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Whole Wheat Muffins

Whole Wheat Muffins

Eating well during the holidays

“Faye drew a deep breath and plunged into the subject.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Here I am, my little place on the web. I’m feeling bold. Sharing a mostly healthy recipe in December, who does that? Not a radical as advocating a ban on holiday shopping, but still. Soon enough I’ll be diving into the cookie season. There are spiced nuts, fancy cheese and candy. Eggnog and hot chocolate too. It’s a good time to eat well. To take care, especially of ourselves. To treat ourselves with kindness, after all, that is all we have. Nourishing our bodies during this time of too much, is a special holiday gift. READ MORE . . .

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Toasted Sesame Peanut Bars

Toasted Sesame Peanut Bars

A very good snack bar

“You’re burning that bacon. Charles turned quickly back to the stove. It’ll just be crisp, he said, I like it crisp. He shoved the bacon out on a plate and broke the eggs in the hot grease and they jumped and fluttered their edges to brown lace and made clucking sounds.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It’s that time of year when sweets and all manner of other highly caloric scrumptious foods appear. The temptation to over indulge is everywhere. I’ve got a little diversion. It will satisfy the craving for something a little sweet with enough protein to power through the afternoon energy slump. The sesame flavor is the star of this recipe with the added bonus of peanut and coconut. A huge explosion of flavor and texture in every bite. This is a snack bar for those who enjoy the subtle flavor and crunchy texture of sesame seeds. There is anticipation of a great home made snack when the aroma of toasting sesame seeds fills the kitchen. Then the mingle of warm honey, peanut butter, coconut and vanilla seal the deal. READ MORE . . .

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Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter Frosting

Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter

The Pumpkin Chapter

“The rain started late in the afternoon. Adam huddled under his oilskin, waiting for the dark to come, and when it did he walked through the dripping night into the town of Valdosta. His black hat was pulled down over his eyes and his yellow oilskin was strapped tight against his throat.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It rained again! And snowed in the high Sierras! Our garden has soaked up every last drop, the trees are dropping leaves and it is much colder at night. This dramatic change of seasons has me baking and cooking warm and comforting recipes. Here is a sweet little pumpkin cake that has found a special place on my fall “must-bake” list. (Disclaimer, this list does not include fall pies. For pies there is no list, they are all worthy of making.) There are three cakes I make each fall: Spiced Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake, Brown Sugar Pear Pound Cake and this Pumpkin Almond Cake with Almond Butter Frosting. What sets this cake apart from the abundance of seasonal pumpkin recipes is the almond butter frosting. I would have never thought to pair pumpkin with almond but Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito did and pumpkin cakes will never be the same. The recipe can be found here. READ MORE . . .

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Spiced Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Spiced Cranberry Bundt

A Cake for Autumn

“But in California it does ordinarily rain at all between the end of May and the first of November.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It’s raining today and I couldn’t be happier. By the time I publish this post it will probably be sunny again. But such a nice big rain the first week in November is a very good thing. California is parched and ready for good news. READ MORE . . .

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Magpie Bakery’s Pear Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Pear Pie

Three Things

“If you say it’s her, it’s her, said Joe, and he pushed a twenty and a five across the table. Hal rolled the bills like a cigarette and put them in his vest pocket. He cut a triangle of meat from the rib steak and put it in his mouth. It was her, he said. Want a piece of pie?”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Life in the kitchen is always changing, moving. Make a meal, clean up, try a new recipe, more cleaning, shop, then stock the pantry and refrigerator, more eating, repeat in random order. So many variables, just like traffic. The joy of flying down the freeway, the pause to refuel, the frustration of stop and go, the cozy feeling of coming home at the end of a long day and yes, the insane amount of time we spend in our cars. A working kitchen can be a traffic jam on Highway 68 or a sweet and sassy ride down the coast of California. READ MORE . . .