Hello all.

I have a lot of recipes saved that I intend to share with you. I've been so swept up in working on my YA novel and being a wife/mother that I admit you've been neglected. That happens. Sometimes things have to be put aside for a while-- but hopefully I'm making an excellent return to the blogosphere!

In order to do that successfully, I knew I had to start with a wonderful recipe-- so I hope you approve in my choice. I've been procrastibaking a lot (Procrastination- Baking). It tends to happen when I'm writing and working and all that jazz. Luckily, Michael doesn't seem to mind. He loves getting creative in the kitchen with me.

Citrus Tea Muffins


Note: This is a half-batch recipe (it makes six muffins). For a full recipe, make sure to double up!

Ingredients:

MUFFINS:
- 1/4 C butter, softened
- 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 C sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract *optional*
- 3/4 C flour (I did 1/2 C unbleached all purpose and 1/4 C whole wheat)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 - 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 - 1 tsp lime zest

OPTIONAL GLAZE/ TOPPING:

- 1/2 C powdered sugar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp shredded coconut
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and line your muffin tin/ spray with cooking spray. *Remember this is a half recipe unless doubled*.

- Beat softened butter until fluffy. Mix in your applesauce, sugar, egg, and lemon extract.
- Gradually add your dry ingredients, including your zests.
- Use 1/4 C of mix for each muffin, approximately. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick to make sure they're cooked all the way through. Remove to baking rack to cool.


-While they're cooling, combine your powdered sugar, citrus juices, butter, and vanilla for your glaze. In a separate bowl, toss together your zests and coconut (if using).
-When the muffins are cool, drizzle the glaze over them, then sprinkle the topping on that. Let sit for a few minutes before serving so the topping stays put.



Recipe adapted from Positively Splendid.

Michael loves popsicles. It is one of the sweets that he would probably sit down and eat as many as he could before feeling sick. That, of course, is not an option.


The last time we were at Ikea we spent a grand $2 on popsicle molds. They were so worth it.

Enter the easiest popsicle idea ever.

Are you ready?

Chop up your favorite fruit or fruit that's in season. Put them in the popsicle molds. Pour coconut water over them. Stick them in the freezer.

TA-DAH!

Michael, who doesn't like Coconut Water plain, by the way, positively loves them. He got so excited to eat the kiwi, pineapple, and strawberries in the popsicles. He loved making them as much as he loved eating them.

It's Mrs. Healthy Ever After's Birthday! Make sure to visit her site. I positively love all her recipes and posts.

If you couldn't tell, I'm loving lemon this season. It just so happens that Nikki told me lemon blueberry is one of her favorites, so I shipped some of these to her for her special day... and ate the rest myself.

Just kidding. Michael really did help.

Kind of.


Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 C sugar (can lesson to 2/3 or 3/4 if desired)
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice OR 1/2 lemon, juiced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 7 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 2 C + 3 tbsp unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 C of fresh blueberries

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a muffin pan with liners/cooking spray.

- In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 3 tbsp of flour until blueberries are coated. Use a slotted spoon to remove blueberries and shake off any excess flour. Set aside.


- With a handheld or standing mixer, blend your butter and sugar. Add your lemon juice, zest, milk, vanilla, lemon extracted, and eggs. Continue mixing until smooth.

- Fold in your dry ingredients (either pre-mixed or not...I like to save dishes). Make sure you just use 2 C of flour, you already used the 3 tbsp!

- Carefully stir in your blueberries.

- Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 C of mixture.

- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes (depending on your oven), and check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean before removing to cooling rack. Recipe makes about 15 muffins.


Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

CHRISTMAS IS ONE WEEK AWAY! We are also leaving to begin our move TOMORROW. While you're reading this we are probably frantically trying to figure out how we accumulated so much stuff over the last few years and trying to convince each other what's really important to take in the UHAUL.

Can you picture it?

Well, while you are, maybe you should think about making these amazingly delicious, super easy, healthy citrus scones! That's why you're here, isn't it?


