My first experience with warm, delicious apple cider donuts was 5 years ago visiting my son at the University of Virginia. It was October 2014 and we visited Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville~~where they served WARM apple cider donuts. I was in love. Every trip back for the next 4 years included a trip to this apple orchard. Getting these mouthwatering morsels was worth a pound or two of adipose tissue.

Prompted by an Instagram picture of donuts from my friend, Joe Pepe, I was on a mission last week during our New England trip to again experience these donuts. Apple orchards are few and far between in Phoenix, hence apple cider donuts are not available.

We were fortunate to stumble upon Averill Farm in Washington, Connecticut and promptly purchased a dozen. I’m almost embarrassed to say we devoured them over the next few days.

I am the type of person that when I get a hankering for something, it just won’t go away. Yesterday, here in Phoenix, the morning temps were in the 40s!!!! and I was dreaming about a hot cup of coffee and guess what? Yep, apple cider donuts.

The recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction and can be found here. Perhaps the longest part of this recipe is reducing the apple cider to intensify the flavor. I did it the night before while I was preparing dinner and let it cool overnight.

After mixing all the ingredients together, the recipe suggests filling a large Ziploc bag with the batter and cutting off the tip… a makeshift pastry bag.

I purchased these pans years ago from Williams Sonoma (which are still available) or you can order them from Amazon (click here). Or if you live in Phoenix you can borrow mine! Also the recipe allows for no donut pan by using standard muffin pans.

Short baking time of 10 to 11 minutes. Since these are non-stick pans, the donuts easily released after baking.

Brush with butter and douse them in sugar and apple pie spices.

And viola! In less than 1 hour, you have warm, apple cider donuts! I would even suggest pre-measuring all the ingredients the night before to quicken the production process.

This recipe makes 12-14 donuts.

Since these are baked vs. fried, I’m thinking they are healthier? Now I need to go and exercise! Happy Wednesday!

I first tasted these delicious lemon ricotta pancakes at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, California many years ago.  These pancakes are so light and lemony that I can literally still taste them in my memory. My desire to make them at home is impetus for purchasing the restaurant’s cookbook, The Summertime Anytime Cookbook by Dana Slatkin.

With our hot summer weather, the last thing you want is a filling meal in a hot kitchen.  We search for light, tasty, and healthy recipes.  Not so sure how healthy these are but they do pass the light and tasty test.

This recipe is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  The batter can be made the day before and refrigerated~~allowing for preparation flexibility. Ingredients are pretty straight forward~cake or all purpose flour, butter, eggs, lemons and lemon extract or oil. Of course, I love using this microplane as a zester, making for quick and easy fresh lemon zest.

One key to making these light and fluffy is beating the egg whites and then carefully folding them into the batter.   Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto a griddle or pan.

Cook until bubbles begin to form on the tops of the pancakes and the bottoms are golden. Be careful flipping them, as they are delicate.

Continue cooking until the pancakes are golden on the other side and dry in the middle.

The recipe says to sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar~~oops, I forgot to do that.  However, they were still amazing when served with warm maple syrup and fresh berries.

The recipe states it makes 6 large pancakes, but we made 10 smaller ones with the batter.

I really hope you try this recipe~~it’s one of my favorites!

Lemon Ricotta Pancake Recipe from The Summertime Anytime Cookbook by Dana Slatkin

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My husband and I have been doing the Whole30 eating plan (no sugar, bread, alcohol, dairy, beans, peanuts, soy for 30 days) since the end of February.  We both said, “how hard can it be?” Surprisingly, we have felt great on the Whole30.  For a quick summary of this reset plan, click here.

As we slowly re-introduce food groups back into our routine, this is one of our favorite recipes.

I am a big fan of Monique from Ambitious Kitchen.  This is her recipe and it is gluten free, grain free, paleo, dairy free and it’s not too far off from the principals of the Whole30.  It takes only 15 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to bake and gives the kitchen that great “what-is-in-the-oven” smell.

It is the end of our citrus season so I am using the last of the lemons.  Who doesn’t like the pairing of lemons and blueberries?????

Lately, I am using coconut and almond flour for many of my recipes.  Though these flours don’t allow your baked goods to rise like all-purpose flour, they are still tasty and do the trick. You can order these flours online or many stores have them in stock. For almond flour, click here; and coconut flour here.

