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SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS

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Adapting

My “day job” has been particularly hectic lately and, if I’m honest, I’m worn out. On the one hand, I’m thankful to be busy. I don’t actually like having much down time at the office. On the flip side, there are days when I feel like I’m barely keeping up. Have you ever had one of those weeks where you don’t even feel like you have time for a bathroom break? That’s where I’m at. While we’re all tired of the phrase “new normal”, that is exactly what I’m adapting to. I’m viewing it as a learning curve. Added tasks to the day-to-day are really just a matter of time management. I’m learning how to multitask and prioritize in new ways. Once I get the hang of it, I’m sure I’ll be even more efficient than ever.

All Hand On Deck

When work gets crazy, my time at home becomes even more valuable. The last thing I want is more work as we get home from work and school. Yes, chores need to be done and meals need to be cooked but I still want to have time to relax with my family. We accomplish this in two ways. First off, we all pitch in on the chores. Even our four year old can help empty the dish washer or toss laundry in the wash. Secondly, we are intentional about choosing easy to cook meals. My husband and I take turns with meal planning and cooking. Weeknight meals are typically just a simple protein with a vegetable of some sort as the side dish. My husband tends to grill and I tend to do sheet pan dinners or slow cooker meals. Once again, our daughter helps out where she can. She might help season the vegetables or she might just set the table for us.

Shredded Chicken Tacos (a slow cooker meal)

As I’ve been exploring more slow cooker meals, I remembered a recipe my brother and sister-in-law used to make for shredded pork. I’ve adapted the recipe into my own shredded chicken tacos by using my usual taco seasonings. I also opted for chicken as we are more likely to have that on hand in our freezer. I’ve been making this on the weekends so that I can have leftovers for lunch during the week. This shredded chicken is delicious in tacos (as I’ve written it up here) but it is really more versatile than that. You could put it on a baked potato, in sandwiches, on nachos, or make a rice bowl with it. Frankly, it is even tasty on its own, cold or warm. I’m excited to see what you end up doing with this recipe.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Sarah Baade
This chicken is made in a slow cooker which means it is incredibly easy to make. Wrap it up in a tortilla with your favorite toppings for a delicious taco meal.
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Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 Tacos

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 10oz can Rotel
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 12 tortillas
  • Optional toppings: spicy cole slaw (see next recipe), avocado, sour cream, cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker then top with rotel, lime juice, and all spices.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and easily starts to pull apart.
  • Move chicken from slow cooker to a large serving dish (keeping as much of the rotel and seasoning on it as possible) and shred with two large forks.
  • Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.
Keyword Chicken Tacos, Crock Pot Meal, Shredded Chicken Tacos, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Meal, Tacos

Spicy Coleslaw

Sarah Baade
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Ingredients
  

  • 7oz shredded cabbage or coleslaw blend
  • 5oz plain greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha (more or less depending on how hot you want it)
  • juice of ½ lime
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Stir all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until cabbage is evenly coated.
  • Serve on shredded chicken tacos.
Keyword Coleslaw, Spicy Coleslaw

Looking for more taco recipes?

Try my Sheet Pan Veggie Tacos or my Cauliflower Tacos.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

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Muffin Memories

Blueberry muffins with streusel topping always seemed so fancy to me as a kid. What in the world was that magical topping? Why didn’t we get this topping on the muffins we made from a box mix? I recall blueberry muffins being something we ate on special occasions, like on Christmas morning. Always made from a box mix. And I loved them. In short, those muffins were something special and yet I still longed for that streusel topping. Friends, this was the 80’s and streusel seemed fancy. Today, you can get a box mix that includes a streusel topping and I will never judge you for making those. I get it. Busy lives need simple solutions. But I promise you, the homemade version is also very doable.

Dark gray tray of blueberry muffins with extra blueberries on the tray.

That Homemade Touch

Now that I’m an adult and the primary cook in the household, I find little ways to treat myself. One of the ways I treat myself is with homemade muffins. Yes, I still make a boxed mix on occasion but homemade always tastes better and don’t actually take much longer to make. I use frozen blueberries because they aren’t as delicate as fresh and don’t streak juice throughout the muffins. As for that *magical* streusel topping? Turns out it is quite easy to make! In fact, I might never make another muffin recipe without it. There is something about that crunchy, sweet topping that I can’t resist. With blueberry muffins being such a strong memory of childhood, I knew I needed to start here. Classic blueberry muffins with streusel topping. These make you feel like you’re eating something from your favorite corner bakery without actually having to leave the house.

Dark gray tray of blueberry muffins with extra blueberries on the tray.
Dark gray tray of blueberry muffins with extra blueberries on the tray.

