Hey there, it’s time for a very irregular installment of some of my favorite things!
I’ve been using my Instantpot to make yogurt this winter, and we are hooked, as in multiple-batches-per-week hooked.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the results are just like using using our yogurt maker. So why switch?
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Signs that you may have found a keeper of a recipe:
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We know that there’s an “official” Donut Day, no, wait, there are actually TWO donut days! But when we were growing up, Fat Tuesday was celebrated with donuts and called Donut Day. We like to keep that tradition going. Sometimes we make fried or baked donuts, but this year, we’re celebrating with a donut cake.
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With the long weekend coming up, this simple cake makes a delicious breakfast that’s perfect for sharing (and snacking!). Yes, the cake’s combination of basic ingredients + easy prep makes this the perfect cinnamon snacking cake.
With a list of pantry staples for its ingredients, it’s likely that you’ll have everything that you need to bake this on a whim. It’s definitely the sort of simplicity that I really appreciate when want to bake something first thing in the morning… and then snacking on it all weekend.
This recipe comes from the Sweetest Menu site. I often find myself making minor adjustments to recipes. Reducing sugar content is my m.o., but in this case I didn’t have to make a single change. The recipe was perfect as is! So perfect
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan Instead of flouring, you could grease and line with parchment paper.
Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until well blended and light (about 1-2 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides between each addition.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter, mixing in on a low speed. Add the remaining flour and milk and mix until the batter is smooth, but being careful not to unnecessarily over-mix.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. While baking, mix together the remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp sugar.
When the cake comes out of the over, brush with the melted butter and then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
My kids love store-bought date & nut energy balls. I’ve never bought any, BUT some of our play-date regulars often have plenty to share. 🙂
Since these treats have such a simple ingredient list, I thought it’d be fun to try making some at home. Turns out they are super easy to make and easily customizable. I hope you enjoy these energy-packed snacks as much as we do.
Continue readingTomato jam is the jam! Bet you didn’t see that coming.
I do find that many people are surprised at the idea of a tomato-based jam. This isn’t something to pair with your peanut butter. This is a savory and slightly spicy jam that’s serves as an amazing condiment. I like to pair it with cheese, but it’s also amazing as a spread on savory sandwiches. Think of a grilled cheese with caramelized onions and a thin spread of this amazing concentrated tomato+spice flavor. Or imagine a pulled pork sandwich with a spread of jam. Do we have your attention? This stuff is amazing.
With summer approaching I began fantasizing about the hiking, camping, and other outside fun that we’re going to have. I also started thinking about snack ideas for those adventures, and having nuts on hand are a great, healthy option, but to keep things interesting, I like to swap out basic roasted nuts for this sweet and spicy option. A bag of roasted or spiced nuts holds up much better than our favorite fruit and nut snack bars, when stuffed into a pack, but those snack bars do make a great fast breakfast when you’re running out the door to get an early start on that hike!
It’s flower season!
Edible flowers are such a beautiful and tasty ingredient. Below is a roundup of past posts that highlighted the use of flowers in the kitchen.
Chive Blossom Fritters (look at that bee bum!)
Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing & Rose Petals
Two years ago, I flew to Thailand and took three friends, my brother, and my dad with me! It was an excellent little adventure with a unique and diverse crew. Besides my family, everyone was meeting each other for the first time. Everyone meshed so well, and spirits were high throughout the trip.
We explored Bangkok for a few days and then participated in a five-day yoga retreat near the Gulf of Thailand. During the retreat, I enjoyed leisurely breakfasts after asana each morning. Perusing old drafts of blog posts today, I came across these images of all the breakfasts I ate during the retreat. This happened just as I was preoccupied wondering what I would eat for breakfast tomorrow, which usually isn’t a priority, but I’m donating blood tomorrow – eek! I’m nervous, so I’m going to get up early and eat and drink a fair amount. Hopefully, this will help calm my nerves and make me less likely to faint!
Below I share a week of Thailand breakfasts and then some ideas as to what I eat as a first meal here in the States. Notice I said first meal? Today I ate my first meal a.k.a. breakfast around 11:30 AM and then I didn’t eat again until 6:30 PM. This is pretty standard for me as a heavy lunch puts me right back into snooze mode.
First, homemade Jalapeno Poppers, hells yeah! Second, little mummy lookin’ cuties?! YES! Threaten me with food that follows a holiday theme and I’m in, especially when cooking with friends, it just makes everything so much more enjoyable. Kimi and I cook together on the regular, but usually it’s some type of main meal, not cute, perfect for a halloween party, Mummy Jalapeno Poppers. This is exactly how it went down.. Continue reading