Cinnamon Apple Oat Muffins

I've always loved baking. I love the smells, I love putting love into old recipes or trying out new ones, I love how therapeutic it is and how much people enjoy receiving "just because" baked goods. I love improvising and substituting and making recipes completely my own, and this recipe for cinnamon apple oat muffins (that's a mouthful!) is a product of that.

A couple months ago, Josh had an morning meeting before class and he asked me to make some sort of breakfast-y baked good to take to his meeting. I looked at my pantry (that was looking kinda sad on that particular day) and started looking up recipes with the things I did have. As far as baked goods go, you can never go wrong with apples and cinnamon. Add in some oats and you have yourself a good foundation for something really tasty!

So I found a recipe for oatmeal apple muffins and decided to get to improvising. I must've been way too tired that morning (I woke up before Josh and EJ so I could have a little baking therapy time to myself!) because I didn't even write down what all I substituted from the original recipe! Everyone loved the muffins and I was so bummed because I could not remember how to recreate them! 

Like I said, I love making healthy substitutions in recipes I find. Did you know substituting honey for sugar or applesauce for oil/butter is as simple as a 1:1 ratio? Making healthier substitutions is so much simpler than you think! My go-to substitutions in baking are usually honey for brown sugar, applesauce for butter, almond milk for regular milk, so for this recipe I just started from there. 

These muffins may not be the exact replica of the ones I made that morning (always write down what recipes when  you substitute because you never know when you're baking your new favorite goodies!) but they are so delicious! Best of all, they have no butter or oil and are low in sugar so I not only feel good about eating them as breakfast on the go, I also feel good about feeding it to EJ.

First you want to preheat your oven to 400º, but if you want to make this recipe into apple bread, preheat your oven to 350º. Next, whisk together oats, flour (you can use whole wheat, all purpose, or you could even grind up some oats in a food processor and use that as the "flour" component of this recipe!) baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. I would usually add in some ground flax seeds as well but I was all out.

In a separate bowl, whisk together applesauce, honey, almond milk and egg. For these muffins I used 1 1/4 cup applesauce, but you can substitute 1/4 cup of that for coconut oil, canola/vegetable oil or even butter. 

Once your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients are all nice and mixed, pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and whisk until fully combined.

Next, dice up your apple of choice and stir it into the batter. I used a medium sized gala apple because it's just what I had at the time but you can use fuji or even a honey crisp or pink lady for a slightly tangier taste. You can also choose to forgo the apple completely and stir in some craisins or walnuts or whatever you have on hand.

Lightly grease a muffin tin or you could use paper muffin liners and scoop about a tablespoon and a half into each muffin cup. Most people say you should fill them about 3/4 of the way up, but I like to live on the edge and I'm a fan of a nice muffin top so I fill them up pretty much to the top! At this point, you'll want to add the delicious and completely optional crumble to the tops of your muffins. I left that out in this batch because I'm planning on having these be part of EJ's breakfast this week.

Please don't mind or judge how dirty my oven door is! I didn't notice until I was uploading my pictures.. whoops.

Once your oven is set to the right temperature (400º for muffins and 350º for a loaf), place your muffin tin or loaf pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes (muffins) or about 40 minutes (loaf). Now you'll want to sit back and sip on your morning (or afternoon, or whenever) coffee and enjoy the delicious aroma of apples and cinnamon that will be filling your house. (Or if you're me this morning, you'll want to pray that your little guy's nap goes for at least 20 minutes longer so you can finish baking in peace and quiet and maybe even enjoy a warm muffin to yourself.)

Once they're all nice and brown and your toothpick comes out clean, let them cool off for about 10 minutes. 

