Almond Apple Breakfast Cake

Hello friends, I have something very delicious to share with you... 

You know that saying, “if you cant stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”… well I was about to with this one. The heat almost got the best of me in my apartment that unfortunately lacks an air-conditioner. Ninety degree weather certainly does not set the mood for baking, but I was inspired so, I hoped and prayed for a delicious end product that would make the sweat and tears all worth it. And it was! 

Here’s what I got - a slightly savory, bread-like, breakfast cake that could easily be turned into a dessert cake with a simple scoop of ice cream. This recipe is superb since it is made with nutritious ingredients like almond meal and oats. I love it because if you choose to indulge in a slice for both breakfast and dessert you can be rest assured you’re starting and ending the day, the healthy way! Hip hip hooray!

Here’s how you do it… 

Ingredients:

2 cups almond meal 

3 eggs

1 cup rolled oats

3 large apples, peeled

1/2 cup milk 

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons cinnamon 

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons apple butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Wash, peel, and slice apples (very thinly).
3. Combine almond meal, oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter, milk, and oil. 
4. Whisk eggs and add to bowl. Add baking powder.
5. In a separate bowl, toss apple slices with almond butter. 
6. Coat a cake pan with nonstick spray. Pour in cake batter. 
7. Layer apple slices on top of the batter. Arrange so apples cover the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top. 
8. Place pan in the oven for approximately 50 minutes. (Cake should appear golden brown).

Dig in!

A Weekend in the Mile-High City

On Friday, July 9th my sister, Brittany & I traveled to Denver, Colorado...

Day #1
Camping! 

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was the camping type of girl. I love the outdoors, but there’s something terrifying about being in the wilderness, sleeping with the mountain lions, and not being in close proximity to a shower. However, once the tent was pitched, a fire was started, and mojitos were poured, the trip became quite relaxing. Plus, I had the cutest pup, Ace by my side who’s face eased the anxiety. 

The campsite was located about an hour and a half outside of the city where we were surrounded by incredible mountain views and starry skies. As the sun was setting, we took a short hike up a rocky hill. Afterwards, Brie and Andrew, the most amazing hosts, prepared guacamole, barbecue chicken, and fire roasted sweet potatoes. Later on, a “meat rocket” was prepped consisting of ground beef, chopped onion, peppers, and mushrooms, and a dash of dirt. This baby roasted in the fire for 2 hours and we were all curious as to how it would turn out. Surprisingly, the veggies were cooked just right and it made the perfect midnight snack.

Day #2
Downtown Denver

After returning to civilization, we took a stroll through downtown Denver. Beginning at 16th street, pianos lined the sidewalks where locals performed their favorite songs. This led us to Larimer Square which was decorated with string lights, filled with outdoor tables, and amazing restaurants and bars. Next stop, Union Station… not your typical train station. This place was a dream come true…literally for the bride and groom who were celebrating their wedding in this enchanting space. As our feet tired, we stopped for a drink at View House which was a roof deck bar offering a incredible views of the city and a wide variety of games like volleyball, bean bag toss, etc. A glass of wine and order of sweet potatoes made this the perfect pit stop. Later, we had dinner at City O’ City, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant. This place was super delicious and very creative. I ordered a pizza with apricot jam, brie cheese, and seitan sausage. What a combo! I only wish I had left room for dessert because the “scout” cookie was calling my name - oats, sweet potatoes, and chocolate chips (all of my favorite things).

Day #3
Red Rocks and (attempted) Tubing

We’ve all heard of the amazing Red Rocks theater where only the best of the best go to perform. Although I didn’t see a concert here, I did engage in a workout at the amphitheater in this mile high city. Brittany and I were warned about the difficulty and watched videos to prepare ourselves for what lied ahead. People running up and down the rows, climbing the planters which got steeper each row, and back squatting down… looked incredibly painful. Upon arrival, the planters were taller than me and the altitude certainly took my breath away. After a few bumps and bruises, I’m proud to say I completed a workout at the Red Rocks! Little did I know there were more struggles ahead. We then took a drive to Golden, Colorado to go tubing down a creek. I was so excited for this and ready to hop into the ice cold water. After only (maybe) a minute or two, I had already flipped over, took a tumble under water, and lost my tube. I quickly hopped on with Britt and we got off the next chance we got. This did not go as well as we had planned, but were able to laugh about it later on in the night!

After some blood, sweat and tears, and a couple of episodes of Orange is the New Black, we fired up the grill in Washington Park. Here, we were witnesses to the most beautiful sunset. Our favorite cooks, prepared salmon with special red rocks seasoning, grilled eggplant, and a fabulous couscous salad with cucumber and feta. Having someone else cook for you is such a treat!