First step is to mix together all the dry ingredients.  In a separate large bowl,  you mix the wet ingredients, enjoying the fresh scents of lemon zest and juice. For the best zester ever, click here.

The only sweet ingredient in this recipe is maple syrup.  The first time I made this, I used a combination of maple syrup and raw coconut nectar and it worked equally as well.

Whisk the ingredients together.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  The consistency thickens quickly in reaction to the baking soda.

Fold in the fresh blueberries and put the batter into a parchment paper lined loaf pan.  I coated the parchment paper with an extra virgin olive oil non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (however, I have a convection oven and mine was done at 35-36 minutes).

There is a glaze you can add.  On this loaf, I completely forgot and just served the bread as is.  The glaze is made with a berry jam (I used sour cherry jam), which adds a bit of pink.

The children love this loaf and have no idea it is a healthier version. For me, this bread provides just the right nibble with a cup of coffee or tea.  It also satisfies my need to bake occasionally!

Lemon Blueberry Bread from Ambitious Kitchen

After a lovely Thanksgiving week of carbs and more carbs, I am craving anything green and vegetable-like.  My body seems so out of balance~~I’m sluggish and feeling a bit pudgy.

Last night, I scoured the garden picking lettuce, kale and arugula and made a huge salad topped with leftover turkey.

Today, I decided to focus on cleaning out the toxins.  After an hour of Pilates, I stopped at the grocery store and purchased lots of this.

I then made my favorite green shakes from Vani Hari, a food blogger that has literally changed how some large food giants do business. For example she was able to influence Kraft Foods to remove the harmful dyes from their Mac ‘n Cheese.  Her website is a plethora of information on food choices and loaded with fabulous recipes. Nicknamed the Food Babe, her story is here.

When I was caring for my dad and running to the hospital each day, this green shake kept me going and kept me healthy.  There are 6 simple ingredients:  Kale or spinach, celery, cucumber, grapefruit, frozen pineapple and water. I substituted frozen mango and pineapple, as I was unable to find plain, frozen pineapple.

In a blender, combine the celery, cucumber and grapefruit with 6 oz. of water.

Then add the greens and the frozen pineapple.

I’m hoping that by being thoughtful in my eating and exercising this week, that the brain fog will lift and I will restore my energy.

Here is the recipe for Food Babe’s Pineapple Grapefruit Hari Shake:

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Is cold brew coffee all the rage in your area?  Two years ago, I never even heard of cold brew….naturally thinking it was maybe some new kind of beer.  I began noticing it at the Farmers Market and occasionally on the shelves at the grocery store, but until recently, I never tried it.  I’ve always been a “brew your own/hot cup of coffee in the morning” gal.

Since then, I now notice it EVERYWHERE and it appears to be a marketing phenomenon. So what’s the big attraction?  I finally did some research and if you are as unfamiliar with cold brew as I am, then hopefully this will be the Cliff notes on cold brew.

Why is cold brew coffee different from hot brewed coffee?  According to ToddyCafe, a roasted coffee bean contains many compounds that are extracted during the brewing process. Some of those compounds, including certain oils and fatty acids, are soluble only at a high temperature. During the cold brew process, coffee beans are never exposed to high temperature. Deceptively simple, cold water brewing extracts the delicious flavor compounds (and some of the caffeine) from coffee beans, but leaves behind myriad bitter oils and biting fatty acids, including undesirable elements such as ketones, esters and amides.  You can serve cold brew coffee concentrate either hot or cold.

Cold brew coffee is not iced coffee, either. Iced coffee is pouring hot brewed coffee over ice.  Cold brew coffee is like sun tea~~naturally extracting the flavor with water and time.

You can certainly buy cold brew coffee but it’s very simple to make yourself at home.

I am experimenting with 3 different brewing techniques using a French press, a Ball mason jar, and a Teavana strainer. Plus I am using 3 different types of coffee: 1) old (really old) Mexican coffee beans from my freezer; 2) French Roast beans from Peet’s coffee; 3) already ground coffee from World Market.

There are many theories as to the perfect ratio of bean to water, however, it appears that the ratio is from 1/4 lb. of coffee beans to 4 cups of water. I used this ratio~~ 1/4 cup of coffee grounds to 1 cup of water.  You can adjust the strength based on your personal preference.

In the Ball mason jar, I added 1/4 cup of medium coarse grounds  from the freezer beans.

