So…May is here. I don’t know how it happened but suddenly, out of nowhere, it’s almost mid-May. Which means…Mother’s Day is almost here! Yay! This holiday has a whole new life to it now that it applies to me and not just my mom and grandmothers (not that I didn’t love celebrating Mother’s Day before I had Cassidy…it’s just more fun now.) 
Now that I’m on “Team Mom” (golly, that just sounds lame, doesn’t it?), I realize just how important it is for mothers everywhere to have an entire day dedicated to them. A day to feel special and well-rested, pampered and praised, and tended TO instead of being the one doing all the tending. Moms are the hardest working people on the planet- we get spit-up on, pooped on, poked at, toes stomped on, pinched, bitten, screamed at, sat on, and food thrown on us all before 8 in the morning. I think we deserve a day of recognition for that, don’t you?
And maybe a lovely batch of muffins to wake up to with a hot cup of coffee…sipped in silence and peace. Really, that’s all I could ever ask for for Mother’s Day. A little rest, some peace and quiet, and maybe a muffin or two. Sounds heavenly to me. These muffins are no-frills, quick and easy, and taste absolutely perfect warm out of the oven with a cup of coffee. I’ve tried lots of blueberry muffin recipes, but frankly, these are my favorite. They’re everything a blueberry muffin should be. Tender, slightly sweet, and full of juicy blueberries.
I certainly wouldn’t mind if someone were to make these for me on Mother’s Day weekend… (wink, wink!)
Classic Blueberry Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for muffin tops
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line 8 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to any empty muffin cups (this helps to make sure the muffins bake evenly).
Whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder and the salt in a large bowl. In a large measuring cup, whisk the vegetable oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Add milk mixture to the bowl with flour and sugar then use a fork to combine. Do not over mix. Batter will be thick. Carefully fold in blueberries with a wooden spoon.
Divide the batter between the 8 muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with the reserved tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Makes 8 muffins.
Recipe source: Inspired Taste
Cassidy liked them, too. 
I’ve been wanting to make this baked oatmeal for SO long now! Almost every morning, I would pull the recipe up on my iPad and get ready to make it, only to have something interrupt me! Finally, I was able to spend a little uninterrupted time in my kitchen and make this for my family’s breakfast last week. Yay! We all loved it- it’s not too sweet, full of juicy strawberries and blueberries, and the texture is great. I’m dying to make it again this week! Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, and this recipe will start it off right!
Baked Oatmeal
1 cup steel cut oats (feel free to use old fashioned oats)
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters, divided
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Stir with a fork to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Spread half of the strawberries and blueberries in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining berries over the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4-5.
Recipe source: adapted from Annie’s Eats
You know how everyone just LOVES pancakes?? …..yeah, notsomuch me or Joel. We’ve both never really been all that into pancakes. They’re too rich and usually too much “work” for a mediocre result. Give me waffles any day. Cassidy, on the other hand, LOVES pancakes. I make them for her at least 3 times a week.
However, I’ve recently had a craving for hot, fluffy pancakes lately. I have no idea why. Luckily, I happen to find a recipe that wowed both me and Joel and I’ve never looked back. I’m now a big ‘ol pancake lover! I just love how vanilla-y and fluffy these are! If you haven’t gotten on board the from-scratch pancake train, this recipe should change your mind. It doesn’t take long, and the results are far superior to anything you could get from a box! You could add in any kind of fruit you like to customize them to your tastes, too! We love blueberries!
Perfect Pancakes
1 cup buttermilk **
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat a greased griddle to medium-low heat (if you’re using non-stick, there’s no need to grease). Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the buttermilk mixture, then the melted butter. Batter will be a little lumpy. Let sit for 5 minutes. Scoop out batter 1/3 cup at a time and pour onto the heated griddle. Cook until small bubbles start to form, then flip. Cook for another minute or so, then remove when golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serves 2-3.
**If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, no worries- just use regular milk, but add 1 tablespoon white vinegar and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Works like a charm!
Recipe source: adapted from Coleen’s Recipes
I hope everyone had a happy Easter! Ours was great- the Easter Bunny came to visit Cassidy, church was great, and my whole family had a wonderful meal at my parents’ house. Of course Cassidy was the life of the party.