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Sarah Baade
Classic blueberry muffins with a light streusel topping.
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Course Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

Blueberry Muffins

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries

Streusel Topping

  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

For the Muffins

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and place paper liners in muffin tin.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
  • Mix eggs and vanilla into butter mixture.
  • Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then all of the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined.
  • Gently fold frozen blueberries into the batter.
  • Pour batter into prepared muffin tin.

For the Streusel Topping

  • In a small mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together. Sprinkle mixture over muffins.
  • Bake 35 minutes or until a test toothpick comes out clean.
Keyword Blueberry, Blueberry Muffins, Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping, Breakfast, Easy Breakfast, Easy Recipe, Homemade Muffins, Muffins, Streusel Topping

Looking for more easy breakfast recipes? I’ve got you covered…

Baked Oatmeal

Southwestern Hash Brown Waffles

Savory Spinach Turnovers

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Best Banana Bread

TOT TOPPED SHEPHERD’S PIE

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Changes To Our Meals

We all know life has changed over the past year. Okay, that is an understatement but I know I know need to go into all of the ways life has changed. I want to tell you how my family’s dinners have changed. Prior to Covid-19, my family and I focused on plant based options most days of the week. We still included meat of one sort or another a couple of times per week but most of our dinners were vegetarian or even vegan. When we started ordering our groceries online for curbside pick up, things changed for us. Being able to stop by the store on the way home from work/school, kiddo in tow, became something we are less comfortable with. Picking up groceries only every other week means relying more on foods that store well longer term (hello freezer!). Long story short, we’ve started eating more meats because they are easy to store in the freezer long term. As our eating habits change, it only feels right to shift the blog as well. My first beef based recipe for you is Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie.

Wooden spoon with a scoop of tater tot shepherds pie and a white casserole dish with tater tots in the background.
Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie

In addition to introducing more meats into our diet, we are focusing on smaller dishes to accommodate our small family without having excessive leftovers or waste. I recently saw this idea of topping a shepherd’s pie with tater tots and I knew I needed to make my own version of this. I love a traditional shepherd’s pie and even have a plant based, Baby Bella Shepherd’s Pie on here. But my least favorite part of making the traditional version is the mashed potatoes. The peeling, cutting, boiling, and mashing of the potatoes seems to take forever. Worth it? Yes. Do I always have time for those steps? No. These tater tots save tons of time and give a slightly crispy texture that is a hit with my whole family. Added bonus? Tots keep in the freezer until you’re ready to make this dish (as do the ground beef and peas). Give this Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie a go and let me know what you think of this new recipe!

Wooden spoon with a scoop of tater tot shepherds pie and a white casserole dish with tater tots in the background.

Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Tater Tots make for a super easy topping on this cozy dish.
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Course Dinner

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 3 large carrots, cut into ¼" slices
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 package frozen tater tots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain any excess grease.
  • Add carrots to beef and cook 2-3 minutes.
  • Add onion and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir until evenly coated.
  • Add peas, beef stock, and tomato paste. Stir until paste is evenly distributed.
  • Transfer mixture into a greased 8×8 pan. Place tater tots on top of mixture in straight rows then bake for 25-30 minutes or until tots are golden. Serve warm.

Notes

Number of servings varies slightly based on who is eating. My family of three (two adults and one young child) managed to get two servings each. If feeding four adults, I would estimate four servings.
Keyword Casserole, Hot Dish, Shepherd’s Pie, Tater Tots, Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

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Bowl of black bean soup garnished with sour cream, two slices of avocado and green onions.

There is a restaurant here in San Antonio that has amazing, smoky refried black beans. These are my absolute favorite beans. Ever. I love these beans so much that I could never try to actually replicate them. Instead, I’ve used those beans as inspiration. Have you ever used liquid smoke before? A little goes a long way but when you find the right balance, it can give a beautiful enhancement to the flavors of your dish. After creating this black bean soup, I am interested to see how else I can start using liquid smoke.

My family and I have found a new weekend routine where we schedule time to play outside. This might be riding our bikes through the neighborhood, running around on a playground, or hiking a nearby trail. By scheduling these activities, we are all committed to spend this time together, “no screens attached.” It has provided such an escape from all the stressors of the world. For those couple of hours, our only priority is having fun together. Pure joy. I’ve found that these activities can build up quite an appetite. With the cooler weather we’ve had lately, I love starting a slow cooker recipe in the morning and having it ready for when we get back home. So here, I have for you, my new slow cooker black bean soup recipe. Start it in the morning, go spend some time playing outside, and then enjoy a warm bowl when you get home.

