Crock Pot Cinnamon Rolls

Happy Friday!

I am so excited that it is Friday, my students are taking a test, and I have my friend's engagement party to go to tonight!  I am so excited for Caryn and Max and I can't wait to celebrate with them.

Last night, I went to La Principal in Evanston with some of my friends from my old school.  It was so nice to see them and it really made me miss them!  Plus, La Principal was amazing!  I really hope that we continue to have outings like that in the future!

Today, before the engagement party, a bunch of teachers from my current school are going to a restaurant to celebrate the fact that it is Friday.  I'm excited to hang with them and it will be a nice way to kick off the weekend.

You know what is also a nice way to kick off the weekend?  Cinnamon rolls!!! Cinnamon rolls are my ultimate favorite breakfast pastry.  I just can't say no to them.  I know that the world is on a donut kick, but I still say that cinnamon rolls are the best.  I made crock pot cinnamon rolls recently and they came out great!  I made them a little "healthier" so they are probably not as crazy delicious as they could be, but I thought they were delish and it made me feel better to know that they were lightened up.

Crock Pot Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
3/4 cup almond milk
1 packet instant yeast
1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar, divided
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
2 and 3/4 cups bread flour
Filling:
5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1-2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Icing:
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
dash of vanilla

Directions:
1. Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute.  Pour the milk into a stand mixer or large bowl with a dough hook.  Add in the yeast and 1 tsp sugar and let sit for 8-10 minutes.  Yeast should make the mixture frothy.
2. Once the yeast mixture is frothy, add in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, butter, egg and 2 cups of flour.  Beat on a low speed until dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Add in more flour as needed.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes.  Then, place the dough back into the bowl, cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Line a slow cooker with a lightly greased piece of parchment paper.
5. After 15 minutes, roll the dough out into a long rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.  Spread the softened butter over the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Then, starting with the longer side, roll it up towards the other long side.  Cut into about 12 pieces and place in the slow cooker.
6. Place a paper towel on the inside of the slow cooker right under the lid.  Turn the cooker on to high and let cook for 2 hours.
7. Make the icing by mixing the powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl.  Once the cinnamon rolls are done, spread with icing or just dip the cinnamon rolls in the icing!

Enjoy :)

Marathon Training Mondays: New Chocolate Protein Shake Recipe!

Sorry this is a little late...but I have the day off! Yes!  It's MLK Day and so there is no school today.  I actually slept in (ok so only until 6:30, but still) and then I had my New Chocolate Protein Shake and ran 4 miles.

This week's mileage really starts to build.  This past Saturday was our cut-back run and it was only 5 miles.  This week I have 3/4/3 and then 9!  I feel like anything over an hour is a long run so 9 miles will for sure feel more intense than five.  I also did my 4 mile run today instead of my 3 mile run because I figured with the extra time it would be nice to do my run and then relax.

It is also crazy super cold right now.  The high today is like 9 degrees and when I walked downstairs to the treadmill in our apartment, it said the temperature outside was -1.  Yuck!  It is way too cold to run outdoors.  I have been today that it is dangerous to run if it is 0 or below.  So, don't do it :)  Find a way to run indoors or skip the run.  You run so much while marathon training that it is okay to skip a run once in awhile. If you had told me that 2 years ago when I was training for my first run it would have stressed me out, but seriously it is okay to not run once in awhile!

So, today I am going to tell you about a great protein shake recipe!  I feel like this is sort of amusing considering I am currently making some cinnamon rolls in honor of my day off.  However, for the most part I have been all about the protein shakes for breakfast and I have already lost a few pounds over the last few weeks!  Protein powder in smoothies is a great way to support muscle gain and weight loss.  You can check out this article at DbolMuscleSecret for more information and to help you choose the best protein powder for you!  Incorporating protein and into your breakfast is the best way to satisfy any morning hunger you might feel and help you get to lunch without snacking unnecessarily.  I do my workout in the morning, drink my protein smoothie and some coffee and I am good to go until my lunch later in the day!