And that's it! This recipe is so quick and easy and so simple that you really can substitute and improvise and add-in so much and really make it personalized to your family's taste. Not only are they a healthy alternative to breakfast bars and sugary baked goods that you can enjoy, but, as you can see, little taste buds love them too!

 xo Kristina

Cinnamon Apple Oat Muffins

 

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 medium red apple
• 
  
• Optional add-ins:
• 1 cup raisins or craisins 
• 1/2 cup walnuts 
• 1/4 cup flax seeds or chia seeds

Optional topping:

• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º (or 350º for apple bread). Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Optional topping: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup oats, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix together until well combined; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the applesauce, almond milk, vanilla and egg. Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in diced apple or other optional add-ins.
4. Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Use your fingers to sprinkle muffins with optional topping.
5. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes (or about 40 minutes for apple bread) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes in the pans.
6. Enjoy!

Quick + Easy Hair Tutorial

As you know, I'm a mama to a 12-month-old ball of energy and, now that my hair has grown out (finally!) his little baby fingers always find a way to get all tangled in my hair. Now, I love a good old fashioned top-knot, like the kind that sits right on top of your head. For days off, there's really nothing better and even though top-knots are Josh's arch-enemy, they definitely are my bff. However, I was starting to get bored of always putting my hair up either in a ponytail or a top-knot, so I started looking around for inspiration and playing around with different hairstyles I found on Pinterest. Ever since then, this has been my go-to, easy-as-a-pony-tail-but-fancier hairstyle for when I want to keep my hair out of my face. Some days, if I'm on day 3 hair (real life, it happens!) I wear this to work and I still get compliments on it! It literally is so easy, y'all, I'm talking, 5 minutes - 10 minutes max! - and not only does it keep your hair out of your face and out of tiny little hands' reach, it also makes you look effortlessly put together.

I usually start this hairstyle with second day hair that has a little texture in it. It gives the end result a really nice, messy-in-a-good-way look. 

On days I want even more texture I'll do a quick spray of dry shampoo (I use Dove dry shampoo because it smells so good!) on my roots down halfway on my hair and a little tease just at the top of my head.

Next you want to section off the top section of your hair - from about your temples up. I use Blax Hair Elastics in either the brown or the clear for this hair style. I tried them because we used to carry them at my store and one of my coworkers raved about them and I am ruined for any other hair elastic! They don't snag your hair and they are perfect for hairstyles that involve smaller sections or braids.

Then you're going to section off two more sections - from your temples to just above your ears and then the bottom section below your ears.

Remember the whole "topsy tail" trend that was big in middle school? Yeah, me neither... But that's what we're going to do to the three sections. 

So when you get to the second topsy tail, tuck in the first ponytail and repeat this step with the third section and tuck all the hair in the third topsy tail. 

Now pull some face-framing hair out to loosen the hairstyle up and make it look more casual and messy-chic and you're done! I told y'all, it's such an easy go-to hairstyle! 

You can leave it as it is or you can do the most and braid the ends for a different, more put-together look. I usually leave it as is, but it's totally up to you!

Best of all, it's completely out of reach of this little guy's hands so it's mama and baby approved.

xo Kristina

February Favorites

Today on the blog I'm sharing a few of my favorites for the month of February! I want to try to do a monthly favorites blog that includes beauty, entertainment and fashion because I love sharing things I love! (Also, can you believe it's already March!? What.) This month I'm featuring a few beauty faves and one fashion fave.

Beauty

I honestly only tried a handful of new beauty products this month so these definitely qualify as "tried and true" favorites from more than just the month of February. I feel like I should also preface this with my skin type; I have combination/oily and extremely sensitive skin that will break out in acne or hives if it doesn't like a product. Like, a feather could literally graze my face and I will get a massive red hive. It's horrible! So needless to say I'm really careful and choosey about what I put on my skin. I realize that everyone's skin reacts different to certain skin care products so I'm not claiming that these will work for everyone exactly the same or that everyone will fall in love with the products as much as I have, they're just what have worked for me! 

So here are all the beauty & skin care items I've been loving this month:

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Chiffon

I've actually been using this to highlight my cheekbones and nose as well as an eyeshadow and I've really been loving it! My skin has yellow undertones so pink toned highlights just don't look right on me. This shade is a lovely gold toned ivory and is so shimmery and so pigmented that it's perfect as a highlight on your eyes or cheeks.

