Morning is my favorite time of the day. I absolutely love waking up and having some time to ease into my day with a cup of coffee, some writing or reading time, and the stillness of the house. I especially love mornings when our Christmas tree is up and lit, and I can bask in the glow of the beautiful lights. There is something really magical about that time.

I think that’s why I especially love breakfast foods. How you start your day can really effect how the rest of your day goes. A rushed bowl of cereal will never give you the same calm, start to your day as sitting down to savor a slice of warm, fresh from the oven, coffee cake. Mornings are too important to rush through!…

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How would you like the taste of Starbucks Chocolate Cinnamon Loaf in your hot little hands but at home in 5 minutes? …

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The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Lisa W., the winner. Thanks to all who entered!

The clock is ticking and my kids are counting down the hours until Santa hopefully shows up at our house. Christmas music is blaring and goodies are being baked. It is finally, beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I hope that even with the rush of the holidays, you take a moment or two for yourself…savor the season and enjoy all the activity happening around you. I see it all to often, with people rushing around in the kitchen trying to get every last thing done, the moments are being missed. I’m guilty of it too. This year let’s commit. Stop. Breathe. Savor. What’s important will get done. The rest doesn’t matter.

You won’t hear a lot from me between now and the 7th. I’m taking some time to be with my family and loved ones. I have been reading some incredibly good books lately, so I do have a packed Connect Through Reading post coming for you, but for the most part I plan on being unplugged. …

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Today is pi day…3.14. Since I am a food blogger, I am going to join the masses of others who turn this mathematics focused day into something food related. Pie day.

Pie is much more fun than the actual math related pi, don’t you think? In all honesty, math is not my strong suit. In fact, when I was choosing my major in college, I based it solely on which track had the fewest math classes. Math and I are not compatible.

Sure, my mom always told me “you’ll need to use math all throughout your life” and I was sure she was right, but I also had a lot of confidence in technology and knew that there would be tools out there forever to be my math crutch. What no one warned me about though is that I’d have a math genius for a son…and no one told me how humiliating it might be one day when he needs help with his elementary school homework and I can’t help him because I am pretty much math clueless.

So, as stereotypical as it may be, Jacob and my husband take care of math homework duty. I bake cookies and cakes and delicious breakfast dishes that takes their mind off the fact that mom is not quite so smart when it comes to anything math.

I’m celebrating pi day with a different kind of pie. It’s baked in a pie dish, doesn’t have a crust, and is served for breakfast so it isn’t your traditional kind of pie. However, this baked oatmeal breakfast pie with cinnamon and sugar is the perfect way to start a great day like pi day…even if you don’t love math, you’ll love this special pi pie.

Recipe: Baked Breakfast Oatmeal Pie

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3 cups Quaker instant oats
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350•
2. Mix together pumpkin and sugar. Add the eggs, milk, salt, baking powder and oatmeal and mix until well blended.
3. Pour into a lightly sprayed glass pie dish.
4. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until firm. Serve hot.

Note – this dish can be assembled ahead of time, refrigerated over night, and baked in the oven the next morning.

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I dropped my kids off at school today, got in the car and practically cheered. I love having my kids home, but for the past three days there has been nothing but bickering and meanness coming out of their mouths towards each other.

It’s funny how when you have kids, you have the first one and you think you have it all figured out, then you have another one and you realize, “hey… God sent me someone different!” I have four kids, as many of you know, and they are all about as different as can be. Jacob is my shy, goofy, smart, loving one. Kelly is my little mama… she is a nurturing, caring, sweet martyr. Ella beats to her own drum… she is so funny, spirited, snuggly and warmhearted. Leah is still growing into who she is going to be, but right now I would describe her as inquisitive, charming and spunky. 4 kids blended together in one family, all with completely different personalities. It’s no wonder they bicker so much. However, you know what? They have an equal number of days where they get along splendidly… best friends that can’t be separated. They want to sit by each other at dinner, sleep in the same bed, do everything together. Best buds.

Sometimes when you blend together certain ingredients, you would think it wouldn’t be good because the flavors are so different. Then you take a taste and discover that yes… as different as those ingredients are, they certainly blend well together.

This recipe for Triple Chocolate Malt Bread is kind of that way. Chocolate, malt, cinnamon…flavors that are certainly bold enough to stand on their own but blended together they create a beautiful medley of flavors that is so different, subtle and so unexpected you go back in for another bite just so your mouth can explore some more.

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Triple Chocolate Malt Bread

Triple Chocolate Malt Quick Bread

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups milk chocolate chips melted
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups cinnamon applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate malt powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Glaze:
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini chips
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup chocolate malt powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 cup chocolate chips; set aside to cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and cooled chocolate; mix well. Add applesauce and vanilla; set aside. Combine the flour, chocolate malt powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips.
• Spoon into four mini loaf pans sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks.
• For glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter in a small heavy saucepan; stir in cream. Remove from the heat; stir in confectioners' sugar, chocolate malt powder, vanilla and salt. Drizzle over warm breads. Cool completely.

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I have to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who has signed up for the adopt a food blogger event. The deadline to participate is today, but if any veteran bloggers out there want to jump in past the deadline, please feel free! We are a little heavy on the newbie side and could use some experienced food bloggers. I won’t beg… just hopefully you will consider it!

You know when you have a party of some kind and you get a little nervous that it is going to be a flop? I kind of felt that way about the Adopt a Food Blogger event. I have had the idea brewing in my mind for a bit and did not post about it for fear that people would not be interested. Well, 60+ participants later, I would say it is anything but a flop. Thank you participants! I will have the list of adoptees and their “mentors” up very soon….

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Hilary recently posted a recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Cookies. Reading her description I could practically taste these yummy creations, as well as envision the aroma swarming through my house. I knew I had to give them a try. So, yesterday, my 4 year old and my 3 year old were my big helpers in the kitchen as we made these cookies. Warning to mom’s out there wanting to try this recipe with little helpers in the kitchen. The Sugar in the Raw is something my kids couldn’t keep their hands out of. They loved rolling the balls in the sugar, as well as piling the sugar up, spilling it all over the place, running their fingers through the large crystals. They had a ball, which is what counts, right?

The end result of this recipe is a cookie with a very unique flavor. I can’t quite put my finger on what that flavor is, but I can tell you… they are delicious! They seem like the perfect thing to pair with a hot cup of cocoa. They are slightly chewy, with a perfectly crisp outside.  The only change I made to the recipe was to only bake them for 10 minutes.

If you are selling your house and are looking for that cookie recipe to make your house smell fabulous, this is it. The aroma of these baking is so warm and homey, it’s sure to make prospective buyers drop an offer right there on the spot. Once they taste the cookies, they’ll raise their offer above your asking price. (OK – I can’t guarantee that, but it couldn’t hurt 🙂 ).

With Hilary’s permission, I’m posting the recipe here for you all to try. But, if you are looking for more wonderful baking recipes, make sure to take a journey over to Nosh With Me. Be prepared to drool!

Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup cake flour (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (brand name Sugar in the Raw)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
Place granulated sugar and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add corn syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat 3 minutes or until well blended.

Lightly spoon cake flour and all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until just combined. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine turbinado sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape dough into 48 balls, about 1 teaspoon each. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden on bottom. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 48 cookies

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