Chocolate Protein Shake

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (find one with no fat or sugar)
1 tsp almond butter
1 tsp cinnamon
5-6 ice cubes

Directions:
1. Place everything into a blender and blend until smooth!

Enjoy :)

Flat-Belly Protein Smoothie

Good Morning!  I have been enjoying breakfast smoothies all week!  I have some with my coffee before I run and then I drink the rest throughout the morning as a post-run snack and way to get me to lunch without snacking on less-healthy options!  AND! So far, I have lost 1 pound :)

I don't think I really need to lose a lot of weight, but I want to be healthy and happy.  Plus, with my wedding coming up, I want to feel great and feel great about how I look.  So, I am training for a marathon while also keeping an eye on what I eat.  I am making sure that I am getting enough calories, but that those calories are all things healthy and good for me.

This "Flat Belly Protein Smoothie" has a ton of protein and is also packed with good-for-you nutrients that help avoid bloating.  It is about 300 calories per serving and I always make a double batch so that I have breakfast for a couple days.  It's really yummy and it seems to be helping me out so far!

Flat-Belly Protein Smoothie
(2 servings - adapted from PopSugar)

Ingredients:6 oz non-fat, plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups baby kale/spinach
1 tbsp almond butter
1 scoop protein powder (I used Chocolate Light Muscle Milk)
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
1. Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Brian: Caprese Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches

Today is Bri's 25th birthday!!!  I want to wish him a very special birthday.  I can't believe that this is the age we will be when we get married in less than 8 months! Bri is so special to me and I love him so much.  I want today to be a great day for him.

I woke up WAY before him this morning and went to my zumba class.  Then, I picked up some stuff that I needed at Mariano's and headed home to make him a little brunch.

I made Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches and he said that it "really hit the spot."  Then, we sat down to watch the Bears game.

I am not a huge fan of watching football, so I started baking some Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies.  This dessert was Bri's request for his birthday treat and I'm pretty excited that it was what he wanted.  These brownies are SO good!

Tonight we are going to Jerry's Sandwiches for dinner with both of our families and it is going to be awesome.  I am always totally overwhelmed by their menu and I never know what to order.  I usually go with a last minute, gut reaction decision.  This means that I have tried a lot of different stuff at Jerry's and all of it has been great!  I can't wait!

Today is already super awesome and it is only going to get better...Happy Birthday Bri!

Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches

For one sandwich:
2 pieces of whole wheat bread (or one for an open face sandwich)
4-5 grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado
1 tbsp lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of garlic powder
1 tsp balsamic syrup
2-3 slices of fresh mozzarella
2 eggs

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mash the avocado with the lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Set aside.
2. Toast the bread using a toaster or toaster oven.  Place on a plate.  On one slice, spread some avocado mixture and place the halved tomatoes on top.  On the other slice place the slices of mozzarella.
3. In a lightly greased pan over medium heat, crack the eggs and let cook until egg white parts turn white.  Flip and let cook for another 30 seconds-1 minute.  Place eggs on top of mozzarella side.
4. Drizzle some balsamic syrup over both sides and then put together for your sandwich!

Enjoy :)

Dark Chocolate M&M Zucchini Bread

Marathon training makes me SO HUNGRY! Seriously, I am hungry all the time.  Plus, my lunch at school is at 1 in the afternoon.  So, when I eat breakfast at 5:30 and run in the morning I feel great, but by the time lunch rolls around, I am practically seeing stars I am so hungry.  I decided it would be a fantastic idea to hide some food in a drawer in my room so that I can discretely munch occasionally.  This was the motivation behind these Dark Chocolate M&M Zucchini Muffins...

This recipe made 24 mini muffins plus a whole loaf pan.  Bri was very excited when he saw what was happening in the kitchen and these guys came out great!  

Dark Chocolate M&M Zucchini Bread

(adapted from The Kitchn)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 small zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry with paper towels

4 eggs

1 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dark chocolate m&ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a mini muffin pan and loaf pan.  

