Dear readers, I was eating some beautiful strawberries the other day. They were sliced into beautiful heart-shaped pieces, and it made me think of my oldest friend, who is awaiting a heart transplant. She and I grew up next door to one another, romping and playing together since we were in diapers. She is just barely 29 years old, and is in need of a new heart. Her life depends on the generosity of some yet-to-be determined individual who decided to become an organ donor.

When we were growing up, our moms would take us to this wonderful breakfast place in Atlanta called the Original House of Pancakes. Our moms’ favorite item on the menu was the famous strawberry waffle. Up until recently when my friend’s mom moved away to be with her as she awaits her transplant, our moms  were still in the pattern of meeting every Thursday morning to eat a strawberry waffle at the OHOP and to share news of our families.

This morning, my husband and I had strawberry waffles for breakfast at home, and I thought of my dear friend, waiting for her new heart.

Have a heart? Then I hope you will consider becoming an organ donor today. The lives of my friend and many others depend on our caring and generosity today.

Click on the heart to learn more about organ donation.

Strawberry Waffles for Two

1 cup strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 waffles, made from your favorite recipe or a mix
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Whipped cream

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries and the sugar. Toss gently to combine

Make your waffles so that they will be nice and warm when served.

Sprinkle the waffles with the powdered sugar. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. Spoon over the strawberries and any juice. Serve immediately.

I’ve made this nice cozy breakfast bread several times this season.  A slice of this bread is absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee or tea on a chilly morning.  It is packed full of tart apples, juicy cranberries, and toasty walnuts – with barely enough spiced batter to hold it all together!

Apple-Cranberry Bread
adapted from AllRecipes.com

3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup spiced rum or apple juice
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (substitute with cinnamon if you don’t have this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups of apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
3/4 cup walnuts

In  a small bowl, cover the cranberries with the spiced rum.  Cover and allow to sit for at least 1 hour (overnight is best).  Drain and discard the liquid.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and oil.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, stirring just until combined.

Gently fold in the drained cranberries, the apples, and the walnuts.  Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s).  Bake for 55-60 minutes for one large loaf; 40-45 minutes for four smaller loaves.

One of the first recipes I ever mastered – at the ripe old age of 7 years – was a basic drop biscuit.  Such a simple art, but with such delicious results.  This particular drop biscuit is similar to the one that I made when I was a little girl, only jazzed up with sharp cheddar and fragrant garlic.  The crispy outside of this biscuit yields to a light, fluffy, and tender inside that will melt in your mouth.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
adapted from Recipezaar.com

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup more melted butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Add the 1/2 cup melted butter, the milk, and the shredded cheese. Stir gently, just until moistened.  Do not over-stir.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the 1/4 cup melted butter and the garlic salt. Remove the biscuits from the oven and generously but gently brush the tops of the half-baked biscuits with the garlic butter. Return the biscuits to the oven for another 6 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown and crisp.

Serve warm. Yield 12-15 biscuits.

As much as I love gingerbread cookies, I have to admit that I like actual gingerbread even more. I used to use a wonderful old recipe from Nathalie Dupree to make pans of gingerbread in the fall. Based on that recipe, I developed a perfect muffin that features all the richness and flavor of a classic old-fashioned gingerbread.

Gingerbread Muffins
adapted from Nathalie Dupree’s recipe for Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coca cola, apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon brandy flavoring or vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease well a muffin tin, and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the molasses and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, the coke or juice, and the brandy or vanilla flavoring. Add these two mixtures to the molasses mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched with a finger. Yield about 18 muffins.

To turn this muffin into a lucious dessert, top with creamy Peach Sauce . . .

Peach Sauce
based on Nathalie Dupree’s recipe

4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup peach juice, peach brandy, or peach schnapps
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 teaspoon almond extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine the egg yolks and sugar.

In a separate, smaller saucepan, heat the peach juice/brandy/schnapps. (You can also do this in the microwave if you prefer).

Pour the hot peach juice gradually into the egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Turn on low heat, and continue whisking until mixture thickens. This could take up to 15 minutes (trust me, it’s worth it). Remove from ehat and cool for about 10 minutes, then fold in the whipped cream and vanilla. You may wish to make this ahead of time – if so, chill the sauce until you are ready to serve.

***

This is a deliciously tender and flavorful muffin studded with rich chocolate chips. I made up this recipe for the little cafe. It is already a favorite with my dad, who makes sure to pick up extras every time he comes by!

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whipping cream, beaten until soft peaks form
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin pans or line with paper liners, and set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients well, and set aside. In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk, and oil, mixing well.

Use a spoon to make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Then pour the liquid ingredients into the well.

Use the spoon to stir together JUST until the dry ingredients are almost moistened. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to over-mix.

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown. Remove to racks and cool.

Okay, dear readers, I’m coming out of the closet, so to speak. My posting may have become a bit less frequent these past few months. That’s because I’ve started an exciting new project. My friends here in town own a small coffee shop, and they have let me come in and do some of the baking for them – homemade breads, delicious muffins, and fresh pastries and desserts. It’s been so much fun! Here is one of the recipes that I tried out at our little café this week. They are pretty much the ultimate fall muffin!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
adapted from BakeSpace via Annie’s Eats

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces marscapone cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

First, prepare the filling. Combine the cream cheese, marscapone cheese, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line muffin pans with paper liners for 24 muffins.

