Vanilla Bean-Yogurt Pound Cake | prAna + Stonyfield Organic #JustBeYou

I like my frozen yogurt on the plain side {no toppings}. I rarely do anything drastic with my hair -- just a trim and some subdued layers. When it comes to fashion and decor, I'm not one to go for sparkles and "bling" {do people even say that anymore?} I guess you might call me a little "vanilla."

When I was in high school, one of my best friends badgered me constantly about wearing more makeup. In college, my roommate incessantly tried to add more "color" to my wardrobe -- I defaulted to neutrals. Even while wedding dress shopping, I remember every single bridal consultant adding sequined, bedazzled dresses to the pile of classic, "plain" gowns I chose on my own. My own sister often jokes with me that I live in a "taupe-colored" world because I gravitate to things that are clean, simple and unembellished.

See? Vanilla.

Let's get something straight here... Vanilla is a compliment.

To me, vanilla means comfort. Coziness. Sweetness.

When Stonyfield Organic and prAna asked us to craft a post showing which Oh My Yog! variety and prAna organic clothing piece expressed our style and "flavor", I didn't have to think twice about what I'd choose: Madagascar Vanilla Bean yogurt and a cozy sweater!

Yes, that may sound boring to some, but hey, that's my life these days! Though I love a sassy sundress, jet-setting and having fancy cocktails with the girls, my current reality as a work-from-home mama doesn't exactly lend itself to stilettos and manicured nails.

When I'm not in the kitchen cooking up the recipes I share here, you can find me playing on the living room floor, running errands around town or taking the tot to story time -- all activities that require comfortable attire! Thankfully, prAna creates pieces that suit all types of lifestyles whether you're toting a baby or a yoga mat. It's always nice to know that you can run out the door without looking disheveled, then head home and continue with your daily routine without having to change into "comfy clothes" -- who has the time?!

Messy mom-hair, don't care.

Stonyfield also gets it right with Oh My Yog! -- a tri-layer yogurt with a sweet Madagascar Vanilla bottom, honey-infused whole milk yogurt middle and decadent cream top. It's the kind of thing I'd want to snack on while working on my lap top, snuggled in a comfy sweater like the Sondra from prAna's organic line -- like a little oasis of peace and calm in the middle of my baby-chasing, crazy days.

You may think of "vanilla" as one-note, and maybe not too exciting... but I see the layers and the complexities. Subtle, rarely ostentatious, a little under the radar. Approachable, familiar and endearing.

It's an honor to be called vanilla! ;)

How would you describe your personal style? prAna is giving you a chance to #JustBeYou by offering 15% off your purchase through December 15. Just enter the discount code JBYF15TKPB at checkout! One of you will also have the chance to win a fabulous piece from their organic cotton line*, and all you have to do is enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: Clearly, when I was given the option, I chose this sweater in the color "Winter" -- SO Vanilla! -- but it was unavailable and I received the piece in Rhubarb, which I happened to love even more. Maybe I'm getting a little more adventurous in my maturity. Ha!

*Winner may choose a piece from prAna's organic line up to $99.

Disclosure: I have an ongoing partnership with Stonyfield. I received coupons and a sweater from prAna in exchange for this post. As always, the opinions here are all my own!

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Not only is Oh My Yog! great for snacking, but it's also perfect for baking! 

I made this simple, tender pound cake extra vanilla-y by adding a big ol' tablespoon full of vanilla bean paste and using the Madagascar Vanilla Bean flavor of Oh My Yog!, but any of their flavors can be added to suit your taste.

This type of recipe is such a nice homemade treat to share for the holidays, or to have for family gatherings and brunch buffets.

Whether you choose to keep it plain, or spice it up with flavors like Apple Cinnamon or Gingered Pear, I think you'll find this sweet, classic recipe anything but boring!

Vanilla Bean-Yogurt Pound Cake
Makes 2 mini loaves or one medium loaf

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 {6 oz.} container of Madagascar Vanilla Bean Oh My Yog! yogurt, in your favorite flavor

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mini loaf pans by spraying lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add vanilla bean paste and beat until combined.