Bowl of black bean soup garnished with sour cream, two slices of avocado and green onions.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Sarah Baade
This soup is easy to make and has a warm, gentle smoky flavor to it. Delicious.
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Course Dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dry black beans, rinsed
  • 15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • Optional Garnishes: sour cream, avocado, green onions, crumbled tortilla chips

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for 6 hours or until beans are tender.
  • Serve with garnishes as desired.
Keyword Black Bean Soup, Black Beans, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Soup

Looking for more soup recipes?

Barley Soup

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

PEPPERMINT COCOA COOKIES

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December can only mean one thing when it comes to food blogging… COOKIES! Over the years, I’ve done more Christmas cookie baking days and cookie exchanges than I can count. These traditions are fun, right? And they truly bring joy. Joy that tastes delicious, and sweet, and comforting. So many of us have memories of a grandparent or a parent making a certain favorite cookie. No matter how old I get, I will always feel nostalgic love for a chocolate crinkle cookie (in my family, we call it a chocolate Kringle cookie) because that’s what tastes like home so to speak. In a year when many of us can’t be near our families for the holidays, we can at least come together over holiday cookies. Perhaps you and your mom make the same traditional recipe on the same day this year? Or maybe you video chat with your brother as you both try a new cookie recipe? Let’s make cookies together this year even if we still aren’t close enough to hug.

White background with chocolate cookies surrounded by red and white peppermint candy pieces.

I’ve had chocolate on the brain lately, brownies specifically, actually. However, brownies don’t scream Christmas to me. With that in mind, I converted a brownie recipe I’ve been working on and turned it into a holiday cookie. My husband loves peppermint with chocolate (frankly, I do too) and so this peppermint cocoa cookie was born. To keep things festive, I used actual peppermint candies for this recipe rather than peppermint extract. I hope you’ll think of your family and holiday traditions as you dive into these cookies.

White background with chocolate cookies surrounded by red and white peppermint candy pieces.
White background with chocolate cookies surrounded by red and white peppermint candy pieces.

Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

Sarah Baade
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional but add richness to the chocolate flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 5 oz starlight mint candies or candy canes, broken into small pieces

Instructions
 

  • In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar, melted chocolate, vegetable oil, espresso powder and vanilla.
  • Stir in eggs one at a time.
  • Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
  • Stir in broken candy pieces.
  • Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat over to 350°F.
  • Form cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet, 2" apart.
  • Bake 13-15 minutes.

Notes

*I did not have any marshmallow fluff on hand when I made these but I think it would be great for turning these into a sandwich cookie.
Keyword Chocolate, Cookies, Peppermint, Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON SAUCE

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A hand holding several bright red cranberries.

Historically, cranberries have not been my thing at Thanksgiving. Am I alone in this? I doubt it. In my earlier childhood, I remember our family having the canned, gelatinous cranberry sauce on the table. The image still doesn’t settle well with me but also, the texture isn’t something I enjoy eating. As I got older, homemade cranberry sauce found its way to the Thanksgiving spread. Certainly more appetizing but still not my thing. I totally get the nostalgia of the canned stuff and I appreciate the effort in the homemade version. However, neither one gets served on my Thanksgiving table.

White casserole dish of bread pudding with cranberries next to a small black plate with a single slice of the bread pudding topped with bourbon sauce and a spoon resting next to it.

It might sound like I have something personal against cranberries but I don’t. I promise. In fact, I very much enjoy cranberries in other dishes. Sauce is the issue. Really, the texture of the sauce is the root of the problem. So, in a year when nostalgia is bringing more joy than ever, I’m making a cranberry dish but with my own twist. Bread pudding. Yes, friends, cranberry orange bread pudding with bourbon sauce to be exact. That cranberry flavor is there, its just in a different form. This bread pudding is absolute comfort food. It is rich and sweet but also a little bit tart from those cranberries. A beautiful balance of flavors. Serve it warm with a spoonful of the bourbon sauce and you’ll be in heaven.

A single serving of cranberry orange bread pudding with bourbon sauce served on a small black dish with a spoon resting next to it.
A single serving of cranberry orange bread pudding with bourbon sauce served on a small black dish with a spoon resting next to it.

