My current go-to healthy breakfast has got to be this delicious Greek yogurt overnight oats recipe. Until recently, I had been skeptical of overnight oats – I didn’t love the texture, and the flavor was bland. It wasn’t until I had the most delicious bowl of overnight oats with yogurt and blueberries while on vacation that I was finally ready to jump on the overnight oats bandwagon. I was inspired to create my own version! Easy Overnight Oats Recipe with Greek Yogurt Using Greek yogurt as the base in my overnight oats recipe has been a game-changer. The texture becomes more akin to a parfait and has a beautiful creamy…
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Chopped Caprese Salad
I love a good salad. But I’ll admit to being a little particular about them. I want each bite to have all the flavors of every tasty thing in my salad. While sliced and deconstructed salads may look beautiful, I kind of hate them because it means more work for me. I have to cut all the components up, trying not to look like a crazy person in the process. That’s where the chopped version of this classic tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella salad comes in. Quick & Easy Salads I love a quick and easy recipe, especially a side dish or salad. I have to laugh at myself because,…
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
My all time favorite cookies have to be these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They are so addictive, I have to give them away or hide them from myself. Grandma gave me this recipe many years ago when I got married and it has been my go-to recipe ever since. Grandma’s Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe This oatmeal cookie recipe makes a pretty big batch, but no worries! The dough freezes really well. Shaping the dough into logs before freezing makes it easy to cut slices and throw them on a cookie sheet for fast and easy cookies any time. Extra vanilla and a larger proportion of brown sugar give…
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Cozy Winter Teas
When the weather outside is frightful, I drink tea. Drinking tea is more than just consuming a liquid beverage. It’s evocative of warmth, comfort and a sense of well-being. And that doesn’t even account for the different flavors, herbs, and vitamins that add their own layer of enjoyment and health benefits. I’ve put together a list of a few of my winter time tea favorites. To make the list, each tea had to be affordable, available at my local grocery store, and one that I reach for on a regular basis because it’s just so good. I tend to do caffeinated teas in the morning and herbal or rooibos in…
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Easy Avocado Toast
I came to the Avocado Toast party pretty late in the game. I thought it sounded weird especially as I’m not a huge fan of savory things for breakfast, and I’m a picky eater in general. But on a trip to New York City a few years ago, I tried it for the first time. I was trying to be more broadminded in my food choices on that trip and not too much of a pain for the friend I was traveling with. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved it! I can’t recall the type of bread or even the toppings, but I immediately came home and…
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Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe
I was in the mood to do a little baking this weekend, so I pulled out mom’s pumpkin bread recipe. I haven’t made it in ages and I completely forgot how delicious it is. I’ve tried several other recipes from all over the internet, and nothing compares to mom’s. This recipe is pretty nostalgic for me–my mom would bake pumpkin bread using this recipe every holiday season during my childhood. It had been awhile since I made it myself, so I had forgotten some of the nuances of the recipe. This recipe makes plenty of pumpkin bread! I usually use a combination of standard 8×4 bread pans and mini loaf…
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Tea Party for 1…
There are some days where the only thing to do is have a little tea party with yourself. When I am feeling drab or a little flat, nothing cheers me up like a little tea party. I’m not talking about a teabag thrown into a mug–I mean a full scale fancy teapot, bone china cup, loose tea, sugar, cream, and maybe even something tasty to eat all on a pretty tray. I know it sounds like a lot of work especially if you are already feeling a bit low, but there is something about taking the trouble to do something that makes you feel special.
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Drying Herbs From the Garden
There is something immensely satisfying about drying your own herbs. Over the last few years, I have focused more on herbs in my garden rather than vegetables because for me, the rewards are so much greater. I have limited space in my raised bed so I’m very choosy about what gets to come back year after year in that space. The beauty of growing herbs is that they can also be planted right alongside my flowers and shrubs and be perfectly happy. Rosemary and lavender thrive in my borders and make up the hedge between the sidewalk and my property. Chives have pretty purple blooms in the spring, golden creeping…
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Lemongrass Herbal Tea from the Garden
Right now I am obsessed with an herbal tea blend that comes straight from my garden. After tasting lemongrass tea with a friend, I decided I needed to plant my own lemongrass plant so that I could make the tea whenever I wanted. I also decided to plant lemon verbena, chamomile, and stevia among the collection of herbs that I plant every year. The lemongrass has been thriving, outgrowing the pot quickly. The lemon verbena had a more rocky start- I learned that they do not like their roots to get too wet. The pot had poor drainage and standing water collected after each watering time. I transplanted the lemon…
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Summer Breakfast
In the past 6 months I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise more. In the past that would have meant hitting the gym hard and trying (for about 2 minutes) the latest diet advice: low-fat, carb-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free (yeah right! None of those are ever going to happen!) I can’t stick to any of that advice because I enjoy food too much. I love a loaf of crusty sourdough, a hunk of tasty cheese or a slab of gorgeous chocolate cake. However, eating giant portions of them regularly is not exactly waistline friendly. Cutting back and making better food choices- that’s doable. Walking the dogs every night-…
