Individual Pita Pizzas

Pizza is on the dinner menu at least once a week for Greg and me.

Not delivery, but Digiorno! Seriously, Digiorno is the. best. Bake in the oven for 20-25 min-ish, shake a little hot sauce on top and you're good to go. We normally get the Supreme. We can't pretend these pizzas are healthy in any way, so might as well throw all of those extras toppings on there! It also doesn't help that there are actually five or six "servings" for one pizza. Depending on how willing I am to pound on those extra cals, Greg and I can sometimes finish the whole thing between the two of us. At least the Supreme has maybe a third of a serving of veggies with some peppers and onions. 

I remember the days Digiorno would go on sale for 2/$10 at the grocery store! That was a deal to be excited about. Over the past several months, we have noticed the inflation. Now they go on sale for 2/$12! Still not a bad deal, but it's hard to adjust :( As a result, our poor freezer doesn't have the company of a Digiorno quite as often. 

When my pizza craving hit and there was no pizza to bake, I had to come up with something quickly!

Pita bread? Shredded cheese? Fresh tomatoes? Marinara sauce?...That will work!

This was a quick fix for pizza and only took a few minutes to throw together and bake. 

I used relatively small pita pockets, but served with a side salad, it turned out being the perfect portion since I wasn't too hungry. On a normal day, I could probably have eaten two whole ones for myself.

I posted the recipe below reflecting the ingredients I used, but these can easily be made with any ingredients you already have. I would like to try a white pizza next time, with olive oil instead of marinara, and some basil! 

What are your favorite toppings on a pizza?


Pita Pizzas

Makes 1 individual pizza

Ingredients:
1 pita pocket
3 tablespoons marinara sauce
5 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread marinara sauce evenly on pita pocket. Top with sliced tomatoes, then cheese.
3. Place on baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese begins to bubble.
4. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, slice, and serve hot.
*Top with hot sauce or red pepper flakes if desired.

A Truffled Mess

Looks can be deceiving.

Don't be fooled by the outward appearance of these Peanut Butter and Pretzel Truffles. 

They may look just fine and dandy, but they're tricking you. I don't know what happened, but they did not live up to the 'life-changing' reviews I read about.

First of all, there are only three ingredients...

Not that I'm complaining about that. It sounds simple enough doesn't it? Plus, I used the healthy version of each one--Whole grain pretzels, all-natural peanut butter, and dark chocolate. Now that I think about it, maybe that is where I went wrong. These aren't supposed to be healthy. If I would have just stuck with normal, refined grain pretzels and milk chocolate, they would have been great! 

We may never know. Because I have no desire to go through the trouble to make these for awhile. 

There was a lot of chopping. 

Chop the pretzels.

Chop the chocolate.

Then, after getting a year's worth of a wrist/forearm workout from stirring the peanut butter and pretzels, you have to wait for the mixture to stiffen in the freezer. 

The freezing seemed somewhat useless, because the second the dough was dipped in the melted dark chocolate, the peanut butter softened and the truffles began to flatten. Not to mention the mess of chocolate being splattered all over my stove.

At this point, I still had hope that although the truffles were not turning out to be as easy or as pretty as I had thought, they might be delicious anyway. 

Wrong again. If it wasn't possible for a combination of peanut butter and chocolate to taste bad before, it is now. I even added just a touch of sea salt to the top of each one, but that didn't do the trick. 

I, the daughter of an expert Buckeye connoisseur, failed. I admit it. I grew up watching my mom make Buckeyes (O-H!...), but I have never really done much to help her make them besides dip the rolled peanut butter dough in the melted chocolate. If you don't know what Buckeyes are (the candy type)....look it up :) And if you have never had one...you're missing out.

I do know that with Buckeyes, more goes into the peanut butter filling than just peanut butter. They are not as simple as these truffles were supposed to be, but they are 100% better. It is probably time I take a lesson from Mom and figure out how to do a variation of Buckeyes the right way. 

I really don't even want to share the recipe or the source of the peanut butter truffles, because it comes from a blog that I love so very much and don't want to offend her for my sorry performance. You already saw the ingredients...so if you want to try it, I would just recommend winging it. You will most likely do better than I did!

I Heart Chicken.

This weekend went too quickly for me. How about you?

The hurricane, or lack thereof, came and went, leaving behind this gorgeous sunset on Friday night.

This was the extent of the damage...

And life goes on. On to dinnertime that is! I had already been snacking on these all night, so I wasn't too hungry. But Greg was. And Greg wanted Mexican. So Greg got....Mexican.

