Lately, I've began noticing how often I frequent the granola bar aisle of the grocery store. I'll stand there and marvel at how many options there are, and yet I'm often unimpressed by the majority of them. It's not that I'm necessarily looking for one with a tiny ingredient list (heck, this recipe here doesn't fall into that category) — for me, it matters more what these ingredients are, and what order they show up in.
Read morebanana crumb muffins
Muffins might just be my absolute favorite things to bake. I love that they are already individually sized, perfect for anything from breakfast to a midnight snack. And these banana crumb muffins are exceptional, let me tell you. Moist, flavorful, with a buttery crumb topping that just puts them over the edge.
Read moreeggplant marinara with mozzarella & angel hair
Eggplant can be a tricky vegetable. If cooked for too long, it becomes mushy and unappetizing. Cooked too short, and it's tough and inedible. Despite this, I find myself always buying eggplants—I think I'm easily persuaded by their gorgeous purple hue.
Read morekale, mango, and pumpkin seed salad with lemon dressing
Man, is this salad good! Sweet mango, salty pumpkin seeds, and my favorite green, kale- what could be better? I used to not really like mangos, but that was before I had them perfectly ripe when I was studying abroad in Tanzania. They were so juicy that you could just cut off the end and then suck the sweet flesh right out of the skin- amazing. Now, I haven't been able to find mangos like that in good ole Ohio, but the ones we do have taste great in this salad!
Read morewhole wheat english muffins
There's truly nothing like a homemade English muffin. Once you've had one, it's hard to go back to store-bought—which is fine by me, because they're really fun to make! The two-step cooking process may seem tedious, but watching the little rounds plump up in the oven is worth all the work. Oh, and splitting them open when they're still warm? That's a pretty great moment, too.
Read morecorn and scallion strata
I am always on the lookout for a great new vegetarian entree. When this corn and scallion strata popped up on smitten kitchen's blog a little while ago, I was immediately, well, smitten. A strata is a delicious combination of chunks of bread baked with eggs and cheese, and this strata uses corn and scallions for crunch and amazing flavor.
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