Apple Cider Muffins

During my senior year of college, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Sydney Australia. I have always een a homebody, so taking that step and moving to another country for several months felt like a crazy thing for me to do, but as expected it was one of the most incredible and memorable times of my life. I was without a working oven for those four months, so my longing for baking was at an all-time high when I got back (which is the main reason I launched this blog), but with the help of some great new friends and some really unbelievable new experiences, I made it through just fine. One of the greatest parts of the trip was making new friends, however since the program was a national one, many of my new friends were from other parts of the country. Until a couple weekends ago, I hadn’t seen some of them since we left Australia! Our Boston reunion was such a happy time for me, and in addition to having my great Australia friends back, I got to take them to do one of my favorite activities in the whole wide world – apple picking! (more…)

Fresh Peach and Oat Muffins

A few years ago, this great cafe and artisan coffee shop opened near where my parents live. I’ve only been a handful of times but each time it’s been great. The coffee drinks are strong and smooth, and the baked goodies are fresh and flavorful. On my past visit, we had just finished a 20 mile bike ride, and were looking for some sustenance. We got a few large lattes (or course!) and a couple of muffins – the Oatmeal Raspberry which is my Dad’s favorite, and the Sunflower Peach. (more…)

Black Cherry Scones

Summer is a wonderful season, not only because of the abundant sunshine, beach trips, excuse to buy sundresses and endless days of donning flip-flops – but also because of all the wonderful produce that is in season. Cherries are undoubtedly one of my very favorite fruits, so I always have a bag of them lying around from my first sighting until the very end of the season. Mostly I just like to eat them, but every once in a while I like to put them into some sort of baked good, like the Chocolate Cherry Country Cake I made a few weeks ago (and have since made again), and also like these cherry scones, which we the solution to an early-morning sweets fix. (more…)

Banana Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Last weekend I made a trip home for the long weekend to spend some quality time with my family. For the most part it was a really great weekend – my extended family was in town for a memorial service, which is not the kind of reason you’d like to have for a family reunion, but nonetheless it was so great to get to see them all. With my tiny family scattered all over the US and Mexico, I rarely get to see anyone besides my immediate family and grandparents, so it’s always a treat to see my cousins, aunts and uncles. I also got to ride my horse THREE TIMES in one weekend… compared to the days when I rode seven days a week, that seems pretty shabby, but these days if I get out to see him one every month/month and a half, it’s pretty exciting. Three times in three days was epic… and my legs certainly felt it for the whole week after! (more…)

Whole Wheat Banana Blueberry Muffins

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been taking family trips to Martha’s Vineyard each year.  I feel like I know the island like the back of my hand, and love it like a second home. We have a few regular spots we stop into every trip, some well-known and other hidden gems we’ve discovered, but one place we make at least one visit to each time we’re there is the The Black Dog. Until recently, you could only buy their merchandise on the island, which made it all the more special to go in and browse. Everything is way over-priced, but that never stopped us from buying a new t-shirt for years on end, just as a keepsake to remember the many memories we’ve made there. On one particular trip a long time ago, we purchased the Black Dog Cookbook, and it’s been a family staple ever since. I think there are probably only a handful of recipes in it that we ever even make from it, but one of them is this muffin recipe, and it never gets old. (more…)