apple cinnamon compote + fluffy buttermilk pancakes

A few weeks ago on a crisp fall Saturday morning, A & I drove two and a half hours to an apple orchard upstate. Naturally, I created a small itinerary the night before and packed some snacks to sustain our energy for the festive day head; sharp cheddar + rosemary crackers, red grapes, and a jug of cool water.

We picked up breakfast & coffee at one of our neighborhood bagel shops and were on our way, hoping that A's '98 Honda Civic would keep it together if only for this trip.

We chose the route with no tolls and consequently, the more scenic route with fall foliage and hazy mountains in the distance. Once we were close to the orchard, we discovered a beautiful waterfall that we would venture to on the way back.

Stone Ridge Orchard stood out to me while I was doing my research on which orchard to visit. Their apples are sustainably grown with minimal use of pesticides, and they grow many different varieties. We'd later come to find out that Stone Ridge is a small town that seems to be rich in art and history, which we couldn't have loved more.

Because the orchard is a bit far from the city, I was really hoping that it would be free of people, and lucky for us we felt like we had the whole orchard to ourselves.

We stocked up on some locally made cider and donuts from the orchard's small market, and set out to pick a whole lot of apples.

We picked wild flowers, relaxed under the giant oak tree, took a ton a photos, tasted apple after apple, and basked in the serenity of the birds chirping and the bees buzzing. It really couldn't have been a more perfect fall day with A.

Sundays are notably known for sleeping in and making pancakes for brunch. And so we did just that. There was no question about incorporating apples in some way, so I decided on an apple compote and make-shift buttermilk pancakes. The apples are cooked down with brown sugar and apple cider; the pancakes are incredibly fluffy and use lemon juice + organic milk, a suitable substitute for when you don't have buttermilk. Simple and no-fuss, it was the perfect way to top off the weekend.

---- Read more for the recipe ----

a simple breakfast

As much as I dislike to admit it, I do my best thinking and writing at odd hours of the night. It's currently 2:36 am, and about 5 minutes ago I remembered a photo I recently took of my breakfast the other morning. I was just browsing the web, not tired enough to close my eyes just yet, when I came across this tip from A Cozy Kitchen. Definitely trying that one soon. I'm diverging, it's late, and yet I suddenly feel compelled to write. About a very, almost "stupidly," simple breakfast. I wasn't around yet when the word "stupid" was used for emphasis, but for whatever reason that is the only word coming to mind, and well, I'm going with it.

I think it was the contrasting colors sitting before me that made me whip out my DSLR and snap a quick photo. Only after I instagrammed it, though. Isn't that how it seems lately? More iPhone, and less of everything else. I don't mind it all that much. However I am making a conscious effort to take my Nikon out with me more. I'm diverging again. Back to the breakfast.

I truly love pancakes, muffins, French toast, and anything that can be seen as the epitome of breakfast. I can't say I'm surprised. That time of the day when the sun screams morning. The coffee is brewing, you can see the steam rising from the coffee pot. Your cat is meowing to the loudest of his ability (he wants breakfast, too). And then that thought, "What should I couple with my coffee this morning?" It's all my favorite.

But we don't always have the time to make elaborate breakfasts. Or maybe it's that we want to eat a bit lighter in the morning. I'd say it's a mix of both for me, depending on the day. In any case, something as simple (and delicious) as sliced grapefruit, a dollop of Greek yogurt & topped with organic agave and oats, can be just what you need.

I'm tired now. And ironically dreaming of these.

honey vanilla overnight oats with blueberries

I'm sitting upstairs in our natural light-filled kitchen back home, sipping on warm tomato basil soup, staring out of the large glass doors that over-look the water, and admiring grey clouds that are slowly passing by.

Seems lovely, doesn't it? I wish I had this view from my kitchen everyday. Instead of huge windows that allow natural light to pour into the kitchen, I'm stuck with one window that allows me to stare directly into our neighbors kitchen. And their blinds are usually closed, so I don't even get that view!

Not to break down my house room-by-room and window-by-window, but I would just like to throw out there that my room has two windows, one that is 2 feet away from a wooden fence (hence, barely any sun shines through that window), and the other that looks into the backyard. The backyard, however, is literally canopied in huge trees. So, yet again, I am deprived of sunlight. Sometimes I feel like I reside in a cave. Yesterday while I was doing some organizing, I couldn't help but want to take a hammer, bang out the wall, and create another window in my bedroom. I don't think my landlord would be too happy with that, though.

One day, the house/apartment/box that I'm living in will, without a doubt, be filled with huge windows. Until that day, I suffer.