Ingredients:

- 1/3 C chopped cranberries
- zest of one orange
- 1/3 C freshly squeezed [orange or clementine] juice

*Note: I used clementine juice because Michael stole my orange while I wasn't looking after I zested it! Sneaky bugger.*

- 4 tbsp non dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1.25 tsp olive oil
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350.
- In a medium to large bowl, whisk together your juice, non dairy milk, syrup and olive oil.
- Add your flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and orange zest to your wet mix. Next fold in your chopped cranberries.
- Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it or lining it with parchment paper. Scoop your mix and put it on your baking sheet. I used 1/4 C per scone and got five scones exactly.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until slightly golden on top.


Confession: I made two batches of these. Why? Because I made them for friends initially but I kept going back for more... until there weren't any. To be fair, Michael had one, too, as did one of our neighbors. So... I only ate two... but still! They're that addicting.


Inspired from My Inspriation's Recipe.

Guess what? Christmas is ONE MONTH AWAY! Can you believe it? We sang "Go Tell It On The Mountain" yesterday and I was SO EXCITED. I have to admit, every year I end up listening to Christmas music earlier and earlier. But, I mean, come on... who doesn't love Christmas music?

I needed a new muffin recipe. I know, I know. I make a lot of them. I can't help it. Luckily, these are super easy, have little sugar, and are SO YUMMY! I mean, pears in a muffin? If you love pears, you'll love these!


Ingredients:

- 1.25 C pears, chopped
*Note: My pears were REALLY ripe... as in I needed to do something with them, fast. It made the muffins really moist and I loved it that way. I haven't tried it with unripened or not-overly-ripe pears, but I have a feeling they'd be yummy no matter what!*

- 1/4 C milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 C brown sugar (unpacked)
- 1.5 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 400. Prepare your muffin pan with liners, cooking spray, or both!
- Whisk together your milk, egg, unsweetened applesauce, and brown sugar.
- Stir in your flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. It shouldn't be ridiculously thick, but since you're using whole wheat flour it will be thick-ish.
- Fold in your pears.
- Scoop in your muffin tin filling 2/3rds the way full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Should make exactly 12 muffins!


Michael absolutely devours these. It doesn't surprise me because the kid LOVES pears. The reason we had so many that were too ripe was because he went on a clementine-kick for a while.

Happy Monday!

I was honestly surprised when Clark requested these for breakfast a few weeks past. When I tell Clark I will make anything he wants for breakfast it usually results in french toast or eating out. So when he asked me to make crepes, I must confess I was really excited.

This recipe I adapted from 100 Days of Real Food. It's one of my favorites. It's healthy(ish), and it's SO delicious.

Ingredients

- 3 eggs
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1 C milk
- 1/2 C water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp butter, melted, plus extra for cooking

Directions

- Whisk together the eggs, milk, water, honey, vanilla, and butter.
- Mix in the flour, salt, and cinnamon little by little until evenly combined.
- Cover and refrigerate the batter for around 15 to 30 minutes.'
- Swirl butter around your pan (as it is heating, over low to medium heat) to completely cover the bottom and low sides.
- Pour enough batter on one side to thinly and evenly cover the pan. Quickly swirl the batter around to cover the pan in one thin layer.
- Let the crepe cook until bubbling (somewhat like a pancake). Very gently shimmy a spatula underneath it and flip it without breaking the crepe.
I have to brag a little here. Most people complain that this is the hardest part, and I felt like such a champ. It's probably because I made my crepes just a tiny bit thicker, but I had no trouble flipping them at all!
- Fry for one more minute on the other side, until golden brown, and then remove to a plate. I put wax paper in between them so they wouldn't stick until I was ready to serve them.

Now, you have options on how to serve them. You can roll them up plain and just top with maple syrup, or you can get creative. I put nutella and strawberries in the middle and then topped them with powdered sugar.

Are you drooling yet? These are wonderful for breakfast, dessert, or just about anything!

You last met Nikki in the summer of 2012 when she was about to get married. AND HERE SHE IS AGAIN! It's almost her one year anniversary and she has endured and shared so much over at her blog Mrs. Healthy Ever After. Make sure to hop over there and read things from tips to get your husband to eat healthy to comical stories that you can relate to.

How Juicing Got me to Like Celery
I never thought I’d be a juicing-type person. I mean, sure, my mom did hop on the bandwagon for a short stint when we were in high school to give us freshly made orange-apple juice each morning before school. But it was short-lived, mainly because orange prices had gone up and it became too expensive.