3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

4. Slowly add half of dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just disappeared. Add in yogurt and mix until just incorporated. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just combined. {Do not overmix.}

5. Divide batter evenly into mini loaf pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Chai Spiced Brownies

When you blog for a while, people start wanting to send you stuff for you to write about. As great as that sounds, it gets a little overwhelming when you are an honest kind of gal who wants to give everyone a shout out, but doesn't want to turn her sacred space into one giant ad.

So a lot of times, I end up saying, "Hey, thanks for wanting to send me your cookbook/food product/kitchen gadget/recipe idea/fill-in-the-blank! It's so nice of you to think of me. I'm happy to share a picture of it on social media {if it's something I like and would actually use}, but I can't pay my bills with artisan crackers so I'm can't promise that I'll have time to write a whole post singing your product's praises."

Ok, maybe I don't say it exactly like that, but that's essentially the message that I send back. And then we might talk a little bit about working together in a business sense, which is when you'll see me mention that a post is "sponsored". {So, THAT'S what that means!}

But every once in a while {though less and less lately because, hello, baby's college fund}, I get an email and I'm like, "Heck yeah, send your chocolate/wine/cheese/awesome little-known fancy condiments right on over!" Then I try really, really hard to highlight the product in a post or use it in a recipe so that no on thinks I'm ungrateful or sneaky, trying to bum delicious things off of generous companies who are trying to promote their products. No one likes a mooch.

It's a fine line to keep this whole blog business both genuine and profitable!

Anyway, I get so much stuff in the mail that my mailman and UPS delivery guys probably think I have a major food hoarding problem. One day I'll have to invite them all in for a feast made out of all the products they've delivered to my door so they can see for themselves what's going on.

But yeah, from time to time someone sends something for you to check out and it gets lost in the shuffle. And then you're cleaning out your pantry one day and you go, "Whoa, this looks like a fancy little tin of chai tea that I probably wouldn't buy for myself, where the heck did it come from??" And then you remember and you feel bad for not doing what you said your were going to do {back in February! eek.} because you've been busy writing and cooking and raising a baby and having a life and keeping your head above water most days. Sigh.

I'm really glad I found this tin of Palais des Thes Chai Imperial because it is a perfect transitional flavor between the pumpkin spice season we're leaving and the turkey/apple/peppermint season we're entering. Really, it's a flavor you can enjoy all year long, but it's such a nice, cozy blend of aromatic ingredients that I think it's most appreciated when it's a little chilly out. {Not that it is here, but you know what I mean.}

Since we are nowhere near sweater weather in these parts, I decided to bake the flavors of chai tea into a brownie. Because I can get down with brownie-eating no matter what the temp is outside.

Chocolate and chai go together swimmingly with the warm, spicy notes of cardamom, pink peppercorn and ginger balancing the sweetness of the chocolate. If brownies and warm spices don't sound like pure comfort, then I don't know what does!

Phew! I feel way better now that this little tin of chai goodness has been unearthed from the depths of my pantry and had its day in the sun. Having a pan full of brownies is a nice perk, too! ;)

Disclosure: I received Palais des Thes Chai Imperial to try for this post. As always, all opinions here are my own. 

Chai Spiced Brownies
Makes 9 large brownies, or 12 decent sized brownies

1/2 cup milk, divided {I used almond milk}
3 tablespoons Palais des Thes Chai Imperial loose tea
1/2 cup {8 tablespoons} butter, melted
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare and 8x8 inch baking pan* by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with foil for easy removal.

2. In a small saucepan {or in a microwave safe cup}, heat milk until steaming. Add loose Chai Imperial and allow to steep for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, coconut oil, vanilla and eggs until fully combined.

4. Using a strainer, pour milk/tea mixture into a small cup or bowl, pressing on solids to remove as much liquid as possible-- discard tea solids. Whisk 1/4 cup of tea mixture into the wet ingredients. Set remaining 1/4 cup aside for use in glaze.

5. In another bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

6. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined and no dry spots are left. Fold in chocolate chips.

