Virginia Drader

Since we have been back from Europe I have been waking up at 2:30 every morning. This morning I decided instead of just laying in bed I would get up and make muffins. I settled on Lemon Yogurt and Blueberry because we had a container of my favourite Liberte lemon greek yogurt and fresh blueberries in the fridge. These muffins are so delicious and would be perfect to serve for breakfast or to have as a snack. They have a bright flavour from the lemon in the yogurt, sweetness from the blueberries and great crunch from the raw sugar sprinkled on top. As they bake they put the most amazing smell throughout your house, it is hard to resist not eating one the minute they come out of the oven. I think it is best to serve these warm with a steaming cup of Earl Grey Tea.

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I love to start my day off with a healthy breakfast. I find that it sets the tone for my eating the rest of the day. One of my favorite breakfasts to have is yogurt parfait. Traditionally it is made with granola, yogurt and any fresh fruit of your choice. Since granola is so calorie dense I only really have this breakfast once in a while. While at the grocery store the other day I saw the cereal Go Lean Crunch, it looked like a good alternative to granola so I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be delicious when served with yogurt and berries; I have been eating it for breakfast for almost 2 weeks now and am not missing my traditional granola at all. Go Lean Crunch is high in protein, fiber, whole grains and is only 190 calories for an entire cup! My homemade granola is closer to 600 calories per cup so Go Lean Crunch is far healthier for you. If you have been looking for a new cereal to try I would definitely buy a box of Go Lean Crunch the next time you go to the grocery store!

My favorite thing to have for breakfast in the morning is a muffin. I found this recipe while going through my Mom’s old recipe box last week and have been dying to try it out ever since. They turned out amazing – spicy and sweet with great flavour from the buttermilk and added crunch on the top from the raw sugar that I sprinkled over them. So often muffins can be bland and dry but this recipe is definitely neither of those. If you have been looking for a new muffin recipe I would highly recommend this one. I like to serve them hot out of the oven with a chai tea latte on the side. (more…)

I woke up this morning with a craving for pancakes so I made Buttermilk Pancakes with caramelized apples baked into them. This is truly the best pancake recipe you will ever make. They are fluffy and light with a great flavour from the buttermilk and just the right amount of sweetness from the caramelized apples. I normally just make these pancakes without the apples added but since I made the caramelized apples the other day I figured this would be a great use for them. Pancakes are not only great for breakfast but would make a unique dessert if you topped them with cinnamon flavoured whipped cream instead of maple syrup! (more…)