Hot cross buns are an Easter tradition with a fun history. According to legend, a 12th-century British monk started making buns topped with pastry crosses on Good Friday, then giving them to the poor to honor Christ's crucifixion. The buns quickly grew in popularity, and as the years went by, they gave rise to some peculiar superstitions. Supposedly, a hot cross bun baked on Good Friday would last a year without going stale. If you hung if from your kitchen rafters, it would keep evil ... continue reading...
Search Results for: muffins
Healthy Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (with 6 Variations!)
In case you haven't noticed, I love muffins. I love that they are so simple and quick to make. I also love that they are a sweet treat that can still be pretty healthy. This muffin recipe, which I originally found over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, is one of my favorites because: it's quick and easy to prepare (you don't even have to wait for the butter to soften) it calls for ingredients I always have on hand (No blueberries, zucchini, or seriously overripe bananas? No problem!) it's ... continue reading...
Decadent Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
A few years ago, when I asked my oldest daughter what dessert she wanted me to serve at her sixth birthday party, I expected her to ask for cookies or cupcakes. To my surprise, she requested chocolate zucchini bread. There's something unique yet comfortingly familiar about chocolate zucchini bread. It tastes like chocolate cake, yet it's flecked with green, and the cinnamon gives it a slightly exotic flavor. I love it more than any chocolate cake I've ever eaten, and that's saying a ... continue reading...
Deluxe Banana Muffins
My husband loves banana bread, but for some reason I have never been a fan. It's not that I hate the stuff; I just don't love it enough to get excited about making it. Or at least I didn't, until the day I discovered that you could put chocolate chips in it. Moist, chocolaty yumminess for breakfast? Yes, please! Unfortunately, my banana-bread-loving husband thinks chocolate in banana bread is an abomination, which is yet another reason why I prefer making quick breads in a muffin pan. I ... continue reading...
Overnight Steel Cut Oats
I've been trying to up my breakfast game lately. Cereal's a decent way to start the day, but even healthier cereals tend to be artificially sweetened, highly processed, and expensive. Deep down, I knew my family and I would be better off eating minimally-processed food that comes from a kitchen, not a factory. The trouble was that my ideals kept colliding head on with my reality. When I get up in the morning, I just want to grab something fast and filling, then get on with my day. Even ... continue reading...
Pillowy Soft Sugar Cookies
Happy Valentine's Day! Or Singles Awareness Day, as I used to call it in college. :) I tried to think of a healthyish Valentine recipe to share with you this week. I really did. As I looked through my favorite recipes, though, this wonderfully soft sugar cookie recipe was the one that really spoke to me. And you know, sometimes we all need a little something sweet in our lives. I discovered this recipe a few years ago, when I was on a quest for the perfect sugar cookie recipe. I found ... continue reading...
Mom’s Fabulous Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin cookies were my very favorite cookies growing up. I recall walking home from school on many an autumn afternoon (or what passed for autumn in sunny Southern California), hoping that my mom had whipped up some pumpkin cookies that day. If I was lucky, I would open the front door and be greeted by the heady aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, and cloves. It was autumnal bliss, I tell you. I love these cookies so much that my mom actually mailed me some my first semester away at college. ... continue reading...
Adventurous Eater Strategy #4: Make It Fun!
Mary Poppins wisely observed that "in every job that most be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap! The job's a game!" Teaching kids to eat well is seriously important, but that doesn't mean we need to approach it with a serious attitude. If you serve good food in a fun or interesting way, kids will be more likely to give it a try. I'm not saying you need to turn dinner into a circus (though if you're an overachiever who's eager to try that, I'm sure your kids will ... continue reading...
