Carrot pineapple muffins with chia seed topping

I've been testing recipes for healthy on-the-go breakfasts, and this one is a winner! The kids have always loved "sunrise muffins" -- carrot pineapple muffins that they traditionally make at their preschool in the spring. I took the basic recipe and tweaked it, substituting whole wheat and oat flour for part of the bleached flour, and adding ground flax and chia seeds to add protein and fiber. Instead of refined white sugar, I used coconut sugar, which has a much lower glycemic index.

The final product was moist and lightly sweet, with a crunch from the chia seeds on top. Mom-tested, kid-approved!

I used the recipe below, with the following substitutions:

1 cup coconut sugar (rather than 1 cup refined sugar)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup oat flour + 1/2 cup bleached flour + 1 tbsp flax meal (rather than 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt + 1/3 cup vegetable oil (rather than 2/3 cup vegetable oil)
1/2 cup chia seeds, sprinkled on top


Carrot Pineapple Muffins

Banana chocolate chip muffins with chia seeds

I have been on a health kick recently. But with 2 growing kids, and being the baker that I am, I couldn't completely cut out carbohydrates. Instead, I am trying to tweak classic recipes to be a bit more nutritious. Having our cake and eating it too, so to speak.

This morning I decided to bake banana chocolate chip muffins for a playdate. After all, two four year-old boys need lots of energy to run around and wreck havoc on the house!

I started with a straightforward recipe for banana chocolate chip bread, but made the following substitutions:

3/4 cup wheat flour for 3/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt for 1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup agave syrup for 1/4 cup refined sugar

I also mixed together 3 tablespoons of chia seeds, 1 tsp of refined sugar, and 1/4 cup crushed banana chips as a crunchy topping.

The final product was moist, banana-y, and not too sweet. Added bonus? It has much more fiber and protein than the original recipe. The boys (and I) gobbled it up!

Banana chocolate chip bread

ina garten's lemon loaf cake

Finally back in SF after a whirlwind wedding weekend in LA. I was looking forward to seeing family and relatives, and to eating all of the wonderful food that I miss so much, but all of the events left me (and the kids) overtired and cranky. I am glad to be back home, and to have a chance to cook and and eat simply again.

We are kicking off our week home with a lemon loaf cake. A friend is having a tough time in her personal life, and I thought we could give her a little sweet to cheer her up. Filled with lemon zest and eggs, this loaf cake is surprisingly light, with a tender crumb. When life gives you lemons - make lemon cake!

Ina Garten's Lemon Cake

the best granola you'll ever eat

Perhaps I'm still a novice, but it's rare that I make something at home and think that it's the best of its category. Usually, I settle for "this is pretty good, for homemade." This granola so exceeds expectations that I'm frankly astonished.

Adapted from a New York Times recipe for Eleven Madison Park granola, I substituted my favorite nuts for the coconut chips and sunflower seeds, and played around with the salt ratio to increase the savoriness. The chocolate chips are folded in after baking, and melt a bit to form little clusters of chocolatey goodness. The recipe is also seriously simple - 15 minutes of prep, 40 minutes in the oven. Honestly, I dare you to try this and then go back to storebought!

The Best Granola Ever
2 3/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup cashews
1 tablespoon salt (I used maldon sea salt)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dried sour cherries
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, pistachios, cashews, and salt. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together sugar, maple syrup, honey, and olive oil until sugar is just melted. Pour syrup mixture over dry ingredients and mix, making sure everything is coated well. Spread in a single layer on a lipped cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Cool slightly, then mix in cherries in chocolate chips. Cool completely before storing. And make sure to try it immediately - it is amazingly crisp and great on vanilla yogurt or ice cream!

Starbucks' Blueberry Scones

I had many odd cravings when I was pregnant - salami, stone fruits, oysters - but one of the most "normal" was the combination of Starbucks' vanilla decaf nonfat latte + blueberry scones. There was something about the sugary and soft consistency of the scone that I just craved, especially when paired with the extra sweet latte. I've bought them at Starbucks all over the country when I was traveling for work, so I know they are probably baked centrally and shipped frozen to the stores.

Yesterday, when faced with a box of absolutely-ripe-won't-last-one-more-day blueberries, I remembered my pregnancy cravings, googled "Starbucks blueberry scone" and was surprised to find pages and pages of recipes replicating the same scone! Perhaps there are lots of pregnant ladies out there craving these scones as well? This recipe worked amazingly well. My kitchen smelled like Starbucks for the afternoon, and I was brought back to those days of endless hunger and eager anticipation!

Starbucks' Blueberry Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold cream (i substituted 2 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt and 1/4 cup lowfat milk)
1 pint blueberries 


for the topping:
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut butter into 1/2" cubes, refrigerate until needed.
Stir flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal. (I used my fingers for this step).
In a small bowl, mix the egg, cream, and vanilla. Add to dry mixture and mix with fork until just combined. It is okay if it is doesn't hold together yet - do not overmix, this ensure the scone is tender and flaky. Stir in blueberries. 
Empty bowl onto lightly floured surface and pat into 2 flattened rounds (this is when you tuck all the crumbs and pieces together). Cut in quarters, then half each triangle for a total of eight triangles.
Brush egg wash on top of scones and sprinkle with a good amount of sugar on each scone.
Transfer onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 17 minutes, until golden brown.