Cupcakes & Coffee Breaks

It's not quite holiday time, which means that people like me are already in the full swing of holiday planning. When the weather gets cold, you're going to want this red wine nutella hot chocolate recipe. It's SO easy, and it tastes just like red velvet cake. But in a mug. You only need a splash of wine to get the flavor (but I won't tell if you add a little extra-- hey! It's almost the holidays). Red Wine Nutella Hot Chocolate Ingredients 3/4 of a mug of milk 1 tbsp nutella (plus more for lining the edge of the cup if desired) 2 tsp hot cocoa mix splash red wine Line your mug with nutella if desired. Add milk and the scoop of nutella. Microwave for 1 minute until hot. Add hot cocoa mix and stir until dissolved. Add a splash of wine and stir. Enjoy, preferably in a warm sweatshirt next to a bonfire on a chilly fall night under the stars.  It really is that simple, and so delicious! Perfect for a chill...

I always try to incorporate vegetables that are in season into our family dinners. It helps cut costs, and it keeps things interesting. This beef stew is heavy on the vegetables. I'm trying to reduce carbs and calories, so this is heavy on the veggies, but I'm sure it would be lovely with potatoes as well. Plus, slow cooker, crockpot, whatever you want it to call it, just throw everything in and come home to a hot, delicious meal at the end of the day. Working parent win! Slow Cooker Autumn Beef Stew Ingredients 1 lb of beef stew meat (a roast would be fine as well) 4-6 carrots, chopped 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 cups beef stock (or use beef boullion and water) 2 tsp herbs de provence 1 tbsp sundried tomato pesto The instructions are simple: throw everything into the pot and give it a stir! Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6. If you're home durin...

If you've seen my post about  Peachy Cinnamon Sheet Pancakes , you already know how I feel about sheet pan recipes. These sheet pancakes pull together all the goodness of regular pancakes, plus the ease of a casserole-- no more standing at the stove flipping batter! UPDATE: These make a great breakfast sandwich -- perfect for a crowd! If you have not checked out that recipe, I recommend you check it out , as this is a significant improvement over an adaptation of the first. Since it's fall, and we have been doing all the fall things-- like a family pumpkin painting day, and trying to brave the fall festivals even though it's unexpectedly hot-- these pancakes bring a taste of fall with apples, cinnamon, maple syrup and bacon. Yum! Read on for the recipe. Apple Cinnamon Sheet Pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free bisquick 2 tbsp cooking oil of choice, plus a little for greasing the pan 1 egg 1 cup milk 1/2 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for...

Sometimes you have a craving for something cheesy and delicious, and only a good old fashioned, American cheeseburger will do. But sometimes, your waistline says, "easy on the burgers", or you need to eat gluten free and don't have any gluten free burgers buns on hand.  In those cases, these cheeseburger spring rolls are here to save the day. Luckily, they are completely customizable and up to the challenge of satisfying your burger cravings. Plus, I'm firmly of the belief that if you take a comfort food classic and make it smaller and dippable, you can't lose!  Serve them up with a side of roasted carrot "fries"-- note, the fries won't exactly fool you into thinking they are actual french fries, but they did  have my toddler uttering the phrase, "More carrots, please?" Sold? Then read on for the recipes! Cheeseburger Spring Rolls Makes about 8 spring rolls. Ingredients...

Carrots are such an easy side dish. Sriracha carrots, spicy carrots, Moroccan spiced carrots-- you name it, I've tried it. But while all of these are great options, they are also on the spicy side. So when I was making a simple buffalo chicken as a main dish, I didn't want something equally spicy as a side vegetable. So I quickly whipped up these sweet and savory maple carrots. Perfect for a an easy side! Sweet Maple Roasted Carrots Ingredients: 3 or 4 large carrots, chopped into bite sized pieces 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp pure maple syrup 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp water salt , to taste Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Lay the carrots in a single layer on a small, greased baking pan or baking dish lined with foil and greased.  Whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, olive oil and water, and drizzle the mixture over the carrots.  Salt to taste. Note: carrots can get pretty sweet when cooked, so you may need to adjus...

I'm a HUGE (yuge!) fan of sheet pan recipes, so when I saw the sheet pan pancakes recipe floating around on Instagram, I knew I needed to test it out. The concept is simple: instead of cooking your pancakes one by one on the stovetop, you let your oven do the work for you. All you need is a sheet pan! You can find a similar recipe just by searching Pinterest or Instagram, but here is the version that I used based on my own dietary needs, and what I had on hand. Side note: it's a great way to use up fresh fruit that is getting juuuust a little too soft in spots. Just chop off the unwanted bits, and chop the rest to throw into the batter. Peachy Cinnamon Sheet Pan Pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free Bisquick 2 tbsp cooking oil of choice, plus a little for greasing the pan 1 egg 1 cup milk dash of cinnamon dash of nutmeg 1/4 tsp almond extract 1/2 peach, chopped 1/2 cup chopped strawberries You'll note that the first 4 ingr...

I've been all about the soups lately. Maybe it's the weather-- because fall is the best season of all-- but I think it's also because soup is essentially a low maintenance salad. Not quite sure what I mean? Let's see how soups vs. salads stack up. Packed full of veggies and your choice of proteins, it's easy to stuff a ton of nutrients into both dishes. Soups are infinitely portable (given the right containers) and can be prepped and packed for lunch, similar to a mason jar salad. You can even make mason jar instant ramen! With the great piece of modern technology known as the slow cooker, you can toss all of your chopped (or not) ingredients into the pot at the start of your day, and come back to a hearty dinner. So, if you're trying to eat healthy meals, but want something freezable, portable, and just plain easy to make, soups are a great option for you! Keep scrolling for some of the best recipes I've tried so far. Just in ...

I'm all about soups lately , and recently tried making several different types of ramen . While the noodles are delicious, I love the option of taking leftovers for work... and reheated ramen tends to absorb all of the broth. Enter the solution: DIY Instant Ramen ! You will need: Mason jars, or similar leak-proof containers Noodles (I have only used pad thai rice noodles because I need to avoid gluten, so my instructions are specific to rice noodles) Water * Your choice of vegetables Your choice of broth base , for example: a few tablespoons of soy sauce sriracha boullion cubes/powder miso paste Your choice of protein , cooked and chopped into bite size pieces This is SO SIMPLE to make, and it's even better if your workplace (or lunch place) has instant hot water available.  The prep work is to simply cook any proteins, chop any vegetables, and *pre-soak your rice noodles in the water for about 30 minutes. You're going to...