We had been wanting to try a place nearby called Rio Grande, so that's where we went! By the time we got there, I managed to work up somewhat of an appetite. Frozen strawberry margarita, check. Chips and salsa, check. 

Burritos Deluxe, CHECK! This consists of two burritos, one filled with chicken, one filled with beef. The burritos are topped with red sauce and served with guacamole salad (very original!) and beans or rice. I got beans. Rio Grande was a hit and I will be back. The service was good and the food was better. I couldn't finish it all, but it makes a great lunch the following day!

On Saturday, I slept in as late as I could...about 8:30ish. Woohoo! Without having many plans for the day, I made myself go to the gym. A three mile jog and a few sets of weight lifting later, I came back home and treated myself to another one of these for breakfast. 

I was feeling crafty, so decided to take a trip to Michael's. I picked up some fun, random things like a paint brush to finish a painting I started awhile ago and a cute little tin to store/transport some of my baked creations. 

By the time I was done with my errands, lunch was calling my name. Thank goodness for that Chick-Fil-A right across the street. I needed that Southwest Chargrilled Salad stat!

I admit, eating healthfully can get boring at times. And it can be hard not to order a crispy chicken sandwich and the best waffle fries EVER. But, I honestly think I could eat this salad everyday. Ok fine, every OTHER day. 

Only under one condition, though. I must have it with the Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette. This stuff is Uh. May. Zing.

This salad is topped with (somewhat) spicy grilled chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, and carrots. So many flavors and textures and it always fills me up. For only 310 calories including the dressing, you really can't get much better than that.

I love me some Chick-Fil-A. Maybe not as much as some of my fellow blogger friends :), but I do love it. My mouth was watering the whole car ride home while this salad sat in the passenger seat beside me. I  forced myself to wait until I got home, because I knew I would make a mess in the car otherwise. Somehow, I did it. And it was well worth the wait. 

To sum up the rest of the weekend, let's just say it included more scones for breakfast (and dessert) and more chicken for dinner. I'm probably going to turn into a scone...or maybe a chicken. A chicken scone? Ew, I hope not. 

Before I go, look at this shirt I found while shopping this weekend...

I thought it was cute, but A) I definitely don't have the personality to wear something like this in public, and B) Unless 'Everybody' means 'family and a few random friends' than it hardly applies to me anyway :) 

Have a great week, 'Everybody'! 

Sunday Blessings - Mind on Things Above

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."- Colossians 3:2

It is all too easy to let earthly things blur our vision of what really matters during our short time in this world. That's what glasses are for! Just kidding. But I actually did wear my glasses yesterday for the first time in a loonnggg time and I forgot how much clearer the world is with them. Just kidding again. My vision isn't that bad, but glasses do help a little.

Anyway....back to my point....

We all have our weaknesses.

Mine? A frosted cupcake...ok, TWO frosted cupcakes...a perfectly fitted new pair of jeans, and a second glance in the mirror to evaluate my outward appearance. Obviously, this short list doesn't nearly cover all of the things that distract me from my relationship with God. It is the devil telling me to eat just one more cupcake or spend more money on clothes that I don't need. It is the devil telling me I need to put on more make up and evaluate every flaw I find with myself. But it is God who gave us the food and the clothes and our bodies to begin with.

While worldly desires can tempt us to sin, at the same time, these things can remind us of how great God is.

Food brings people together. Going out to eat is more than just a meal, it's an event. Family dinners, at home or at a restaurant, are a display of God's love. (Just be sure to say a prayer before you eat ;) )

And baking all of those sinfully delicious cakes and cookies with your best friends is about more than the end result. It's about the memories of the night in the kitchen and the quality time spent together. 

Life isn't about what car you drive. But renting a cute little sports car for a road trip (ok, Greg might not like me calling it cute since he was the one driving) is a fun way to get from one place to another. 

So, I'm definitely not saying that God doesn't want us to enjoy life and all that it has to offer. He wants us to be happy. But we can't let these things come above God. Thank Him for these opportunities and thank Him with every last bite of that tasty meal.

Oatmeal Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones

Scones are not something I have very often. If I am going to splurge on breakfast calories, a donut or muffin will usually win out. Even when I am not the one doing the baking, a scone is rarely my first choice at a bakery. 

As you know, I have already made both donuts and muffins recently, so it was time for a change. 