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, oats, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the greek yogurt and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Beat in the shredded zucchini.  Add in the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

4. Stir in the m&ms and then spoon into the prepared muffin tin and loaf pan. 

5. Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes and bake the loaf for about 25-30 minutes.  A toothpick should come out clean from both.  Let cool and enjoy!

My California Trip: Davis, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Sonoma

Cali was a great trip for me and Bri.  We have been there before, but we had never gone to these areas and so it was a blast!  We did a lot of sightseeing and a lot of eating!  I went for a couple runs and it was a really nice time!

Our trip started out in Davis where we visited Bri's brother, Kevin.  He showed us around campus, I went for a run through their beautiful arboretum and since he's a vet student, we got to play with kittens!  While staying in Davis, we decided to drive out to Lake Tahoe to see some gorgeous sites and eat some yummy burgers.  We went to Burger Me for lunch and then walked around the lake area.  Then, we went to Emerald Bay to get a good view of the lake as well as the scenic mountains.  

Back towards Davis, we went to Track 7 Brewing Company.  Bri and I love visiting tap rooms and drinking different kinds of beer.  At this place, we found a Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout!  It sounded pretty strange, but ended up being amazingly good!

We spent a night out for dinner and dessert in Sacramento.  For dinner, we headed to Pizza Rock for dinner and ate some amazing pies.  Kevin and I split a BBQ style pizza and Bri got a calzone.  Everything was delish.  Afterwards, we walked down the street to Rick's Dessert Diner.  This place was PACKED.  Obviously it is a place to be and it did not disappoint.  You can find every kind of dessert you can imaging in this cute diner.  I, of course, got a slice of the Red Velvet Cake.  

After all that eating, we felt like we needed to get moving.  We spent some time strolling through Muir Woods. I thought that fairies were going to fly out at me.  This place feels incredibly old and magical.  The redwood trees are simply stunning.  Pictures do not do them justice.

Following our Muir Woods excursion, we spent the day in San Francisco.  We started off with brunch at Sweet Maple's.  This place was also a hopping spot.  We stood outside and waited for our table for quite some time, but it was totally worth it.  I got a scramble that was out of this world and the "million dollar bacon" was also a huge hit at our table.  I am not a big bacon person (gasp!...I know), but it even tempted me.

San Francisco is a great place.  We just loved it.

We even found dessert as a middle of the day pick-me-up at Dandelion.  This place happens to be one of the best chocolate shops in the world.  Go there.  Get the Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar.  Trust me.

Then, because you just ate your brains out, go walk up a hill and check out this gorgeous city.

And then find beer...

Tasting at 21st Amendment Brewery

At this point, you're probably wondering: "So this girl went to California and drank beer the whole time?"  Bri is a huge beer fan and I enjoy it quite a bit.  However, the answer to that question is, nope.  We definitely got our wine fix in Sonoma:

Wine Tasting Tour

Wine Tasting Tour

and more beer :)

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Happy Saturday everyone! Today is one of my besties birthdays so I gotta give her a shout-out: Happy Birthday Tamara! Tamara, is also one amazing chef and we became really good friends after discovering our mutual love and appreciation for cupcakes :).  She is pretty awesome and she is one of my bridesmaids!  I hope you have a great day, Tamara!

Today is also pretty exciting in that I am picking up my race day swag for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon.  I am going to be running that tomorrow and I am keeping my fingers crossed for a cool morning and no thunderstorms...Even though the weather is pretty awful right now, I am still very excited!  

Today, Bri and I are also going to see the new movie, Trainwreck.  After that is when we are gonna head over to the half marathon expo, and then we have to scurry back to get ready for dinner at Due Lire with my parents.  My birthday is coming up, so we are starting the celebration tonight with dinner.  I have never been to this restaurant, but I have heard amazing things and I will for sure report back.  

