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Best Recipes 2020

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Today I am sharing my Best Recipes of 2020! These posts to re-cap the year are some of my favorites here on the blog. Last year's 2019 is here. And today I weave through 2020. It was (for my blog) an excellent year in recipes!

Check out this list of vegan recipes.

2020.

There is so much to say about this crazy year. I feel so conflicted about watching this year exit. Even though so many tragic and profoundly awful things happened in 2020, for me personally, the good stuff took center stage. So I have to feel somewhat (oddly) grateful for 2020.

With Rosalie coming into our lives, it was pretty hard to feel sad or mad at this year.

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Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

These vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with walnuts, aka fudgy brownie cookies, are the perfect treat when you are craving chocolate and want a treat in cookie form. These fudgy and tender, melty-chip cookies are reminiscent of brownies, but with more sturdiness and bite to them than a gooey brownie.

These Double Chocolate Chip Cookies have walnuts folded in too. I love the added crunch and flavor that they add - though nuts are totally optional. you can whip up a batch of these yummy cookies in about a half hour!...

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Holiday Bagels

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Holiday Bagels

Ok, ok, you guys know of my bagel-making obsession by now. So yesterday when I was making my weekly batch, I wanted to try a holiday-themed spin on a flavor. So I went with these delicious holiday bagels!

The flavor: Cranberry White Cheddar Pumpkin Seed, and a few had a sesame seed coating too. The verdict? So good!!

I love raisins in bagels, so the dried cranberries were a similar holiday spin on that texture and flavor. These bagels would be so fun to give as a gift or just whip up and devour all December long. Let's get baking!...

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Mushroom Potato Pot Pie

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Mushroom Potato Pot Pie

This creamy, cozy Mushroom Potato Pot Pie with tofu and onion, rosemary and sage makes the perfect festive fall centerpiece entree. Make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas - or any old day in need of a one-plate wonder meal.

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Vegan Biscotti

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Vegan Biscotti

I embarked on a new baking project over the weekend. Vegan Biscotti! Sweet and simple, with that alluring almond flavor - a few of them dipped in dark chocolate, with a sprinkling of chopped almonds on top.

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Everything "Double Scoop" Cookies

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Everything "Double Scoop" Cookies in a row

These Everything "Double Scoop" Cookies have everything but the kitchen sink in them -- or so the saying goes. Not really. I mean, these delightful, flavor-packed vegan cookies are kinda like traditional chocolate chip cookies with a sprinkle of magic. Magic in the form of rustic rolled oats, toasty walnuts, buttery pecans, perky pumpkin seeds, gooey chocolate chips (obviously), some creamy peanut butter, aromatic cinnamon and vanilla and plenty of sweetness from dreamy coconut sugar and maple syrup.

Yup, these cookies have a lot going on, in the best way possible.

And even better, these Everything "Double Scoop" Cookies can absolutely be customized to fit your ingredients-on-hand needs. Change up the nuts and seeds, change up the flour or the egg replacer. Or even the peanut butter. Or go crazy and add in even more goodies. I'm thinking raisins, sunflower seeds, maybe even an extra scoop of chocolate chips if you want.

Any way you make 'em, I promise these double scoop cookies will fill your kitchen, tummy and mood with some sparkle.

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Fall Family Photos

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kathy patalsky fall photos
photo by: Heather Leven

Sharing some happy today, Fall Family Photos via my first 'mommy and me' photoshoot. I'm also sharing five tips for your own family photos - DIY or professionally outsourced.

Plus, the one thing my photographer said to me that changed my mindset on family photos....

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Kathy's Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

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Kathy's Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

Hello, hello! With little miss Rosalie here, my schedule has been very unpredictable lately, one thing has remained consistent.. breakfast! This is it. My go-to the past few months. I lovingly call it, Kathy's Vegan Breakfast Sandwich.