The first scones I ever made were blueberry scones (recipe to come another time). They turned out great, but took a lot of work. These were much, much easier than my first experience. I had two raspberry scone recipes saved and couldn't decide which I would make with my fresh berries. 

Oatmeal Raspberry Scones? Or Raspberry Chocolate Scones? Tough decision!

Why not do both!?

That's exactly what I did. I basically followed the recipe for the oatmeal scones, and added chocolate chips into the dough at the end. Problem solved. 

These are best eaten warm out of the oven and topped with butter. Maybe even a hot cup of coffee along side? Mmmmm! I think I'll have another.


What are you having for breakfast?


Oatmeal Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones
(Adapted from Annie's Eats; originally from Baking: From My Home to Yours)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into small pieces
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet (or two) with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add the butter to the bowl and mix with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Gently fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips.
5. Divide dough into about 8 even portions and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Hurricane Through My Kitchen!

Ok, ok...Hurricane Irene didn't actually come through my kitchen. But it kinda looked like it. My mom would not approve.

I have been unbelievably busy at work this week and have had no energy by the time I come home, which hasn't been until 10pm some days. By no energy, I mean zero energy. But a girl has to eat. So I somehow managed to find the strength to make dinner each night, but by no means had any interest in cleaning up. Needless to say, the dishes have been building and it was not pretty.

My dinner last night consisted of blueberry pancakes and wine. No, I'm not kidding. Pancakes and wine. I don't know how or why I decided to combine the two, but it happened. Stress can make you do funny things. And all I can say is, 'Don't knock it 'til you try it.' 

Something else you need to try....Red velvet cookies.

Allow me to introduce you to Red Velvet Cookies. Maybe you have had one before, but I hardly knew such a thing existed. I love red velvet cakes so I had a good feeling about these. I didn't make them myself. In fact, they're not even homemade. These are store-bought red velvet cookies. But they are Lofthouse brand. And if you are buying cookies from the store, you can't go wrong with Lofthouse. 

A co-worker brought these into the office the other day right before I was about to eat my lunch, but I couldn't resist. They were as just good as I expected. I have made sugar cookies that taste just like Lofthouse's, but now I can't wait to try red velvet! 

I left for work this morning, not looking forward to another crazy day. I didn't even have time to put a blog post up. Then, at lunch I was told by a co-worker that our managers were discussing the possibility of closing early because of the hurricane headed our way. He said not to get my hopes up, but that was the best news I could have heard and my hopes were up!

I wasn't let down either. Although there hasn't been too much rain (yet), I got off at 3:30. That gave me more than an entire hour of extra free time. What a nice Friday surprise :)

And if my day wasn't already getting better, I got home to find a perfectly clean kitchen! Dishwasher emptied, dirty dishes washed, counters cleaned, and trash taken outside. I didn't realize I had a cleaning genie! Or maybe I just have a handy boyfriend :)

Unfortunately, I had to cancel happy hour plans with a friend. The rain and wind is only supposed to intensify from here on so I wanted to be safe and not worry about driving 25 minutes into downtown, over bridges, etc.

Fortunately, now I have some time to blog and bake like I wouldn't have been able to do before!

So here I am on a Friday evening, blogging away and enjoying some warm freshly baked goods...that will most likely be my dinner. What did I bake you ask? You will just have to wait and see tomorrow :)

Not Your Average Sloppy Joe

Remember how I said I'm such a girly-girl?

I made an exception.

Sloppy Joes aren't exactly the most ladylike food. But I don't have the appetite of your average lady either (MUCH bigger). 

I always rely on Greg to make requests for what I should cook and Sloppy Joes were a no-brainer. A big Sloppy Joe (or two) is probably his favorite dinner. I think it would be safe to say I was always much too picky of an eater in the years before I met Greg to have even tried one of these messy sandwiches before. Ever since I discovered their tastiness, I have been sticking to the Manwich canned Sloppy Joe sauce. After Greg put the request in writing up on our refrigerator, I knew it was time to try something more advanced. 

Enter: The Pioneer Woman. I knew I could trust her recipe and I already had most of the ingredients on hand. 

After browning the meat, you want to add the chopped vegetables and spices. Then just that sloppiness simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, it was time to start the side dish: Sauteed squash.

This really can't get much easier. Slice up some zucchini and yellow squash, throw them on a skillet with olive oil over medium heat, and let cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to allow for even cooking. When just about done, shake some salt and pepper over top. 

Now back to the main event.