I figured that today was a great day to share this Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake.  I made this a while back, but I was in a coffee cake mood this morning.  I mean, it's Saturday, I'm running 13.1 miles tomorrow, and my birthday is this week.  Is there a better way to celebrate than with a good, ol' coffee cake? 

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

(adapted from Barbara Bakes)

Note: Please go check out her blog for some amazing photos and the recipe.  I changed a few things, so I will tell you about that, but she did a really lovely job with the dough and has some amazing photos of it! 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 package of yeast (I used regular as opposed to quick rise)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 eggs
Apple Filling
4 large apples (I used Granny Smith)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Streusel Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp skim milk

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Place butter and milk into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Add warm milk to the flour mixture and mix until combined.
3. Lightly flour a clean surface and remove dough from the bowl to knead.  Knead for about 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy.  Place into a lightly greased bowl and place bowl in a warm location.  I turn on my oven to 100 degrees and then leave the bowl in there with the door open.  Let the dough rise until doubled in size.  This took a little over 1 hour.
4. While the dough is rising, peel and chop apples.  Place apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a bowl and toss to combine.  Pour mixture into a pan and add the butter.  Saute the mixture for about 10 minutes so that the apples start to soften.  Let cool.
5. To make the streusel topping, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.  Add the melted butter and combine until your mixture forms small clumps.  Set aside.
6. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans.  Place parchment paper in the bottoms of the pans and generously spray with non-stick spray.
7. Once the dough is ready, divide in half.  Take one half and divide that into two pieces.  One piece should be about 2/3 of the dough and the other should be about 1/3 of the dough.  Take the large piece and roll it out so that it fits into the bottom of a cake pan.  With the small piece, roll it out so that it looks like a long rope.  Use this to wrap around the edge of the pan.  You are basically creating a wall to go around the bottom of the pan.  Repeat this with the other half of the dough for the second pan.
8.  Divide the apple filling into each of the pans and then sprinkle the streusel over the tops.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.  This took about 1 hour.
9.  Preheat the oven to 350 and once the cakes are ready, bake for about 20 minutes.
10.  When you are ready to serve, mix the powdered sugar with the milk to create your icing and drizzle over the tops of the cakes.

Enjoy :)

Cinco de Mayo Breakfast Sandwiches

It's Cinco de Mayo on a Taco Tuesday?  That is just too much.

I decided that in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I would share this recipe for Mexican Breakfast Sandwiches.  I made some homemade guacamole, toasted some whole wheat English Muffins, found my favorite salsa at the store and I was ready to go!  Oh, and I almost forgot: THE CHEESE!  Holy moly this cheese was perfect.  I was searching the crazy, overwhelming cheese section at my local grocery store when the nice employee pointed me in the perfect direction.  Pico de Queso Cheddar.  It has the perfect amount of spice and it melted really nicely on these sandwiches.  This is such a yummy recipe and you end up with tons of extra salsa and guacamole for leftovers or to go with the tacos you will naturally want to make later.  I made four sandwiches for me and Bri, but you can make as many as you want with this recipe.

Cinco de Mayo Mexican Breakfast Sandwiches

Cinco de Mayo Breakfast Sandwiches

Ingredients:
4 Whole Wheat English Muffins
4 eggs
Your favorite salsa
4 slices of Pico de Queso Cheddar
Guacamole:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1 avocado
3 tbsp cilantro
3 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Make the guacamole: food process the avocado with the cilantro, lime juice, half the black beans, and half the corn.  Add in the salt and pepper.  Once creamy, pour into a bowl and stir in the rest of the black beans and corn.
2. Toast the English Muffins and melt the cheese on one slice of for each sandwich.  Spoon a few tablespoons of the guacamole on the other slice of the English Muffin.
3.  I made my eggs over easy in a frying pan and then placed them on top of the cheese.  You can scramble, fry, or whatever.
4. Spoon some salsa over the eggs and then place the guacamole slice on top.

Enjoy :)

Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

Merry Christmas everyone!