If you follow me on Instagram, you most certainly have seen some variation of this creation in my stories -- alongside a foamy decaf soy latte. When I say we love this recipe around here, I mean it. Seriously, I make this pretty much every day for breakfast for my husband and I. And even after many months of this lovely stack - we never seem to tire of it. Kinda crazy since I usually get worn out from recipes that I make over and over.

So here is exactly what is in my Kathy's Vegan Breakfast Sandwich and how you can whip one up in the morning too!...

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Vegan Mushroom Soup

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healthy cream of mushroom soup

Updated! This Vegan Mushroom Soup, aka my No-Cream of Mushroom Soup with hints of garlic, rosemary and spicy black pepper has been one of my favorite blender soups for the past eight years. I posted this recipe back in November 2012, and have updated it a bit based on all the many times I have made it! I have received so many comments and rave reviews of this soup over the years, so I wanted to update the photos and give the original recipe a bit of love...

Some fun facts: This Mushroom Soup is vegan and comes together in just about twenty minutes. Easy dinner or lunch material.

How to Serve my Vegan Mushroom Soup?

I love it paired with avocado toast, hummus on toast or another toast or half sandwich fave. It also goes well with a side salad or just a chunk of your favorite crusty bread for dunking.

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Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

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vegan butternut squash soup

This Vegan Butternut Squash Soup is super speedy to prepare and tastes delicious as a warm lunch or light dinner. Delicate spices like pepper and garlic mingle with maple, green apple and that sweet and savory golden squash. This recipe uses boiled butternut squash for speed and ease! This soup can be ready in about twenty minutes start to finish.

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Simple Chocolate Protein Shake

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Simple Chocolate Protein Shake

Frosty and creamy, yet light and hydrating, protein-packed and naturally sweet, this Simple Chocolate Protein Shake is one to add to your day anytime you need a protein boost that packs a chocolate-flavored punch!...

Hello! I'm alive. Promise. It's been a whirlwind six weeks after having miss Rosalie. And these days (and nights) have been some of the most exhausting and absolute BEST of my life. And while I could definitely go on and on about all the details of life these days, postpartum, today I just wanted to pop in and share a smoothie that I have been making pretty much every day these past few weeks...

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Pumpkin Loaf

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sliced Pumpkin Loaf

Today I am sharing a new vegan Pumpkin Loaf recipe with you guys. This easy baking recipe is rich in pumpkin flavor and golden pumpkin color, super fluffy, warmly spiced and holds together so well. No mushy, soggy or dense loafing around with this recipe!..

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Classic Falafel Recipe

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Classic Falafel Pita Sandwich

This Classic Falafel Recipe is one to add to your dinner time rotation! Having a homemade pita night is totally possible and easier than you may think. Yes, you need to prep one day in advance - by soaking the beans overnight, but that's really it. The rest of this recipe -- including the homemade pita bread can easily come together in a flash. You can always use store-bought pita for ease as well!

This bean-ful meal is plant-based, delicious and will give you restaurant-at-home vibes all night long!

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Homemade Pita Bread

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pita bread

This Homemade Pita Bread is pretty magical when you think about it. Somehow, simple circles of fluffy dough, magically bake up into puffy balloons with steamy centers, ready for stuffing with your favorite goodies. Hummus, falafel, veggies, tahini, hot sauce and anything else you dream up...

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She's Here! (Birth Story)

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kathy and rosalie one week

Hello! I'm alive! And yes indeed, baby girl is here! Sorry to keep ya waiting. After a few weeks of keeping this news to ourselves and close friends and family, I am excited to share with you guys the birth story of this sweet pea...

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Chocolate Frosted Donuts

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sliced chocolate frosted donuts

As I was making my baked, vegan 'Hostess copycat' powdered sugar donuts a few weeks ago, of course I also had to pair them with some Chocolate Frosted Donuts as well!

These baked vegan donuts are vanilla flavored and completely coated in a rich chocolate coating. This is not your usual soft chocolate glaze. This is a rich, truly chocolate coating! It absolutely reminds me of the Hostess version I used to eat.

