Sweet Potato & Five-Spice Muffins.

I might tear up a little while I talk about these. Because I've been making a batch of these muffins every week for the past few weeks and YOU GUYS. They are so good, so moist, so absolutely autumnal and the perfect breakfast or snack for my boys. And the ingredients are so clean, I don't feel any kind of bad eating them either. I found this recipe in my Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook, It's All Good, but I tweaked it a little bit by cutting the sweetener and baking powder/soda.

Lately, every morning when my 2-year-old wakes up, the first thing he says (or shouts, rather), is "Is my muffin ready?!!!" And when I tell him yes, and ask him if he would like it heated up, he says no. He likes his muffin cold. He is the funniest little person, seriously.

For the record, I like my muffins hot, with a double batch of coffee on the side :)

I know he's not a muffin but I had to take his picture because he was so sweet and his eyes were so blue. He wanted to demolish these so very badly and I love him to pieces for trying his best to have self control.

Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1.5 tsp. baking powder
- 1.5 tsp. baking soda
- 1.5 tbsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potato on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes. Set sweet potato aside and let it cool completely.

2. Peel the sweet potato, discarding the skin, and mash with a fork (or a potato masher) in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla into the sweet potato mixture, whisking thoroughly. Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, five-spice powder and salt. Continue to mix well. This is where my heavy duty mixer comes in real handy and does all this wonderful hard work for me. But if you want to exercise your wrists, you can easily use a hand mixer for this, too.

3. If you're using this Williams Sonoma gold touch muffin pan (it comes in this bakeware set which I totally stand behind), then you need to only spray down the pan with olive oil or my personal favorite baking spray. Otherwise, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups.

4. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool before serving.

Note:
- I cook 4-6 sweet potatoes every week and keep them in the refrigerator, reheating as needed. If you're like me and have maybe a potato or two left over at the end of the week, this is the perfect way to use those up!

- You can make these gluten free by replacing the whole-wheat flour with gluten-free and adding 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.

- I always, always make a double batch of these. This past weekend I made a triple batch and brought some to a friend. I promise, doubling or tripling up will be so worth it. You can easily freeze these and bring them out whenever you have company coming over. Voila! A healthy, delicious snack!

Happy munching, friends!!

Freezable Breakfast Burritos.

I haven't really cooked in 6 months.

This pregnancy really did me in. I spent the first three months sick, and the following three months busy. And annoyed with cooking. The desire to nourish my family absolutely vanished. And that's really abnormal for me, because I usually find that a simple waltz through Williams Sonoma can cure me of any culinary-related boredom or ailment. But not this time, friends.

Well, since returning home after our month-long stint in New York, I was suddenly struck with the eagerness to bake muffins. And soup. And stew. And then I saw my friend Liz's instagram post about making her family breakfast burritos in bulk and freezing them and I was re-bitten by the cooking bug. I should make everything in bulk AND FREEZE IT.

I know that's not, like, a new idea. But the idea came at just the right time. And let me just say, my boys are really really happy that I'm back in the kitchen.

We played around with this recipe and came up with our own preferred ingredients. And it's so easy and wonderful to have a delicious, nourishing breakfast that is ready as early as you are. Because I don't know about you, but over here we are up at 6 and I wake up voraciously famished. The recipe + method are below!

Ingredients:
- 1 package Aidell's Chicken + Apple Sausage, diced
- 12 eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 package frozen hash browns
- 12 flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese
- Salt + pepper to taste
- Olive oil
* wax or parchment paper
* large, freezer-safe zip-top bags

Method:
1. Heat up diced sausage and diced onion in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan, just to keep things from sticking. Cook until everything is heated through and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl, set aside. Keep the skillet heated over medium, add a bit more olive oil.

2. Crack and whisk the 12 eggs in a large mixing bowl, adding salt and pepper to your preference. Add the eggs to the heated skillet and stir until cooked. Transfer to a clean mixing bowl, set aside.

3.  Heat the hash browns in the same skillet, according to the instructions on the package. Set aside into a third mixing bowl.

4. Heat the tortillas on a dampened paper towel for 10-15 seconds, or until warm and malleable.

5. To compile the burritos, create an assembly line with the ingredients. Take one tortilla and add 1/3 cup size of scrambled eggs, followed by the sausage/onion mixture, the hash browns and finally sprinkle with cheese. Tuck the outer edges in first, then roll the tortilla (it will fold over in thirds). Place the tortilla seam-side down on wax paper, and completely roll and wrap the burrito with the paper.