The Sloppy Joes. I added extra hot sauce and chili powder to the meat while it cooked, because dinner without extra hot sauce just isn't dinner to Greg. I like my foods relatively spicy these days as well. 

I also toasted our buns. Yes, I TOASTED our BUNS. I know how silly that sounds. But it adds a nice touch to the finished sandwich. 

Speaking of buns - I have been buying our sandwich buns straight from the grocery store bakery recently. It may cost a little more than the generic brand 8-pack, but I HATE wasting food more than anything. And we can never, ever seem to finish a whole 8-pack of buns. So I spend about the same amount of money to buy only the amount that we need. But at least we're not being wasteful :) And they taste more like the buns you get in a restaurant, also a plus.

The bakery had a limited selection/quantity so we had to mix-and-match with both white and wheat buns. Greg had one of each. I had a single sandwich on wheat. I think either type would be just as good as the other. 

With all of the stress from work over the past week or two, it was so relaxing to spend some time cooking in the kitchen again. And not just throwing a turkey wrap or salad together, but really taking my time and cooking an entire hot meal from start to finish.

It was only icing on the cake to have it turn out so perfectly. It really was perfect. Even if I didn't have that cold glass of white wine ;)

Now...can someone get me some of that cake I was just talking about??? A spoonful of icing will work too. 

Sloppy Joes

(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Makes about 4 sandwiches 

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 yellow or white onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1-2 tablespoons hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

4 sandwich buns

1-2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain and discard grease.

2. Add bell pepper, onions and garlic to meat. Stir ingredients and let cook for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder and water to skillet. Stir to combine and turn heat to low. Add red pepper flakes, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Continue to stir and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, spread buns with butter and toast in oven at 325 degrees for about 5 minutes. 

5. Spoon meat mixture over the toasted buns and serve.

From Shrimp to Mimosas

Most people that know me probably know I am not much of an "outdoorsy" girl. 

Camping, hiking, fishing, hunting...not for me. Well, I take that back. I'm not totally against it. I camped out in my backyard a few times growing up. I don't know that I ever made it outside the entire night though. Does that still count??

Seriously though, I have been camping for real once. In the mountains of North Carolina. And I actually did really enjoy it. Three days was my limit though. I don't think I would have liked it any longer than that. And I wouldn't mind going on a nice hike for some exercise, but it definitely would not be my first choice. 

As for fishing or hunting.......no thanks. I don't like touching the worms or any other live bait. I don't like pulling a hook out of a poor fishy's mouth (or throat!). And I certainly do not like seeing animals suffer from gunshot wounds, not that I ever have in real life. I'll eat it. But I want nothing to do with getting it from its natural habitat to my kitchen. 

Like this shrimp, for example. Greg and I picked these suckers up straight from the marina as they came off of the boat on Saturday morning. Now that was not my kind of environment. Shrimp were being thrown around and you can imagine the smell. I was happy to hear Greg ask for the shrimp with their heads already cut off. But when we got home and he showed me how we had to "devein" them...Gross. This doesn't really compare to hunting or even fishing, but it still involved cutting into a previously-living organism. Yeahhhh, I'd rather be shopping.

I'll tell you what though...

It was worth it.

I can almost taste the spicy, flavorful shrimp just from the looks of them. Greg mixed up an olive oil-based sauce with Old Bay, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime juice. There were probably more spices involved, but he doesn't remember :)

After grilling them for just about two or three minutes on each side, they were good to go. 

We also grilled some fairly simple burgers (mixed the meat with Worcestershire, onion, jalapeno, and some various spices) and corn on the cob. 

I topped my burger with a slice of cheddar, tomato and ketchup. You can't really tell because my cheese is drooping over the side, but I promise there's a burger tucked in there!

Grilling out has to be one of my favorite summer activities. 

But it can also take a lot of work. That's why we let someone else do the work and serve us on Sunday for brunch!

Not much puts a smile on a girly-girl's face than Sunday afternoon brunch and mimosas :) 

This was actually my first experience with mimosas and it was a success. Not just because they were FREE! Yes, free. This is how they reward you when you pay attention to a restaurant's Facebook page and see that if you tell your server about something they posted online, you get free drinks! So when I saw that Daniel Island Grill (DIG) was offering free mimosas, I knew where I was headed after church. 

Please, IGNORE the burnt look of the bagel. I admit, I was a skeptical when I was served too. But one bite later, my worries were gone. This was one of the best bagel sandwiches I have had. 

