My favorite season is rolling in! I don't think I could live anywhere that doesn't have Fall....I love the leaves, the sweater and rosy cheek weather, the fall fashion, the pumpkin everything and those cool, crisp nights. Love. It. I also find that September is a natural time to reorganize and plan.  Maybe it's that back to school vibe...maybe it's that it's the last quarter of the year.  Either way, it's had me thinking about meal prep.  I got away from a lot of meal prep as I navigated the postpartum period after this sweet little baby joined us and I've been winging it. It's time to get back to a little bit more organization....and less cereal for dinner if I'm being completely honest here.

This breakfast bowl combines apples, sweet potatoes, turkey sausage and spinach.  This fall sweet potato home fry mixture is paired with scrambled eggs for a wholesome start to the day.  It's easy to put together and makes 4 meals ready to go.  

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients
-1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
-1 medium to large apple, peeled and chopped
-1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
-1-2 generous handfuls of spinach
-6-10 turkey breakfast sausages
-salt
-pepper
-5-6 TBS olive oil
-6 eggs

Directions
Add approximately 3 TBS olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium.  Once heated, add the chopped onion and stir fry until softened, which takes approximately 2-3 minutes.  Add the sweet potato and apple. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to stir fry together for approximately 20-25 minutes until the sweet potato and apple are fully cooked.  Add more oil as you feel like the ingredients are getting dry and sticking to the pan.  In a separate skillet, prepare your turkey sausage (or you can substitute any sausage you prefer) according to the directions (I used a 10 pack of turkey breakfast sausage links).  Once fully cooked, remove from the heat, chop into pieces and add into the large skillet with the other ingredients.  Toss 1-2 generous handfuls of spinach into the skillet and stir fry until reduced in volume and cooked throughout the other ingredients.  Remove the skillet from the heat and allow to cool.

Prepare 6 eggs by scrambling them in another skillet.  Divide the eggs and fall sweet potato mix into four separate meal containers.  Store covered in the fridge and enjoy!

I've made banana oatmeal pancakes in my blender for years, but I just never got to putting pen to paper, measuring everything out and getting the recipe finalized...until now.  Maybe it took this quarantine to get this out of my head and onto the blog.  These pancakes are a weekend favorite around here and our toddler especially loves them.  They're easy to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a reheated, quick breakfast too and you can make these vegan or gluten free by subbing in GF oats and/or using a flax egg instead of regular eggs!

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients
(makes 10-12 pancakes)

-1 cup vanilla almond milk (you can sub in your choice of milk here)
-2 eggs or flax eggs
-2 ripe bananas
-2 cups oats (sub in GF oats for GF version)
-2 tsp baking powder
-pinch of salt
-1-2 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Heat a skillet on medium heat and coat it with non-stick cooking spray.  In a high powered blender, add the ingredients in the order of the milk, eggs, ripe bananas and then the dry ingredients. Secure the lid and turn the blender on low and then increase speed to medium/high.  Once the batter is formed together, turn off the blender and pour out each pancake onto the heated skillet, approx. 1/3 cup batter at a time.  Allow to cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side.  You will see the edges forming, turning golden and bubbles appearing in the pancake when it's time to flip.  Continue the same on the second side.  Remove from the pan and continue until all of the batter is used.  Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup or store in an air tight container in the fridge for a quick breakfast another day.  Enjoy!

Do you ever just need a chocolate cake? I don't think it's just me, but it maybe it is.  I can't help but remember the Sex and the City episode with Miranda and the chocolate cake.  This might date me as my early twenties involved some time binge watching that show when binge watching involved the "be kind and rewind" notice on the VHS tape before returning it to Blockbuster.  And will my kids ever know the horror of getting to a Blockbuster only to find out that the one movie or season of a show that you want to watch is already rented by someone else? This might be the equivalent of my parents being required to walk to school in horrible weather, up hill...both ways.

This recipe has you covered In the event you find yourself wanting a chocolate cake and you a) don't want to drive to a bakery or go through the joyful hassle of making an entire cake and b) you don't want an entire chocolate cake waiting around in the kitchen just looking at you.  Thanks to Bobs Red Mill, their coconut sugar and tapioca flour make this grain free and refined sugar free as well.

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

For the Cake
-1 egg
-2 TBS vanilla almond milk
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-3 TBS tapioca flour
-1/8 tsp salt (just a tiny bit)
-1 TBS coconut sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 TBS unsweetened baking cocoa

For the glaze
-1 tsp peanut butter
-1 tsp paleo powdered sugar (I use and keep some of this recipe from Joy Food Sunshine in my cupboard but you can substitute your sweetener of choice here...it's only 1 tsp)
-1 tsp vanilla almond milk
-1 tsp chocolate chips for sprinkling on top

Directions
Spray the inside of a microwave safe mug with non-stick cooking spray.  Crack the egg into the mug and beat with a fork.  Add the vanilla almond milk and vanilla extract.  Use the fork to mix together well.  Then add the dry ingredients of the tapioca flour, unsweetened baking cocoa, salt and baking powder.  Mix together very well with the fork until a smooth batter forms.  Place in the microwave and cook on high for 2 1/2 minutes.  The mug cake will rise a good bit in the mug.  Once finished cooking, remove from microwave and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.

Mix the glaze together while the mug cake sits and rests.  Drizzle the glaze over the top of the mug cake, sprinkle with chocolate chips and done! Other options are to top with whipped cream or ice cream! Enjoy!