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding With Bourbon Sauce

This cranberry orange bread pudding is the perfect dish for a cozy holiday dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Servings 9

Ingredients
  

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding

  • 4-5 croissants cut into 1"pieces (this will end up being approximately 7 cups) Croissants that are 1-2days old are ideal for this recipe
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup frozen cranberries

Orange Burboun Sauce

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

For the bread pudding:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, soak croissant pieces in cream and milk for 10 minutes. Gently stir as needed to ensure all pieces become saturated.
  • Leaving any residual cream in the bowl, transfer croissants into an 8×8 baking dish. gently stir cranberries in with croissant pieces.
  • Beat sugar, orange zest, nutmeg, vanilla and salt in with cream. Pour mixture over croissants and cranberries.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While pudding chills, preheat oven to 350F.
  • Remove from refrigerator and bake for 50 minutes.

For the bourbon sauce:

  • In a medium saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium heat.
  • Whisk in cream, bourbon, orange juice and salt. Continue to stir until mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
  • Serve sauce over bread pudding.
Keyword Bourbon Sauce, Bread Pudding, Cranberry Orange

Looking for more Thanksgiving dessert ideas?

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Orange Spiced Monkey Bread

Lemon Iced Ginger Cookies

THE POWER OF A MEAL

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Black bean chili – we also turned the leftovers into breakfast tacos.

I have a hard time asking for help. This is not a new trait nor is it one that I’m particularly proud of. Even as a young child, I would become incredibly frustrated if I couldn’t complete my homework or some other project independently. This resulted in a lot of frustration for both me and my parents. I’m talking complete melt down with a face full of tears. Ultimately, I’d call my sense of independence both a best personal trait and one of my biggest downfalls.

Throughout college I spent my summers working at YMCA camps. In my final summer there, a friend called me out. We were working to move some heavily weighted discs and it was a genuine struggle for me. I quietly kept doing my best to move these things but the struggle was obvious. My friend bluntly asked “Why don’t you just ask for help?” I don’t recall my exact response but I do recall that I fought her on her point. Here’s the thing though, if I were watching this play out rather than being a participant in the situation, I absolutely would have called it the way she did. Frankly, the job probably would have been completed faster as well. Her question has stuck with me over the years and I’ve gradually been more willing to ask for help when I need it.

All the fixings for a charcuterie board plus goods from my favorite coffee shop.

Is there anything more humbling that a medical situation that forces you to rest and recover? A couple of months ago I underwent surgery that required some serious down time. No lifting anything over 5lb, limited mobility (short term), complete exhaustion despite pain levels being relatively minimal. If you no me, you know this was a struggle. Being a mom doesn’t typically allow for that kind of down time nor is it really in my character. I want to help around the house, cook meals, be fully engaged with my daughter. The choice wasn’t mine, my body (and my doctor) told me I needed to be still and rest.

A sweet friend of mine set up a meal train for my family. Have you ever participated in one of these? The idea is that people can sign up for a day to bring you a meal or they can give you a gift card to a meal delivery service. My ego said no to this but, thankfully, my mouth said yes to my friend organizing this meal train. As it turns out, we really needed this help. Even once I was feeling more mobile, I didn’t have the energy to cook for a few weeks. The kitchen stresses out my husband so it was incredible to have people supporting us in this way.

Hello, tofu & veggie curry!

Not only did we eat during my recovery time, we felt an abundance of love and support. Friends took the time to choose foods they knew our daughter would love. They intentionally cooked vegetarian meals because they know I don’t eat much meat. People who I haven’t seen in a year sent gift cards to restaurants and food delivery services. Friends cooked meals that were full with nutritious ingredients – ideal for a healing body. Folks who are new in my life provided us with dinner when I least expected it. The thoughtfulness of all of this hit me so hard! It raised my spirits, eased my stress, and allowed me to fully focus on healing.

Here are the lessons. Allow your friends and family to help. Give them the opportunity to be there for you. On the flip side, be there for others in their time of need. There is no need to overcomplicate this either. You can do take out and drop it off if that is easiest for you. The love and support behind the meal is what makes the biggest impact.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported us!

PUMPKIN BARS

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In recent months, I have come to learn that Halloween is my daughter’s favorite holiday. Last year was her first time trick or treating and she was nervous. The idea of talking to strangers and asking them for something was a bit much. We didn’t want her to miss out on all the fun so we practiced with her. We sat down and explained how trick or treating works and then literally pretended to go through the motions with her. She was still hesitant but on the big night but she put a brave foot forward and rocked it out.

Yes, the costumes and the candy are part of the fun at Halloween. BUT, my girl loves everything about this season. She has fun making jack-o-lanterns, checking out neighborhood decorations, and eating all the pumpkin treats. Last year, she asked for my homemade pumpkin bread on a weekly basis. This year, I’m giving her another homemade option with these pumpkin bars. Thick crust, smooth pumpkin filling, crumble topping, maple glaze. I know my daughter is going to love this! I’m also confident you and yours will love it.

