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Toasted Oatmeal & Honey Waffles

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I stinkin’ love waffles. Always have.
In fact, when I was younger, one of the only things my mom could lure me out of bed with in the morning was two toasty Eggo waffles with lots of (I Can’t Believe It’s Not) butter and pure maple syrup. Ah, health.

Does it get any better than that as a child? I think not.

But I might as well admit right now that Pop Tarts took a close second – either cinnamon sugar or strawberry, toasted and with lots of butter. Don’t even try and tell me that Pop Tarts don’t reach their pinnacle of perfection when toasted and slathered with butter dripping, down their soft, delectable sides.

Don’t knock it ’til you try it, OK? Just don’t.

However, I do have good news to report.
I did, in fact, graduate from culinary infancy to semi-infancy around age 11, when I moved onto the finer things in life like chocolate Snack Packs. And in high school, nothing touched my palette unless it rhymed with a shmocolate-covered schdonut shem (wink) or tasted like wild cherry pepsi (double wink).

However, now, with a reputation to keep – you know, as a food blogger – I branch out on a daily basis. Popped Amaranth Peanut Butter Cups, Vegan Black Bean Brownie Pancakes, Peanut Stew – you name it, I’ve stuck my culinary tongue in it.

And when it comes to breakfast? I don’t mess around, which is why I had to get my hands on these oatmeal waffles. Because, well, I love oatmeal and I love waffles. The two together simply can’t be a bad thing. They just can’t.

And? They aren’t.
In fact, they’re quite delicious.

Toasted Oatmeal and Honey Waffles
makes 8 or 9 waffles |

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats
1 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons honey

Method | Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread oats evenly over a cooking sheet evenly and bake 10 minutes, stirring often, until the oats are lightly toasted. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground – about 30 seconds.

Preheat a waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray (if needed). In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and ground oats. With a mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and honey; stir into oat mixture. Gently fold the egg whites into the oat mixture. Pour about 1/2 cup measurements of the batter onto waffle press and cook until golden. Serve with butter and syrup, or fruit, if desired.

Oh wow, these waffes were everything I was hoping for. They’re soft and light in texture with a little bit of crisp. The oats provide a slightly hearty, nutty taste. They aren’t overly sweet by any measure. And they make the perfect indulgent weekend breakfast or quick, on-the-go weekday morning meal. Any way you slice them, they’re quite a dream.

I had mine with a little butter and syrup, along with a few slices of fresh strawberry and banana. My roommate also dug into one and agreed that they were spot on. So now you have two food lovers’ approval. What more could you possibly need than that?

Go forth and make (toasted oat) waffles.

Enjoy,

Orange Vegan Scones with a Hibiscus Tea Glaze

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Something magical happened when John and I vsited a little tea house in Seattle, Washington a couple years ago.
We fell in love with tea.

And not just any tea. Really good tea.
We adored the Oolong and Blue People.
And tried Organic Green and Blueberry.
And then there was Strawberry Red, Traditional Black and Coconut.
But the one one that captivated my heart with its whimsical shape, vibrant color and nectar-like flavor was hibiscus.

Hibiscus tea is made from the hibiscus flower and has a delightful floral taste and a slightly tart bite that makes it a refreshing and not overly sweet. It’s also high in Vitamin C and is thought to help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. Plus, it’s hot pink. Who doesn’t love drinking hot pink tea?

Is there anything more beautiful to photograph than fresh orange zest? I think not.
Not to mention, it goes perfectly with hibiscus flower.

I couldn’t help but add hibiscus to the glaze.
And I knew orange would be delightful in these scones, which are more of a traditional British version, from what I understand of the original recipe.

They are round in shape, slightly healthier, and more appropriate for an afternoon treat with hot tea.
And may I suggest, hibiscus tea?