6. Repeat this method until you run out of ingredients!

7. Place the wrapped burritos in large, freezer-safe zip-top bags. Store in the freezer and remove as needed. This recipe should make you about 12 burritos.

A few notes on these burritos:
- It helps to have a buddy with the assembly line. Stevie and I compiled these in about 15-20 minutes after all the ingredients were cooked, and it really helped to have him wrap and roll the burritos after I added all the ingredients.

- When you're ready to eat, you can throw the burrito in the microwave (take off the wax paper first!) and heat for 1-3 minutes. It helps to use the "defrost" setting on your microwave, if you have one.

- If can you remember to remove the burritos from your freezer the night before you want to eat them, they will defrost beautifully in the refrigerator and heat more evenly when you do microwave them in the morning. So if you can remember, make sure to pull them out of the freezer the night before!

- You can serve these with salsa if you like, although I find that I like them just the way the are.

- I doubled this recipe and we had breakfast for a few weeks that I didn't have to think about preparing. It was simply bliss.

Let me know if you try these out, friends! Happy cooking + freezing + and eating a blissful breakfast!

French Toast Bake.

Okay, it's Valentines Day morning, and you're thinking, "hmm, how do I make this day a special one?" Let me give you a big fat clue, guys (girls, forward this post to your man, STAT) -  make her BREAKFAST IN BED. I'm gonna go ahead and share a extra special recipe that will make this day memorable for you and your love - this French Toast Bake, adapted from the Cinnamon Baked French Toast created my indulgent-foodie role model The Pioneer Woman, featuring a pared-down ingredient list. I eliminated a few of the most fattening items from the recipe, and it still tastes like a completely decadent doughnut (because it is much like a doughnut!) I will say that this makes an entire casserole pan, so you might want to cut the recipe in half if its just for the two of you. Or you can have leftovers with your coffee the next morning (which I always oft for :) You can also add some extra toppings, like sliced apples, blueberries and pineapple, or just keep it as is. There's practically no way to ruin this dish. This would also be the perfect item to bring to a brunch, since you can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. I like simple. I like sweet. I like bread. I LOVE THIS BAKED FRENCH TOAST. Enjoy and happy Valentine breakfast to you!

Ingredients:
- 1 loaf french bread, roughly torn into bite-sized pieces
- 8 eggs
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 sliced almonds
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 stick of cold butter, sliced into thin pieces

Method:
1. Oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter (or olive oil, if you're somehow attempting to make this "healthy"). Roughly tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and evenly distribute in the pan.

2. In a medium-sized bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and store in the fridge for several hours, or even overnight like I do.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a stand mixer, begin mixing the ingredient and slowly add in the butter slices. Continue mixing until ingredients combine and resemble fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

4. When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Remove breaded mixture from the fridge and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45 minutes.

5. Scoop out individual portions. Drizzle with maple syrup. Yummmmm.

This recipe would pair really well with something salty like has browns, and this Pomegranate Gin Fizz (it's allowed since it's brunch :) I hope you have a happy Valentines Day, cozying up by the fire, making breakfast and binge-watching some Netflix, just because. For the love.

Chicken-Apple Sausage + Spinach Frittata

I am on Day 12 of Whole30. Needless to say, that means the menu in my household has looked quite different lately. I wanted to share a staple breakfast item that I have been enjoying every morning since beginning Whole30 - this breakfast frittata.

I have literally never made a frittata before this wellness experiment. I am a mad quiche lover, and this is something like that, minus the buttery crust and indulgent cheese, of course. But I have grown to love my morning breakfast because it is so filling and savory and hearty - just what I wake up craving. Isn't that weird? And wonderful. It's actually kind of wonderful. What is happening to me.