But here I am now, and I can’t get enough of my juicer.

It started innocently enough. I really just wanted to show my husband how important it was for him to eat more fruits and veggies, so I showed him the documentary “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” (one of my all time favorites I had seen before). The documentary follows Joe Cross on an epic juice fast as he cures himself of a rare disease and then helps someone else do the same.

When the credits rolled at the end, I turned to my husband with a smile basically ready to say, “And now this is why we’re having salad for dinner—“ but before I could, he said something shocking to me: “So when are we going to get a juicer?”

Juicers were too expensive for us, especially since we weren’t even sure we were going to like it yet. So, we bought a 30 year-old, hardly used, Jack Lalaine juicer off of the work classifieds.

After our first juice, it was love at first sip.

We started off with carrot apple—something I remembered liking as a kid when I visited my aunts house. But then we quickly went on to be more daring and started exploring the world of green juices. Who knew that green apples, kale, cucumbers, celery, spinach and lemons all comes together in a concoction that tastes very similar to Gatorade? It was fantastic!

We started juicing in the mornings for breakfast and maybe a snack in the afternoons. I never felt such a jolt of energy before when I finished one of the huge juices we’d get.

Finally I decided I really wanted to try a juice detox—not to lose weight, but to just see how I’d feel. Would it make me feel better like the documentary suggested? We decided only to do a short one, but in those three days, I felt like a new person. Sure, there was one day where I really didn’t feel that well (but hey, my body was DETOXING) and let’s be honest, my husband cheated the whole time, but the juice detox was eye opening.

Who knew that sweet potato, blueberries, pears and cinnamon tasted like apple pie? Since when did beets taste like the best thing in the world?

And yes, these were all very filling.

The biggest change for me was also the fact that I now don’t mind celery. That may seem petty to you—I hate celery, ever since I can remember. I hate it in soups. I hate it in salads. I HATE IT. When we started juicing celery, I’d have to hold my nose. Even the smell was gross to me. But after a while of juicing celery, I now no longer mind it. Juicing had literally changed my taste buds.

I also lost a shocking amount of weight in those three days, but I won’t disclose that here because that’s not the point. And juice fasting isn’t really about the weight loss (especially since you’ll always gain some back once you re-introduce solid foods to your diet). The point is to get healthy. The point is to rid yourself of the toxins your body (did you know your intestines and bowels can hold undigested meat for years? Yup. It’s a thing).

The point is to be good to your body so your body will be good to you.

While we don’t juice as often as we like (we’ve been travelling a lot this summer), we still do enjoy our juicer and look forward to one day owning a newer model.

But before I go, there’s some things to know about juicing.

1) It’s not the same as having a smoothie.
While you could have a smoothie fast in theory, its not the same. Juicing is absorbing nutrients without consuming fiber, so you get the nutrients quicker. Does that make one better than the other? No. Is fiber bad? Of course not. Should you eat a lot of fiber even while juicing? Duh. Some people like to start fights over juicing vs. smoothies and that’s just silly. Both are fantastic.
2) Juice detoxes need to be done correctly.
Juice detoxes or fasts should not be used as a fad diet, and when done incorrectly can be dangerous. You need follow a legitimate plan (Like Joe Cross’ at www.RebootwithJoe.com) and don’t try to do less than that. It’s important to keep your calories at normal levels (minimum 1200 for women and minimum 1600 for men).
3) You don’t have to waste the pulp.
Many people think juicing is too expensive, especially with how much pulp you get out of it to discard. DON’T DISCARD IT. You can make sweet breads, sandwich breads, or crackers! You can even add it to soup for some added veg AND you can compost it too. It’s AWESOME.
4) You don’t have to do a juice fast to enjoy your juicer or reap the benefits
Seriously, all you need is one juice a day to feel FANTASTIC. Start with breakfast and maybe add one for a snack either pre- or post-workout.

Juice on!

Read more about my healthy adventures at www.MrsHealthyEverAfter.com!

HAPPY JULY!
I know. The title is a mouthful. But you won't mind once you make these! Are you sensing a trend? The last muffin recipe I posted was Banana Coconut. What can I say. Now that I have coconut and coconut oil in the house... the options are endless!