Orange Vegan Scones with Hisbiscus Tea Glaze
adapted from vegan yum yum | makes ~12 scones

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup Earth Balance Margarine
3 Tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
1/2 cup soymilk
zest of one orange
2 Tablespoons orange juice

Hibiscus Tea Glaze
4-5 Tablespoons brewed hibiscus tea {or other fruity tea}
1/3 crushed hibiscus tea flower {optional}
pinch of orange zest
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together (soymilk, orange juice and zest). Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the Earth Balance into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Only mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a slab ~3/4″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with about a 2″ diameter, cut out your scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting scones until you’ve used up your dough.Transfer scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or a non-stick mat. Brush the tops with a mixture of soymilk, powdered sugar and orange juice {optional}.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Prepare the glaze while baking by whisking ingredients together. While cooling, top with the glaze. Devour right away or wait until slightly hardened. Best with tea or a glass of milk. But feel free to indulge how you wish.

Such a beautiful, pink, glossy glaze.
Think I could’ve eaten the whole bowl.

I followed the original recipe closely except I think I git a little lax while letting them toast under the broiler to brown a bit more. They got away from me just a little and got a bit too brown for my liking, but were still incredibly tasty. So, that is my one piece of advice to help you have a better scone than I did: be careful to not overbake.

The orange in the scones is definitely slight but lovely, so if you want more orange flavor, add more zest. I did like the size of these as opposed to a wedge because they were less filling. And the glaze, of course, was my favorite part.

I sampled one immediately after glazing for quality control purposes and was quite pleased.
And then I ate one more, you know, for further quality control measures.
I have high standards to keep in my kitchen, after all.

Enjoy!

Healthy Coffee Cake with Strawberries

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Can you believe that I’d never made a coffee cake in my life before this one?
I actually thought there was coffee in coffee cake. Ha, fool.

After doing a little research I discovered that there was, in fact, no coffee in coffee cake. Duh.
But it can be enjoyed alongside coffee. How lovely.
2 points for that.

But I also found out that most versions are incredibly unhealthy with sticks of butter,
multiple cups of sugar, strange additions and even cream cheese in some cases.
-2 points for that.

At that point, we were back to 0,
which meant I started from scratch.

I was now on a quest for healthy coffee cake, and healthy I found.
After realizing strawberries were the only fruit I had on hand,
strawberry coffee cake it was. Healthy strawberry coffee cake, at that.

Healthy Coffee Cake with Strawberries

Author: Dana

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 9-12

  • 1½ cups unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup walnut pieces
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp butter softened
  • 2 Tbsp canola or coconut oil (or sub apple sauce)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (or sub fruit flavored)
  • 3/4 cup strawberries, quartered
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and oil until fluffy, scraping down the sides when necessary. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt. Add the flour mixture in two portions, stirring until just combined.
  4. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the strawberries. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the cake, pressing gently.
  5. Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool almost completely and serve warm, or cover to retain freshness. Should stay for a few days. Freeze of refrigerate for longer storage.

recipe adapted from ellie krieger

I am a coffee cake virgin no more.
I loved everything about this cake.

I loved that it had whole wheat flour, walnuts, cinnamon, and fresh, sliced strawberries.
I loved that it had just two tablespoons of butter and was plenty moist from the yogurt.
I loved that each bite was studded with cinnamon-sugar coated walnuts.
And I loved that it went perfect alongside my tea and iced coffee.

In other words, this cake has a new fan in me.

Enjoy,

Strawberry Granola Crisp for Two

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John and I are usually apple crisp kind of people.

He likes apples.
I like ice cream.
It just works out.

But sometimes, you just gotta branch out. Otherwise you don’t know what else is out there.
Like Strawberry Granola Crisp.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still dessert. But it’s a relatively healthy dessert!
You get a nice serving of fruit.
The oats and granola give it a ton of fiber.
And the added sugar and fat is pretty low.

You could eat this for breakfast if you wanted. Just leave off the ice cream.
Unless, of course, it’s Valentine’s Day.
Then all bets are off.

Strawberry Granola Crisp for Two
inspired by Real Simple

Ingredients
2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries
3-4 Tablespoons light brown sugar
sprinkle of salt
1/3 c rolled oats
1/3 granola {I used Bear Naked triple berry crunch}
2 T unsalted butter, softened

Method | Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the strawberries and 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar to coat. In a separate bowl, combine the granola, oats, remaining brown sugar and salt, and then add the butter and mix together with your fingers. Place the strawberries in two oven-safe bowls or ramekins and top with dry mixture. If using fresh berries, cook for 20-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and the crisp layer is golden brown. If using frozen, cook for 35-45 minutes. Let set for a few minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Oh dear.
Apple crisp may hold a special place in my heart but this strawberry crisp is amazing.

