snack on them by the time they come out!

I think you will be amazed at how these simple ingredients take plain roasted nuts and make them into a delicious yet healthy snack! 

The ingredients and recipe make this snack so versatile. You can fancy them up by putting them out for guests in your favorite bowl. Or, simply keep them to yourself and put them in individual serving size plastic bags or containers to take to work or pack in your kids school lunch. 

I have been enjoying this snack both ways! I have a big bowl of them for our Golden Globe viewing party (I love awards season) and I also put them in individual bags with an extra sprig of rosemary to grab on the go during the week. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this snack as much as I do. I would love to hear what other recipe requests you have, so be sure to leave them in the comments below or on my Instagram account. 

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Herb Roasted Nuts Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of nuts (I used cashews)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped 
• 1 Tbs. Maldon or sea salt 
• Fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, chopped herbs, salt and pepper until combined. With the nuts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, pour the dressing on top and coat the nuts until evenly coated. You could also do this step in a bowl and pour the combined mixture on the prepared baking sheet. 
3. Bake the nuts for 5-10 minutes, checking regularly so they do not burn. Once roasted to a golden brown color, remove them from the oven and sprinkle with Maldon salt. Serve warm or once they have cooled. Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookie Bars

During the holiday season it is so easy to let the stress of it all take away from truly enjoying it. This year I am focused on simplifying my approach to the holidays from our decorations, to the gifts and everything in between. One way I am simplifying my gifting is by only baking one recipe that I can give out to most everyone. My chocolate chip and M&M cookie bars are the perfect option because you can individually wrap them and they are incredibly delicious! 

This past weekend my husband helped me prepare a pan of these cookie bars and we packaged them up to give out as gifts. I love about having him in the kitchen with me because it is always way more fun! Flour ends up all over the place, and the end result always tastes better knowing how much fun we had preparing it. In this case, he started by sifting all of the dry ingredients while I handled the other ingredients. 

I like to use equal parts of three different kinds of chocolate in these bars: milk chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips and of course, M&M's. You could also substitute nuts in but if I am making these for a crowd I like to stick with chocolate to avoid any nut allergies. 

Once the cookie bars have cooled completely (I like to cool mine overnight), I cut them into individual servings to package them up. 

We made our gifting list and got out our favorite packaging supplies. I love to use these gift pouches, baking twine, gift tags, and a little sprig of greenery. You could also use these bags. If you use cotton bags, be sure to individually wrap the cookie bars in plastic wrap first so they stay fresh. 

We hope you enjoy a holiday season filled with laughter, joy and these amazing chocolate chip and M&M cookie bars :)

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Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookie Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 Tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 Tsp. salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, brought to room temperature

• 3/4 cups granulated sugar

• 3/4 cups light brown sugar 

• 2 Tsp. vanilla extract 

• 2 eggs, brought to room temperature

• 1 cup milk chocolate chips 

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 

• 1 cup M&M's 

* Can also substitute 2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans for the milk chocolate chips and M&M's

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x 13 in. pan. 

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

3. Beat the butter and sugars together with the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs. Stir the flour mixture, and chocolate into the mixture until combined.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely. 

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

When a good family friend, Christine, heard that I had an extra butternut squash laying around and was looking for a good recipe, she sent me her favorite butternut squash and pear soup recipe. Christine is the type of person only few are lucky enough to know in their lifetime. She and her husband are amazing cooks, big on family values and are a lot of fun to be around. Needless to say, when Christine sends you a recipe, you know it is going to be good!

Christine and her husband currently reside in the Seattle area where it is soup season more often than not. Whenever they come down to California to visit their son and daughter-in-law, they always invite us over for a home cooked meal. Some of our best memories are when we are gathered around the table with them. 

Whenever I'm in the kitchen prepping a meal, I'm usually thinking about how the dish is going to turn out, or who I am making the meal for. However, when I was chopping and dicing everything for this soup, I was thinking about the person who gave me this recipe and how I hope to be able to make an impression like Christine has had on me, not only on my kids some day but also their friends. 

I loved how easy this soup was to make. Most of the work comes from chopping up the ingredients, and then once they have cooked, the immersion blender makes it into a velvety rich soup. A tip Christine gave me was the buy the butternut squash from Costco, already cut and seeded. I will definitely be taking her advice next time :) 

I made this for my husband and I and served it a long side corn bread muffins that I added fresh chopped rosemary and thyme and Maldon salt to. It was the perfect addition to dunk into our soup. You could certainly serve it on its own or with a loaf of crusty bread and a side salad. 

One bite into the soup and you will realize why Christine sent this recipe to me! It is so creamy and filling yet light and satisfying. I honestly have never been a huge butternut squash soup girl but I sure am now. It is the perfect soup to make on a rainy day for either lunch or dinner, or a great dinner to make if you have guests in town for the holidays. 

I topped each bowl of soup with a few crumbles of fresh goat cheese which gave it some extra creaminess and flavor, and some fresh rosemary. 

