Brie and Blackberry French Toast

I can’t believe that it’s already Christmas Eve! Where does the time go? Fortunately, all of my gifts are bought and wrapped, and I’m ready for Santa to come tonight even if the holiday did sneak up on me. What I didn’t prepare for was a delicious Christmas breakfast. So I scrolled back through my Instagram and found one of my favorite easy and slightly decadent breakfast recipes that would be perfect for tomorrow morning.

This brie and blackberry French toast is super easy to make and the perfect sweet (but not too sweet) breakfast option. Don’t have blackberries? No problem! Strawberries and blueberries would also work great or even a frozen berry medley that you might have on had for smoothies! So let’s get to it:

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 4 pieces of bread of choice

• 4 eggs

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 4 oz brie (or more or less depending on preference)

• 1/2 cup blackberries

• 1 tsp chia seeds

Instructions:

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon.

2. Dip the slices of bread (both sides) into the mixture, fully coating.

3. Cook the bread in a greased pan over medium heat on the stovetop until golden brown, flip and repeat on the other side.

   Once cooked, spread the brie on one side of one piece of the warm bread and top with a second slice. This should melt the brie. If not, you cant return them to the pan for a few minutes to do so. Repeat with the other slices.

4. In the meantime, heat up the berries in a sauce pan over medium high heat. As they start to cook down, mix in the chia seeds to form a bit of a jam. Top your French toast with the blackberry mixture and a drizzle of maple syrup and enjoy!

Let me know how you enjoy yours and what you think in the comments below. Merry Christmas!

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

It’s officially pumpkin season! Pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, literal pumpkins! So why not whip up some delicious pumpkin donuts as we head into the weekend! They’re gluten free optionally dairy free (without the icing), and a fun little treat the entire family will love! Let’s get our pumpkin spice on!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup quinoa flour

• 3/4 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or sugar of choice)

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 + 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, separated

• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp unsweetened almond milk, separated

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/8 tsp sea salt

• 2 tbsp cream cheese frosting

Instructions:
(Makes 5 donuts)

1. Mix together the quinoa flour, pumpkin purée, sugar, apple cider vinegar, pumpkin pie spice, 2 tbsp almond milk, melted coconut oil, sea salt, vanilla, and baking powder.

2. Pour or squeeze mixture (using a pastry bag) into greased donut pan.

3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 mins.

4. Remove and let cool for 15 mins before removing donuts.

5. Make the icing (optional) - heat up the cream cheese frosting in the microwave for 10 seconds. Mix in 1 tsp unsweetened almond milk and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.

6. Drizzle the icing over the donuts.

7. Serve, and enjoy!

Breakfast Spaghetti Squash Boat

Fall is officially here! So what better way to celebrate than by combining my favorite autumn flavors and my favorite meal to cook, breakfast. This breakfast spaghetti squash boat is easy-to-make with minimal cleanup. Plus, it has all of the best cozy ingredients perfect for this time of year - brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, bacon, eggs. It’s sure to be a hit with anyone who loves fall produce and breakfast food as much as I do!

Here’s what you’ll need:
(Makes 2)

• 1 small spaghetti squash

• 4 pieces of bacon

• 16-20 brussels sprouts, de-stemmed and sliced

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp shredded parmesan

• 1 green onion, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• (Optional) red pepper flakes as desired

Instructions:

1. Halve and de-seed a small spaghetti squash (if it’s too hard to halve, score it where you want to halve it, poke holes through with a fork all the way around, and microwave for 3-5 mins to soften).

2. Brush the inside of each half with avocado oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.

3. Bake the two halves of the spaghetti squash in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 min face down on a baking sheet.

4. In the meantime cook the bacon by desired method, and separately sauté the brussels sprouts in a little avo oil with garlic for about 8-10 minutes. You want both the bacon and sprouts to be just slightly uncooked because they will continue to cook in the oven.

5. Once the spaghetti squash is done, let it cool, and using a fork scrape the insides of each to make it stringy and spaghetti-like.

6. Mix in half of the brussels sprouts and chopped bacon into each half.

7. Form a shallow hole in the middle of the mixture big enough for an egg, and crack an egg into each spaghetti squash boat.

8. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. If the eggs aren’t fully cooked, broil for 3-5 mins until cooked through.

9. Top with shredded parmesan, chopped green onion, and red pepper flakes as desired.

10. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Lemon Poppy Seed Greek Yogurt Waffle

It’s National Waffle Day, so, obviously, I had to celebrate by sharing a fun and delicious waffle recipe with you all! With summer coming to a close, I’m still not ready to move on from some of my favorite summer flavors, and lemon poppy seed just so happens to be one of those. It was always my favorite muffin flavor as a kid, and that certainly hasn’t changed as an adult! That’s why it’s the perfect time to finally share this lemon poppy seed Greek yogurt waffle recipe.

This waffle is made with Greek yogurt, quinoa flour, eggs, and chia seeds, so you’re really getting in that protein! Plus it has that delicious flavor the entire family is sure to love. It’s also gluten free and vegetarian!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 5.3 oz container of lemon Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup quinoa flour

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
(Makes 2)

1. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

2. Pour half of the mixture into your waffle maker and cook according to its directions (~5 minutes).

3. Repeat for waffle #2!

4. Serve, and enjoy!

Cranberry Seed Baked Oatmeal with Ocean Spray

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Ocean Spray®, however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

It is cold out there! I’m not trying to be a downer, but it may be my least favorite time of the year. Temperatures are so low that it’s hard to enjoy time outside, the snow keeps piling up, and to top it all off, it’s cold and flu season. All of these things have me craving all of the cozy warmth while trying to boost my immune system.

Fortunately, there’s a new seed in town, and it has a number of nutritional benefits perfect for not only this time of year but all year round! Ocean Spray® Cranberry Seeds are a new innovative, upcycled, an clean-label product harvested from cranberries. They add a great pop of color with a neutral taste and an array of great health benefits. Whether you’re adding them to smoothies, bars, or oatmeal, Ocean Spray® Cranberry Seeds are an excellent source of fiber (1.6 times the amount of chia and flax seeds to be exact) as well as a good source of zinc, magnesium, and Omega 3 fatty acids. They not only help support immunity but also support digestive health and may help support heart health and maintain brain health.

These red seeds are plant-based with a 100% natural, vibrant color. They’re also GMO free, allergen free, and have no additives or preservatives. They’re literally the perfect addition to, well, anything! With a neutral taste and all of these health benefits, I’m tempted to add them to everything I make. Being as it has been so cold here recently, I thought they would be the perfect addition to a nice cozy baked oatmeal recipe with some delicious winter flavors like maple and pecans. The Ocean Spray® Cranberry Seeds add the perfect pop of color and nutritional benefits.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1.5 cups rolled oats

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

• 2 tbsp Ocean Spray® Cranberry Seeds plus more to top

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 egg

• 1 cup milk of choice

• 2-3 tbsp melted butter

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• A pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Mix together the oats, baking powder, pecans, cranberry seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Mix together the maple syrup, egg, milk, and 1/2 of the melted butter in a separate bowl.

3. Evenly arrange the dry ingredient mixture in a greased, oven-safe skillet or 8x8 baking dish.

4. Evenly pour the wet mixture over the top of the dry mixture.

5. Top everything with an extra sprinkle of Ocean Spray Cranberry Seeds.

6. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and golden.

7. Drizzle the remaining melted butter of the top, serve, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and also let me know what creative ways you plan to use these amazing seeds. The options are endless! To learn all about them, you can go to www.cranberryseeds.com.