Ingredients:

- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 c applesauce
- 1/4 c honey
- 1 C milk [vegan options include coconut, almond, soy, etc!]
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp baking soda
- 1 C oats
- 1 C diced/cut up strawberries
- 1/2 C coconut flakes


Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 375 and prepare your muffin pan with liners/cooking spray.
- Whisk together the first four ingredients (coconut oil, applesauce, honey, and milk). Fold in your flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in your oats. Then add the strawberries and coconut. Do not over-mix.
- Use 1/4 C or so of batter for each muffin.
- Cook for 18 to 24 minutes. Check with a toothpick. When it comes out clean (no batter-- strawberry juice an exception), they're done!

Super easy and delicious. Michael was excited to have another muffin recipe to try.


Want more vegan muffin recipes? Check these out!

Banana Coconut Muffins

Mystery Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Veggie Muffins

I just had to bake something. I couldn't stay away that long. So it had to be relatively healthy.

I adapted this recipe from The Shrinking Kitchen. Which, if you've never visited their site, you need to. It's pretty much amazing.

Ingredients:

- 4 VERY ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 C wheat germ
- 1/2 C all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 C unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350. Prepare your muffin pan with liners/spray.
- Mix together your bananas, applesauce, honey, and coconut oil.
- Stir in your dry ingredients If you want to pre-mix your wheat germ, flours, and baking soda you can. I always tend to skip that step.
- Fold in your coconut flakes.
Note: Adding chocolate chips could make these extra sweet and yummy!

- Bake in the oven for 12 to 16 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are cooked all the way through.

Enjoy! Michael certainly did.

Want more vegan recipes? Check these out!

Vegan Brownies

Vegan Veggie Muffins

Vegan PB Oatmeal "Chocolate Chip" Cookies

Vegan Banana "Chocolate Chip" Muffins

April 14th was my dear, dear friend's birthday. We've known each other since we were five. Yeah. I can hardly believe she's put up with me that long... kidding (sort of).

As is tradition, I love to send people baked goods for special occasions... although I do have a tendency to send them just because or to let them know I'm thinking about them during a trying time. OK... I just love to send baked goods out.

I made these for her, because it was one thing she had *mentioned* when I gave her options she would like (of course the "confetti" was added for her birthday)!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter, softened to room temp
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 1/4 C sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon.
- 3 tbsp instant lemon pudding mix (see picture)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 C all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp to 1/4 C rainbow sprinkles *just depends on how many you want*

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 375 and prepare your cookie/baking sheet with nonstick spray or parchment paper.
- Beat together your butter and sugars. Next add your vanilla and egg.
- Add your lemon zest and juice.
- Mix in your pudding mix, followed by your flour and baking soda.
- Fold in your rainbow sprinkles *optional*.
- Use 1 to 2 tbsp (or a cookie/ice cream scoop) per cookie. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tiniest bit of golden brown around the edges.
- Remove and let sit on a cooling rack.


Enjoy lemon? Try out these other recipes as well!


Lemon Berry Muffins


Lemon Tea Biscuits
This recipe was adapted from Dreaming of White Chocolate.

Happy Monday!

I made these muffins for the same event I made the Strawberry Cream Cheese Scones. I was blessed to have a few leftovers, since this recipe made a few more. Mr. Michael was very pleased, too, since he absolutely loved them. It's basically chocolate covered strawberries in muffins.
Who wouldn't love that?

Ingredients:

- 1.25 C unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 C sugar
- 1/4 C brown sugar
- 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 C strawberries, chopped
- 1/2 C (mini) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350. Prepare (mini) muffin pan with liners and/or cooking spray.
- Whisk/mix together your sugars, applesauce, egg white, and vanilla. Add your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon--best if pre-mixed in separate bowl).
- Once everything is thoroughly combined, fold in your strawberries and chocolate chips as gently as possible.
- Use one (heaping) tablespoon for each mini muffin, or 1/4 C for each regular muffin.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (mine took exactly 18). Transfer to cooling rack for a few minutes before devouring.
- Muffins will keep in airtight container for about a week (though they do get rather sticky).


This recipe was molded from Sally's Baking Addiction.