Ulta Beauty Mineral Blush in Sweet Pea

I honestly can't remember the last time I bought something from Ulta's beauty line but I decided to give some of their products a shot after my sister gave me a gift card to Ulta for my birthday. As far as blushes go, I usually gravitate more towards peachy, warm, bronzed tones so I was pleasantly surprised when I fell in love with this blush! It's more cool toned, like a dusty, rosy pink. What I really love about it is that, because it is a mineral blush, it's pigmented yet sheer so it's really easy to build the product to get the right amount of blush. 

Nivea Sensitive Cooling Post Shave Balm

Okay so this one I just had to try because I kept hearing rumors about how amazing it was as a primer and you know what? It really is as amazing as everyone says it is! As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have combination/oily and very sensitive skin. On top of that, my t-zone tends to get pretty oily as the day goes on so I was definitely curious to see how this product would stand up to everything I have going on with my skin. It is the sensitive formula and it has a really nice cooling effect that gently wakes your skin up and feels really nice when doing your makeup in the morning. It does initially have a strong, spicy/manly cologne smell to it that does wear off after you start applying your makeup, but I honestly don't mind it at all because I prefer "manly" smells to flowery/powdery smells. As the day went on, I did get a little oily but I was really impressed with how it kept my makeup on my face even after an 8 hour shift at work. Even more impressive was that Josh could tell the difference! So needless to say, I highly recommend this as a primer. 

Mario Badescu A.H.A. & Ceramide Moisturizer

Part of my New Years resolution was to take better care of my skin because I turned 25 this year (hello quarter life crisis!) and I realized that now's the time for preventative maintenance on my skin, aka better to keep wrinkles and uneven texture away now than try to get rid of it later, ya know what I mean? We just started carrying a handful of skin care from the Mario Badescu brand in our store and I figured it was perfect timing for me to try it. I have only tried a few items in the range and even though I am so impressed with a number of them, this product has definitely been the MVP of the month. The formula has alpha hydroxy acids in it that gently exfoliate your skin and make even up your skin's texture. According to the bottle it's especially for combination and oily skin so it's very lightweight and doesn't leave me feeling greasy at all, even when I wear it under my makeup. I use as both my daytime and nighttime moisturizer and when I wake up in the morning after slathering a good amount of it on my face, my skin is so soft and so smooth and I can really tell that it was working even through the night. In fact, I find that even my fingertips/hands feel softer and smoother after I apply this moisturizer on my face. Another product I highly recommend!

The Artist Studio in Elderflower Petal Eau de Parfum

I used to only use one perfume, every single day until I ran out and that was my signature scent but I've recently been getting really into perfumes and fragrances. I love getting to choose the scent I wear that day based on where I'm going, my outfit or my mood. This perfume has notes of geranium and sandalwood and, because it is an eau de parfum, a few sprays will definitely last you all day. It's .5 oz, so not only is it great for traveling but it's double what you would get if you bought a rollerball perfume at a beauty store for basically half the price! Also, I'm a sucker for packaging and this packaging is just the cutest.

Fashion

photo credit: un-fancy.com

One of the things I've been obsessed with for the past month has been having a capsule wardrobe! If you've never heard of a capsule wardrobe, it's basically a system to keep your closet clean and keep you feeling good in your clothes. You choose a certain number of items in your closet and those are the only items that you wear that whole season. Not only does it make it so easy for me to get dressed in the morning, but it also saves me all the money I would've spent on retail therapy! It's a beautiful thing when you realize what you have is more than enough. And the best part of all this is that there's no rules that are set in stone, it's completely personalizable so you can choose what works best for you.

If you're curious to learn more about capsule wardrobes, check out this blog called Un-Fancy. She was one of my biggest inspirations in this whole thing and shows her past capsule wardrobes and outfits she built from those capsules. Even if you don't think a capsule wardrobe is for you, I definitely recommend checking out her blog!

That's all for now!

xo Kristina

Happy first, EJ!

(This is a long one, but I promise it's worth the read!) 

