We are huge pancake fans and this fall I’ve been all about flavoring mine with fresh fruit. So far I’ve made them with strawberries, blueberries, and pumpkin. And now I’m addicted to my newest favorite: grated pear. These easy to make breakfast cakes are simply awesome for fall. They taste just like a pie and feature all of my favorite warm spices of these season.
This is a short post today because I am still all blissed on my birthday week high. (As I’ve said before, I am not one to shy away from getting older!) Over the weekend I enjoyed my yearly tradition of baking my own birthday cake. My daughter served as my trusty sous chef while I baked up this delicious treat. It is rich chocolate cake frosted with chocolate peppermint glaze. In short, it is like an inside out peppermint patty, or like a soft thin mint cookie. Take your pick. In short, it is chocolate mint heaven. If you have a birthday coming up soon I highly recommend baking this up and serving everyone you love a thick slice!
I am trying to get better about sharing a lot of my work from around the web. Here are a few things I’ve worked on this month!
Baked Cheesecake-Stuffed Apples with Caramel + More Cheesecake Desserts on Babble.com
Copycat Recipe: Homemade Fig Newton Bars on Babble
Baked Apple Chips on Lifetime Moms
Last weekend I invited friends over for a super fun house party to talk about Arla Dofino cheese and how it can be incorporated into healthy, everyday lunchbox food. I loved the opportunity to chat with my friends about this company I’m enjoying working with so much. I’ve developed a lot of great recipes with a variety of creamy, delicious Arla Dofino cheese, and this was the perfect chance to showcase how you can add Arla Dofino as an easy option to your lunchbox repertoire.
I am still getting used to quinoa. It is a not a food I grew up eating. In fact, I didn’t really try it until maybe five years ago. It wasn’t because I was purposely trying to avoid it, it was just so off the beaten path. And, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d have time to master it given that I was still on baby #1 and trying to get quick meals on table. Fast forward a few years and now I am braver and more intrigued. I like quinoa. It serves a great backdrop to lots of flavorful healthy foods and can be used in so many dishes. I still, however, look for recipes using quinoa for ideas on what to make. I am not a pro at whipping up amazing quinoa salads with no guidance whatsoever. So when I saw this recipe on Megan’s website I knew I had to try it. It was full of flavor and green vegetables and perfect for getting on the table in a jiffy.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event to kick-off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at OXO in New York City. The evening featured the fantastically talented, and one of my most favorite food writers, Dorie Greenspan. She is working with OXO and Gretchen Witt to raise awareness for the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a charity I love and have written about before. So, basically this event combined three of my favorite things: Dorie + Cookies for Kids’ Cancer + OXO. It was a total win.