So choose your fave. Are you a powdered sugar donut fan or a Chocolate Frosted Donuts loyalist?? Or maybe a bit of both...

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Vegan Sloppy Joes

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Vegan Sloppy Joes

A favorite since childhood for many people, Sloppy Joes are a fun sort of comfort food meal for kids of all ages. And these Vegan Sloppy Joes made using lentils and a rich tomato base are such an easy treat.

Big on flavor. Super easy. Packed with protein. One skillet meal. Sound good?

Bonus points for the fact that they are super simple to make, can be whipped up in twenty minutes, taste amazing and are packed with nutrients like protein and fiber and antioxidants. Looking for some speedy, plant-based dinnertime inspiration? Here you go!...

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Jalapeño Cheddar Bagels

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Jalapeño Cheddar Bagels

Yup I have another bagel recipe for you guys. These Jalapeño Cheddar Bagels are fire! And I don't think I've ever referred to anything as 'fire.' So you know they are good. Or I was just feeling extra millennial-y and needed to use that word. Who knows. When you've been quarantined since March you start to change up your descriptive phrases a bit to keep things interesting.

And by now, if you follow the blog, I guess you have can guess what my fave summer stress baking recipe is. Hello vegan bagel shop! Oh, and yes, these Jalapeño Cheddar Bagels are vegan. These are so crazy good, they remind me of me pre-vegan days when I used to devour any sort of cheese-infused baked good I could find. Well today's my day for the vegan version....

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How to Make Vegan Milk Foam

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foamy milk vegan latte in mug

Something every latte lover wants: amazing foam! Foamy lattes used to be challenging to achieve with non-dairy milk, but not if you know what you are doing. Today I am sharing my five tips for how to make vegan milk foam.

These tips can be used for espresso or coffee, matcha or even rooibos or golden lattes!...

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Vegan Strawberry Muffins

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vegan strawberry muffins

We were down to one blueberry muffin, so I knew I needed to make more. But always wanting to experiment, I decided on these Vegan Strawberry Muffins instead.

Bakery Style Muffins

These strawberry-studded muffins bake up fluffy and buttery with irresistible sugary caps on top. Cake-like crumb and totally bakery style. I could see these buttery gems sold in the best little bakery in a cute town. Steamy coffee and muffin in hand, some sort of picturesque mountainside or quaint main street out in front of me. You see it?

So but wait, the question comes up, what do you prefer: a classic blueberry muffin or a less common strawberry muffin?...

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Veggie Rice Bowls with Peanut Sauce

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Veggie Rice Bowls

These Veggie Rice Bowls with Peanut Sauce and your choice of bean-based plant protein are a recipe I have been pretty obsessed with the past few months. And every time I have posted it to my Instagram story someone asks me for the recipe and I have had nothing to offer up! But I'm finally getting around to posting this weeknight meal beauty!

I mean I made this bowl two nights in a row this week and will probably eating it again soonish.

Why I Love it

It's just everything I love in a meal. Nourishing, healthy, hearty, plant-based, packed with warmth and veggies. Steamy when served. Cozy. Feels like a hug in a bowl. Balanced with plant-protein, healthy fats and carbs. Savory-sweet flavor. And lots of flavor might I add!! Make it, and make it again...

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Ella's Super Veggie Fried Rice + Cookbook Giveaway!

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super veggie fried rice hot sauce

I love when shiny new vegan cookbooks hit the market. I know how much work, sweat, kitchen-time, love and tears go into those hefty stacks of paper, so I am always thrilled to celebrate and share. And so it goes for Deliciously Ella's brand new cookbook, Quick & Easy Plant-Based Deliciousness! Today I get to share a recipe from the book: Ella's Super Veggie Fried Rice, as well as giveaway two signed cookbooks!....

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32 Stress Baking Recipes from Bloggers

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stress baking recipes 2020

Stress baking is an official hobby of 2020. So I thought it would be fun to poll some of my friends and ask them just what their go-to stress baking recipes are this year! And since food bloggers only bake up their most favorite things (on repeat) you know these recipe recommendations are going to be GOOD. And I love all the commentary that these bloggers added to their recipe choice!