One year ago today, we were in the hospital in Salisbury, Maryland, meeting our little Elisha James face to face for the very first time. Where has the year gone?! All at once it feels like just yesterday and so incredibly long ago. I look at pictures of EJ in awe at how much he has grown and changed. I look at pictures of Josh and I and think of how clueless and inadequate we felt those first few weeks (thank God for my mom aka the baby whisperer coming to stay with us for the whole first month! she's an angel) and I think of how far we have come as parents. Not that we're perfect, but when we look at the happy and healthy little guy we get to do life with we can't help but feel like proud parents.

Giving birth is such a crazy experience. I now fully understand why certain African cultures celebrate women who give birth with a ceremony fit for a warrior coming home from battle. It's hard work! The best way I can explain it is that it's kinda like you are about to run a marathon that you only trained for by reading a book about running and on top of all that, you don't even know when exactly the race is going to be. The days leading up to it are filled with constant thoughts of "oh my gosh was that a contraction?" and "please God, let this be the last bump selfie I take". 

My pregnancy with EJ was incredibly easy. I only had "morning" sickness a few evenings when I was 8 weeks along, I was able to wear most of my normal clothes well into my 7th month and, apart from being really tired and rather emotional, most days it was actually pretty easy for me to forget I was pregnant because I felt so normal (that is, until I looked down and saw my bump or felt EJ kicking!). So part of me thought that because my pregnancy had been so easy that, naturally, my labor would be just as smooth and drama-free.

Mm, not so much. 

I've never really shared EJ's birth story before, besides with family and a few close friends. It was so intimate and powerful and slightly traumatic that, at first, I just didn't have the words to write it down or even feel like I was ready to share. But looking back and seeing how God was totally with us in that hospital room, helping us greet this amazing kid and protecting him every step of the way, I realize it's a story I have to share. My hope in sharing it is that it would first and foremost glorify God, because EJ's birth really was a miracle, and that my story reaches out to someone who just needs to know that, no matter what they're going through, they're going to be alright. That they can trust God even with something as big or scary as giving birth. If I can even encourage one person through this story, it will be more than worth it to share.

Even though he was born on February 25, EJ's birth story really began on Monday, February 23. I woke up that morning feeling a new sensation in my belly, but not really thinking anything of it. My mom had just gotten in town the night before and she was more than ready for her first grandson to be born! I was desperate to have this baby and not be pregnant any longer, especially because my midwives would tell me how close I was to labor every week during my appointments for the last month of my pregnancy. My mom and I decided to make ourselves busy that day, so we had lunch with Josh's parents and then went to buy some last minute baby gear and some groceries so we could bake our (my) stress away. As the day progressed, I kept feeling cramps but they were so similar to the braxton hicks (pre-labor contractions) I had had in the weeks leading up that I really thought nothing of it. It wasn't until later that evening that I really noticed a pattern in them, about 6-7 minutes apart, that we decided to head to the hospital that was about 30 minutes away from our house. 

Long story short, after walking around the hospital for about 45 minutes, I ended up getting admitted with contractions at 4-5 minutes apart when suddenly, they just completely stopped. To say that I was upset was an understatement. I cried (mostly out of frustration) at the thought of having to leave the hospital without my baby in my arms. I had an amazing nurse named Sarah and she prayed for peace over me and hugged me and with that we were sent home just after 12am to rest. Even though we had spent a good chunk of the evening in the hospital, I came home and had the best sleep of my entire pregnancy (God was totally trying to prepare me!). I slept so well, in fact, that I didn't even get up once to pee that whole night, and that never happened! 

