Brown Butter Spiced Winter Squash Bread

Oh boy. This was a good one. I think I easily polished off the whole loaf by day two.
The spices! The texture! Oh my I do adore this cakey bread.

The recipe comes from none other than my current favourite Ms. Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. I followed the recipe pretty much completely as is, except I used walnut oil instead of hazelnut, and I made my own garam masala-esque blend of spices (coriander, cumin, ginger, black pepper, bay leaf, cardamom, and clove).
One bizarre thing I did do though was NOT measure my squash. Yup, that's right, I chopped, roasted, and pureed it but somewhere in my zombie mom brain I didn't think about measuring the damn stuff. Oh well, turns out lady luck was on my side and this turned out great. Now the only thing is I wonder how it'll turn out the next time...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've had a real hankerin' for some classic chocolate chip cookies lately. I've often been a bit overwhelmed when looking for "the perfect" recipe for this classic cookie, and have just as often been disappointed with the results. This cookie is soft, not tooth-achingly-sweet and has just the right amount of chocolate in it. Just what I've been searching for!
Pair it with a cold glass of milk and you've got my favourite after dinner snack.

Not only do I love how these taste but they feel so fast to throw together. The recipe is simple enough that I'm sure I'll commit to memory after a few more times making them, and something about the melted butter step just seems to speed it all up which I'm grateful for these days.

Zucchini Chocolate Muffins

Zucchini season has hit my backyard and I couldn't be happier. I think in the last two weeks I've harvested 7 big beautiful zucchinis. Not a bad start eh? Most of them I have been diced and frozen but I've also made a batch of one of our guilty summer pleasures: Zucchini Fritters with Whipped Feta and how could I resist the allure of chocolate zucchini muffins? I was really looking for a recipe that was slightly healthier...but still quite chocolatey. It was truthfully hard to find but I think this was pretty much what I was looking for.

Strawberry Almond Tart

So I don't want to sound like a broken record or anything...but have I mentioned how uncomfortably hot I've been lately? 33 weeks preggo in 25+ degree weather isn't as lovely as it may sound. 

I think I've been doing a pretty good job at not complaining too much but there are points in the day when a frown creeps onto my face and I just can't comprehend the fact that I need to stay out of the sun. Add to that picture my undying desire to cook and bake new fun things for almost every meal and my utter disregard for the fact that baking will in fact make my house hotter. 

Thankfully I've stumbled upon this little gem of a summer tart. Not only is it super fast to make but the end result is so light and refreshing that it almost makes me forget I had to turn the oven on at all. 

Strawberry Coconut Tart

Please tell me you have a favourite cook book that you keep coming back to again and again only to be further impressed and inspired by. Because then maybe I won't feel so crazy for gushing over my long time favourite book "Super Natural Everyday" for the millionth time.
I just love how Swanson manages to make such wholesome foods that taste so damn good. If you still haven't looked for this book in your local library I will try to forgive you if you insist you'll go do it now.

Last night I decided to give this coconut tart a whirl, seeing as I just can't seem to get enough strawberries but needed a new form in which to devour them. This lil gem was just perfect! Not too sweet or too heavy.
I think I'm definitely going to make this all summer long with a variety of fresh fruit like peaches, raspberries, and plums.

No Knead Bread

I fell out of my constant bread baking routine sometime last year. I was on a roll there for a good 6 months or so, making all our own fresh bread every few days. But then I'd miss a day of bread baking, my husband would buy a loaf from the store and before I knew it I'd completely fallen off the bread baking wagon.

From my experience the best way to get yourself back into a routine like that is to find a way to make it feel new and fresh, like with the help of a new recipe. 

I have literally been meaning to try this recipe for years. Apparently all I really needed to get my butt in gear was to have a friend make it first and show me just how easy and delicious it really is. 

And now it's your turn. Don't wait any longer to make this bread. It really is the easiest and most delicious bread and before you know it, you'll be baking a few loaves each week because you just can't get enough. 