But anyway, I should probably talk about the real reason for this post today. I'll keep it short & sweet, just like the recipe :)

Late night cravings had me munching on some peanut butter cap'n crunch, when I noticed I had an unbelievable amount of rolled oats patiently sitting in their mason jar. One thing led to another, and I caught myself with honey in one hand and vanilla extract in the other. A healthy, but sweet breakfast indeed.

honey vanilla overnight oats

 I had a huge tub of Greek yogurt in the fridge, so instead of mashing a banana (which I didn't have anyway), I decided to use yogurt to thicken up the oats. I still added chia seeds as well to amp up the nutritional value :) Personally, I like this version better. However if you are vegan or prefer to not use yogurt, you can try these overnight oats instead!

Cold, uncooked oats can definitely be an acquired taste and texture, which frankly I am still acquiring to myself. I was never a big oatmeal eater, so likely I don't eat this every morning. However, as I always say, oats are so, so healthy for you. I sneak them into my diet whenever possible. The addition of vanilla and honey keep it light and sweet, and in my opinion, the blueberries are a must-have in these oats. They add freshness and a touch of sweetness also. I'm sure any berry would be delicious with it though!

honey vanilla overnight oats with blueberries
yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup of Greek Yogurt
• 2/3 cup of nonfat milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon of honey, plus a little more to drizzle on top in the morning
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• fresh blueberries, to your liking

Steps:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and let sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, stir in blueberries and drizzle with honey. Enjoy :)

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This weekend and into Wednesday, I will most likely not be blogging because it is my 21st birthday on Monday! I have some recipes and DIYs I'd like to tackle late next week though, so keep an eye out! Hope you all have a lovely rest of the weekend :)

summer thoughts + very berry whole wheat muffins

It's not possible to be the best at everything. That's understandable. It is possible, however, to take what you're good at, take what drives you forward, and work hard at it to do the best that you are capable of. To me, it doesn't matter if it doesn't come easily or if I make mistakes. Actually, I enjoy mistakes. The lesson at hand ends up sticking with me more than if I had nailed it on the first try. What does matter to me, though, is that I'm doing something I love. Something that makes me want to be the best. Something that gives me that push to always want to keep going and excel. So, don't worry if you're not the Albert Einstein of your particular passion. The more important thing to realize is that you've found that passion, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your personal best.

Usually I'm not one to write things like that (it just floats around in my head,) but I thought it'd be nice to share it with anyone who is kind of feeling like I am. When you set a goal, you will accomplish it if you really want to. You won't give up, you wont circumvent it, and as said earlier, you will do what it takes to get there.

My triple berry whole wheat muffins are sort of an example of this, although on a much smaller scale. It took me one night and three tries to achieve the results that I wanted, but after that first (& semi-failed attempt,) I still persevered. Because of that, my third attempt yielded the best whole wheat berry muffins I have ever tasted!

I am applying this thought process to all aspects in my life that I am passionate about. I want to bring out the best in myself and what I do. Hopefully this summer will grant me the time to achieve such things!

Okay, now that I'm done with my motivational speech (which I hope kinda/sorta motivated you in some way), let's get to talking about these aforementioned muffins!

I went to the market this past weekend and bought some fantastic (with some being organic & local) items that I will be using in upcoming recipes (get excited!!) Fresh berries, hazelnuts, almonds, whole wheat pastry flour, millet, whole grain quinoa, and a few other things too. The berries were calling out to me, similar to "Buy me! Bake with me!" How could I not listen to them? The raspberries were plump and showcased their beautiful, deep red color. The blueberries looked like they were on steroids (in a very good way), and the blackberries just seemed like a good match to mix in. I couldn't pass up on the opportunity. I love muffins, especially blueberry muffins. And while a warm blueberry or chocolate chip muffin from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks can be quite delicious, there is no denying that they are full of calories, fat, and sugar. I wanted to create a muffin that I wouldn't feel too guilty about eating in the morning... and maybe again in the afternoon.... and again at night. Did I really just admit that? Don't be too quick to judge, though! Once you try these you will understand the constant cravings!

P.S.- I'm just kidding. Do you really think I'd eat THREE muffins in one day? Of course I wouldn't... I only ate two ;)

Very Berry Whole Wheat Muffins:

These triple berry whole wheat muffins are moist, soft, delicately sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With berries that are literally bursting when you bite into them, and ingredients that don't require you to work out twice as long- how could you go wrong?

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sifted whole wheat pastry flour (or 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1 cup all purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of organic Sucanat sugar*
• 1 cup of fat-free dairy milk (you can probably use almond or soy milk, though I haven't tried it)
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ~1/3 of a cup of raspberries
• ~1/3 of a cup of blackberries (sliced in half)
• ~1/3 of a cup of blueberries + another small handful (I looove blueberries!)
• A little bit of rolled old fashioned oats to sprinkle on top (optional)

The berries can be substituted out with just your favorite berry or more/less of the others.