I loved how the berries got all sweet and bubbly.
The crumble layer became toasty and golden brown.
And the vanilla ice cream gave it decadent strawberry pie al a mode feel.

If I could’ve, I would’ve eaten John’s portion, too.
But that wouldn’t have been very nice now would it?
Especially so close to Valentine’s Day.

So, I practiced self restraint and kept it to one bowl.
One magnificent, delicious, soul-warming bowl.

Enjoy,
Dana

Albion Fit Clothing Giveaway!

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Good news! It’s giveaway time! I know, it’s been way too long but I promise I’m here to redeem myself.

Albion Shirt Giveaway - My Little Celebration!

I was recently contacted by the lovely folks at Albion Women’s Apparel to do a giveaway for Y-O-U! Albion is a unique (and affordable!) clothing company specializing in women’s fitness attire and swimwear, as well as workout clothing. Given the option of a few items, I chose one that I could sport outside of the gym.

The item up for grabs? This super comfy, casual grey long-sleeve crew that I am officially obsessed with. Trust me, you want this shirt.

Albion Shirt Giveaway - My Little Celebration

If you know me in real life then you’ve probably grown seriously concerned for how frequently I’ve worn this shirt since receiving it a couple weeks back. The day it arrived I ripped open the package and put it on right away. Instant love.

What I immediately loved about the shirt was how comfy it was, how the crew neck flattered my neck-line and face shape, and how it was long enough to give it an almost “dressy” feel.

Albion Giveaway my little celebration

Since receiving my shirt I’ve dressed it down – as you can see here with some boyfriend-fit jeans and a ponytail – and dressed it up with dark denim leggings, rider boots, and a blue cardigan over top. I even wear it around the house as a comfy sleep shirt! Because of its fit, shape and neutral color, it’s so versatile that I feel I could wear it anywhere.

Albion Shirt Giveaway My Little Celebration

Here are the details: To enter to win a long-sleeve black, white OR grey crew of your own, simply like Albion Fit on Facebook, visit their website and “PIN” your favorite item, and then leave a comment below with the link to your pin!

I’ll be running this giveaway through Saturday evening and will announce one winner Sunday, March 17. What a fantastic way to kick off your spring break. Good luck!

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone for participating! Maeve is my winner! I’ve emailed you to get your size/color preference.

Blythes Blueberry Muffins + Purple Eyes

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A few weeks ago John was craving blueberry muffins.

And not just any blueberry muffins – ‘fluffy’ ones.

  1. So into the kitchen I went with a recipe I bookmarked a looonng time ago when I saw it on self.com. [LOVE that magazine and site. So great.]

It was Gwyneth Paltrow’s recipe from her cookbook, my Father’s Daughter. I looked through a few of the recipes she shared with Self and was really impressed.

I remembered these muffins looking particularly ‘Americana’ – like the quintessential blueberry muffin.

I followed the recipe to a “T”, only halving the recipe and they turned out wonderfully. Next time I’ll probably enlist the help of some cupcake liners to keep the sides tender. But other than that, I was thoroughly pleased.

And more importantly, John was too. He [with my help] devoured them in 2 days. Sweet.

These were great plain or with a little butter. But I would also imagine them being quite tasty atop a bowl of oatmeal. Perhaps next time I’ll give them a try that way…

In other news, I tried out another new recipe this week: one involving make up.

Dreamed up by the beauty department – a beauty web site Lauren Conrad is collectively involved with – this quick eyeshadow tutorial is all-out girly and all-out glam.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyHdwoSeD8c&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

I tried it on a day that I didn’t have anywhere particular to be and though I didn’t apply it as heavily as the model, I really liked the way it made my eyes ‘pop!’

I’ll be stashing this technique away for a special event. Maybe a date night : )

Qs: 
Favorite kind of muffin. Chocolate chocolate chip or blueberry streusel.
Do you get glammed up every day or save it for special occasions? 

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