maple syrup Archives

Homemade Granola

April 4, 2014 by Kristin

I’ve been a recipe brainstorming machine lately, trying to come up with the perfect mango recipe for the National Mango Board‘s newest mango cookbook. I thought of the perfect cocktail. I consulted with my favorite bartender. And then…

I found out they were eliminating the cocktail section of the book. I was with a brand new bottle of gin and I was bummed. Things could have been worse. But I quickly morphed my mango green tea cocktail into a dessert.

I whipped up some mango mousse, added green tea simple syrup {which tasted divine}, and took a bite of the most disappointing dessert ever. I put my creation in the fridge and went about my day.

When I returned home I went straight to the fridge {as I often do} and was hungry enough to take a bite of the mousse. I had a lightbulb moment. This wasn’t a good dessert because it wasn’t sweet enough, strong enough. But it had the potential to be an awesome breakfast.

I whipped up some mousse sans green tea syrup. I whipped up some homemade granola. I came to the realization homemade granola knocks the socks off of store bought granola. And I successfully combined the granola with the mousse to make a super yum mango mousse breakfast parfait!

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Sesame Cashews

January 14, 2014 by Kristin

Having a roommate, especially a male roommate, comes with having a kitchen full of snacks that you’d never ordinarily have. Lots and lots of Trader Joe’s snacks, staring you in the hungry face, whenever you cross the kitchen border.

The best thing I can do is recreate a healthier version.

So that’s exactly what I did. And they were Max approved!

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Cranberry & Orange Baked Brie

November 26, 2013 by Kristin

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my comforter. I thought of everything I could to delay the process. I checked and re-checked all of my email accounts. I scrolled through social media feeds galore. I set the favorites on my new phone and then called a few of them to brainstorm recipes for the first holiday party of the season. It was two-ish hours of pseudo productivity.

Emily suggested that I make baked brie with the Cranberry and Orange Chutney that HEB sent in their November Primo Picks box. “But I don’t like baked brie”, I told her, “it’s buttery and sweet and all of the things that make my stomach hurt wrapped up together in one food package.”.

And then I thought about why I bake and how it isn’t about me one bit, so I picked up some pre-made pastry (for the first time) and a wheel of brie to bake this party favorite. And then it turned out that the chutney wasn’t sweet at all and I ended up liking this baked brie more than others I had sampled in the past!

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