But the warm temperatures make it hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s only two weeks away! Time sure does seem to fly, especially as I get older. When I was a kid it seemed like time just dragged by. Funny how things change.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is my love for cupcakes. While I still appreciate them just as much now as I did when I was a kid, my tastes have changed somewhat in that I prefer my cupcakes when they’re not too sweet.

I also prefer bite-sized miniature cupcakes now because sometimes a little bitty one is all I need to satisfy my sweet tooth.

But don’t get me wrong, I do have those days when I’d chose a regular-sized cupcake over a miniature one.

As much as I enjoy cupcakes though, one of the problems with making them is that we always have way too much for the two of us. My solution is either to make a large batch and give most of it away or to make a small batch so we have just the right amount for ourselves. This time, I made a small batch which yielded 12 mini cupcakes and one large one. That’s still more cupcakes than what we need, but they’ll keep in the fridge so they won’t go to waste.

If you’re in the mood for some cute little bite-sized cupcakes but don’t want to make a huge batch, give this recipe a try. If you prefer your cakes sweeter, just add more sugar to the frosting.

Then sit out on your balcony, patio, or porch, and savor something sweet as you enjoy the beautiful colors and mild temperatures of autumn.

Bite-Sized Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes (Small Batch)

Recipe Sources for the Cake: Maugans Nakos’ “Small- Batch Baking” and Cake on the Brain

The only aspect of this recipe that’s a bit troubling to me is the amount of sugar that’s in it. It’s not that the muffins were too sweet because they weren’t. They had just the right amount of sweetness. The issue is that I want a breakfast bread which is lower in sugar. When I make these muffins again, I think I’ll try using 1/4 cup of agave nectar instead of brown sugar and see how that works.

Agave nectar is sweeter than cane sugar, and it also has a lower glycemic value than sugar, honey, and/or molasses.  So I’ll definitely substitute the sugar for agave nectar next time and see how it turns out. I’ll let you know by posting a little update.

If you’re looking for a great breakfast bread, this is definitely The One!

I love how the sour cranberries contrast with the sweetness of the tangerine juice. And cranberries and tangerines are a perfect pair of flavors that compliment each other. The walnuts add a lovely nutty texture and flavor, and the muffins are moist tasty. I’m so glad I found this recipe, and I’ll definitely be making these muffins again and again.

Wheat Bran Cranberry-Tangerine Muffins

Adapted from: the Wheat Bran Cranberry Quick Bread recipe that’s on the package of Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran

What’s funny is that I’m not a big fan of kale, but I loved how it tasted in the coleslaw. I’m really glad that I’ve found a way to incorporate this very nutritious vegetable into my diet.

Last night I was craving cabbage (that happens to me a lot) and so I decided to make a coleslaw similar to the one I had in Whole Foods. I didn’t have any cashews on hand, so I used walnuts. The salad in Whole Foods didn’t have mandarin orange juice in the coleslaw that I could taste, but I wanted my salad to taste even fruitier so I added the juice to sweeten it up.

I also used a balsamic vinaigrette instead of oil and vinegar. I love oil and vinegar but I wanted to see how it would taste with balsamic vinaigrette. It was great! I also wanted to make a festive looking dish, so I decorated with extra mandarin oranges. Here’s how it looked when I was done:

Cranberry Mandarin Coleslaw with Walnuts and Kale (Inspired by a salad I tried on Whole Foods’ Salad bar)

Ingredients:

• green cabbage, shredded
• kale, cut into small pieces
• celery, (half stalk) diced
• carrots, shredded
• cranberries, dried
• unsweetened mandarin oranges and the juice (2 four oz. cans)
• walnut pieces
• balsamic vinaigrette (you can substitute oil and vinegar)
• Optional: purple cabbage, shredded (This would add another pretty color to the plate and would taste great too!)

Instructions:

1. Clean the cabbage, kale, carrots, and celery
2. Shred the cabbage and carrots
3. Cut the kale into small pieces and dice the celery.
4. Put all of the above vegetable into a large bowl, and then add a can of mandarin oranges and its juice, the dried cranberries, and walnuts.
5. Drizzle the mandarin orange juice from both cans over the coleslaw.
6. Then, drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss.
7. Put the coleslaw on a large serving dish and then decorate around the salad with the mandarin oranges from the second can.

This salad not only makes a festive dish for the holidays, but it also is extremely healthy. If you’re concerned about filling up too much on starches and desserts, take a nice sized helping of this salad to help fill you up and satisfy your sweet tooth. If you’re watching your carbs closely, instead of using cranberries and oranges, use berries instead. It’s such a delicious salad that I’m going to make this again and again. In fact, I think I’ll have some right now as a matter of fact. How ’bout you?