One of the best parts about the meal was surprisingly not one of the decadent desserts (one of which was provided by me), but the simple fruit salad my sister brought. Nothing but fresh strawberries, blueberries, and grapes tossed in a honey-lime dressing. It was sooo good! Something about the combination of honey and lime juice is magic! I have a feeling this will be a pool-side favorite this summer!
Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
1 pint container fresh strawberries, stems removed and cut into halves
1 pint container fresh blueberries, stems removed
1 bunch (about 1 1/2 pounds) seedless grapes
1/4 cup honey
juice from 2 limes (about 2-3 tablespoons)
Combine fruit in a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice and honey until combined. Pour over the fruit and toss to coat. Serves a crowd.
Recipe source: my sister, via Oh! You Cook!
I’m going to be honest with you- since Cassidy was born, I haven’t spent one single night away from her. In fact, I haven’t spent more than 4 or 5 hours away from her! Joel has, due to various business trips, but not me. Nope. And I’ve been perfectly ok with that. In fact, every time we decide to take a couple of hours for ourselves and leave the baby with a grandparent, as soon as we leave the driveway, I’m flooded with feelings of guilt over leaving my baby. Then I’ll drive Joel nuts by asking if maybe we should’ve just stayed home. Am I alone here?? Surely I’m not the only crazy mom.
But everything changed a couple of days ago when Joel booked us an overnight getaway. That’s right, in a few short days, I’ll be abandoning leaving Cassidy to go enjoy an overnight stay in a plush hotel room. There will be champagne, a couple’s massage, gourmet dining, and best of all- a night of uninterrupted SLEEP. No baby monitor, no early morning wake up call, no nothing. Nothing but sleep. This all sounds great, but truth be told, I’m still unsure how I’ll handle it. Am I really ready for a night away from my baby?? Don’t get me wrong, the room is BOOKED and there’s no going back now, but I really hope I don’t blow the whole thing by whining for my baby the whole time.
Anyway, that story has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with hash…sorry. Onto the recipe. I had some really yummy smoked ham leftover, along with a couple of really beautiful red peppers and a bag of frozen hashbrowns lying around. What else would I do but make ham and red pepper hash?! YUM!
Ham and Red Pepper Hash
1 16-ounce bag frozen hash browns
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked, diced ham
1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
3 large eggs, poached or fried
salt and pepper
olive oil
Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet, then add the frozen hash browns and red peppers. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or so, until peppers begin to soften. Stir in ham and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes more. Top with cheese and poached eggs. Serves 3-4.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
I think we can all agree that birthdays are special. As soon as you wake up the morning of your birthday, you want to feel special! When my sister and I were growing up, on the morning of our birthdays, my mom would make us our very own breakfast in bed. She would wake us up singing and laughing and the whole family greeted us on our special morning. Too bad I don’t get that kind of treatment anymore…(I’m lookin’ at you, Joel!) Hehe, just kidding….
On Cassidy’s first birthday, Joel and I (like huge dorks) greeted her with lots of loud, happy singing and laughing. Then we all sat down and enjoyed these yummy, festive birthday pancakes. What a great start to a happy, happy day!
These are really soooooo easy. In fact, I’m not even going to post an actual recipe, because I used boxed pancake mix. I’m not going to spend all morning making pancakes from scratch when I could be snuggling my sweet birthday girl! These are ready in less than 10 minutes! Score!
To make the pancakes: start with your favorite brand of pancake mix and prepare as directed. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (I used rainbow jimmies- they melt a little inside the batter and give that “funfetti” look.). Cook as directed and serve with maple syrup.
Ok, I realize “World Nutella Day” was yesterday, but better late than never, right?
This is possibly one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever posted, considering every ingredient is store-bought. But hey, sometimes life can get a little crazy and you just need a recipe like this. All it takes is canned crescent roll dough, nutella, and sugar, and in minutes you’ll have a warm, gooey, comforting snack, breakfast, or dessert. Yes, please! These would actually be really cute (and quick!) for the kids’ Valentine’s Day breakfast- maybe even use a little pink decorating sugar and it’s just downright festive!
