healthy blender waffles

Waffles are a family favorite in my household. My dad is obsessed, and that love has rubbed off on my toddler son as well. We are fans of everything from toaster waffles from the freezer, to classic homemade buttermilk or old fashioned waffles, to belgian waffles at restaurants, to healthy homemade! We do not discriminate, and topped with a healthy serving of pure maple syrup, they are all welcome on our plate :) Lately I’ve been making a somewhat healthier, more nutrient dense version packed with flax seeds, bananas, and rolled oats that are so easy to whip up in a blender (or using a and blender!). Since my son will easily down three waffles at once for breakfast (or anytime of day truly), it gives me a bit of comfort knowing that these are packed with a good dose of protein, fat, and fiber! They freeze well too, so feel free to double the batch and make extra for an easy and delicious breakfast that’s ready in minute! Top with pure maple syrup, and enjoy!

Healthy Blender Waffles:

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 egg

  • 1-2 bananas

  • 1/2 cup almond milk

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • coconut oil or butter, for iron

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined. Heat a waffle maker, and spray lightly with coconut oil spray or grease with butter. Add the appropriate amount of batter for your waffle iron (likely less than you think), and cook to your desired level of “crispy outside, fluffy inside”, or according to the waffler maker’s directions. Enjoy with butter and pure maple syrup. Makes about 7-8 mini waffles.

bagelsmith

Oh, bagels. When done right, they’re so simple, yet so satisfying and delicious. Both my husband and I are huge fans of these carby, doughy rings of goodness, and since great bagels aren’t as easy to come by in LA, we always have to get our fix when back in NY. And yes, I did see the recent (albeit controversial!) New York Times article claiming that the best bagels are in California. I agree, you can definitely find good bagels on the West Coast. However, I think the big difference is that you can’t just walk out of your apartment and grab a delicious bagel down the block like you can so easily in many neighborhoods of New York City. Plus that New York water has to play a part, right?!

Anyway, Bagelsmith was our go-to neighborhood spot when we lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s simple, no frills, but always busy for a reason. Bagels are baked fresh throughout the day, and they have pretty much every flavor you could want. Not to mention endless options for schmears and toppings! For breakfast, I love a whole wheat everything with egg, avocado, fresh veggies, and hot sauce. But the sweet tooth in me also loves a cinnamon raisin bagel (how pretty is that swirl though?) schmeared with almond butter! Just depends on my mood I guess! The hubby’s order is typically what he calls a “double double double” – double sausage, double egg, double cheese on an everything bagel, and loaded with sriracha when eaten. Plus another everything bagel with sun-dried tomato cream cheese for later. The boy can eat! We always get a few bagels to take home as well, and then you can fix them up however you like. The more the merrier!

clark street bakery

clark street bakery swedish buns

Some of y’all might not know, but I was actually born in Sweden! Although my family is not technically Swedish (my parents were just living there while my dad was doing his fellowship to become a doctor), I always say we are “wannabe-Swedes”. My parents speak the language, my brother just did a masters program there, and we’ve been back to visit numerous times over the years. Plus, we all tend to thoroughly enjoy Scandinavian cuisine! That’s where Clark Street Bakery comes in- it’s been one of my absolute favorites since coming to Los Angeles, and I love the nod to my “homeland”.

Clark Street was started by Zack Hall back in 2014. After spending the summer at his wife's family's town working in a wood-fired bakery in the Swedish countryside and falling in love with the craft, Hall returned home to become a full-time bread baker. Clark Street has since grown into a full fledged bakery offering plenty of Swedish delights in addition to more traditional French pastries, as well as freshly baked sourdough. I love stopping by for breakfast or lunch, or simply a quick coffee and pastry to-go. Offering everything from kanelbulle (Swedish cinnamon buns) and kouign-amann to seasonal salads and sandwiches, you’re sure to find something up your alley. I personally can’t pass up the perfectly spiced Swedish cardamom bun nor the totally flaky almond croissant (just look at those layers!) whenever I’m there. The dark rye brownie is hard to beat as well- OMG so fudgy! I’m happy to report my toddler is a huge fan as well- can you tell by the photos?!- so visits to Clark Street may just become our new favorite mommy & son activity. PS- Any local, aspiring bread bakers out there? Clark Street offers free sourdough starter with any purchase so you can bake fresh bread at home! Our starter recently died after being neglected during our move (RIP Gustafson), so I plan to pick up a fresh starter soon. I’ve been missing homemade sourdough like woah!

healthy nut & seed granola

Granola makes for a delicious breakfast or snack anytime of day, am I right? I’ve been known to enjoy it dry on its own, in a bowl with almond milk or Greek yogurt & fresh fruit, and even sprinkled on top of chia pudding or açaí bowls! And I have to say, it always hits the spot! Although it’s easy to buy granola pre-made, many store-bought versions are loaded with sugar and other unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients. At our house we tend to go through Costco-size bags of grain-free granola at a pretty rapid pace (it’s so addicting), and as I was finishing one off the other day, I decided to make some myself for a change! 

