strawberry cheesecake pancakes in bed

 

happy friday!!! who is celebrating valentine's day this weekend? i have been hit with a nasty cold so it is looking like i will be spending the next few days watching netflix in bed. lucky for me, i have the comfiest bedding from rough linen to cozy up in! i never want to leave this bed on a good day. now i don't want to give away too much of our master bedroom design that is just about complete as i will be sharing a more detailed post on it in the near future, but let's talk a little bit about that bedding! while i usually gravitate toward different tones of grey, i couldn't pass up the "dusk" soft pink colour rough linen carriers. i opted for the queen bed makeover in dusk & white which comes with everything you need to set the bed! a duvet cover, top sheet, decorative shams & a summer cover. i filled it with a heavy duty down insert because our old house is quite cold, but i can only imagine how hot it will be in the summer so having the light summer cover will be a life saver. oh the joys of an old house! i am also so happy how well it goes with the farrow + ball wallpaper & paint i chose. the cloudy wallpaper is called aranami in grey, it is seriously the dreamiest. between the grey wallpaper, walls, doors & trim the dusk pink was a perfect subtle contrast to everything. but enough about the bed, let's get to what inspired it all.. strawberry cheesecake pancakes!

i love the idea of surprisingly your valentine with breakfast in bed & this one is fit for a king (or queen). i incorporated cream cheese & greek yogurt into the pancakes themselves, then topped them off with fresh strawberries & whipped cream. i opted to keep the pancakes simple, but if you wanted to stir a few fresh strawberries into the batter itself that works too! i remember making strawberry cheesecake pancakes for my mom on mother's day years & years ago. i used nigella's recipe which used cottage cheese as the base, but i like the tang of the actual cream cheese brings to these ones. plus, with all the chocolate & wine calories don't count on valentine's day! you can even top it with a strawberry pie filling if you have trouble finding fresh strawberries this time of year. so, you have all weekend to get the perfect breakfast in bed pancakes ready for your valentine, bonus points if you surprise them with this dream bedding too;)

xo

strawberry cheesecake pancakes

ingredients

  • 4 ounces full fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons plain full fat greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
  • 1 cup whippred cream, for serving
  • pure maple syrup, for serving

directions

  • using an immersion blender, puree cream cheese, egg, yogurt & vanilla until smooth.
  • stir in raw sugar, melted butter & milk.
  • sift in flour, baking powder & salt until a lumpy batter is formed.
  • heat an oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. pour the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. * cook until both sides brown.
  • top with fresh strawberries, whipped cream & maple syrup!

avocado toast, two ways

 

this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Loblaws Canada Inc. all opinions are 100% mine.

today i am sharing what is one of my go to lunches on weekdays in partnership with Loblaws! while it probably seems like i whip up a fancy pants meal every day of the week, my work keeps me just as busy as the rest of us. i am always looking for fun, healthy & creative ways to mix up a boring old sandwich on sliced bread or even worse fast food when i am short for time. cue: avocado toast! this is a quick recipe idea that you can make in twenty minutes or less. 

i feel like avocado toast has become quite a trend these days. all you have to do is smash some ripe avocado on bread & boom you've got yourself a meal. it is also a great way to use up any avocados you have that may be on the brink of going bad. i buy them in bulk & it seems like they all ripen at the same time! it's quick, plus avocados are healthy (lots of fiber), full of essential nutrients & taste so good with just a touch of salt! select Loblaws stores have Loblaws Dieticians on hand who can help answer any dietary questions you might have when looking for healthy food alternatives, teach you about the nutrition of different fruits/vegetables & give you some additional quick meal ideas! 

well, here are two of my versions of avocado toast because as i just mentioned, i always have these bad boys on hand. having plenty of fruits + vegetables in your fridge at all times makes it much easier to create a quick & healthy recipe like this avocado toast. you can follow the recipes loosely & substitute in whatever ingredients you find in your fridge or pantry. the possibilities are seriously endless! i have seen so many versions of this. you can even add a touch of lean turkey, chicken, or a poached egg (vegetarian) to the mix if you want to get in some additional protein. what are your 20 minute recipe ideas?! 

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ingredients

walnut & blue cheese toast

  • 1 slice of crusty bread
  • 1/2 avocado, smashed
  • 1/4 lime, freshly squeezed
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon, raw honey

strawberry & feta toast

  • 1 slice of crusty bread
  • 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 lime, freshly squeezed
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 strawberries, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon feta, crumbled
  • cilantro, to garnish

directions

walnut & blue cheese toast​

  • toast bread while you prepare the avocado.

  • in a small mixing bowl, mash avocado with lime juice, salt & pepper.

  • spread evenly over toasted bread & top with crumbled blue cheese + walnuts.

  • drizzle with honey & enjoy!

strawberry & feta toast

  • toast bread while you slice avocado & strawberry.

  • top bread with sliced avocado, drizzle with lime juice & sprinkle with salt + pepper.

  • finish with sliced strawberries & crumbled feta.

  • enjoy! 

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mexican hot chocolate brownie bites

 

i am finally exploring the combination of spicy chocolate & i have to say, i LOVE it. i am not even a spice person, but when it is in a dessert & mixed with chocolate i am down. i can't wait to make spicy chocolate ice cream next & adding one more element to the mix.. ice! i was originally going to use fresh chillis but i found them to be way over powering. i think they would have made for a not so enjoyable spice! the mixture of cayenne & cinnamon work perfectly because cayenne is super spicy & cinnamon is sweet spicy. these brownies don't taste spicy upon first bite, but then BOOM it will hit you. i made these for the housewarming party & everyone loved them. they couldn't believe the touch of spice to a brownie. AND yes, these are fudgy brownies & this might be the first time i ever say this.. but these brownies are perfect! i can't even tell you how many brownie recipes i have made & none satisfied me with the texture i wanted. i think the key here is to not over bake them! take them out when they look a little undercooked, after all this is a brownie not a cake. the center should be fudgy & gooey.

to make these i used the new vitamix ascent a3500! it made for the silkiest batter & really helped puree those raw sugar crystals. usually i use raw sugar because i love the texture it brings, but in this recipe i wanted it to just be smooth & fudgy. this vitamix is amazing! it has a touch screen interface, five program settings, a timer & wireless connectivity that helps adjust the motor based to the container size. seriously, it is the best kitchen appliance i have because you can do way more then a smoothie in this thing. my old blender couldn't even whip up a smoothie without sounding like it was going to break down.

anyways, i am off to the city the second i hit publish so that is all from me today. have a lovely sunday!

xo

ingredients (makes 12 brownie bites)

for the mexican hot chocolate brownies

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

for the mexican hot chocolate frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

for the mexican hot chocolate brownies

  • place melted butter & cocoa powder into the blender. puree until well blended.
  • add the raw sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, sea salt, cinnamon & cayenne pepper. pulse until a silky smooth batter is formed.
  • pour into a greased muffin tin or a 9-inch square baking dish if you want to make regular brownies.
  • bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
  • let cool completely before frosting.

for the mexican hot chocolate frosting

  • in the bowl of a standmixer add the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper & vanilla extract.
  • beat on high speed until light & fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.
  • frost brownie bites as desired.

this post was created in partnership with vitamix! thank you for supporting the brands that help me do what i love. xo