Before we get into today’s recipe, I have some exciting news… I’m hiring a baking assistant! If you love baking (and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you do!), then check out the job description and application here. If this baking assistant job sounds like a good fit and you’re interested in joining the Amy’s Healthy Baking team, I’d love for you to apply!
Last year, I visited New England in the early autumn for a work event. The itinerary included a tour of two different organic dairy farms, one in upstate New York and the other in northern Vermont, so we stayed partway between the two at a charming inn a little further south in Vermont.
On the second full day, we ended up with a few free hours in the afternoon to relax back at the inn, so I pulled on my sneakers and headed out to the inn’s grounds. The property included multiple hiking trails, which wove across a stream and around the thick forest of incredibly tall and stately trees.
Armed with only my phone (which simply acted as a camera, seeing as there was zero cell service in those hills!), I walked alone, listening to the birds happily chirping and the sounds of dry leaves crunching underneath my feet. I followed the well-marked trails, climbing over massive tree trunks that had fallen across the narrow path and hopping across stones in the gently flowing water, all while marveling at just how dense, lush, and peaceful those parts of New England were compared to my San Diego home.
Not many people realize… Once you leave the beaches on the coast, most of San Diego is actually a desert!
With the cool and overcast weather, I never overheated on my two-hour hike, and by the time I arrived back at the inn, sipping on a cup of coffee back in my cozy room just sounded perfect. I brewed a fresh mug with the coffee maker the innkeeper left for us in one of the lounges, and I slowly savored it while sitting in the comfy chair in my room, looking out at the fields and forest through my window.
As I enjoyed the view and reminisced about our whirlwind trip, full of new friends and fun travel and really good food, I also thought about how lovely it would be to live there…
Until I remembered that it snows — a lot — in much of New England… And although I loved that cloudy fall weather, my body just can’t take that much freezing cold!
With our California weather finally starting to turn cooler, we’ve actually experienced a few of those overcast days here… Which brought back memories of that trip, my hike, and that cozy cup of afternoon coffee. And of course, whenever I think about cloudy days and hot coffee, I always start craving baked goods to go with them…
Kind of like “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” only this time, it’s “If You Give Amy a Cloudy Day”… She’s going to want coffee and a pastry to go with it!
So I satisfied my pastry cravings with these Healthy Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins! They’re incredibly moist and bursting with sweet pumpkin and cozy spice flavors — absolutely perfect for autumn weather!
These healthy muffins also contain a plethora of yummy mix-ins that boost their comforting flavor: carrots, apples, raisins, pecans, and coconut. Despite their indulgent taste and perfectly tender texture, these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins are 117 calories and surprisingly simple to make!
Continue reading & see the rest! ›› Healthy Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins
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