Lemon Lavender Sweet Rolls

These Lemon Lavender Sweet Rolls combine tart lemon with delicate lavender making them the perfect addition to a spring weekend brunch...

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For years, lavender has been one of my favorite scents as far as aromatherapy goes. I buy candles perfumed with its scent. I have a bottle of lavender-vanilla lotion that always sits on my bedside table. And when I am feeling stressed, I pour myself a nice warm bath, drop in a lavender scented bath bomb of some sort, & soak away my worries for a little bit.

What I haven't done, but what I have been wanting to try for months now is to start using more lavender in my culinary creations. It all started with an amazingly refreshing lavender lemonade I had at a cute little bakery in Corning, New York last fall. 

I had just never really thought about using lavender for anything else other than stress-relieving aromatherapy. It was a light bulb moment.

Fast forward about 6 months later, and I found myself browsing Amazon on the search for culinary grade lavender to start experimenting with in the kitchen. (Note: Make sure that the lavender you purchase is for culinary use & not ornamental!) I decided on a bag of USDA Organic Lavender Flowers & added it to my cart. Then I started brainstorming possible recipe ideas! 

I knew for my first recipe using lavender, I wanted to recreate that lemon & lavender flavor combination that I had loved so much while sipping on that lemonade in the Finger Lakes. The result? These perfect for spring Lemon Lavender Sweet Rolls...

Farmers Market Frittata

This hearty Farmers Market Frittata is brimming with locally raised pork sausage, bell pepper, & fresh rainbow chard...

This recipe first appeared on Bridgeport Farmers Market's Let's Get Fresh blog.

One of my favorite times of the year is the outdoor farmers market season here in my hometown. From the end of May through mid-fall, I can visit the local market each Sunday and stock up on freshly picked vegetables and pasture raised eggs & meats. 

And I just so happen to be on a mission this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious meal purchasing only locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market this summer. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market. 

Orange Creamsicle Danish Muffins

These easy to make, 4 ingredient Orange Creamsicle Danish Muffins can be on your breakfast table in less than 30 minutes...

So, I told you all last week when I posted my recipe for an easy to make Cara Cara Orange & Vanilla Bean Curd that I would also be sharing a recipe or two with you all using this creamy, dreamy yumminess. I wasn't lying, folks. In fact, I went right to work on these irresistible & moist Orange Creamsicle Danish Muffins! :) 

They are a take on one of my more popular recipes on the blog- my Cherry Cream Cheese Danish Muffins, but I simply switched out the cherry preserves for my orange & vanilla bean curd. The results? Quick & easy 4 ingredient muffins that taste just like an orange creamsicle! 

These muffins pair perfectly with a cup of your favorite tea or a light roast coffee, and they would make a delicious addition to your spring breakfast or brunch table. From start to finish, these muffins only take around 30 minutes to make, so need to save these just for the weekend! They are totally weekday morning friendly too... 

Shrimp Scampi Pesto Frittata

Light & flavorful, this easy to make Shrimp Scampi Pesto Frittata is the perfect addition to your spring brunch, Lent, or Easter menu...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SeaPak. All opinions & text expressed below are 100% my own.

Spring is finally in the air here, and I couldn't be happier! As some of you all may have gathered from me by now, I am not much of a snow and winter kind of gal so the signs that spring has almost arrived here are most welcome. The days are warmer, the daffodils are ready to burst into bright yellow blooms, and I am starting to break out the lighter, brighter spring dishes on the blog like today's recipe for a flavorful & simple Shrimp Scampi Pesto Frittata. :)

Did you all know that the USDA recommends you eat two 4-ounce servings of seafood each week? I had no clue, and my family and I haven't even been coming close to that lately! But I am about to change all that real quick because I have discovered SeaPak's super convenient & quick seafood products. For this easy to make frittata, I picked up a package of the SeaPak Shrimp Scampi. I added in our favorite basil pesto, creamy ricotta cheese, and fresh baby spinach with these tender & flavorful shrimp for a light yet filling frittata that would be perfect to serve for a spring brunch, for Lent, or on Easter... 

Potato Biscuits & Bacon Gravy Poutine

Moist & fluffy potato biscuits are topped with cheese curds, a homemade bacon gravy, and crispy bacon in this Potato Biscuits & Bacon Gravy Poutine...