7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

*You can also make this in a 9x13 inch pan. The brownies will be thinner and may bake a bit faster, so check on them after 18-20 minutes.

For Glaze: 

4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup remaining chai spiced milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in cocoa powder until dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and add chai spiced milk and vanilla extract.

3. Beat in confectioners sugar until smooth.

Quickly pour glaze over cooled brownies and allow to set, about 20 minutes. Slice and serve brownies.

Double Pumpkin Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Have you fully recovered from the Halloween sugar high? Don't even look at me like some mini-Snickers didn't find their way out of your kid's basket and into your mouth...

I didn't eat one chocolate bar, peanut butter cup or sour candy this weekend. Mostly because I was too busy stuffing my face with everything else in the world at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

If you haven't ever been, let me tell you a little about it: It is a dangerous playground of tapas-style food and drink samplings from just about every country on this planet. {At least it sure feels that way.} Those Disney folks are pretty clever because they encourage you to get a special little swipe card that you load with funds and wear on your wrist for easy access at each station. And the next thing you know, you have spent your child's college fund and your retirement on escargot-stuffed croissants and Irish cream ale and all you have to show for it is indigestion and an empty bank account.

Our first stop was the Hawaiian kiosk with Kahlua Pork Sliders & pineapple wine.

Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it does get pricey because every kiosk looks better than the last. On the positive side, you're walking the entire time {when you're not waiting in line because, duh, it's Disney} so you're burning calories while you are consuming them, and while I'm fairly certain that it doesn't exactly balance out, it's a nice consolation.

Anyway, between the walking, carrying all 20-some odd pounds of Cole and calling on my self control, I didn't feel like I did too much damage in the end.

It is fun, fun, fun. I highly recommend it!

That being said, we sort of missed out on Halloween festivities because we were too busy showing Cole the ways of the World {showcase, that is}. There was a tiny bit of mom guilt, but then I realized that 1.) He's not old enough to eat candy anyway and 2.) We had already given him a chance to dress up the night before and walked him around a local festival... and the guilt melted away.

My baby chef. Love, love, love.

Guess what else melts? {Nice segue, right?} Cheese. 

Yes, I know I just told you that I spend the weekend eating and I should probably spend the next week or two eating kale and air before the the holiday season gets underway... but look at this.

There is a real possibility that you are all pumpkined out by now, but I had to give pumpkin just one last hurrah since I didn't do Halloween. And besides, this isn't as terrible as you'd think.

Remember the Pumpkin Seed Pesto I recently posted as a dipper for chicken nuggets? Well, as it turns out, it makes a fantastic spread for sandwiches, too. Since I also had pumpkin puree leftovers in the fridge, I slathered that on the sandwich as well. Lastly, a handful of arugula adds a little more green, which is always a nice touch and helps to ease the conscience.

You can use whatever type of melty cheese you enjoy, but I used Cabot's Farmhouse Reserve Aged Cheddar because I like the sharp, salty bite with the creamy pumpkin and herbacious pesto. Yum times a million.

Ok, I think all the pumpkin is out of my system now. What flavors and recipes do you want to see as we enter the holiday season?

Double Pumpkin Cheddar Grilled Cheese

1 tablespoon butter, divided
2 slices bread {I used White Mountain bread,but sourdough would be good, too}
2-3 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup fresh arugula leaves
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Seed Pesto {recipe found here}
About 2 ounces {or more!} Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Cheddar, sliced or shredded

1. Over medium heat, melt half the butter in a skillet.

2. Meanwhile, assemble sandwich. I made mine by spreading pumpkin puree on both pieces of bread, then spreading pumpkin seed pesto on one side. I placed the slices of cheese on one side and the arugula on the other so that the spread would hold onto them like glue, then closed up the sandwich. You can make your sandwich as you please! :)

3. Place sandwich in melted butter and toast until browned, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Lift sandwich and add remaining butter to skillet, then flip the sandwich and toast the other side until the bread is browned and the cheese is melty.

Goes great with a hot cup of soup!