The next morning I woke up around 11am and felt so rested but a little frustrated that I was still pregnant. I wanted to meet my little boy so badly! I got dressed and ready for the day and noticed that my contractions were picking back up. I timed them and they were around 10 minutes apart and still pretty faint. Just another false alarm, I thought. Because it was a Tuesday, I had my regularly scheduled weekly appointment with my one of my midwives that afternoon. She was off duty the night before so I filled her in about everything that had happened. By the time she was actually checking me, my contractions were closer together, at 7-8 minutes apart. She reassured me that I was definitely going to have my baby that day, that I shouldn't even bother driving all the way back home. I wanted to cry when she said that, it almost felt like a sick joke because I wanted it so badly. But my mom agreed with my midwife and we decided to take her word for it. We had lunch in the city and walked around the mall near the hospital for a little bit. It sure as heck beat driving 30 minutes just to be sitting at home, waiting.

As we were walking around the mall a few hours later, I noticed that my contractions were getting a little stronger and closer together, around 5-6 minutes apart. It was 6pm and I knew that Josh was just getting off work at the time, so my mom and I decided to head to the hospital (not before stopping at Starbucks, of course!) so I could walk around with Josh, hoping to get something moving along. As soon as we parked and got out of our car to walk into the hospital it started snowing. I couldn't believe it! Josh was about to be on his way and the snow was starting to really come down. We got inside and sat in the lobby while I called Josh to let him know we were there and to drive safe. As soon as I hung up I heard something pop, like the sound of a balloon popping. Instantly I felt that my water had just broken and was trickling slowly down my leg. All at once I got so incredibly excited and nervous because I couldn't believe it! I was finally going to give birth! What's even cooler is that, unbeknownst to me at the time, my good friend was a few time zones away also heading to the hospital to give birth to her baby boy.

We walked to the elevator to get to the labor and delivery floor, and if my contractions were at a pain level 5 out of 10 before my water broke, they were most definitely at a 15 after my water broke. They were coming on so strong at 3 minutes apart and I could hardly breathe through the pain, let alone walk or talk. Some of the nurses recognized me from the night before and instead of checking me in at the triage they immediately had a room set up, almost like it was waiting for me. They asked me for a urine sample, so I used the bathroom in my hospital room and that's when I saw it. I saw that EJ had had his first poop while still in my belly. My heart sunk. I immediately started crying and yelling for my mom and the nurses to come help. Josh hadn't arrived yet and I wanted nothing more than for him to be there by my side. I panicked. My mind instantly went to all the worst case scenarios that I had read about and I had to force myself to choose to trust God. To trust that everything was going to be okay. To trust that He's never surprised, that He's for us and not against us, that He knit EJ in my womb and knew every hair on his little head and  that He already loved him infinitely more than we ever could.

Josh finally arrived around 7pm and he never once let go of my hand. We knew that EJ had to come out soon, but I just wasn't progressing at all. My mom was pacing the floor,  reaching out to her all her friends to pray for our little guy. Around 8pm I got an epidural and we decided that it would be best to get a low dose of pitocin to try to speed up my progression and get him out safe and healthy. I tried to sleep, knowing I had a long night ahead of me. About an hour later, a few nurses rushed in our room because I had spiked a fever and it was distressing EJ. I was shivering uncontrollably, even under all the blankets. They gave me tylenol to reduce the fever and I tried to go back to sleep. Not too long after, they came back in because my fever had spiked even more, and both me and EJ's oxygen levels were going down. The combination of the fever, the lack of oxygen getting to my lungs and everything else left me in a haze and everything was so foggy. It was hard to grasp what was going on. They put an oxygen mask on me and told me to focus on breathing deep. We were finally stabilized for while, but our levels plummeted a couple more times in the following hours, causing concern to my nurses and midwife. 

Around 1:30am they decided to come check me to see how I was progressing. They asked me if I felt any pressure and I said I did a little bit, and my midwife was shocked at the fact that I was already at 9.5cm! Usually they wait until 10cm to start pushing, but she said that  I was so close that it was time to push! It all happened so quickly. They rolled the light above me and Josh and I held my legs in position. I couldn't believe it was actually time! Josh was beyond excited. So excited in fact, that he probably said "push, push, push" at least about a hundred thousand times. After almost an hour and a half of pushing with every contraction that came, I was getting so exhausted. I didn't think I had very much more to give, but I was reassured by everyone that I was so close, that they could see his fuzzy little head! My midwife then explained to us that when EJ came out, they didn't want him to cry until they had sucked everything out of his nose and mouth because of the huge risk of him breathing in his own poop that was sticky as tar and that could cause his lungs to collapse. But, the longer babies go without oxygen, the more possibility of brain damage there is. It was such a fine line that even a millisecond too long or too short could have terrible outcomes. Yet again, it was another opportunity presented to us to choose to fully put our trust in God, that He would protect our little guy.