Oatcakes

Lately my pregnancy has left my appetite so all over the map. Hungry almost always, but so quickly and easily filled up that regular meals just don't work so well anymore.
I feel like I'm constantly searching for quick healthy snacks that I don't get bored of. Sometimes it feels like the search is endless.

Well today I think I found a new snack that I hopefully won't get sick of in the next 3 months, cause these are perfect! Oats, whole wheat flour, nuts, flax and just enough sweetener to make them addictive. Yum!

Oatmeal Pecan Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

I have just found a new favourite cookie! Not that I really needed to. I mean sure the rotation of cookies being baked around here is getting a little bland but still, this is a frivolous snack we're talking about. Variety is really just the icing on the cake. Or in this case the icing sandwiched between two chewy oatmeal pecan cookies.

Orange Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

I think we all know by now that I am not the kind of baker who needs an occasion to whip up some sweets. I think it's safe to say I believe that having a little tin of some sort of cookie lying around is almost a necessary part of making my house feel like a home. What's better than homemade cookies to offer to friends who pop by for a visit? Or when you need a quick snack before or after dinner. I actually think having cookies around keeps me from over eating sweets because otherwise I'd probably go out and buy a tub of ice cream and eat almost the whole thing in one sitting. See? Having a constant supply of sweets around is a good thing for some.

These little gems really hit the spot for craving a snack that wasn't too sweet and the cornmeal added a nice welcome change in texture.

Whole Wheat Rye Rolls

I think I have found roll heaven.
The first time I whipped these up I was drifting in and out of cold-induced naps. I had made a hot and spicy vegetable soup for dinner to try to cure my cold and couldn't imagine eating it without some sort of delicious bread like substance.
These rolls were fairly quick to throw together, made me feel like I was make a slightly healthier choice than my usual rolls, and were darn tasty too.
I made these rolls for the second time yesterday and they were even more delicious than I remembered. I think it'll be hard to find a reason to make a white flour roll again after discovering these little gems.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins are so classic. Much like fluffy pancakes, a simple chicken soup, or chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins are one of those homemade foods you can always rely on to make you feel good.

After a good week or more of pure sunshine (and unseasonably high temperatures) this mornings grey skies were all it took for me to whip these up for breakfast in an effort to brighten up my day.

Chocolate Pear Cake

My husband laughs at me a little when he peers over my shoulder and sees me browsing cake recipes online. I suppose what he's laughing at is the fact that this is during an average Saturday afternoon, no occasion that warrants a cake, yet cake is on my brain and I just can't shake it. I don't want anything fancy, or too sweet. Just a luscious cake filled with some kind of seasonal fruit that I can eat without too much guilt.
This everyday cake seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Browned butter, chocolate, and juicy pears. Lovely on a Saturday afternoon, and even better for a Sunday morning.

Spiced Nuts

I know I've told you about my friend Renee (the Feisty Chef) and her amazing cooking classes, but if for some reason you've ignored my praise thus far and STILL haven't checked her out, here's a new reason to:

                                
With the help of her talented husband Renee made this great video demonstrating her fantastic Spiced Nuts recipe. Aside from the fact that the recipe is simple and quick to prepare, and that the results look delicious, doesn't this video just make you want to join in?
Well I did this afternoon and I'm pretty sure this bowl of sweet and salty nuts is not going to last long in my house. I used pistachios instead of almonds, and added a bit of smoked paprika and chipotle powder instead of 1 of the teaspoons of cayenne, and I was all out of fresh rosemary. But they're still soooo good!

Simple Chocolate Cupcakes

I've been craving chocolate cupcakes for a week or so now. Light and moist cupcakes with frosting that accentuates the cake rather than overpowers it with sugar. Yup, that's what I wanted and Valentines day proved to be the perfect excuse for me to bake them.