One thing I love best about this recipe (which I've adapted a bit from the one in the book) is that the ingredients can be switched up so it doesn't taste the same everyday. You can sub in green, red and yellow peppers, kale, diced sweet potato (Stevie likes this, I'm not a huge fan of the sweetness in my eggs), olives, artichokes - really, the sky is the limit! As long as you have that chicken sausage and a bit of avocado, I promise it will taste dreamy. Also, don't forget the secret extra ingredient - the lemon zest and juice! It will MAKE this frittata for you :)

Ingredients:
- 4-6 eggs
- 1 link chicken-apple sausage, precooked (I used Aidell's Organic version)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 gigantic handful spinach
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 lemon slice + some lemon zest

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

2. Heat your oven-safe skillet (I am loving my new Staub skillet!) over medium. Drizzle with some olive oil.

3. While the skillet is heating, whisk together your 4-6 eggs. I say that range because it depends on how big you want this frittata to be. 4 if you're wanting it to feel more veggie-licious, 6 if you went to the gym and you need some serious monster eggs in your life STAT. Salt and pepper the eggs to your liking. Then set them aside.

4. Once the skillet is heated, add the chopped onion and grape tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the tomatoes are wilted.

5. Add spinach to the skillet. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until almost wilted.

6. Then add the chicken sausage. This is already pre-cooked, but you want to reheat it and let the flavors all get to know each other a bit. Mmm things are starting to get savory.

7. Now you you pour in your beaten eggs to the mixture. At this point you don't really want to mix anything around. Just let the eggs begin to set in the skillet.

8. Then add the diced avocado to the mixture, if you're into that kind of thing. Avocado is basically the perfect replacement for cheese in a Whole30/Paleo situation, so I never forego it.

9. The extra special ingredient is the lemon and zest. Take a microplane grater and zest a bit of lemon skin on top of the frittata. Then take 1 slice of lemon and squeeze a bit of juice on top of the frittata. It will add a little extra note of flavor, and believe me, you will love it.

10. Once the frittata is "set" (after 3-5 minutes on the stove), transfer the skillet into the oven. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes. It will be ready once it's lightly browned on the top. Slice and enjoy!

I love this frittata. You can top it with hot sauce or salsa for an extra kick of spice. Stevie and I have been dominating the entire frittata everyday, and believe me, it will fill you up! Very satisfying. For all of you who are curious about Whole30 and whether you can actually eat "good food" while on this plan, I would definitely encourage you to give this recipe a try!

Eat These Oatmeal Banana Pancakes.

I came up with this recipe because I have been desperately searching for more foods that my son will actually eat. He used to eat everything, and suddenly, he's decided to be picky and eat about four foods: oatmeal, waffles, sausage. Okay, that's three foods. So you see, I've been having some troubles. I decided that no child could resist a pancake, especially if it contains one of his chosen, anointed foods. Plus, oatmeal is so healthy and hearty, I love sneaking a cup of it into baked goods when I can. It's one of those weird woman ticks I have. Like, let's add oats to everything. I don't know why I am that way, guys.

But these pancakes turned out SO GREAT. They are healthy (you know, for a pancake?), heartier than your average pancake, and really sustain you for the day. It's a great Saturday-morning-before-we-do-yard-work kind of breakfast. And thankfully, Everett gobbled these up like they were waffles. Well, we might have called them waffles. For his sake :)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1 banana, mashed
- 1 egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- cinnamon, to taste
- oil or butter, for the pan
- butter, maple syrup or fruit topping to taste

Method:
1. *Optional first step: You can grind the oats in a food processor or high-powered blender to achieve a fine, flour-like powder. It's not necessary for the recipe, but I've made it both ways and both are great. It just depends if you like the texture of oatmeal in your pancake or not.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

2. Now combine all the other ingredients: mashed banana, egg and milk. Whisk until well combined.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour a palm-sized amount of batter onto a skillet heated over medium. This is where I like to sprinkle a little dash of cinnamon on top of each cooking pancake, so it's absorbed at the surface of the cake. I don't know why I do it, I just always have. Cook until you start to see little bubbles form, then flip! Voila. Your perfect pancake.

5. Repeat a zillion times. I like to keep my cooked pancakes warming in the oven on 200 degrees. But you might have a family that is happy to dive in and start eating without you! Serve with a bit of butter and maple syrup, some fruit on top, or my personal favorite, smothered with this roasted pumpkin + apple butter. Deeeeeeelish. Let's just have a moment and drool, shall we?

These pancakes are so hearty and warm for a cold autumn or winter's morning. Or for any morning of life. Because really, when are pancakes such a bad idea?

Required listening while creating these bad boys. Because it reminds me of when me and Stevie were dating and we used to make banana pancakes (while listening to this song!) for our families on Saturday mornings. Good times, guys.

HAPPY EATING.