breakfast

A Sappy Love for Tonewood Maple

Sanura

Maple Pecan Granola

Like most kids, I grew up with pseudo maple syrup. I can’t recall the first time Mother Nature’s version was introduced to my kitchen, but the switch to the real sap had to be an immediate choice over the brand with corn syrup and caramel color. When Tonewood Maple Syrup approached MyLifeRunsOnFood.com to participate in their Tasting Troupe program, I didn’t hesitate to answer yes. Tonewood Maple Syrups are pure, unblended, doesn’t have artificial flavors and they work with small farmers. A portion of all sales is donated to 1% for the Planet to support University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center’s* climate change research efforts with a focus on improving harvesting technology and understanding maple trees.  Read more →

Parade Magazine: Dirty Chai Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Ganache

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Dirty Chai Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Ganache
I wanted a special pumpkin muffin—like a unique Halloween costume—to stand out among the store-bought versions. Inspired by the flavors of warm spice tea and bitter coffee you find in a “dirty chai” drink, this is a muffin to nibble on while sipping coffee (or black tea) in a thermos as kids trick and treat in the neighborhood. As an added treat, the muffins are sweetly topped with a generous drizzle of bittersweet chocolate ganache. Here’s a warning: Be careful of kids performing magic tricks, causing these muffins to disappear into the ghostly night. Read more →

Parade Magazine: Nutty Butternut Squash Pancakes With Baked Apples

Sanura

Nutty Butternut Squash Pancakes With Baked Apples

Like its winter cousins, acorn squash and pumpkins, butternut squash are naturally sweet. They’re the dessert of the dinner table. Since discovering butternut squash a few years ago, I’ve enjoyed them, because they’re easier to prep with their subtle ridges and smaller cavities. (Make sure to use a sharp knife.)  Read more →

Relax, It’s Saturday Morning

Sanura

Ricotta Pancakes served with The Republic of Tea's Summer Tea

Since I’ve returned to working from 9 to 5, Saturday is the only day of the week, in which I can sleep in without waking up to an alarm clock. Meanwhile, the boyfriend wakes up super early to train clients or box with friends. A couple weeks ago, he started asking about breakfast (or brunch) being ready by casually mentioning the time he was returning home from the gym. The hints were well taken, and I realize our Saturday breakfast ritual was missed.

I’ve been meaning to make Ricotta Cheese Pancakes for a while, but my body won’t allow me to wake up early enough to make them. When the boyfriend dropped the hint of what time he was returning from the gym on Saturday morning as early as Thursday night, I made sure to purchase ricotta cheese for the weekend. Lucky for me, the time he was returning home still allowed a few extra hours of happy sleep.

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It’s Better Late than Never

Sanura

Sweet Potato Biscuits

When pictures of these rich sweet potato biscuits were first posted to my social media sites, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Fans were promised the story and recipe would publish in a few days. I’m now writing this in the last days of December in the super early hours of the morning because of a sleepless night. One wonders just how crazy I was to make a promise during the week of Thanksgiving holiday and during the launch of this year’s KwanzaaCulinarians.com. Read more →