I searched high and low on the internet and in cook books but so many recipes just seemed over the top. Finally I found a recipe from none other than my usual standby (Ol' Martha) and they were exactly what I was looking for when paired with a super simple buttercream.

Cocoa Brownies

You are going to thank me for this one. Boy, oh boy.

The last time I made brownies was while my husband and I were staying at my mum's house for a few nights last summer. I think the combination of being in my childhood home plus it being a chilly rainy day somehow evoked a craving for the brownies my mum and I used to make. We both loved gooey undercooked brownies and would devour a pan together easily.
But other than that I really don't make brownies very often. Maybe it's because there are so many other interesting sweets I'd rather try, or maybe because I know I'll most likely eat the whole pan in a day and then regret making them at all.
But yesterday I just had this serious chocolate craving that needed to be cured. I had my mind on this chocolate and pear tart that I thought I had remembered reading about on Smitten Kitchen. To my dismay my dream dessert did not exist so I quickly set about browsing all things chocolate and (you guessed it) stumbled upon these delectable brownies which are better than any I've ever tried before.

Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Scones with Orange Zest

Not since I discovered "Super Natural Everyday" have I been so excited about a cookbook. I've been patiently waiting for my turn to borrow "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals" by Maria Speck from the library, and today I finally got to pick it up.
Now I know a recipe like this might not be the best representation of a book of this nature but it was the first one I tried and they turned out to be some of the tastiest scones I've ever had so I felt I owed it to you all to share. I literally can't stop thinking about these scones (weird, no?) and even crave them for dessert.
And don't worry I'm sure I'll be sharing lots of delicious things made with farro, barley, quinoa, polenta and wheat berries with you soon enough.

Coconut Cake

Today our little family business is celebrating its 2nd anniversary! These last two years have been amazing, like nothing we could have EVER imagined. We are blessed with the most dedicated staff and customers who all seem to embrace our business as if it's their own.
Right now my husband and our staff are working as fast as humanly possible serving discounted drinks as a birthday gift to our loyal and loving customers. So it only seems fair that I should whip them up some healthy snacks (like this kale salad and this beet & apple slaw) and some birthday cake to fuel them throughout this busy day.

Truthfully I don't make cakes very often, although I don't really know why that is. I do enjoy eating cake and now that I have a fancy schmancy stand mixer it certainly isn't anymore difficult or time consuming than any other dessert I make.
I've had my eye on this cake for a really long time but since my better half doesn't care much for coconut (and I apparently don't make cake) you can probably imagine why it has yet to come to fruition. Well today's task of making a birthday cake for our cafe seemed like the perfect time to try this recipe (and guess who had a bite and loved it? My coconut hating husband!).

Ginger Molasses Cookies

These are easily some of the best cookies I've ever made. I found the recipe 7 or 8 years ago while living in an apartment about the size of a closet. It was so small it didn't even have a full kitchen, just a small sink, mini fridge, two burners and a toaster oven. It's amazing to think of the things you'll put up with when you're young and seeking independence.
The first time I baked these cookies was in that toaster oven and my tiny one room apartment was filled with the most delicious aromas of molasses, ginger and cinnamon.
These cookies have the perfect texture (soft with a slightly crisp exterior) and aren't too sweet which usually means I end up eating more of them.

No-Knead Dinner Rolls

My kitchen still smells like turkey and there's some lonely leftover whipped cream in the fridge. The pie plates have been licked clean, and the napkins have been folded and returned to storage.
Thanksgiving has come and gone again. This year's dinner was just lovely, spent with a mix of friends and family, plenty of food, and plenty of rambunctious children squealing and running about. Polished off by plenty of wine and card games it was all that I could have asked for.

Quinoa Muffins

Could I be any more obsessed with my current favourite cookbook "Super Natural Everyday"? I didn't think so, but I feel like my infatuation is reaching new heights. 

I had been searching for around for some quinoa muffins and these are just what I was looking for. Healthy, tasty, filling, with a great texture. Add they were quite quick to throw together. Bonus!