Then I add 1 cup of filtered water from our reverse osmosis system. Stir well and cover with cheesecloth.

Next, I added medium coarse Pete’s coffee grounds to the French Press and filled with water.

And lastly, I added regular Italian Roast ground coffee from World Market to a Teavana tea strainer with the appropriate amount of water.

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Now all three were ready to sit and wait 12- 24 hours.  I couldn’t fit the French Press into the refrigerator so it sat out on the counter for 24 hours.

The next day, I strained the coffee grounds out of all three. The jar with the cheesecloth was the most difficult.

Both the French press and Teavana strainer were extremely easy due to the built-in straining system.

Here’s the VERDICT!!! The old coffee beans brewed in the Ball mason jar produced the weakest brew and was a bit lifeless.  No surprise there and just confirms that you should discard any coffee beans that have been sitting in your freezer for years (embarrassing…).  Not the fault of the coffee bean.

The winner:  The strongest and most flavorful coffee was the Peet’s French Roast coffee in the French press.  The pre-ground coffee from World Market (done in the Teavana tea strainer) was also very good.  I’ve come to the conclusion that it may not be critical to grind your own beans, but to use a fresh coffee roast that you like.

Some stronger brews can be diluted with water or milk~~and of course it is fun to experiment with flavorings.

We use our cold brew concentrate for iced coffee, however, it can be heated also.  Below I’ve added my homemade almond milk.  For the blog post on making nut milks, click here.

From what I have read, cold brew coffee concentrate will last up to 2 weeks in your refrigerator. It does have a smoother taste, yet all the flavor of coffee…and very handy to use.

I love our neighborhood as it provides the best of both rural and urban living.  Even though we are 10 minutes from downtown Phoenix (the 5th largest city in the US), our North Central neighborhood feels like it is miles away.

A few years ago, my friend and neighbor, Bo Mostow, called me to discuss her idea of starting a farmers market.  Bo’s dream has now become one of the most successful farmers market in the country.  I was so inspired to see her take her idea to fruition and as a result we all benefit from this wonderful addition to our neighborhood. USA Today has listed Uptown Farmers Market as one of the top 50 markets in the United States.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, the Uptown Farmers Market gathers at the corner of Bethany Home Road and Central Avenue, within walking distance to our home.  In the summer, they house nearly 100+ vendors in an air- conditioned space at a North Phoenix Baptist Church on Saturdays only.  Come September, all the vendors and white tents will again be outside for the cooler, fall weather twice a week.

Going to the Farmers Market is such a joyous event.  There is such a wide variety of food choices- from local farmers, small businesses, and home cooks.  In addition, there are handcrafted goods, food trucks, musical performances, activities for children. All the vendors and customers are genuinely happy~~it has such a nice family feel.

Fresh produce from the Farm Club. Look at these gorgeous pickled items by Lillie Mae’s Blue Ribbon Pickled Garden.

In spite of the heat this time of year, the market was heavily attended.

I have been craving heirloom tomatoes and really good peaches, so I decided to see what I could find at the market. Look at the incredible displays of fruits and vegetables from Abby Lee Farms. Fresh, local and delicious.

The absolute BEST cinnamon raisin bread is made by Capistrano’s and purchased from Rowland at the Noble Bread tent. If you don’t get there early, the bread sells out very quickly.  Just seeing Rowland on Saturday makes my day!

I purchased two loaves of this bread and it is chock-a-block full of raisins.  A quick breakfast before a workout will be one slice of this toasted, with almond butter, sliced bananas and chia seeds. Delicious!

I typically buy one loaf of sourdough, slice it and freeze it with a piece of paper towel in a zip lock bag. I use the sourdough bread to make my daughter her favorite sandwich~~grilled brie cheese with sour cherry jam.

So here is my haul from the market~~eggplant, zucchini, arugula, kale, brussels sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, peaches, French breakfast radishes, romaine lettuce, lemons and fresh herbs.  Plus two smoked bones for the dogs from Ruff Life. I would have bought more if I had more arms/hands!

I can only lay claim to a few of the photos in this post.  The balance of the Uptown Farmers Market photos were done by Kinita Albertson, from Caught by Kinita.

Kinita is doing a project for our neighborhood group where she was tasked to capture the essence of our area.  She was kind enough to give me permission to use her farmers market photos for this blog post.

For more information about the Uptown Farmers Market, please click here.