Homemade Granola

I’ve recently been obsessing over a granola cereal from Whole Foods so when I came across a recipe for homemade granola, I knew I had to give it a try. The last few days it has been in the 70’s here, which for us is chilly so I decided to open the windows and warm up the oven. I haven’t had the best of luck with making granola in the past, I’ve actually only tried one recipe, a pumpkin granola, and it turned out…just okay, so I never made it again. After making this recipe, I don’t think I will ever buy granola from the store again! It was so easy to prepare and I already had all the ingredients on hand. This granola has just the right amount of sweetness for breakfast. I serve it, just as the original recipe suggests, in a bowl with almond milk and top it with a sliced banana.

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread

It’s the first day of Fall, so baking something pumpkin seemed appropriate. I first stumbled upon this recipe last year and instantly fell in love, it has the perfect amount of sweetness with a light pumpkin flavor. This recipe reminds me of cinnamon rolls without the frosting, which is my favorite way to enjoy a cinnamon roll, so I opted out of the glaze. I also decided to use brown sugar instead of cane sugar, I think it pairs better with pumpkin. Since this bread calls for yeast, it does take sometime, mainly waiting around time, waiting for the dough to rise, but it is well worth the wait! This bread will have your entire house smelling of Fall and is a perfect morning treat paired with a warm cup of coffee or tea. 

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey-Lime Balsamic Dressing

A few weeks back, while we were in Sedona, we ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Elote, and ordered the Roasted Beet Salad. It was one of the best salads I had ever had, the roasted beets and goat cheese paired so perfectly together. I knew I had to try to recreate it once I got home. I love the peppery taste of arugula and thought it would add great flavor to the beets and goat cheese. The radishes add the perfect amount of crunch while the red onion gives the salad a good bite. I decided to top the salad with a simple dressing with similar flavors to the dressing used for the Elote salad. I think my version turned out pretty tasty, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Labor Day has passed and the weather is cooling down, in my mind it’s already Fall. I’ve started dressing in sweaters and scarves at work and I’m even burning pumpkin candles in my house. Maybe it’s a little early, but I’m ready for summer to be over. And yes, I’m one of those pumpkin obsessed people. I’ve tried a million different pumpkin recipes including pumpkin ravioli, but my pumpkin muffins are by far my favorite. These pumpkin muffins are amazing, they are perfectly sweet and moist, and will have your whole house smelling amazing! You can top them with this frosting instead of the streusel topping, and you’ll have an awesome pumpkin cupcake! Either way, they’re a pretty big hit around here.

Sunday Morning Brunch | Asparagus with Poached Eggs & Avocado Toast

Sunday mornings are pretty lazy around here. We like to wake up slow and enjoy a few cups of coffee before starting our day. Yesterday afternoon we got back from a few days up north celebrating our 1 year anniversary, where we had some amazing meals that focused on fresh summer vegetables. One in particular left me craving asparagus. I remembered reading a simple breakfast recipe by Gwyneth Paltrow, on Food & Wine, and thought I’d give it a try.

Falafels with Grilled Flatbread & Tahini Sauce

I like to fit in at least one meatless dinner each week. My usual go to is black bean burgers with a spicy slaw, they are really easy to make, and I can prepare everything in the morning in under an hour. This makes for a really easy dinner after a long day at work. But having the same vegetarian meal every week can get a little boring. With summer coming to an end, I was craving something with fresh vibrant flavors. So, since I had the day off, I decided to give falafels a try. I wanted to recreate one of my favorite dishes at a restaurant here in Phoenix, a falafel pita. They fill a pita with greens, falafels, and pickles and top it off with a house made tahini sauce. It’s a fresh, light, and vegetarian alternative to the traditional gyro. 

Carrot Cake

In a week, my husband and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary! As tradition goes, we saved the top layer of our wedding cake to enjoy on our first anniversary. But let’s be honest, a year old frozen cake does not sound very appealing. So, I decided to bake a fresh carrot cake to make up for the freezer burned cake we will be eating in a few days. 

Power Bars

My sister and I are obsessed with these bars. We first found them on Pinterest and instantly fell in love, they are super easy to make, taste amazing, and are good for you. I make them every Sunday and have made many different versions, adding all sorts of different ingredients to them. I’ve changed a few things from the original recipe, such as swapping out agave nectar for maple syrup, using less oats, and adding shredded coconut. They make the perfect pairing to a cup of coffee for breakfast or an awesome mid afternoon pick me up snack. I like to store them in the freezer so they stay nice and cold. Although, I do recommend letting them sit out for a few minutes before eating them.

My Favorite Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Like most people, the only thing that sounds appetizing when I am sick is chicken soup. This past week my husband and I got sick, the kind of sick that lingers for a week. During this week, we had 3 different soups, and I finally mastered my chicken and rice soup. I’ve probably made chicken and rice soup  over a dozen times, but every time it turns out… just alright. I’ve messed with the spices and herbs and the amount of rice numerous times. I’ve tried cooking the rice separately and in the soup, boiling the chicken in water and in chicken broth. With all my different attempts, I found that keeping it simple was the best.