Hello, hello! Today I have what's quickly becoming a new favorite recipe of mine to share with you guys, so let's dive right into it! Banana bread is one of my favorite ways to use ripe bananas, and I'm sure a lot of you would agree with me on that! There's just something so comforting and yummy about a banana bread fresh out of the oven. I like to eat a slice with a cup of hot tea. Today's recipe takes a twist on banana bread - a cinnamon apple twist, because hello October! This is my last recipe creation using the fruit from my apple picking excursion in Julian. There's been lots of apple eating and baking in my kitchen over the past month! ... [Read More]
dessert
San Diego Spotlight on Elizabethan Desserts
Hi there! Today I'm switching gears a bit, as I thought it'd be fun to start a new series where I highlight an eatery, bar, or winery that I love within San Diego County. There are so many great places in my area, so I figured I'd share some of my favorites with this post series! Today the spotlight is on a place that's sort of like heaven on earth for those with a sweet tooth called Elizabethan Desserts. Located in the town of Encinitas in North County, this bakery became my favorite joint to satisfy a dessert craving upon moving to the area. I'm usually a take-it-or-leave-it kind of girl when it comes to regular cupcakes, but moist, decadent gourmet cupcakes are another story. You can keep the plain old Betty Crocker vanilla cupcake with store bought chocolate frosting, I'll ... [Read More]
Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Dip
Hi friends! Happy Memorial Day weekend to all of my readers in the U.S.! I am really looking forward to a couple of days home with my hubby. We don't have too much on the agenda, which is great since last weekend we were away in Palm Springs, and next weekend I'll be in Miami celebrating my best friend's bachelorette party (can't wait!), so I'm hoping to have some fun out and about in San Diego and a pretty low-key holiday weekend. I had planned on doing a last recap of my DietBet today, but then I realized that it's almost Memorial Day and I had shot a recipe on red, white & blue dishware earlier this week that would be great to whip up for a small holiday gathering... ...so, this deliciousness seemed more appropriate today instead! Plus, Fridays seem like the best days ... [Read More]
Mint Chocolate Chip Date Balls
Hey friends, how's it going? Greetings from the east coast -- my parents' house in Jersey to be exact. Things around here are pretty up and down. As I talked about in my last post, I flew here because my sweet little grandma is really sick. When I'm not at the hospital or working, I've been trying to do things that soothe my soul a bit and help me keep it together. This includes fitting in an at-home workout this morning, going for a long walk with my brother's girlfriend and their newborn baby yesterday, and having brunch with a close girlfriend today. Yesterday after being at the hospital, I wanted to try to take my mind off of my grandma for a bit, so I decided to spend time in the kitchen whipping up some snacks and dinner for my family. My mom got a food processor last year that she ... [Read More]
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies [Gluten Free & Vegan]
Hi friends! I am super excited because I'm heading to Lake Tahoe tomorrow for a getaway with my hubby! I've never gone skiing before, so wish me luck. We're also planning on trying snowshoeing, and I found a bunch of restaurants that are my style -- including a couple of vegan and gluten free specific eateries that I'm looking forward to trying out. I'll certainly be recapping my trip next week, but today, let's talk about another fun topic: cookies, specifically dark chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies. How's that for a mouthful? There are a few kitchen creations that are my go-to recipes when I'm in the mood for something specific. When I get into what I think of as a cookie monster mode, this is definitely one of my no brainers to make. When I felt the need to make them ... [Read More]
Healthy Milkshakes with Arctic Zero Frozen Desserts
It's no secret that I have a sweet tooth that I indulge often. I think that life is too short to not enjoy some dessert here and there. One kind of dessert that I most definitely am a fan of is ice cream. Recently, Arctic Zero reached out to me to see if I'd like to try some of their frozen desserts. I was intrigued by their products because they're: Gluten and fat free Non-GMO Made with whey protein Free from artificial sweeteners or flavors Sweetened with monk fruit and organic cane sugar 150 calories per PINT I immediately knew that I had to try these desserts. I mostly eat fro yo or light ice cream to avoid the excess fat and calories in real ice cream, but Arctic Zero appeared to take guilt-free desserts to a whole new healthy level. When I came home to my fun Arctic Zero package, ... [Read More]