I didn't have a ton of time to talk about Hanukkah this year since I was so busy with school before winter break and then going to Cancun for 5 days, but here is one great Christmas recipe that everyone should know about.  Head over to Recipe Girl for the official recipe, but here is a picture of one of my favorite breakfasts/desserts: Cranberry Bliss Bars!  I made mine with unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, but otherwise I followed to recipe and they were just amazing!

I am wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope that everyone has a wonderful day with friends and family no matter what you celebrate :)

Enjoy :)

Quick Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Today I am feeling nostalgic about my marathon training.  I just went for a brisk 9 mile run, and it just wasn't the same without my running buddies in my running group.  About 3 weeks after the marathon, I did the Hot Chocolate 15K with some friends and that was a blast because it got me back into running and it was such a fun race.

Then, I did the Turkey Trot 5K with a friend and that was fun too!  Now, I am trying to stay motivated to go for runs because I love how they make me feel, but I also get sad that I don't have running buddies all the time to chat with.  Last weekend, I decided to run 13 miles just for the hell of it.  Around mile 8 though, I was so bored!  I decided to call my mom to talk to her while I was running.  That helped, but she couldn't talk to me forever!  I am going to have to look for some awesome playlists if I am going to keep myself entertained!  Anyone have any suggestions?  

In honor of my nostalgia, I am sharing a recipe that I made for myself for my post-marathon breakfast.  I woke up the next day looking to eat everything in sight.  I am also a huge sucker for a good cinnamon roll.  They are definitely one of my guilty pleasures.  I found a recipe for a small batch of easy cinnamon rolls and I just had to have them!  Then, I modified the recipe to be a little lighter and whole wheat!  I felt like this made the cinnamon rolls into a healthy breakfast...right?

Quick Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

(adapted from Dessert for Two)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp sugar, divided

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

5 tbsp skim milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine, melted

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

2 tbsp light cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp skim milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk flour, 1 tbsp sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine milk, vinegar, and 2 tbsp of the melted butter.  Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and a dough forms.  

4. Roll the dough out so that you have a long and thin rectangle.  Spread the rest of the melted butter on the dough and sprinkle the rest of the sugar and the cinnamon so that it is thoroughly covered.  Take the long edge of the rectangle and roll the dough up.  Cut into 4 pieces and place into your muffin pan.

5. Bake for about 14 minutes.  While baking, stir the ingredients for the glaze together.  When cinnamon rolls are done, frost!

Enjoy :)

One Pot Vegetarian Sweet Potato Breakfast Skillet

I had to post this because so many people were asking about the recipe! This "breakfast for dinner" dish was outstanding and one of the more attractive meals I have put together.

This week was the first week after the marathon where I sorta felt like I was all better again.  I started running again, I felt more positive about teaching, and I got back to cooking!  I was in a bit of a post-marathon funk for a while and it felt really good to be back to myself!

Bri and I didn't have any plans this weekend and it has been so nice just relaxing!  Last weekend, I went to a math conference and didn't really feel like I had any weekend time!  However, it was a really cool conference and I already started using a bunch of the ideas I learned from it in my own classroom.  For example, I taught this fun lesson about a Giant Gummy Bear!  The video is really cute and my students did a great job with the lesson.  Besides teaching and running, I made some amazing meals that I am really excited to share here!

One Pot Vegetarian Sweet Potato Breakfast Skillet
(adapted from Cookie Monster Cooking)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (I left the skins on)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
4 eggs
2 green onions (optional)
1 avocado (optional)
siracha sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in sweet potatoes, paprika, cumin, salt, and cayenne and toss to combine.  Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour in the veggie broth, stir, and then cover again for about 10 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.  You may need to add more broth so that the potatoes don't stick.  Stir every 2-3 minutes to check.
2. Once potatoes are done, sprinkle the cheese over the tops.  Then, create 4 spaces and crack the eggs into them.  Cover and let the eggs cook for 5-6 minutes or until your eggs are done the way you like.
3.  To serve, cut up the green onion and sprinkle over the top.  Serve with avocado slices and a little siracha.

