I really, truly want to think of something beautiful and eloquent to write about these homemade pop tarts because boy are they deserving of everything good I could write. But the only thing that I can think of, having just finished eating one, is OH MY GOSH. This, my friends, is what a toaster pastry was intended to taste like before it turned into the processed, flavorless, under-filled brick you have come to know as a pop tart. I have … Read More
Homemade Granola: Base Recipe
Remember that time not so long ago when I made Whole Wheat Granola Breakfast Cookies? Well, it turns out I am not only the type of girlfriend who likes to bake for her boyfriend, I am also the kind who likes to make her boyfriend’s mom think I’m trying to kill her son by means of serious allergic reaction and anaphylactic shock. Because adventurous eater and fruit and veggie loving me fell in love with someone allergic to more items … Read More
Best Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread
The way I see it, my job with at Espresso and Cream is to sort through all the millions of recipes out there and share with you only the best, and most reliable ones. And trust me, there is a lot of junk out there to sort through, and after tonight I am sure that even the best and most trustworthy sources fail every now and again. Two containers of cornmeal, 1 1/2 dozen eggs, 1/2 a gallon of buttermilk, … Read More
Roasted Parmesan Zucchini
Last week while teaching a class on healthy cooking, a number of the women in the class were interested in learning exactly how you roast vegetables, which is actually incredibly easy once you get down the basics. In my opinion, there is no better, or easier, way to cook veggies. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, squash, and sweet potatoes get roasted most often in my kitchen, and I can’t get enough of the sweet, toasty flavor roasting imparts on vegetables. Roasting is … Read More
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
This weekend I had the pleasure of teaching a healthy cooking class for a women’s conference back in my home town. Because it was one of my first formal presentations on healthy cooking for a large group I was a bit nervous, but the women were great and I enjoyed sharing about one of my favorite topics. Rewind to earlier this week, when I was putting together my Power Point presentation and was finding it hard to focus, so what’s … Read More
Spinach-Parmesan Multi-Purpose Spread
I’ve had a few people ask me if I eat everything I put on my blog. The short answer is: no. With the endless parade of cookies, pies, cakes and desserts of all kind that find their way to Espresso and Cream, it would be an amazing feat if I were able to. Instead, most of my sweet treats get packed up and shipped off or taken with me to work. Thus far, none of my coworkers have complained. I … Read More
Whole Wheat Granola Breakfast Cookies
This year I’ve developed a new appreciation for springtime. Maybe it is because our winter in Iowa was particularly brutal, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m not preparing for finals and dealing with the stress of graduation, like so many people I know. One of those unfortunate people? J. – who has about 5 weeks to go until the big graduation day. So instead of sending him a box of fat and calorie laden … Read More
Almond-Date Energy Bites
One of my favorite energy/health bars out there is the Lara Bar. They are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, and kosher, but that’s not why I love them. My reasons are much simpler – they taste amazing and every bar contains five or fewer ingredients. If you’ve ever taken a look at some of the health bars out there, you have probably noticed that some look like a short novel, which makes Lara Bars’ five-ingredient feat even more … Read More
Chocolate Raspberry Cups
After an unintended break from Espresso and Cream, it feels good to be back in the kitchen and at my computer. Sure, lots of baking and eating was done over the weekend, and I spent many a moment kicking myself for not remembering my camera to take photos of all the kitchen adventures and Easter weekend triumphs. In honor of Easter weekend, I baked a double batch of World Peace Cookies for my family and made around three dozen homemade … Read More