I ended up pushing for a little over two hours and at 3:41am on February 25, Elisha James Hardt was finally born and we finally got to see all 8 lbs 7 oz and 20.5 inches of him. What I didn't know until later was that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and he looked almost blue and lifeless when he first came out. As my midwife was trying to hand him off to the nurses, the clamp that was on the umbilical cord was stuck to her and she had to quickly unclamp herself so that they could suction everything out of him. Every millisecond counted. When I finally heard his cry, it was crystal clear and the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. EJ was actually here and he was ours! Josh cut the umbilical cord and started talking to him and his crying immediately stopped. He recognized his daddy's voice, and it was the most beautiful moment. When I finally got to hold him, he latched on immediately and we instantly bonded. Josh and I were crying tears of joy and unbelief. He was our little gift from God, and God handpicked us to be his parents. What an incredible feeling!

Because EJ's birth was traumatic and so many things could have gone wrong, they kept a close eye on him and ran tests through the night. With every test, Josh, my mom and I prayed and thanked God in advance for the good reports of a healthy boy. And you know what happened? Every result came back that he passed with flying colors! We were beside ourselves until we heard how our friend's birth had ended up. Their sweet little boy, Judah, had also taken his first poop in her belly and it caused his lung to collapse. Our hearts sunk and we were in shock as we read that they had to helicopter him to a nearby hospital. How was it that we were just in the same situation but here we were holding our perfectly healthy boy? I felt so terrible for them, I couldn't bring myself to share too much on social media about EJ's birth because I didn't want them to feel like we were the constant reminder of what could've happened if things hadn't gone wrong. 

Needless to say, I had a lot to process in the first few days and weeks of EJ's life. Not only processing being a mama for the first time, but in seeing update after update from our friends on the progress of their little guy I couldn't help but feel almost guilty for having gone through the same thing but with a completely different, positive outcome. But I'm happy to say that today, little Judah is a happy, healthy 1-year-old and you would never be able to tell that he went through such a tough battle in the hospital the first 6 weeks of his life. He truly is a little miracle! But at the time, all I could do is weep. Weep in thankfulness for EJ's precious life, weep in sadness at the situation our dear friends were in. And even though I didn't and still don't know why it happened to them and not us, I know for a fact that Jesus was doing the same thing - He was rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who wept. That's who He is y'all! He truly is the most amazing friend, closer than a brother. I have never leaned in to Jesus as much as I did in my first 3 months postpartum and I truly believe that my choice to lean into Him and receive His mercies that are new every morning and his abundant grace kept me from the downward spiral of postpartum depression. I don't say that to brag about how strong I am or to say that I'm so above postpartum depression, because I know that it is a very real thing that many women go through. I share that to give new mamas and mamas-to-be hope. 

My heart in sharing this is not to strike fear about giving birth in anyone, but instead to glorify God and encourage you to trust God in every circumstance - no matter how scary or unknown or seemingly impossible the situation. Even when everything seemed to be going wrong with EJ's birth and nurses were preparing us for the worst, He was in control. He really loves us and He really is as good and as faithful as you could ever imagine. 

Today EJ really is the sweetest kid there ever was! He's walking around, waving and blowing kisses at everyone he sees. He loves being outside in the sunshine and swings are his happy place. He chats at everyone and everything and has such a big personality! Today we celebrate one year of this strong-willed, curious, adventurous, funny little guy being in our lives and what better way to celebrate than to remember what a miracle his little life is. 

Happy birthday EJ! We love you so incredibly much!

xo Kristina