oh what a difference a year makes.

thanksgiving and all the joy, reflection and food that come with it are upon us. 

i can't really remember what i did last year for thanksgiving. i was deep in the throws of wedding planning for my nye nuptials, was out of work trying to figure out what to do with my life and quite frankly, i was feeling very lost. 

in a deep dark moment, after a major breakdown over breaking a glass (i never said i was rational) with my head in my hands i sobbed and thought, "i don't know who i am anymore." so dramatic. but it was truly how i felt. i had shed every part of me that i knew. i was surrendering my independence to become part of a new family. from the moment i could drive i never had fewer than one job, most of the time juggling two to three and now i woke with out purpose every morning. i used to feel that people viewed me as strong and independent. suddenly as a bride i was fragile in people's eyes. they looked at me like i may crack at any moment. and they were right. 

wow, i'm really getting emo. let me get to the point. after sobbing and calling my now husband "just to hear his voice," i pulled my shit together. i had a moment of clarity and realized, i can't find myself unless i get lost. 

flash forward a year. thanksgiving is thursday and i woke up this morning and taught to a full class. i will spend the next few days cooking with family and making some money doing it. i have never felt more on the right path or closer to who i am supposed to be and what i'm supposed to be doing. i am truly THANKFUL this year. 

whether you are feeling lost and out of control or everything in your life is sunshine, i encourage you to take pause, take a deep breath, and think of all the beautiful gifts you have in your life. there may be more than you think. 

happy thanksgiving friends. i'm wishing you and yours love and tasty food. and i'll leave you with this tasty apple spice cake. this is the perfect alternative to a holiday pie and will make a stunning addition to any thanksgiving table. 

apple spice cake
serves: 8
prep time: 20 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
total time: 50 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 cup all purpose flour. .5 tsp baking soda. .5 tsp salt. .5 tbs cinnamon. .25 tsp nutmeg. 1 honey crisp apple (gala, pink ladies will also work), thinly slice just enough to cover the bottom of a 9 inch pan (about 25-28 slices) and cube the rest. .66 cup vegetable oil. 1 cup sugar. 2 large eggs. .5 tsp vanilla. 9 inch baking pan. 1 tbs soft butter + 1 extra tbs flour for baking pan. salted caramel for drizzle (optional). vanilla ice cream (optional). 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. 

sift he flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together into a medium bowl. 

lightly butter and flour your baking pan. 

lay your thinly sliced apples into your desired pattern. 

in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the eggs, oil, flour and vanilla. 

when well combined, slowly pour in the dry ingredients till just combined. 

pour in the cubed apples and mix till just combined. about 1 minute. 

pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. 

allow the cake to cool on a rack for a few minutes before turning the cake out onto the rack to continue cooling.

if you are going to drizzle with salted caramel, allow the cake to cool to room temperature before drizzling. 

if you are not using the caramel, you can allow it to cool slightly and serve the cake warm. ice cream on top wouldn't be awful either. 

xo, a

apple spice cake
serves: 8
prep time: 20 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
total time: 50 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 cup all purpose flour. .5 tsp baking soda. .5 tsp salt. .5 tbs cinnamon. .25 tsp nutmeg. 1 honey crisp apple (gala, pink ladies will also work), thinly slice just enough to cover the bottom of a 9 inch pan (about 25-28 slices) and cube the rest. .66 cup vegetable oil. 1 cup sugar. 2 large eggs. .5 tsp vanilla. 9 inch baking pan. 1 tbs soft butter + 1 extra tbs flour for baking pan. salted caramel for drizzle (optional). vanilla ice cream (optional).
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f.
lightly butter and flour your baking pan. lay your thinly sliced apples into your desired pattern. sift he flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together into a medium bowl.
in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the eggs, oil, flour and vanilla.
when well combined, slowly pour in the dry ingredients till just combined.
pour in the cubed apples and mix till just combined. about 1 minute.
pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. allow the cake to cool on a rack for a few minutes before turning the cake out onto the rack to continue cooling. if you are going to drizzle with salted caramel, allow the cake to cool to room temperature before drizzling. if you are not using the caramel, you can allow it to cool slightly and serve the cake warm. ice cream on top wouldn't be awful either.

the older i get, the clearer it becomes to me that life just keeps getting crazier. the older i get, the more FULL life seems to become. but all i want to do is sit on my couch and eat delicious food.
my brother albert (the same brother that officiated our wedding) was in town from vancouver over the weekend and it was nearly impossible to get my immediate family all together in one place for even two hours. the only thing we could manage was brunch on saturday morning. after perusing many tasty looking brunch menus of restaurants in la i noticed a common theme. almost every menu featured a dutch baby. ironically, we chose the only restaurant that did not have one. sunday, i woke up feeling remorse over not getting to sample a dutch baby. so after teaching my morning yoga class i whipped up my own version of the breakfast dish. i would call it a cross between a pancake, crepe and popover. it's like nothing i've ever had really, but it is scrumptious. and even better, you can put anything on it to make it your own. 

whole wheat dutch baby
serves: 2-6 (you can serve it for 2 or slice it into wedges and served to many)
prep time: 25 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 55 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup whole wheat flour. .5 cup whole milk. 2 eggs. 1 tsp orange zest. 2 tbs sugar. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .5 tsp salt. 1 tbs butter. .25 cup powdered sugar. assorted toppings of your choice (i had blackberries, maple syrup, nutella and coconut). 8-9 inch oven safe round pan. 

start by preheating your oven to 425 d F.
in the bowl of a food processor, or large bowl using a hand blender, blend together all of the ingredients except the butter, powdered sugar and toppings. 

blend until smooth. allow the batter to rest for 20-25 minutes. 

when you are ready to bake, place your butter in the pan and melt the butter in the oven.
after the butter has melted (should only take a minute or two), remove the pan, fill it with the batter and pop it back in the oven. bake for 16-20 minutes. 

the dutch baby will have puffed up. when you remove it from the oven the cool air will cause it to fall slightly. allow it to cool slightly. top with powdered sugar, your favorite toppings and serve. 

xo, a

whole wheat dutch baby
serves: 2-6 (you can serve it for 2 or slice it into wedges and served to many)
prep time: 25 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 55 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup whole wheat flour. .5 cup whole milk. 2 eggs. 1 tsp orange zest. 2 tbs sugar. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .5 tsp salt. 1 tbs butter. .25 cup powdered sugar. assorted toppings of your choice (i had blackberries, maple syrup, nutella and coconut). 8-9 inch oven safe round pan. 
start by preheating your oven to 425 d F. 
in the bowl of a food processor, or large bowl using a hand blender, blend together all of the ingredients except the butter, powdered sugar and toppings. blend until smooth. allow the batter to rest for 20-25 minutes. 
when you are ready to bake, place your butter in the pan and melt the butter in the oven. 
after the butter has melted (should only take a minute or two), remove the pan, fill it with the batter and pop it back in the oven. bake for 16-20 minutes. the dutch baby will have puffed up. when you remove it from the oven the cool air will cause it to fall slightly. allow it to cool slightly. top with powdered sugar, your favorite toppings and serve.