quick snack series:

I have a confession to make: about two years ago I was on a mission to lose 60 pounds. Once I lost 50 pounds though, I decided to start a baking and beauty blog. So, needless to say, the last 10 pounds have stayed quite happily as I've baked, fried, roasted and froze my way to not losing any weight. And then in October I broke my toe, so exercising was a non-option and then the holidays came annnnnd.... now I have 15 pounds to lose!

My toe is completely healed and I'm reenergized and committed to eating healthier and working out regularly. But please, don't worry. Even though I'll feature some healthier food options (which I've done before, I might add) the heart and soul of this blog will forever come from butter, sugar and vanilla. Oh, and some beauty tips thrown in.

These healthy snacks have saved me from eating one too many of Ruby's 'Nilla Wafers (and I don't even really like them...what's that all about?!). I have also eaten these snacks for breakfast, because they're full of nutrients that give me the energy to keep me going.

 Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit:

The addition of drizzled honey brings out the natural sweetness of the Ricotta, making the berries and almonds a perfect compliment. And since cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressor, this dish leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit

1 Cup skim Ricotta cheese

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. almonds

½ Cup berries

2 Tbs. honey

-Place ricotta in a bowl, and top with cinnamon, almonds and berries. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Open-faced p.b. and fresh "j":

This is a fresh, lighter version of the typical pb & j. There is so much sugar in jelly, and you don't really need the extra bread. Getting your whole-grains, protein and a serving of fruit will stave off any hunger pains for hours. Since this recipe is basic, it doesn't really require a recipe.

Here's what I do: toast 1 whole-wheat piece of bread then spread about 2 Tbs. of peanut butter (I prefer the chunky kind). Top the peanut butter with your favorite fruit- I love sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Ground Chia Seed Vanilla Pudding: 

I know there are so many varieties of Chia puddings and while this is my favorite version yet, I'm still not obsessed with it. There's a silky, slippery texture that can only be masked with lots of crunchy things, like walnuts and roasted coconut chips. That's also the reason I ground my chia seeds; leaving them whole in the pudding is like eating roe on top of sushi... all that popping in my mouth just kinda freaks me out. It's worth a try though: Chia seeds are so good for you and it'll keep you going and going.

warm mornings

I've said it before, I like to start the day off eating right, even if I'm ending it with a molten lava cake. This is my way of creating balance. This is my way of justifying a cookie. This is my way of getting some much needed nutrients. This is my way of a warm, healthy breakfast on a cold morning. It's pretty tasty having it my way.

Normally I'm not crazy about baked apple pies/desserts/oatmeal, but I thought if I shredded the apple it would just meld into the oatmeal. The additional crunch of the almonds also took away from the baked apple texture that I dislike, making this delicious and more like a treat. It doesn't feel healthy it just tastes amazing, especially with the cinnamon yogurt sauce.

I love baking this on the weekend and then reheating any leftovers throughout the week. I can't tell you how gratifying it is to have a warm, filling breakfast on a winter day... and then repeat it all over again the next day! Who needs cereal?

super soft

It really doesn't get any better than this. I love a soft, chewy cookie and typically snickerdoodles are only soft on the day they are made. The secret ingredient (it's really no secret at all) is a bit of cream cheese. 

The cream cheese isn't noticeable, and if anything it helps create a bit more tanginess that snickerdoodles characteristically have. Of course these would be wonderful to bring to a holiday party, potluck, Yankee swap, etc. I love bringing cookies to a party because 1. they're portable and 2. who doesn't like a cookie?

keeps gettin' better

I've made this cake twice in the past month because it's that good. It's a cake that just gets more moist and flavorful over a couple of days, unlike a typical cake which gets dry and drier.

And that's why this is a perfect cake to serve during the holiday season. I mean, how wonderful would your life be if you knew guests were coming, you whipped this up the night before, knowing that you could serve this the next day with confidence? Or what if you are attending a pot luck, or giving some as a gift? It travels beautifully because the icing hardens, so it's not like a smear-able buttercream frosting.

easy, breezy mornings

I've been wanting to make this recipe for a while now, so when my sister invited a friend and I over for brunch, I knew this would be the perfect accompaniment. First of all it's pumpkin flavored, and we all know how I feel about that. 

Secondly, it's a cinnamon French toast (which I love) but baked, so you're not laboring over a pan flipping a couple of pieces of bread at a time. Thirdly, this is better if you assemble it the night before baking, giving you the morning to leisurely toss this into the oven and do your nails or something. 

turn it over

Well, here's another pumpkin recipe, as promised. I hope you're not getting too sick of apple and pumpkin yet because there's more to come... although Ruby just turned 3 last Saturday, so I'll have her birthday recap coming up soon.

Sometimes I have a lone sheet of puff pastry begging to be used, and when I had some leftover pumpkin puree in the fridge (I hate to toss that...) I knew turnovers were destined to be in my near future.

Pumpkin and cream cheese are a wonderful pairing and I just love puff pastry. It's so easy to work with and yields such a wonderful, flaky, buttery result (that is so much better than pie crust, in my opinion), and the best part? It's store bought. Yup, homemade puff pastry dough may be on my list of things to make someday when I have tons of butter and tons of time, but for now, the grocery store wins.

time to make the donuts!

If I'm being totally honest here, one of the main reasons I like apple picking so much is getting fresh apple cider doughnuts. Oh, I also like the apples and apple cider, but nothing compares to a fresh, hot doughnut. Nothing.  

So I decided to recreate that experience by using the farm-fresh apple cider I bought when I picked the apples. I love the crunchy cinnamon sugar exterior and that soft cake-y interior. 