Pumpkin Bars

Sarah Baade
Thick crust, smooth pumpkin filling, crumble topping, maple glaze. The perfect pumpkin bar.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 bars

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Pumpkin Filling

  • 15 oz canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Crumble Topping

  • ⅓ cup flour
  • ⅓ cup old fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup raw pecan pieces
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Maple Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients – mixture will be crumbly. Press mixture into pan and bake 25 minutes. While crust cools, prepare the filling and topping. Keep oven heated to 350° F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all pumpkin filling ingredients until smooth. In another medium bowl, stir all crumble topping ingredients together. Spread pumpkin filling over crust. Sprinkle crumble topping over pumpkin filling. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
  • Once cooled, whisk maple glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl then drizzle over pumpkin bars. Use parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan and place on cutting board. Cut bars into 16 squares.
Keyword Pumpkin, Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Spice

CLASSIC PESTO

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Since moving to Texas nearly a decade ago, I have tried growing some sort of produce nearly every summer. I’ve been semi-successful with tomatoes and peppers here and there but nothing really worth bragging about. This summer we had some local teenagers build a raised garden bed for us and I am really looking forward to how this will expand my gardening efforts. This is also the first summer I’ve ventured into growing herbs. I’m proud to say that my basil plant has been thriving! This plant has more than doubled in size in the short couple of months its been living in my backyard. The best way I could think of to honor this beautiful plant is to make pesto out of it. This recipe puts the basil front and center.

You can actually make pesto from a variety of ingredients. You essentially choose your greens, choose your nuts, and combine with the remaining typical ingredients. I love that this enables you to use what you have on hand. This past weekend, I even made a version that used the green leaves from my sweet potato plants. But let’s be honest, most people don’t have those readily available. As I continue to play around with different combinations, I may post some of my favorite pesto recipes. There is a lot to be said, though, for starting with the basics though.

Here, I’ve decided to keep things traditional – basil and pine nuts. Once you put it all together, there are lots of options for using your pesto. I love eating it on toast with hummus and a thick tomato slice. You can use pesto instead of a red sauce as your base on pizza or on pasta. I’m also a huge fan of pesto on fried eggs. I’d love to hear how you end up using this recipe so feel free to leave a comment below with the details.

Classic Pesto

Sarah Baade
Classic pesto is easy to make and a fantastic way to use up fresh basil.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Condiments, Sauces
Cuisine Italian

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 2 cups fresh basil, packed
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Place pine nuts in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium low heat. Stir frequently until pine nuts are lightly browned. Once toasted, immediately remove pine nuts from heat and place on a separate plate to cool. ***Watch pine nuts closely during this process as they can quickly pass from lightly toasted to burned.
  • Place cooled pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.
  • Add olive oil, lemon juice and salt into the food processor and pulse until smooth.
Keyword Basil, Pesto, Pine Nuts

Turmeric Granola

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I always have a running list of recipe ideas. Some ideas get tested and some don’t. Some recipes become “blog worthy” after just a couple of trials and others are still getting fine tuned after several revisions. But this week I experienced a first. I was thinking about creating a new granola (because I looooooooove granola) when I suddenly realized I created a turmeric granola several months ago but never posted it. I started digging through my usual notebooks of recipes and couldn’t find it anywhere. Then it dawned on me that I texted the recipe to a friend when I came up with it. Thank goodness! Copy, paste and here we are today!

I came up with this recipe out of a lack of options at the grocery store. More specifically, a lack of savory notes in granola. I see tons of options for fruit, vanilla or chocolate flavored granolas but that is pretty much it. Surprising since there are more brands and packages there than I would have guessed for this breakfast option. I wanted something different so I created it. Yes, there is still a bit of sweetness here with the honey and coconut. But, the savory spices in this turmeric granola give you something new and interesting to put in your breakfast bowl.

My preferred way of eating granola is over vanilla yogurt with a few frozen raspberries in the mix. However, you can get nice chunks of granola from this recipe which are perfect for snacking on as is. If you prefer a looser granola, more crumbly, just shake it up in your storage container before eating. To date, I’ve found the best way to store granola is in the freezer. It stays fresh longer and doesn’t get sticky or soft as it can after being stored at room temperature for a few days.

Turmeric Granola

Sarah Baade
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients.
  • Spread mixture out on a parchment lined sheet pan.
  • Bake for 1 hour.
  • Let cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.
Keyword Granola, Turmeric

I think you’ll also enjoy my other granola recipes. Click the links below for full recipes.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Vanilla Almond Granola