The bagel was buttery (just for added health benefits) and filled with egg, cheese and bacon. It came with either potatoes or grits. What kind of Southerner would I be if I didn't get the grits? Oh yeah...I'm not actually a Southerner. Sorry, I forget sometimes. 

Every part of this meal was perfect. DIG is one place in Charleston that I might qualify as a regular. We go alllllll the time. But I had never tried their brunch. This was my first time, but will not be my last. 

S'more Please.

White Chocolate Gooey S'mores Cake Bars.

The name itself is a mouthful.

More like thirty mouthfuls. I couldn't stop eating these. Seriously. I could. not. stop.

Somebody take these away before I finish the entire pan myself. Because Greg isn't helping. At all. He had two bites and put the thing down. C-R-A-Z-Y. Crazy I tell you! You have to be crazy not to like these. 

Thankfully we had some company this weekend to help. My good friend Heather, from high school/swimming/water polo, lives in Charleston with her boyfriend now too. They came to the pool and we had ourselves a little cookout (more on that later!). Heather likes food just as much as I do, and was more than willing to help. Heather and her boyfriend Karl both agreed they were delicious. 

Some of my best memories of summertime are sitting around the fire pit on the back patio with my family and roasting marshmallows...for s'mores of course! 

Since I don't have a fire pit these days, or don't get to see my family nearly as much anymore, these cake bars are a little reminder of those summer nights. 

I say they are only a "little reminder", because although the ingredients are very similar and the name contains the word itself, these really don't taste much like s'mores. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. When great things like cake and s'mores are combined, you're bound to have a good outcome. This recipes calls for white chocolate instead of milk chocolate, obviously not your usual s'more. But I love love loooove white chocolate so I was looking forward to this alternative. 

I followed the recommended directions to skip a spoon or spatula and instead prepared the cake mix by hand. It really was much easier this way.

Each ingredient goes into the pan layer by layer. Here is the cake just before the final step of adding condensed milk. For some reason I really like the look of a pile of marshmallows...

I really can't tell you how good these are. You just need to try them for yourselves. You will not be disappointed. Unless, like I said before, you're crazy :) 

I think I even came up with a great idea stemming from these bars. I'm sure they have been made before, but I'm going to make them without using a specific recipe. Just ideas from my own sugar-obsessed head. How about traditional S'mores Gooey Cake Bars? Not yellow cake mix and white chocolate, but chocolate cake mix and milk chocolate. 

Give me a week or two and I'll get back to you on that one. I'm going to need some recovery time from eating all of these. 

White Chocolate S'mores Gooey Cake Bars

(Adapted from Picky Palate)

Makes about 12 bars

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 1/2 full graham crackers

10 ounces white chocolate chips

2 cups mini marshmallows

1/4 cup condensed milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil (for easier removal from pan, allow foil to fold up and over the edges of the pan). Spray foil with cooking spray.

2. Using you hands (recommended), or a wooden spoon, mix cake mix, butter and egg in a medium bowl.

3. Press half of the dough into the baking pan. Layer graham crackers, white chocolate and marshmallows respectively. Top with remaining half of dough, pressing evenly. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top.

4. Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until golden brown. 

5. Let cool for about five minutes then run a plastic knife along the edges to loosen.

6. Let cool completely and lift foil edges to pull the cake out of the pan. Cut into squares and serve. 

*Tip: Cut 1/4-1/2 inch off of each edge before slicing into squares. This will make bars more even, and give them pretty edges all around :)

...Don't waste the cut-off pieces though. They still taste just as delicious and make a great treat while you cut the rest! 

Sunday Blessings - Rejoice and Be Glad

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad..." -Psalm 118:24

I am rejoicing and being glad today, are you?

I have no particular reason, except that, like the verse says, this is the Lord's day. Even when it seems there is nothing else to be thankful for or happy about, it is still a new day that God has blessed us with. Being alive in itself is reason to thank God and rejoice!

This is easier said than done, trust me I understand that. But today I am going to take that verse for everything it's worth and be happy! I really don't have anything to be unhappy about anyway.

I just finished eating one of these with my cup of coffee and now am heading to church. For the rest of the day? I have nothing planned! Maybe I'll go to the pool. Maybe I'll read a book. Maybe even take a nap. Rough day, huh?

Hey, this is what weekends are for!

I will probably take pictures on my phone to play with my new app too. How cool are these pictures??

Love it.

It does take foreverrr to do this though. Well, maybe this cookie picture was just a hard one, because there were so many little dots. It probably took me 45 minutes. Not kidding.