Enjoy :)

Cranberry Coffee Cake

I am in a brunch mood! Today I am sharing a recipe that I made a while ago, but it is so good and can easily be adapted.  Plus, it is perfect for brunch!

It is only 8 in the morning, but I already ran 9 miles!  Today, I went on my first run with CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association).  Every Saturday, they have long runs where you get to the meeting place by 6 a.m. and run with a pace group.  I went with the 10:00 race group and it was a blast! It was so much better to run with other people and I am already done with my whole Saturday still in front of me! I met a ton of people, had some great conversations, and it was just a blast.  I will definitely continue getting my butt out of bed by 5 a.m. on a Saturday in order to do this.  Marathon training is a marathon in itself and it was so nice to have a group to run with.  Next week, we will be doing 10 miles!

So, that is why I am in a brunch mood and this coffee cake is just the best.  I found a recipe over at Hungry Couple and just adapted it slightly.  This recipe called for cranberries.  I won't lie, I made this during winter when it was cranberry season and then just forgot to post about it.  However, you can totally use fresh blueberries or strawberries now that those are so amazing!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups nonfat, plain greek yogurt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups cranberries
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a tube pan.
2. In a medium bowl, make the crumb topping.  Mix all ingredients into the melted butter so that you have crumbs that look like wet sand.
3.  To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and butter until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla, orange zest, and greek yogurt.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined and then, gently, mix in the cranberries.  Pour the batter into your greased tube pan.
5. Take the topping and sprinkle on top of the batter until it covers the whole top.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake has risen and is springy to the touch.

Enjoy :)

Caramel Apple Scones

Okay, these scones are just phenomenal.  Seriously.  Make them.  I am considering whipping up a batch of these babies right now since I just found out that we have yet another snow day.  Also, since there are not enough days built into the year, I might be going to school until July at this point.  I mean, we might even have another day off tomorrow.

With all this time off, I have been working out, cooking, and blogging.  I keep telling myself to be productive and get ahead on schoolwork, but I am currently enjoying a glass of wine while watching the Grammys instead.  I don't have any regrets.

But seriously, I should be productive.  With all this first year of teaching thing, I am now also taking two courses to further my own education and go for my Illinois license.  So, I have lesson plans and my own homework!  So far, the classes are interesting and not too much work.  I know there are some projects on my horizon and so I want to try to get ahead so that I do not feel too overwhelmed when things become more intense.

However, I am still just sitting around planning recipes instead.  In fact, I just made these amazing Baked French Fries with a Homemade Cheese Sauce as well as a huge pot of Healthy Vegetable Soup.  Yum!  And tomorrow, I am planning a crock-pot meal of Chicken Marsala so that I have lunch/dinner ready for the rest of the week! I guess that is productivity in its own right...right?  I love being able to do all this and sleep in, but I know that I will have to go back to reality eventually and schoolwork is just as important!

Caramel Apple Scones
(adapted from Recipe Girl)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 tsp vanilla
Caramel Icing:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp skim milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Place diced apple and cinnamon in the pan and cook until apples soften, about 5-7 minutes.  Turn off heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter until just combined.  Stir in the yogurt, vanilla, and apples.  Mixture will be lumpy.  Do not over work it too much.  Roll out the mixture on a lightly floured surface or piece of parchment paper until you have it formed into a rectangle about 4-5 inches in width.  Cut diagonally into scone (triangle) shaped pieces.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until scones have risen and bottoms begin to brown.  Let cool.
5. While baking, make the caramel sauce: in a medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar and milk until well combined.  Whisk for a minute.  Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and powdered sugar until well combined.  Drizzle over finished scones.

Enjoy :)

Roasted Garlic Potatoes with Scrambled Eggs

This breakfast was so freakin good that I forgot to take photos!  We had guests who stayed over at our apartment and I threw these potatoes together in the morning for a delightful little brunch.  It was so easy to make and ended up being a huge hit.  These Garlic Potatoes are amazing and definitely a great weekend brunch idea!  Or, serve them as a side with your dinner!  Since it is the weekend, I have brunch on my mind and I figured this was a fantastic recipe to share.