I love when people are completely amazed at something you make. Scones always seem to be one of those things. It is automatically assumed that they are difficult and time consuming. I used to believe this myth. But that's just it-- it's a myth! I am addicted to scones. And now that I can make them... oh, it's a dangerous combination. I made these for the Bible study I go to, which happened to fall on Valentine's Day. I went home with an empty dish. I was so happy.

Ingredients:

- 2 C all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces/chunks
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1/4 C low fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 to 1 C chopped up strawberries (itty-bitt pieces!)

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 375.
- Use a pastry cutter to combine your first four ingredients. Or you can use your stand mixer, or a food processor. Your choice! Pulverize/mix/blend until mixture is in pea-sized pieces.
- (Transfer to a mixing bowl if you used a food processor.) Stir sugar, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla into mixture until well blended.
- Gently fold your strawberries in-- this can get messy, just so you are warned.
- Gather your dough into a ball and transfer to a generously floured surface. IF desired, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick and cut into shapes. Or you can just follow the directions for the pumpkin or blackberry scones for cutting into the "typical" shape.
- Transfer scones to prepared cookie sheet (sprayed or lined with parchment paper) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Be warned that the strawberries can burn to the bottom, so make sure to check on them when they hit the 15 minute mark and up.


This recipe was adapted from Tea With Grace.

Print out comes from eighteen25.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!
I find it mildly humorous that I had dozens of posts for this holiday planned out in my head and only ended up posting two (including this one). Ah, well. Life tends to be busier than planned-- always.

Hubby and I celebrated this wonderful holiday a bit early. Today Michael and I are taking it easy, going about our usual routine. However, he was spoiled with a new delicious muffin recipe for breakfast,
I had one of these pretty awesome scones,
and we will probably have one of these amazing cookies later.

Michael also got Where the Wild Things Are as his gift from Clark and me. I still can't believe we didn't get that book for him until now. And yes. He loves it.

Life has been pretty crazy but I've been taking in the cuddles. Michael was sick for the past week and I kind of feel like I'm getting something. I'm desperately trying to fight it off with airborne and plenty of rest.

Michael and I took a two hour nap yesterday, which is really uncommon. Usually I use nap time to get things done on my end, which results in him only sleeping for about 30 to 45 minutes. I think we both really needed it. Never mind that it was a late-afternoon-nap which resulted in a late-bedtime. It was needed. And I just love snuggling with him-- especially now that we're planning on finally starting to move him to his own bed. I have no exact date as an end goal. We're going to take it at his pace using the No-Cry Sleep Solution as our guide.

By the way, I was looking back on Michael's pictures from February last year (when he was five months old) and just about melted. When on earth did my child get so big?


OK, enough with pulling the time-flies-so-quickly-it's-insane moment. What are your plans for today? I hope it's filled with love (and chocolate... lots and lots of chocolate)!


All new recipes will be posted through out the next week. Sorry for the delay!

I like to start the week with a sweet recipe. I hope, this way, it's on your mind and by the weekend you're just itching to make it.

I made this New Year's Day. The plan had been to make it New Year's Eve, but our little one prevented that from happening. Although it may not have kicked off the healthy choices of the year, it certainly helped us grin and bear Clark having to leave for work again.

Brie is one of my absolute favorite things. Whether it's cooked in a puff pastry, served with just fruit, or made with a sort of sauce-- I love it. It's why I only give in once or twice a year. This was actually my first time preparing by my lonesome. Normally I get to enjoy it at my parents' or in-law's house, but this year I was determined to make it myself.

Ingredients:

- 1 8 oz round brie cheese (leave the rind on)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp some kind of alcohol (we actually used champagne and it worked deliciously!)
- 1/2 C dried fruit (I used the one pictured below and raisins, so it should be chopped)

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your cheese on it. Bake for around 10 minutes, enough time to soften the cheese.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan mix together your syrup, sugar, and alcohol. Cook until it begins to thicken into a syrup of its own.
- Chop up your fruit if it isn't in smaller pieces already.
- Move your cheese to whatever dish you wish to serve it in. Put the fruit on top of your softened/warm cheese (with rind) and pour your sauce over it. Serve immediately with bread, crackers, or even apple slices!



Adapted from Betty Crocker.