Have a great day!

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Muffins are just about as cute as cupcakes. I mean, their shapes are identical and they can come in as many different flavors and varieties.

But they lack one important ingredient. Frosting. Making them not quite comparable to cupcakes. Not quite as delicious.

Or so I thought.

These muffins are amazingly light and fluffy. 

Just how light and fluffy you ask? Well this is what happened when I tried to pull the first one out of the muffin tin. The top just pulled right off. And it kept crumbling with every little touch. It kind of looks like a snickerdoodle here :) 

I secretly love it when I break one or two of the muffins (or cupcakes, cookies, brownies...whatever it is I'm making), because it gives me an excuse to eat it more quickly :)

Everyone knows the best part of the muffin is the top anyway, so I was more than happy to get a taste of these simple masterpieces before they were completely finished. 

I realize these are probably not "light" as in low calorie, but I'm sure they can't be too bad in that sense either. And since they don't have frosting like cupcakes, they are automatically healthier. I think.

I was a little skeptical about the fact the recipe only calls for cinnamon sugar to go on the top. There is no cinnamon incorporated in the batter. I thought it might not be enough and the muffin would be plain. I was very wrong. It was the perfect amount. 

I don't even know if these muffins can qualify as muffins. I am pretty sure if you put some frosting on top they would taste like a cupcake. But in this case, the cinnamon sugar works just as well. 

Make sure you have a nice cold glass of milk and enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Buttermilk Muffins

(From Annie's Eats/Williams-Sonoma)

Makes about 8-10 muffins

Ingredients:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill 8-10 cups of a standard muffin tin with liners. Fill the remaining cups with with a couple tablespoons of water.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add this dry mix to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until just combined.

4. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 2/3-3/4 full. 

5. Bake for about 22-25 minutes.

6. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before coating with cinnamon-sugar. 

7. To make the topping, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter in another small bowl.

8. Holding each muffin upside down, first dip muffin top in butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll around to completely coat.

Day-Off, Bake-Off!

I have the day off!!! Yessss! I have needed this sooo badly. Since I worked last Sunday, I got the day off today and I couldn't be in a better mood.

Besides waking up in a place where I can see this...

...Yes, that is really where I live :) ...I have some fun plans for the day and weekend. (I must give the sunrise photography credit to Greg, I was still sleeping away)

After I grabbed some coffee from the clubhouse this morning using my favorite mug from Lost Dog Cafe (the BEST breakfast/brunch place in Charleston...too bad it's on the complete other side of the city), I went to check the mail which I have neglected all week :/ My day was instantly even MORE great, because my second issue of Southern Living came!!

I'm really turning into a true Southerner, huh? Except the only reason I am getting these issues is because I signed up for a free trial subscription that only includes two issues. Well, I guess that was short lived...Unleessss I just forget to cancel the subscription and have to dish out $20. Hm...

I love reading about Southern food and recipes. And I think it's so cool to read about Charleston, which is basically featured in every issue one way or another. 

For breakfast I made myself my new favorite thing. I feel like I am always saying everything is "my favorite" thing, but seriously, this is my new favorite breakfast.

Do you know what this is? Peanut butter and honey on an english muffin. O.M.G. 

The worst part of making this delicious thing is waiting for the muffin to toast! 

I used a whole-wheat english muffin, about 1 tablespoon of natural, creamy peanut butter, and drizzled some honey on top. Since I looovvee salt (probably too much), I even sprinkled a dash of sea salt over the muffin. Yum.

I always try to keep my breakfast as healthy as possible, because I feel so much better when I start my day with fiber and protein...not full of sugar. The honey is sweet, but not overpowering. 

Now it's time to get on with my day! I have a lot of baking ahead of me. I only know of one recipe that I am making so far. I need to flip through my recipe collection and pick one or two more. Since I have the entire day to myself, I really want to enjoy my time in the kitchen. 

I bought a new cake pan yesterday for the one recipe I know I'm making. It's still a secret. But I'll give you a hint....It's a dessert. Involving white chocolate. And a whole lot more. I'll be using my new pan too. But you will have to wait and see what it is! 

I also finally bought frosting tips! I've desperately needed these for my cupcakes. Can't wait to use them!

I hope everyone has a great Friday! If you need me, you know where you can find me....the kitchen, remember? Well, I might take a pool break too :)

See ya!

Oh, and P.S...It's my brother Austin's 24th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN! I love you and miss you!