Thank You, Thank You

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers out there! 

We spent most of the day today at my grandparents' house to celebrate the holiday with food and family and friends of family and the great outdoors.

French Toast English Muffin

This morning, for the first time in a while, I woke up with enough time to actually make breakfast, and sit down to eat it with a cup of coffee (which, cross my heart and kiss my elbow, I tried to quit last week, to no avail). This particular morning, it was one of my absolute favorite things to make nowadays: French toast English muffins

They're basically made the same way as normal French toast, just split the muffin, soak it in egg, and then toss it in the pan for a few minutes. Normally I add cinnamon to my egg, but I forgot this morning (whoops).

But admit it, they look gorgeous.

Then a little melted peanut butter goes a long way.

But then again, it always does.

And then, of course, I gave in and sprinkled on a liberal amount of cinnamon sugar.

It's so filling and good, and really satisfies the sweet tooth if you're like me and prefer a sugary breakfast over a savory one.

Hope you've all had a fantastic week!

-Riley

Devil Cookies

So, on a late-evening traipse to Target the other night, my dad found these suckers in the bakery aisle:

B, B, What Begins With B?

A little while ago, Cassey over at Blogilates posted an enthusiastic reaction to a pretty unique, 100% natural recipe. Using only a banana and (an) egg(s), one is supposedly able to make some super tasty and healthy pancakes.

To the Last

I woke up this morning with the inevitable feeling of autumn. It was not the weather outside, nor the turning of the leaves (though the tree outside my house is forever the earliest to shed). It was really a feeling in my soul that summer was coming to a swift end.

And, so, unable to turn back the clock, I celebrated the last day of summer, surrounded by friends and family. 

P.S. Pretty (Great) Scones

Remember when I made strawberry sconelets and started daydreaming about all the potential flavors?

Well, let me be the first to say...

Lemon-poppyseed works too.

And, hey, guess what? These look good even without glaze.

Yum.

-Riley

Sweet As Can Be

Yesterday afternoon (dinner, actually, since my eating habits are shot to absolute pieces) I finally spent the last of my Christmas gift cards on frozen yogurt.

Sweet Cece's frozen yogurt, all thanks to my dear friend and fellow scribbler Sarah.

All's Fare That's Made Fare

Today marked one of our last summer adventures for the year, and of course, it was to our local health food store, EarthFare, to make one of my favorite things on the face of the planet.

Peanut Butter.

Pizzanatomy 101

For years and years, I have roamed the Earth, taste-testing pizzas from all over, forever intent on finding out what makes the best pizza ever.

My quest has taken me hither and yon. I've battled crumbly crusts and soggy toppings, burnt cheese and some pretty unorthodox sausages. I've done tiny pizza bars and chains as far as the eye can see. I've made my own, and I've eaten someone else's. Piece by piece, I've gathered the necessary formula, and here I am to share with all of you the fruits of my labor:

Pizzanatomy 101: The Art of Great Pizza 

Snappy and Scrumptious Strawberry Sconelets

For a while now, I've been a fan of Panera Bread's strawberries and creme scones. They're huge and fluffy and lovely and delicious: one of my favorite splurge foods, for sure. 

And I've always wanted to try to make something at least a little similar. So, when I found a package of easy-peasy muffin mix in the pantry, I decided to try it out.

For the Love of Joe

Coffee in general has been an acquired taste for me. I've always loved the smell of it, but it wasn't until maybe two years ago that I could enjoy frozen mocha treats. And it wasn't until this summer that I really discovered how to doctor it enough to like a morning blend.

I use a French press instead of a traditional coffee maker. It's basically the same process, but is done manually and makes only one wonderful cup at a time. 

Breakfast For Dinner

Every so often, when everybody has had a big lunch or nobody really wants anything, the words "breakfast for dinner" come into play. Pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage. You name it, we might have it. There's always the possibility.

Today was one of those days. Half the family had Mexican food for lunch, the other half, sub sandwiches, and nobody was in the mood for anything, so huge glasses of milk, four-inch pancakes and turkey bacon it was.

I'll admit, I didn't used to be a fan of breakfast for dinner. It used to feel weird and like it was hardly enough food to be called dinner, especially since I wasn't fond of much back then. But that was some-odd years ago, and since then, I've developed a keen love for 

The good stuff.

I'm a pancake addict.

And that's alright with me.

What I Ate: Vacation Edition

 Needless to say, salad will be a major staple til summer's end.

Nuts

Typically, I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle: I eat three squared a day with fruits and veggies and try to keep from eating junk foods except on special occasions. Getting a dozen doughnuts? I think that's a pretty good reason for a special occasion, don't you?