Apple cider doughnuts really epitomize fall, and if you're worried about your waistline, just tell yourself you'll only make them once a year, and then enjoy 3!

chocolate addition

I love pumpkin-flavored baked goods so much, that when I was organizing my recipes, I devoted an entire section to all things pumpkin. It's so convenient having them grouped together, so when I flipped to the pumpkin tab and came across these cookies, I knew I had to showcase them here.

These delicious, cake-like, cinnamon pumpkin chocolate chip cookies contain some of my favorite flavors. I don't know where this recipe originated, just that I had copied it from my mom's recipe box when I was a teenager.

These cookies make four dozen, so they'd be perfect for a bake sale or a Halloween party, and believe me they go fast. 

creamy crisp

Apple crisp happens to be one of my husband's favorite desserts, although he likes it cold and I like it piping hot so that vanilla ice cream melts and cools the crisp, making every bite creamy and crunchy. 

When I took these photo's, the apple crisp had just come out of the oven, so the ice cream was nice and melty. Right after I finished the photo's, I put the whole pan in the fridge so my husband could enjoy it later. Luckily, it's easy to heat up a bowl in the microwave so that I can still enjoy the leftovers warmed up.  

How do you like your apple crisp? Hot and a la mode, or cold?

pump it up

Now that we're in October, I've decided to focus my baking on two fall staples: pumpkin and apple. I've got a lot of great recipes in store for this month (and none of them are pumpkin or apple pie!) so stay tuned and hopefully you'll enjoy what I'm dishin' out.

I'm so excited to share these beauties. I love pumpkin muffins with cream cheese, and when I came across this recipe over 8 years ago, I fell in love a little more because there was an amazing topping. 

Cinnamon, sugar, pecans and coconut all on top of an already delicious muffin?! Yes, these truly are worth making. 

shaken, with a twist

After realizing that September's Avid Baker's Challenge was another yeast-based recipe, I was shaken. I mean, we all remember how my "focaccia" turned out: flat and crispy... basically, the exact opposite of focaccia. But I was ready for a redemption, so I gave myself plenty of time to let this baby rise for as long as it wanted to (and it wanted to rise All. Day.).

I wasn't crazy about the idea of apples in the bread, so I only did half the amount called for, and the other half I replaced with crunchy pecans- a perfect complement to the cinnamon and apples. I replaced some of the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour and reduced the sugar in the dough because I knew the glaze would be sweet enough. 

Speaking of the glaze, it's completely unnecessary (and I normally love glaze). I even made the glaze with cream cheese so it was extra tasty, but since the bread isn't too sweet it just seemed to overpower it. The recipe makes 2 loaves and one loaf I glazed, the other I left plain, and the plain one not only lasted longer, but it was amazing sliced, toasted and slathered with butter (as are most breads, I realize). 

more peaches!

With so much fresh fruit available in the summer I can't help but use them in my baking. Especially when I buy a bunch of peaches, with the expectation that a certain two-and-three-quarters-year-old little girl and I will devour them, only to find out that this little girl wants nothing to do with them.

And not wanting to risk fresh peaches going bad, I sought an alternate route and was directed (by my sister) to this recipe. Thankfully I was attending a birthday party that night so I was able to share in the wealth of this dessert because it makes a ton. 

cha-cha-cha-churros!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I thought I'd celebrate the day with some churros... but these are wonderful any day of the year. There's something really amazing about these. I can't decide if it's the soft, pillowy center of the churro, the crunchy sweet texture of the cinnamon sugar or if each bite drenched in dark chocolate sends me over the moon. It's probably all of the above.

I'll admit, deep frying is not in my comfort zone but these are easy to make and fry up quickly. These would be great to make for your family, or during a party, because you can create an assembly line of helpers. Have someone rolling the hot churros in cinnamon sugar, another person putting the chocolate in small bowls and then everyone gets to enjoy the process of making and eating fresh, hot churros. 

Mardi Gras King Cake

Even though I've never been to New Orleans I've always wanted to. I feel that if I make a popular cuisine from a particular region then I'm that much closer to what it's like to actually being there (especially considering most of my vacations are based on where to get good food!).

King Cake is infamous for Mardi Gras. It's more of a bread than a cake and it's basically a giant cinnamon roll. I tested this on my friend who adores King Cake, New Orleans and Mardi Gras and I knew she would be my biggest critic or champion, depending on the outcome. Thankfully she loved it and said it was very moist compared to the one's she's previously tried.

I think the moistness has something to do with the combination of ingredients in the recipe. It's basically a brioche bread dough filled with a cinnamon sugar pastry cream and then drenched with a cream cheese frosting. So yes, lot's of eggs, milk and very little flour = a moist King Cake!

Raspberry Cinnamon Twist Cookies

These little beauties are technically Rugelach, which are a traditional Jewish cookie, but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy these. Even though they are a perfect Hanukah cookie (Hanukah starts the day before Thanksgiving) they are a any-Holiday cookie because cinnamon always feels appropriate for the Fall and Winter, and they make a ton. These would be fantastic for a party, a cookie exchange or to give away as gifts.

This is Ina Garten’s recipe and I really didn’t change much except the filling. She used raisins (which I didn’t) and apricot jam, where I used raspberry.

I’m not going to lie; this recipe is a little time consuming. They’re not hard to make, but rolling out 4 separate pieces of dough and then rolling 50-ish cookies was a little tedious. Also, the dough needs a lot of refrigeration so they’re not an instant gratification cookie. Regardless, they are worth making and even better to eat! First of all, it’s a cream cheese dough. See? Already off to a great start! Secondly, once they’re baked the cookies have a soft, delicate crumb with the sweet tartness of the jam and that cinnamon sugar topping… mmmm…. Yummy!

(recipe after the jump)