I am forever thankful to Christine for passing a long this amazing recipe, and for her beautiful friendship. I am also so thankful for each of you who encourage me on this blogging journey and give me a reason to share all of these yummy recipes. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

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Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 pears, peeled and chopped into roughly 1-inch pieces
• 1- quart low sodium chicken stock, or enough to cover 
• 1 sprig rosemary
• Ginger, minced
• Heavy cream
• Salt, freshly ground pepper and granulated sugar 

Directions:

1. In a 4-quart saucepan melt the butter over medium- high heat, and add and sweat the onions. Add squash and pears and sweat those too a bit. 
2. Pour in the stock, enough to submerge solids. Add a sprig of rosemary and ginger and bring to a simmer and cook until squash is fork tender, about 15-18 minutes. 
3. Remove the sprig of rosemary. Puree with immersion blender. Add a touch of cream and season, to taste. Serve and enjoy!

*This recipe was adapted from Food Network

Roasted Grape and Thyme Crostini

The holidays are right around the corner, which also means that entertaining and holiday parties are to follow. This year I am trying to simplify our approach to the holidays (key word is try) to really enjoy them instead of giving into the stress that can takeover the holiday spirit. That's what lead me to developing this roasted grape and thyme crostini appetizer. It is so easy, elegant and festive, and full of flavor! 

During the Fall and Winter months, I find myself roasting everything from meat and poultry to vegetables but I had never tried fruit this time of year. My husband was working from home the day I was developing this recipe, and at first he thought I was a little crazy for throwing grapes into the oven. That is, until he tried them :)

I love how the slower cooking process really brings out all the amazing flavors of the grapes, while softening them and making them the perfect accompaniment to the toasted baguette and  soft goat cheese it is supported by. One of the other things I love about the main ingredient roasting in the oven, is that it frees up your time to do other things and allows the oven to do all the work for you.

Once I took the grapes out of the oven to cool slightly, I sliced up a baguette into about 1/2 inch slices, brushed a little olive oil on them and tossed them back into the oven for a few minutes to lightly toast.

These crostini's are so easy and fun to assemble! I spread goat cheese on the toasted baguette, followed by the roasted grapes, a drizzle of honey, and topped off with Maldon salt and chopped thyme. The flavor combination of the salty and sweet is out of this world!

Since my husband was home, he got to be my hand model (pictured above) and taste tester. There were many laughs going on behind the camera as we worked to get the right shot of the honey drizzle :) The honey not only provides a slight sweetness to this appetizer, but it also looks so elegent. 

Whether you are entertaining, looking for an appetizer to bring to a party, or just enjoying the holiday season at home, I hope you enjoy this delicious and easy appetizer! 

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Roasted Grape and Thyme Crostini 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups red grapes, washed
• 1 Tbs. olive oil (plus more for brushing)
• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped (plus more for garnish)
• Freshly ground pepper 
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• Sliced baguette (24 slices), lightly toasted
• Honey for drizzling
• Maldon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a large glass baking dish with olive oil so the grapes don't stick.
2. Combine the grapes, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, thyme and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread the mixture out in one layer in the glass baking dish. Roast, stirring occasionally until the grapes have wrinkled and caramalized. About 50-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Slice the baguette and lightly coat with olive oil. Bake under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.
4. Spread the goat cheese on the baguette, dividing evenly. Top each one with the grape mixture. Drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with chopped thyme and Maldon salt. Serve on a platter and enjoy! 

Pumpkin Bars →

With Halloween in a few short days and Thanksgiving just a month away, it is time that I break out my favorite pumpkin bar recipe to share with all of you! This is not just any pumpkin bar recipe, it is my Mom's famous recipe that I grew up on. She used to make these bars multiple times through out the Fall season, especially around Halloween and Thanksgiving time. 

I have to be honest that I am not a fan of pumpkin pie (I have tried to like it for years) but I love to mirror the flavors in other dessert forms. This recipe includes the perfect mix of pumpkin pie spice and fresh canned pumpkin smothered in the most amazing cream cheese frosting. 

As these were baking in the oven, the house was filled with the aroma of pumpkin spice and brought me right back to my childhood. My Mom used to bake these on a crisp Fall day, with the intent of feeding a crowd. I was either putting the last touches on my Halloween costume, or counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. These bars were always the hit at any party we brought them to, and that's how they quickly became my Mom's famous recipe.  

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting! It is so easy to make, and it takes this dessert to the next level. Once the pumpkin bars have cooled completely, I like to use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the pan of pumpkin bars.

I recommend baking these on a sheet pan, so they are easy to transport if you are taking them to an event and they yield at least two to three dozen bars (depending on how you cut them). 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family does this Fall season! 

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Pumpkin Bar Recipe

Ingredients For the Bars:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
•  1 2/3 cups sugar 
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs, brought to room temperature
• 2 cups canned pumpkin (non-spiced)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice  

Ingredients for the Frosting:

• 1- 3oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter 
• 2 Tbsp. cream 
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x18 sheet pan. Mix all of the bar ingredients together until well incorporated. Pour the batter onto the greased sheet pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Set on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely.
2. To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter together. Combine with the other ingredients and mix well. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars with an offset spatula. Cut the bars into rectangles and enjoy! 