If you happen to love poutine as much as I do, then I have good news for you, folks- I just took my poutine recipe game to the breakfast table! ;) As some of you may recall, I have been kind of obsessed with this traditional Canadian dish (& it's many variations) since I attended the Food & Wine conference last July. We were spoiled by this amazing and HUGE poutine bar for lunch one day of the conference, and I have been hooked ever since. Unfortunately, cheese curds are kind of hard to come by where I live. We have very few dairy farms here in West Virginia, and cheese curds are usually an artisanal product of local dairies. But then the other week as I was browsing the cheese selection at my local grocery store, I spotted them- Wisconsin cheese curds! Granted, there was only one kind made by a single brand, but to say I was ecstatic to finally have my hands on some cheese curds without having to drive hours for them (ahem... Ohio) would be an understatement. 

And I found them just in time too because Sunday Supper and the Food & Wine Conference had just announced their first recipe contest for 2016- a poutine recipe contest sponsored by the Idaho® Potato Commission. This hearty & comforting Potato Biscuits & Bacon Gravy Poutine recipe is my entry, folks... :)

Apple-Pear Pomegranate Puff Pancake

A thick buttermilk pancake is studded with juicy pears, sweet apples, and jewels of pomegranate seeds & baked to a golden brown in your cast iron skillet in this Apple-Pear Pomegranate Puff Pancake...

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Want to know the quickest way to make pancakes that will feed the whole family? Bake up a delicious puff pancake in your trusty cast iron skillet! :) 

While I love making stacks of homemade pancakes for my family, let me be honest for a second- it gets a little time-consuming standing there flipping pancakes. 

Christmas morning is just one of those mornings when you do not want to be stuck in the kitchen any longer than you have to, am I right? 

I mean, there are presents to open, and warm mugs of coffee and cocoa to be sipping on, and everyone knows that A Christmas Story is playing ALL day on TBS. Who wants to miss Ralphie modeling his pink nightmare bunny PJ's because you are standing over a hot griddle? ;)

This Apple-Pear Pomegranate Puff Pancake is my lazy Christmas morning solution for you all. You just bake up one giant pancake, cut it into slices, and voila! 

Christmas morning breakfast is ready, and everyone gets to eat at the same time. I must admit that this was my first time making a puff pancake, and now I want to kick myself for waiting so darn long to give it a go.

A giant buttermilk pancake studded with juicy pears, sweet apples, and jewels of pomegranate seeds- how could you possibly go wrong with this on Christmas morning? :)

Lox, Stox, & Triscuit

This easy to make Lox, Stox, & Triscuit is the perfect quick appetizer for a weekend brunch or an afternoon get-together... or just because. ;)

Easy Cranberry-Almond Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This Easy Cranberry-Almond Cream Cheese Cake Coffee Cake is so simple to make yet so impressive- perfect for your holiday morning breakfast...

Am I the only mother who happens to have this far fetched fantasy of having her family sit down to a perfectly prepared holiday breakfast before the gift unwrapping frenzy begins each Christmas morning? I mean, honestly it is a fantasy. And maybe just a little cruel to the kiddos to do so too. ;)

But even when I know that I will be up before the crack of dawn on the 25th.  And I know that there is no way my kids (and perhaps even my husband) would sit down to a nice family breakfast without scarfing their food down just so they could get to those presents quicker, I still would like to prepare a special breakfast for Christmas morning without missing all of the gift opening to do so.

Enter this delicious and holiday perfect (and easy to make!) Cranberry-Almond Cream Cheese Coffee Cake...

Apple Crisp Sweet Rolls

These Apple Crisp Sweet Rolls are what happens when fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls meets comforting apple crisp...

Okay folks. I may just have done like the best thing ever for your weekend breakfast table. Yes, I combined one of your favorite desserts- a homemade apple crisp with soft & fluffy cinnamon rolls.  When I made these and told my husband what they were, his eyes may have rolled back into his head slightly. ;)  

And let me tell you all- they were amazing.  It was like having dessert for breakfast... and then later on that same day, breakfast for dessert. 

I used my basic fool-proof cake mix cinnamon roll recipe, but rolled up a simple apple filling into the dough and then topped it all with a traditional apple crisp topping.  The baked sweet rolls are then finished off with a super simple glaze that you can whip up in mere minutes...

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins

These creamy, soft Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins can be on your breakfast table in less than 30 minutes...

I have to tell you all- I am feeling sort of bad that it took me this long to share this recipe for these super easy and delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins with you all.  Some of you all who have been following me on Instagram may remember me posting a little sneak peek of these... way back in August.  

Again, my sincerest apologies to those of you who may have been patiently waiting all this while for this recipe.  It was never my attention to hold out on you all this long. 

But reassured that the recipe for these tasty danish muffins will be in your hands in just a few moments. ;)

I have been wanting to make a fall version of my long-time reader favorite Cherry Cream Cheese Danish Muffins recipe for quite a while.  I am hoping that you all love these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins just as much. 