My weekend has already been so much fun! My friends, Russ and Tim, are in town from Wisconsin and we had a great night last night.  We went to dinner at City Dough and had a great meal!  Its right by the Wellington stop on the brown line, so if you are ever in the neighborhood check it out.  Also right there, is DMK Burger Bar which is fantastic, but typically has quite the wait.  So, between these two options you will have a great meal!  After dinner, we met up with some more friends and went out to some bars.  It was a blast.  I, of course, became super tired well before the end of my friend's evening and had to go home (I did get up at 5!).  I am excited to reunite with them today for some more fun around Chicago!

So, here's to a great weekend!  Make some Garlic Roasted potatoes, whip up some scrambled eggs and then you can start your day off with a great breakfast!

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 lbs. red potatoes, washed and quartered
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Toss potatoes in a bowl with enough olive oil to coat and the minced garlic.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Place potatoes in a 9 by 13 inch pan and roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes.  Toss every 20 minutes or so.  Serve hot.
4. For the scrambled eggs, I scrambled two eggs with about 2 tbsp of skim milk and a little bit of salt and pepper.  I find that the milk adds a lightness to the eggs that is really great.  Then, I scramble them in a small pan until medium-well done.

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Brian! Homemade Walker Brothers Apple Pancake

Okay, I think I am going to return to blogging now that I made this recipe.  Bri's birthday was this past weekend and I went all out with his favorite breakfast and one of his favorite desserts.  Today is going to be all about the breakfast.

Walker Brothers Pancake House is a staple here in the Chicago-land area.  Growing up, this is where I met my girlfriends for breakfast on every late start of high school, is is where I drove to for the first time after getting my license when I turned 16 and it also happens to be where Bri likes to have brunch on his birthday!  Now that we live in the city, it is more difficult to make it all the way out for brunch, so I decided to bring brunch to us!  I got out my 12 inch cast iron skillet and made a GIANT apple pancake, Walker Brother's style.

I found the recipe online and then adapted it a bit to fit my skillet and my taste.  It turned out perfect!  Happy Birthday Bri :)

Homemade Walker Brothers Apple Pancake
(adapted from Tastebook)

Ingredients:
4 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
8 eggs
2 cups skim milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter

Happy Birthday!

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In another large bowl, whisk the milk with the eggs.  Whisk in the flour until no more lumps remain and whisk in the vanilla.
4. In your skillet, melt the butter.  Add in the apple mixture and then pour the batter over the apples.  Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Place a pan on a shelf below your skillet to prevent anything from dripping onto the bottom of your oven.

Enjoy :)

Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins

It's the weekend! Finally! This week of camp seemed to go on FOREVER and I am so excited to rest for a bit.  Of course I didn't sleep in today, but I have been having a great weekend so far!

I went downtown to the Taste of Chicago last night and it was a blast!  My two friends and I tasted a ton of stuff because we shared everything!  The food was great and I can't wait to share here what I tried.

Today I'm not sure what I will be up to, but tonight my friend Alyson is turing 21 and we are all going downtown to celebrate!!  I can't wait to celebrate the special birthday girl and I am super duper excited.

Today I have a fun Gluten Free recipe to share that is perfect for breakfast or as a yummy snack.  I saw Giada make these Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins while working out one day and I just had to make them.  I adapted the recipe slightly to fit with the ingredients I had lying around and they were amazing!  I brought these in for my camp counselors as a breakfast treat and they were a huge hit!

Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup light maple syrup
1 egg
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup dried blueberries or chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a mini muffin pan with liners.
2. Drain the zucchini by placing the grated zucchini on a paper towel, wrapping it in the paper towels, and squeezing dry. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the canola oil and maple syrup.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Mix in the carrot and zucchini.  Mix in the blueberries.
5.  Fill muffin wells almost to the top.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Blueberry Coffee Cake

So I attempted this coffee cake and it turned out terribly! I am sharing this with you because people seem to think I am perfect at cooking and baking and this is just not true.  I have to practice and learn a lot and sometimes things just don't turn out right.