To make the muffin batter, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the eggs, the oil, the sugar and the pumpkin. Beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just the flour is moistened.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or your fingers until crumbly.

Next, fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. Remove the cheesecake log from the freezer and slice into 24 pieces. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, covering up the cheesecake pieces. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on racks before serving.

I couldn’t say it better than my mom did: It’s fall!! It’s time for Pumpkin Bread!!

Here is what she wrote to me in an email when I asked her about the history behind her delicious pumpkin bread.

Yes it is definitely time for pumpkin bread! This is the recipe from the mother (Rose) of a very good friend of Nanny’s. Nanny would make this and send it to me when I was in college back in the sixties. I think it is the only pumpkin bread recipe I’ve ever seen that does not include cinnamon. Although cinnamon makes for a great pumpkin experience, leaving it out seems to allow the pumpkin to shine.

Rose’s Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh grated nutmeg is best!)
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin (1 15-ounce can pumpkin will work)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 large loaf pans (9″ by 5″) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer until smooth. Divide into the loaf pans. Each pan will be about 2/3 full.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Make sure center is done – a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Note: This bread freezes very well.

Note: For muffins, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Note: We have added chocolate chips to this recipe, and it was delicious!

When people find out that I have a food blog, they wonder why I do what I do. They often say, “Really?! A whole blog just about recipes and food?”

To which I answer, “Yes, a whole blog just about recipes and food.”

We food bloggers all have our reasons for doing what we do. For me, it’s about reaching out to people around the world and connection with them through the shared experience of food. It’s about coming together around the dinner table as a family, as friends, even as an internet community. It’s just pretty darn cool that someone in Oregon made my mom’s squash casserole for so that their kids would enjoy eating vegetables . . or that someone in England made my zucchini bread for a neighbor who had surgery . . . or someone in Chicago make my mother-in-law’s chicken squares to prove to her boyfriend that she could actually cook.

But as much as it is for others that we do what we do, I think we food bloggers have to admit that we do it for ourselves, too. There is something about this blog that feeds my soul, that grounds me, that inspires me. It’s an escape for me, but it’s also something that centers me and defines me. These recipes are part of my most sacred and precious memories – they are part of my family.

But despite all this . . . for the most part, we food bloggers don’t “get personal.” And I think that’s why this food blogger’s story struck such a chord with me.

You need to go read Jess’ story to truly understand. But in some strange way, blogging about “just food and recipes” has a way of strengthening us and providing that nourishment in life that only the exercise of creativity and community can provide, so that we have the courage to face the big life challenges that present themselves in “the real world.”

So . . . Jess, this banana bread is for you! I know you say it’s a food of departure, but here’s hoping that this post will be a warm and comforting welcome home, as well . . .

And, dear readers, think of this as your little reminder that miracles happen every day – sometimes in the kitchen, and sometimes out there in our everyday lives.

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping
Adapted from Sweet Amandine via Bakesale Betty, as seen in Bon Appetit, September, 2008

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey (local is best!)
¼ cup water

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ tablespoons packed golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (my addition – totally optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees; grease well and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, honey, and water until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Mix together the 2 tablespoons of sugar, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the walnuts. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

Bake the bread for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

We’re in high season right now for peaches. We’ve got so many that we can barely eat them before they start to go soft! I took a batch that was just on the verge of ruin and used them to make this delectable bread.

This is a combination of 2 recipes I saw online and one that I found in an old cook book. Some recipes seemed to prefer pureed peaches in the batter, while others featured diced chunks of peaches throughout the bread. I chose not to choose – I incorporated them both for an extra peachy punch! The sugar-roasted pecans on top give the crust a great crunch, rounding out the soft, moist, juicy inside of this perfectly summery bread.

Peach & Pecan Bread

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pureed peaches
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cup peeled, diced peaches

1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in peach puree and extracts.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans and diced peaches.

Pour into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Combine remaining pecans with brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle this topping over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool or 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack.

This recipe hadn’t been made by anyone in my family in about twenty years – until last week. I made a loaf for hubby and me so that we could have a summery breakfast bread to take on the go in the mornings – and just one bite of this incredibly unique bread took me back to when I was a little girl. So moist and flavorful with a hint of spice, and the bursts of juicy-sweet berries . . .

I had to make it again, this time two loaves! A nice thick slice in the morning with my cup of coffee – the perfect way to start a summer day!

Strawberry Bread
from my mom’s friend Alice

2 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped (frozen strawberries work too!)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the juices start flowing!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease well two 8×5-inch loaf pans. Combine first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl; make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except strawberries), stirring just until combined.

Gently fold in the strawberries with their juices. Divide evenly between the prepared loaf pans, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove to racks.

Note: this recipe also makes great muffins. Fill muffin cups almost full and bake for 20-25 minutes.