Quick and Easy Nutella Crescents
1 can refrigerated Pillsbury crescent roll dough
nutella
sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread a little nutella (about one tablespoon per triangle) on each triangle of dough. Starting with the big end, roll into a crescent shape and sprinkle generously with sugar. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 8 crescents.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
Jessica and I have been friends for over 4 years now. We met on a cooking discussion forum, quickly discovered we had lots in common, then soon discovered we were both North Texas girls! That’s how we went from internet blogging friends to real-life friends. I’ve met her family; she’s met mine. We’ve gone blackberry picking together, she came to see me in one of my operas, I’ve eaten at her family’s favorite place to get fried fish in her hometown, we made macarons together:
…we’ve seen John Mayer together, we’ve visited each others’ houses, we got stood up at a food bloggers’ dinner (man, that one was embarrassing, huh?), we met DORIE FREAKING GREENSPAN together:
…and so many more memories. Too many to list. When I first met Jess, she seemed to be looking for something she hadn’t quite found yet. Fast forward 4 1/2 years later and she’s met the man of her dreams, running stinkin’ half marathons (go girl!), and GETTING MARRIED in less than a month! She’s found everything she was missing in Chris and now they’re going to start a new life together. Wow. I am SO happy for these two I can’t even tell you! And seriously, have you SEEN her engagement photos? Amazing.
Anyway, on to the food! I’m participating in a virtual shower thrown by my good friend Nikki of Pennies on a Platter. A bunch of us got together to throw a special wedding shower celebrating the beautiful bride! I decided to make Cinnamon-Sugar Crescents because a.) I think they’d be great shower food, and b.) I know Jessica loves cinnamon. She’s always baking up yummy treats with those delicious looking cinnamon chips, and of course I’ve always been jealous because I can never find them at my grocery stores! Ugh! Don’t forget to check out Nikki and Jessica’s awesome blogs to see the full list of goodies we all made to honor the beautiful bride! And Jessica, congratulations, dear friend. I love you and I’m so amazingly happy for you.
These couldn’t be simpler; store-bought crescent roll dough, butter, cinnamon, and sugar. But ohhhh boy are they good! Soft, flaky, cinnamon-y goodness.
Cinnamon-Sugar Crescents
1 can store-bought crescent roll dough, such as Pillsbury
2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if you like lots)
2 tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Roll out the crescent dough and brush the melted butter over each triangle. Sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll each triangle into a crescent shape, then brush the tops with the remainder of the melted butter. Sprinkle with more cinnamon-sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 8 crescents.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
Chocolate + oatmeal + almonds = one yuuuuummy breakfast!
When you have a teething 6 month old with a fiery red-headed temper, you’re going to need a hearty breakfast to keep you going throughout the day. Let me rephrase that- a QUICK hearty breakfast. So lately, I’ve been microwaving up some quick-cooking steel cut oats and stirring in a few chocolate chips and sliced almonds. Fast, yummy, and filling!
Chocolate Almond Oatmeal
1/4 cup quick cooking steel cut oats*
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
dash salt
handful semi sweet chocolate chips
handful slivered almonds
milk, for stirring in at the end, if desired
Combine the oats, water, and salt in a small bowl and microwave for 4 minutes. Let sit for another 2 minutes or so. Stir in the sugar, chocolate chips, almonds, and milk. Serves 1.
*Feel free to use plain old quick cooking oats, if you can’t find steel cut.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
I love oatmeal. I mean, really, really love it. When I was recovering in the hospital after having Cassidy, I ordered oatmeal with brown sugar every single morning for my breakfast. Growing up, my favorite was always the instant peaches and cream variety, and chances are, 9 times out of 10, you’ll find the little envelopes of instant oatmeal in my pantry. However, my newest breakfast obsession is the quick-cooking steel cut oats. I love them because they only take 5 minutes to cook and I can stir in anything I want to flavor it- fruit, chocolate, brown sugar, maple syrup…nutella.
Nutella for breakfast is always a good idea; especially when it’s stirred into hot oatmeal and topped with fresh strawberries. THIS is my kind of breakfast!
Strawberry Nutella Oatmeal
3 cups water
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup steel-cut oats**
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons Nutella
Fresh sliced strawberries
Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
Stir the oats into the simmering liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, salt, and sugar. Remove from the heat and let stand 2 minutes before serving.
Portion the oatmeal into serving bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of Nutella and swirl gently into the oatmeal with a knife or a spoon. Garnish each serving with a handful of sliced strawberries. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
**I use the quick cooking steel-cut oats, which take only around 5 minutes to cook, but if you can’t find them at your grocery store, use regular steel-cut oats (or just plain old fashioned oatmeal, if steel-cut isn’t your thing) and cook for about 20 minutes.
Recipe source: adapted from Annie’s Eats
