Banana Muffins with Oatmeal Crumb Topping

Hello, friends. I'll keep this post short and sweet :) How are you? I hope all is well with you, wherever you are.

Strawberries 'N Cream Pancakes

Did you know: this past Tuesday, March 4, was National Pancake Day? Normally, I celebrate at IHOP because on National Pancake Day, they serve free short stacks of pancakes all day long. Delicious! Of course, with free pancakes come long waits and crowded restaurants, so at the end of my busy day, I decided to make my own pancakes in hopes that they would be healthier and just as tasty (if not tastier).

Enter: Strawberries 'N Cream Pancakes! Wowww. These are as delicious as they are beautiful! It was really late when I started cooking (hence the poorly-lit photos--sorry!), so for simplicity's sake, I used a pancake mix shortcut--but to add a little fiber, I ground up some whole oats to make oat flour and added them to the mix. Bonus: it made for a heartier pancake, especially with the addition of freshly-chopped strawberries!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

Hi, guys :) I hope you're well and enjoying the fall-ish weather wherever you are (I add the "ish" because it still gets above 90 degrees here in Texas, but those days are nearing their end...I hope!) I've been craving pancakes lately, but given my new diet parameters, was a little unsure about how to proceed!

So the internet came to my rescue, like usual :) I found a recipe that utilized oatmeal in place of flour and bananas in place of sugar--with very few other ingredients! Hearty whole grains and delicious pancake goodness all around? I'm so in!

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I love oatmeal raisin cookies. Something about the hints of vanilla and spicy cinnamon combined with chewy brown sugar, oatmeal, and plump raisins just makes my mouth happy--that is, in a oatmeal raisin cookie done right! These are delicious little cookies--both easy to make and fun to eat :)

I refrigerated the dough prior to baking, which made for a thicker, chewier cookie. Additionally, I plumped the raisins before adding them to the dough. This absolutely made all the difference between a "just okay" cookie and an "oh my gosh, give me another!" cookie.

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

The minute I saw these bars on Sally's Baking Addiction, I knew I couldn't pass them up. To me, blueberry and lemon are quintessential indicators that spring has arrived, particularly when combined and in cheesecake form. Good lord.

Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins

Lately, I've been craving sweet, spicy cinnamon, especially in baked goods--it just makes everything taste so warm, homey, and comforting! I've been hunting for a cinnamon cupcake or muffin recipe, but nothing has been just right until TODAY...the name of the recipe is "Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins." Mmm.

Cinnamon sugar swirl through the middle; crunchy cinnamon sugar oatmeal streusel on top...I can't really see a downside here!

Browned Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a confession to make: I love cookies. Truly. Like...if there were a particular "sweet" that I could eat every day, cookies easily top the list (alongside brownies, cupcakes, and pretty much anything with cream cheese). 

It's both a blessing and a curse--a blessing because I nearly always have all the ingredients to whip up a quick batch of cookies (which happens more often than I care to admit); a curse because there is seldom anyone around to help me EAT said blessing.