soft banana oat bars

you know how toddlers can quickly get obsessed with one specific food and then latch on like there is no tomorrow? nixon has been mildly (ok, not so mildly) obsessed with belvita brand banana bars lately, and though they are a decent snack (low in sugar, high in fiber), i felt like i could save a little money and make a copy of them that had a better texture and a more pronounced banana flavor.

and i did!

zucchini-carrot bread

i am going to go ahead and say this--i think this is the best zucchini bread i have ever made. 

and now i am going to say that i feel more than a little guilty saying that since i love (LOVE) my mama's zucchini bread. and i still do (i promise, mama), but this bread made me feel all virtuous since i had managed to add in not only zucchini but also carrots, i used white wheat flour (via trader joes) and i cut the sugar back by 1/2 cup. the resulting loaf was a slightly sweet, dense (in a good way) bread that was seductively spiced throughout with all-spice and cinnamon and still manage to have a tender crumb.

(this is where you hear angels sing, if you believe in that sort of stuff).

strawberry dream cake (cake, cake, C A K E!)

this cake.

oh, sa-weet mama, this cake!

sweet, sweet sugar rush

when you waltz into donut rising, the first thing you notice is the bright, cheery and fun interior. well, after you notice the intoxicating aroma of maple icing, bacon and fresh cake donuts.

 

orange + olive oil cake with a buttermilk-orange zest glaze

i've had this cake tucked into the back of my mind for a long time, and i'm so glad that i finally pulled the trigger and made it happen.

gluten free apricot-raspberry crumble with honey + vanilla bean mascarpone

i made this as a gluten-free dessert for book club and then i realized there is a hot debate about whether oats are truly gluten free, due to risk of contamination from neighboring wheat fields or machines that process oats and wheat, amid other reasons. you can purchase gf oats but mine weren't so i will call this delightful dessert gluten free with the fine print that in order to make it truly gf you must purchase specially labeled gf oats.

phew! now that that is out of the way...

strawberry cardamom coconut milk popsicles

i have a summer bucket list of things to do (go to the ocean, go camping, watch a sunset at llano seco sanctuary unit) and things to cook (angry cajun shrimp pasta, homemade tomato paste, grilled romaine salad with jalapeno ranch). do you have a summer list? you totally should, i think its a great way to get down on paper (so you won't forget!) all those fun things you want to do/places you want to go during these hot, long days of summer. if you have little ones, its fun to sit down as a family and come up with a list together, you just might be surprised by what they come up with!

those are just a few of the things that made my list, and i'm so glad these popsicles did.

my favorite summer berry

if you have been following my facebook page, you know that i am more than slightly obsessed with strawberries right now. they are, for certain, my most favorite summer berry. don't get me wrong! i adore blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but the sweet strawberry truly owns my heart (and belly).

balsamic strawberry + orange sauce

i am a strawberry-obsessed woman. 

i will shout it loud and proud from the rooftops. well, i would if i had a roof to climb up onto. and if it wasn't so damn hot out there. plus, i'm not too fond of ladders. since it is brutally scorching outside, i guess i will just stay inside my cool, air-conditioned house and consume mass quantities of this sauce. 

on ice cream.

in a milkshake.

on ricotta or plain yogurt.

on a toasty little slice of bread with some tangy, creamy goat cheese.

on a spoon or finger.

got any cardboard?

sweet tooth

buttermilk coffee cake

remember this cake i just baked last week? remember how i applauded it for being easy, delicious, fluffy and versatile?

get ready to live, my friends, because this coffee cake was, in the words of the mister (this is a direct quote)- "the best coffee cake i have ever had. ever."

strawberry buttermilk cake

i have said it before, and here i am saying it once again- deb from smitten kitchen knows whats up. all the recipes i have made from her blog have been so right, plus it doesn't hurt that she is funny and sarcastic (and i respond well to sarcasm). she also has her first cookbook coming out in late october. 

i will be all over that.

apple galette, a birfday poy

our sweet little nephew has a 2nd birthday fast approaching, and so we headed to redding today to celebrate it with our immediate family. i offered to make dessert and i decided to make this apple galette. it was a big hit with everyone- the crust was perfectly done, flaky, crisp and tender and the apples were perfectly tart with just a touch of sweetness.

the birthday toddler gobbled it down, intently watching his lola's (tagalog for grandma) hand as he happily chewed, waiting for her to get the next forkful to make its way to his mouth, and showing extreme displeasure if it didn't get in there fast enough. he loved his "birfday poy".

 *(translation if you don't speak toddler-birthday pie)

bourbon + peanut butter banana bread

i'm pretty sure this is one of the most balanced breakfasts that i have consumed in a long time...fruit? check. booze? check. coffee? check.

dreaming of apricots

this faux spring weather and the bees buzzing in the orchards have brought our apricot tree fully into bloom. we haven't had fruit on this tree in two years and i'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that this year it will produce again.

pure bliss

is there anything better than a just-from-the-oven, warm, gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookie?

i think not.

that is all.

paleo zucchini muffins

i had a mean hankerin' for some zucchini bread the other night and decided to give a recipe for paleo muffins a whirl.

peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars

these little beauties are perfection- slightly crisp on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. they are so. dang. easy. they come together quickly with a pretty short list of ingredients and if you use parchment paper to line the baking dish, clean up is a cinch.

slacker rice pudding

it is a little embarrassing to even write this post up since its such a cheat, but it is a great quick dessert/breakfast/snack to be able to whip up, so here we go!

cinnamon infused bourbon truffles

i made truffles.