Bri and I are moving in together and I feel like this coffee cake is symbolic of how I need to think of myself.  I am not always going to be perfect, neither is he, but if we work on ourselves and focus on our relationship, we will end up with something pretty awesome anyways.

For example, this coffee cake looked awful.  It stuck to the pan, it was mushy in the middle, the blueberries sank. However, if you closed your eyes and took a bite, it was pretty darn fantastic.  Super tasty and all you have to do is ignore it's imperfections because its a blueberry coffee cake and those things are tasty.  Also, I slathered on browned butter vanilla glaze, which admittedly made it look worse, but also made it taste heavenly! Oh man, I could have eaten that glaze straight out of the bowl...all of it.

I know that Bri and I are going to have to always work hard and focus on the positives  but I have faith that we are going to do great! I already taught him how to make risotto and it turned out amazing!

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Browned Butter Vanilla Glaze

Before the oven...looked pretty good :)

Coffee Cake Recipe HERE (follow this exactly because mine turned out like crap)

Browned Butter Vanilla Glaze:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Make the coffee cake and let cool.
2. To make the glaze, put butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and swirl continuously until butter is an amber color and smells fragrant.  Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Drizzle over coffee cake.

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins

It's Strawberry Season and I have been in such a great mood because of this whole getting a job and graduating thing and I just felt like baking something scrumptious with strawberries!  I used the same base as I did for my Perfect Blueberry Muffins to make Perfect Strawberry Muffins! I also doubled the recipe because I wanted to share my treats! All my friends who are still "real students" are taking finals and I brought these muffins to a study session to share with everyone! I don't have finals since I am a student teacher and I have to go to school every day until the end of the high schools school year.

Perfect Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and lightly grease a muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar until pale yellow, beat in milk, yogurt and vanilla.  Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the strawberries.
4. Fill the muffin pan all the way to the top and bake for 5 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 375 and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.

Enjoy :)

Healthy Banana Bread: No Butter, No Sugar, Whole Wheat

Holy cow! It's Monday again?  This weekend was a whirlwind for me.  My bestie Caryn came in town from DC and we had so much fun! It was so great to see her and we had an amazing time enjoying the beautiful weather and catching up!

In terms of my half marathon training, I ran 12 miles on Saturday! I finished in a little under 2 hours and felt great.  I ran the route that is posted for the actual half marathon except for the beginning and end and it was fun to see what I will be doing in 20 days! At this point, I get to start tapering off a bit for the next few weeks before the big fun.  This is great since in the next few weeks, I have interviews, graduation, and family coming in town! I am going to be so busy, but running really helps me to stay focused and feel good!

Going along with the theme of being healthy and feeling good, this Healthy Banana Bread was a delicious way to have a little treat while staying healthy.  This recipe uses whole wheat flour, no sugar, and natural sweeteners.  Also, you need super ripe bananas because that will help the bread to be tasty and moist!  This was some great banana bread!

Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas and beat in honey, canola oil, vanilla, lemon juice, and eggs.  Beat until well combined.  Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy :)

Simple Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

Looking for a healthy and gluten free dessert to have during Passover?  Actually, this is perfect for your Easter brunch as well!  This versatile fruit dip is the perfect thing to have on hand for a healthy dessert, great breakfast, or snack during the day! Just mix some honey in with some non-fat plain greek yogurt and serve with fruit! It tastes sweet and delicious and it is perfect healthy!

Today is my Spa Day with my Mom and I felt like this was the perfect sweet treat to talk about.  Plus, it is perfect for Passover when you basically have to be on a gluten free diet.  This is one awesome fruit dip!

Simple Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 tbsp honey

Directions:
1. Mix together and serve with fruit! I had tons of strawberries and this was a great dip!

Enjoy :)