While I cannot boast that my latest version of these muffins can be made with just 4 ingredients (this version requires 7 total ingredients), they can be made just about as easily and in almost the same time making them perfect for Thanksgiving morning or for a quick & impressive breakfast before heading out for those Black Friday sales... :)

Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Butter Pecan Sweet Rolls

These Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Butter Pecan Sweet Rolls start with a box of butter pecan cake mix, are filled with crunchy pecans, and are then topped with a sweet brown sugar glaze and salty bacon...

Father's Day is less than two days away, folks. If you don't have a plan yet, let me help you out with that right about now with these Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Butter Pecan Sweet Rolls.

Yes, I said brown sugar. 

And bacon.

And pecans.

And sweet rolls.... all in the same recipe title. 

I am almost certain that there is no way that you could possibly go wrong making these for dad for Father's Day breakfast or brunch.

I haven't met a man yet who would turn down a homemade sweet roll... or bacon, for that matter. ;)

These Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Butter Pecan Sweet Rolls start with a box of butter pecan cake mix, are filled with crunchy pecans, and are then topped with a sweet brown sugar glaze and salty bacon... It's cool if you just started drooling on your keyboard. I will look away and give you a moment. 

Cake Mix Carrot Cake Pancakes

Who says you can't have cake for breakfast? ;) These carrot cake pancakes come together super quick with the help of a boxed mix, leaving you plenty of time to whip up the decadent Biscoff cream cheese glaze to pour over top of these...

Foodie confession time- I do not own a food processor.

Yep, I hear you all gasping at this. ;)

I mean, I have tried to own one... twice now.

The first one I ever had in my kitchen didn't make it past a week before I had boxed it up and returned it to the store.

Food processors & I are just not good company. I always have issues with the lids not locking correctly, or changing out the blades, or snapping in the container the right away. I would literally spend like 15 minutes just trying to get the darn thing lidded & snapped in right just so it would turn on!

I did give it a shot once more.  That food processor ended up in a yard sale a few months later.

Sigh.

Strawberry-Coconut Crunch Layered French Toast

This delicious Strawberry-Coconut Crunch Layered French Toast is virtually guilt free thanks to nonfat Greek yogurt, fresh sliced strawberries, & crunchy Post Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal...

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Post Pebbles, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PostWalgreens http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

I think by now you all know that I am a big fan of the make ahead, overnight french toast casserole.  But most of the french toast casserole recipes that I have shared with you all up until now have been decadent, bordering on almost qualifying as a dessert. ;)

I have been brainstorming ideas for making and sharing a healthier french toast casserole recipe with you all.  And I found my recipe inspiration while shopping at my local Walgreens for some of our favorite Post cereals...

So, today I am sharing with you all this Strawberry-Coconut Crunch Layered French Toast perfect for whipping up for Easter morning (or any spring weekend morning!).

I have made this delicious french toast casserole virtually guilt free by making it with nonfat Greek yogurt, fresh sliced strawberries, & crunchy Post Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch cereal.  

I absolutely love the addition of the Honey Bunches of Oats Greek cereal to this- it gives it a nice, crunchy texture and adds even more protein and whole grains to this healthy, perfect for spring french toast casserole...

Chocolate Mint Sweet Rolls

These cake mix Chocolate Mint Sweet Rolls are so rich and decadent that they can double as a breakfast & dessert...

Ever since making my French Vanilla Chai Cinnamon Rolls earlier last year, I have been kind of obsessing over new sweet roll recipes I could make using cake mix.  

My son is pretty much a chocolate-mint fanatic.  Give him a box of Andes chocolates and he is in heaven.

I knew I needed to come up with a sweet rolls recipe that would re-create the flavors in his favorite chocolates.

I have to say that these Chocolate-Mint Sweet Rolls were a resounding success (and teenage son approved!).

French Vanilla Chai Cinnamon Rolls

These French Vanilla Chai Cinnamon Rolls almost guarantee perfect homemade cinnamon rolls with my fail-safe "secret" ingredient- cake mix!

Lately I have been facing my culinary nemeses head on.  First it was fudge with my Mud Pie MoJoe Fudge.  And now, homemade cinnamon rolls with these delicious French Vanilla Chai Cinnamon Rolls.  

I can't tell you all how many times I have attempted to make homemade cinnamon rolls only to have them come out tough or chewy... or both.  The amount of time and effort I put into them just seemed silly, & I vowed to myself after my last cinnamon roll recipe flop that I would only be using the canned refrigerated cinnamon rolls from here on out. 

No more yeast based cinnamon rolls.  No more messing with punching down dough and letting it rise off and on for 2+ hours just so my family could grin and pretend that they liked my crappy from scratch cinnamon rolls.  ;)