Apple and Carrot Spice Bread

Before I hop on the all things pumpkin train for the next couple of months, I wanted to ease into the Fall season by trying out a new spice bread recipe. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that I recently took a trip to Seattle. It felt amazing to be in Fall weather weaving in and out of coffee shops and browsing a handful of farmers markets. It was so fun to see all of the produce and flowers that were in season there. Rows upon rows of fresh vegetables and squash, dahlia flowers and barrels of apples. When I returned home (to the heat), I browsed my own farmers market and was inspired by these freshly picked carrots and crisp apples. Put the two together, add some spice, and you have the most amazing apple and carrot spice bread! 

What I love about this bread is that it instantly gets you in the spirit of the Fall season and the house smells absolutely amazing when you're baking it! In fact, if you're having guests over, pop a loaf of this bread in before they come and it will smell better than any scented candle. 

Whenever I am baking with spices, whether sweet or savory, I like to measure them out on a piece of natural parchment paper, and then just roll it up and add it directly to the mixing bowl. It makes for easy cleanup and prevents the spices from getting everywhere when you're measuring them.

I baked my bread in a 9x5 loaf pan and the bread does not rise very much, so it is a shorter loaf but very dense. If you're looking to make a taller loaf, I would suggest using an 8x4 loaf pan and increasing the bake time slightly. 

I not only wanted to enjoy a loaf of this spice bread at home, but I also wanted to send my husband to work with one. I doubled the recipe and packed it up with some simple baking supplies. I wrapped a piece of natural parchment paper and some baker's twine around it. This would also make for a great hostess gift during the holidays.

While my husband took it to work and it was gone in seconds, I enjoyed having a (few) slices  and also had some for breakfast with some butter smeared on it. Because afterall, everything is better with butter right? I'll let you be the judge.

I hope your Fall season is off to a wonderful start and that you enjoy this apple and carrot spice bread as much as I did!

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Apple and Carrot Spice Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup liquid-state coconut oil 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cup full fat sour cream (Greek yogurt may be substituted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup grated carrots (about 1 large or 2-3 medium peeled and trimmed carrot(s))
• 3/4 cup grated apples (I used 1 medium unpeeled Fuji)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or 8x4, as noted above); set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the the first eight ingredients, through the nutmeg. Whisk the ingredients to combine (you do not have to use a mixer, you can use a whisk).
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the ingredients and fold with spatula until just combined; don't over mix.
4. Add the grated carrots and apples, and fold gently to combine.
5. Turn the batter (it's very thick, this is what you want) out into the prepared pan. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula.
6. Bake for about 35-45 minutes (I baked mine for 35 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs. Baking times will vary based on moisture content of the carrots and apples, and oven variances. 
7. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

This recipe was adapted from this original recipe.

Grilled Cheese Sandwhich with Spinach and Prosciutto

As the seasons begin to transition, so do our cravings. Popsicles are replaced with warm baked goods, the BBQ is replaced with the slow cooker, and salads are replaced with warm sandwiches.  Sandwiches like this grilled cheese with spinach and prosciutto. 

The inspiration for this grilled cheese sandwich came from my recent trip to the farmers market. It felt like Fall was in the air (at least for the day) and I stumbled upon this gorgeous loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread that was just begging me to take it home. Being that my husband absolutely loves carbs in all forms, I knew he would be excited when I brought it home, let alone my plans for it. 

I picked up a fresh bag of spinach, and added my other two favorite ingredients of cheese and prosciutto and this made for a seriously amazing grilled cheese sandwich! The best grilled cheese sandwich I've ever had kind of amazing.

In my opinion, the key to a good grilled cheese sandwich (besides the gooey cheese) is good quality bread and butter. My favorite recent addition to my grilled cheese sandwich is topping them off with maldon salt. One of my girlfriends told me this secret and my grilled cheese sandwiches will never be the same. It takes them to a whole new level, you have got to try it!

When my husband and I were indulging in these for dinner, we were talking about how amazing these will be dunked in soup this winter. A nice creamy tomato or chicken broth based soup would be amazing in addition to these sandwiches.

The next time you're craving comfort food, are feeding a crowd or need something to dunk into your soup be sure to add this to your list- and don't forget the salt! 

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Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Spinach and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

• 2 slices (1/2 inch thick) rustic white bread
• 3 oz. shredded mozzerella cheese (or other white cheese)
• 6 fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1-2 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
• Butter
• Maldon salt

Directions:

1. Spread butter on the bottom and top half of the bread. Place a handful of the shredded cheese atop one of the slices of bread. Add the slices of prosciutto and spinach. Add the remaining handful of shredded cheese. Top with the second slice of bread, butter side up. 
2. Grease a cast iron skillet liberally with butter over medium heat. Grill the sandwich until the cheese has melted, about 4-5 minutes per side. Top with maldon salt and serve immediately and enjoy.