*Note: Organic Sucanat is the least refined dry sweetener that I've found. It still retains some of it's natural molasses flavor and also retains nutrients as well, unlike refined white sugar. This is my first time using it, but I already LOVE it! The flavor is awesome, too. I bought it in bulk at the local market here (I think it's cheaper), but if you can't find it in any stores, you can purchase it online. I understand that some of you may be apprehensive to buy something that is relatively expensive and you haven't tried before. The good thing about Sucanat is that you can substitute 1:1 with other sugars. Therefore you can use brown sugar or regular, refined white sugar in replace of it.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tin with baking cups. Rinse berries, pat dry, slice blackberries in half, and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, sift ~2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour. (You will be using the sifted flour to measure out your exact 2 cups.)

Now that you have sifted your flour, measure out exactly 2 cups of the flour and place it in a medium/large mixing bowl. Remember that baking is an exact science, so you want to be sure to level off your measuring cups.

Sift your baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl containing your flour. Add the Sucanat (or other sweetener of your choice). Mix together well. These are your dry ingredients.

In another mixing bowl, add milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Whisk together until the wet ingredients are homogenous.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add your berries and fold them in with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scooper, scoop batter into lined muffin tins. Sprinkle oats on top if desired. Bake for ~15-20 minutes. Mine took 17 minutes.

For best results, it is important to let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This is for a couple of reasons. First, if you bite into them right away, you will most likely burn your mouth on the hot berries. Second, the muffins will be very, very soft and will fall apart. When I take mine out of the oven, I don't place them directly on the stove top because as I'm sure you know, the stove is warm as well. Place the muffin tin on a trivet or cooling rack, instead.

Do you SEE that oozing berry right there??! So freaking yummy!!

*****

I wouldn't even think about buying berry muffins anymore, because to me, these are perfect!! And to make today even more exciting, my Cuisinart ice cream/frozen yogurt/sorbet maker arrived! I am going to have way too much fun with it. If you know me well, you know that I am basically obsessed with frozen yogurt. Expect some delicious frozen treats coming your way soon :).

As I must get off the computer now to do other things (like sleep), I leave you with this:

What are you most excited about this summer? And more importantly, what are your favorite kinds of muffins?

*****

whole grain & almond pancakes with banana syrup

What better day to make homemade pancakes than on a Sunday? I was up so late last night, technically this morning, reading about food photography and planning ideas for my future kitchen/patio/yard/garden. Call me crazy, but I just can't help it! Therefore, today's breakfast was enjoyed a little on the late side (2 o'clock pm late- yikes!) Sometimes you just need those lazy, relaxing Sunday afternoons!

Nutty whole grain pancakes with hints of almond and vanilla. Top it off with a warm banana syrup and you'll be in pancake heaven!

yield: ~10 medium-sized pancakes

Ingredients:

Pancakes

• 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup all purpose flour *
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 flaxseed eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water) *
• 1 1/4 cup of non fat milk + 1 1/4 tbsp white vinegar (or 1 1/4 cup buttermilk) *
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Notes:

I don't have whole wheat pastry flour, however if you do, then you can substitute that for the combination of regular whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. Next time I may add a little more all purpose flour since the whole wheat flour tends to be a bit more dense.

Ground flaxseed meal can be used as an egg substitute in many recipes. I thought it would be great to use flaxseed "eggs" in place of real eggs to bump up the nutritional value and add fiber. A flaxseed egg is just 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed plus 3 tbsp of water. Mix together and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken.

Today I used non-fat dairy milk because that's what we had in the fridge. Adding either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used to mimic buttermilk.

Banana Syrup

• 1 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp of raw agave nectar
• 1 tbsp of molasses
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (or 1/8 tsp each of: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, & allspice)

You can strain out the mashed banana once the syrup is done cooking if you don't want to have bits of banana in your syrup. I decided to leave them in mine, though. :)

 Directions:

In a small sauce pot, add vegetable oil, raw agave nectar, molasses, and water. Whisk together well. Add brown sugar, mashed banana, and pumpkin pie spice. Turn up heat to medium high and whisk every few minutes while it comes to a boil. Once the mixture is at a boil, turn down heat to very low to keep warm while you  make the pancakes.

Chop or process 1/2 of cup of raw almonds and toast them on a sheet pan in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, add ground flaxseed and water to make flaxseed "eggs". Let it sit for a few minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add brown sugar and mix well. These are your dry ingredients. In another mixing bowl, combine milk, vinegar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and flaxseed eggs. Whisk together well. These are your wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until mixture is well combined. Stir in chopped almonds. The batter should be a thick consistency.


You can make these in a frying pan or on a griddle. If you decide to make them in a pan, turn the heat on medium and let the pan get nice and hot. Make sure to spray the pan or griddle with non-stick cooking spray or a little bit of butter. The pancakes will be ready to flip when they start to bubble up.

Plate pancakes and drizzle with warm banana syrup!

 

 This is what the pancakes looked like before the syrup was added (just in case you wanted a before pic!)

You could do a lot with this recipe. Maybe add cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips (yum!!) I can't wait to experiment. 

What are your favorite pancakes to have on Sunday mornings?