Lesson Learned: I HATE Flaxseed

once upon a time i tried to bake healthy.

i learned a few things:

1. i love baked goods for their sugary sweetness

2. i need to try many "healthy" baking recipes before i will be successful

3. i HATE flaxseed

here i used roasted flaxseed, almond butter, peanut butter, honey and oats

in an attempt to make my own no bake granola bars.

mix all ingredients and spread into a glass baking dish. freeze until solid and cut.

place in individual plastic baggies to ensure freshness and have an easy

on the go snack ready at all times!

doesnt look so bad does it?

looks can be deceiving my friends!

the flaxseeds were AWFUL. not only to they smell funny

but they taste terrible and over powered my poor granola bars.

luckily my mom liked them so they didnt go to waste!

next i used the above ingredients to make pumpkin oatmeal muffins.

sadly i had not tried my granola bars before i baked these and added flaxseed unknowing of its terribleness.

although these muffins were much better than the granola, they still were not my favorite.

maybe soon i will give "healthy" baking another shot...minus the flaxseeds.

do you have a favorite "healthy" treat or recipe? please share!

Apple Tarts, Pumpkin Bread, and Pomegranate Banana Muffins

when a dear friend bought her first house a few months ago,

she invited me over for a day of interior decorating talk good company.

and what better way to break in a new oven than a day of fall baking?

we chose fall recipes, went shopping and got to work.

first up was pumpkin bread with cream cheese filling

next up we made mini apple pies in tart tins.

line tins with store bought pie crust;

peel and dice apples and toss with sugar, cinnamon, 

brown sugar, nutmeg, and flour.

fill lined tins with flavored apples and bake.

we made some without tops

and some with tops

they turned out perfect golden brown

next we made banana pomegranate muffins

once again we did a little bake as you go experimenting

and i have very little "recipes" to go from.

what are your favorite fall treats?

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Christmas morning was low key and relaxing around my house

and it couldn't have been much better.

until i made some delicious egg muffins, then it was perfect.

and what's better than red green and white in a Christmas morning breakfast?

i got the idea for this breakfast from 

my friend Cait over at a bicycle built for two.

preheat your oven to 350.

first i chopped red and green peppers, onions and shredded some cheese.

next cook the peppers and onions in a pan with a little olive oil

(much healthier than butter).

while they're cooking, whisk some eggs.

pour eggs into muffin tins and add peppers and onions

top with shredded cheese.

bake for about 20 minutes until eggs are firm

and start to turn golden brown.

if you're a cheese lover like everyone in my family,

top with some more shredded cheese,

some salt and freshly ground pepper and enjoy!

my family usually has monkey bread every Christmas morning but this years

breakfast was a much healthier option. 

what are your favorite family holiday meal traditions?