This recipe is super adaptable, so feel free to swap out other nuts and seeds if you prefer, or use what you have on hand. But do make sure to use plenty of them since they are the star- and super important for that tasty crunch! No one in my household avoids grains, so I did include rolled oats as well, since they make such a good base for granola. If you’d like to keep things gluten free, just make sure your oats are certified GF! My healthy nut & seed granola boasts a pretty impressive nutritional profile thanks to superfoods like chia & flax seeds, fiber-rich oats, and an extra dose of healthy fats from coconut oil. Plus, it’s lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, which is much lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar and corn syrup, so it won’t spike your blood sugar! I definitely recommend adding pure vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for some added depth of flavor, but feel free to skip these if you prefer. You can also toss in some dried or freeze dried fruit after baking, if that’s your jam, as well. The options are endless! Homemade granola is so easy y’all- I don’t know why I haven’t done this more often, but I definitely will going forward! Not to mention it leaves your house smelling oh so delicious and fragrant! Enjoy!

Healthy Nut & Seed Granola:

healthy nut & seed granola

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan or large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt (keep coconut separate for now). Set aside. In a separate bowl, heat the coconut oil and maple syrup until melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well until oat mixture is completely coated.

Spread the granola on the baking sheet in an even layer and press down evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top, and return to oven for a few more minutes, until just toasted. Granola should be nice and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to set. Feel free to break it into clumps or clusters if you prefer. Transfer to an airtight container or large mason jar.

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all time

For a tasty neighborhood joint with excellent coffee and a beautiful patio, it’s hard to beat All Time. This all day café in Los Feliz serves consistently fresh and tasty food, which keeps me coming back for more and more. The outdoor dining situation and cute handwritten menus don’t hurt either! Menus change with the seasons, and I love that they source from local farms- many of which are named on the menu. You’ll always find a version of the “Good Ass Salad” at All Time, a huge bowl of greens and seasonal produce that’s sure to please any veg-head. They also churn out some nice, al dente pasta for those in the mood. Plus their meat and fish dishes, like a 40 day dry-aged rib eye or a whole branzino, are flavorful and cooked to perfection. Be sure to scroll through the slideshow above to get more details on each dish from my recent trip to All Time. Those Japanese smashed sweet potatoes with romesco were just heaven! I’m definitely looking forward to returning for breakfast- the farmer’s market hash with poached eggs and the housemade seedy adventure bread are calling my name! The team recently just opened a takeout dinner spot, Part Time (love the name!), which I can totally see us hitting up in the near future as well. All Time-like eats in the comfort of my own home? Yes please! Not to mention, now’s the perfect time to support your fave local restaurants to ensure they’ll still be around in post-pandemic times.

healthy zucchini bread

It’s that time of year when zucchini squash are abundant, and I have to say, I’m not mad about it. While it’s common to use zucchini in savory meals like fired up on the grill alongside some meat, or turned into zoodles (aka zucchini noodles), they also make a wonderful baking ingredient! When grated and drained of their moisture, you can add this green veggie to countless baked good without compromising flavor. It’s such a clutch way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies for toddlers, or any picky eater for that matter! There are tons of zucchini bread recipes out there, and just like banana bread, you can make it as healthy or as sinful as you desire. This version is hearty and nutrient-packed, not too sweet, but still super delish thanks to ingredients like banana, flaxseed, almond flour, and (duh) zucchini. You can do a mix of flours like I did, or stick to one, but I find using a combo of both heartier and lighter flours is a nice way to balance things out. I went with a gluten-free version here (paleo if you sub out the brown rice flour as well), but feel free to use whole grain flours if you prefer. I typically do! I should note, since it’s sweetened just with banana, this bread is not overwhelmingly sweet. Make sure to use super ripe bananas, or if you prefer things on the sweeter side, you can opt to add a touch of maple syrup. I find once I add various toppings (fig jam, perhaps?), it’s sufficiently sweet for my tastes. Not to mention the citrus zest (use a microplaner) really adds a nice little kick. Mix-ins are another must in my book- they make for such great texture- so feel free to add in whatever your heart desires. Toasted nuts, raisins, shredded coconut, or even chocolate chips would all be tasty here. I kept things a bit simple this time, as I wanted my one year old to be able to dig in without any choking hazards ;) I’ll take a slice toasted and spread with a generous smear of nut butter, please. Yum!

Healthy Zucchini Bread:

  • 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)

  • 2 cups grated zucchini, excess moisture drained (about 2 medium zucchini)

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp citrus zest (orange, lemon, or lime!)

  • 2 cups flour (I did a mix of almond, coconut & brown rice)

  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup preferred mix-ins (walnuts, raisins, coconut, chocolate chips etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, and add a bit of coconut oil or nonstick spray. In a large bowl whisk together banana, zucchini, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract & citrus zest until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Then mix dry ingredients into wet until just incorporated. If your batter is super thick, you may thin it out a bit with 1/4-1/2 cup almond milk. Stir in any desired mix-ins. Add batter to loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes (or until cake tester comes out clean). Allow the bread to cool a few minutes before removing it from the pan with the ends of the parchment. Place it on a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy with your preferred spread- butter, nut butter, or marmalade are all great choices!

*Adapted from The Best Paleo Zucchini Bread by RachL Mansfield.