Here's What Bloggers are Stress Baking!....

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

So there's a bit of a heatwave going on in LA this weekend, so it was perfect timing for me to be testing out this recipe for vegan, Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. I have made this ice cream four times now in the past week and finally settled on the most perfect ratios of ingredients.

This flavor! I'm so in love with it. That clash of rich chocolate and nutty, savory peanut butter is a total summertime swoon.

So if you love all things chocolate and are up for a special summertime dessert, break out the blender and ice cream maker for this Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream...

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"Famous" Fresh Blueberry Muffins, Gone Vegan

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Fresh Blueberry Muffins

Tis the season for fresh blueberry muffins made from those plump, ripe, could-devour-this-whole-bowl-in-seconds sort of berries. And today, I tried out a very famous recipe, with my own little tweaks and vegan spin on things.

These "Famous" Fresh Blueberry Muffins, Gone Vegan are an absolute dream with their 'sugary crowns' and juicy berries exploding out of every fluffy crevice. Moist crumb and buttery tones throughout, these taste like they were pulled straight off of a bakery rack at from your favorite cozy cafe.

So make sure you have some amazing summer blueberries on hand and whip up these muffins.....

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Easy Chickpea-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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chickpea-stuffed sweet potatoes

These super easy Chickpea-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are perfect for a quickie, satisfying, vegan meal. My speedy 5-minute chickpeas are paired with creamy garlic hummus and a sticky-sweet stuffed sweet potato for a pretty much perfect easy meal.

If you are a sweet potato lover like me, you will want to add this recipe to your go-to meal rotation!...

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Fresh Cherry Cobbler

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Cherry Cobbler with ice cream

I have been buying a lot of cherries this summer and eating them by the bowl-ful. But I also wanted to make something sweet and lovely using fresh summer cherries, so this Fresh Cherry Cobbler it was!

Make it extra amazing by serving warm with your fave vegan ice cream...

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Easy Vegan Potato Salad

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crunchy vegan potato salad

This Easy Vegan Potato Salad is everything you crave in a classic potato salad. Creamy, crunchy, with enough texture to accent the mashed and chunky boiled potatoes.

This potato salad is loaded with tangy, vibrant flavor. It's one of those side dishes that you will seriously consider just making your main course because you cannot stop eating it.

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Easy Vegan Burrito Bowl

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Vegan Burrito Bowl

This Easy Vegan Burrito Bowl is a recipe that I have been making for years. I whip this warm and nourishing bowl up when I am in the mood for some healthy comfort food with some heat and color. You can easily make this in under thirty minutes with just a few basic ingredients.

This bowl can also be served as fajitas if you add some warm corn or flour tortillas on the side. Or fold everything into a giant tortilla for a vegan burrito. But if you are in the mood for a big, cozy bowl -- here's your meal!...

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Chunky Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This 'Chunky Monkey' style, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is loaded with melty chocolate chips and chunky walnuts, all clustered together in fluffy, vegan banana bread. I love the thick slice of baked banana right on top too!

Whip up this cozy loaf and I chat about the best way to serve banana bread... cold of warm?!.....

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A Hard Day.

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kathy patalsky pregnancy malibu beach

I wrote this a few weeks ago when I was having a particularly overwhelming 'pandemic pregnancy' day. There were tears. And just sitting on the floor until I felt ready to stand up again.

As so many of us struggle to find balance between choosing joy and feeling overwhelmed, I decided to share it today..

Happy + Hard, Go Hand in Hand...

Personally, I try to share a lot of happy things on the internet. It makes me feel good. But hard days come. And those hard days are what make me appreciate the happy days so much more.

I try to remind myself that challenging emotions are not permanent. Despite how heavy they feel in the moment. And they always, always, teach me something.

I hope this post brings you some comfort on one of your hard days. You are not alone, and feeling all these feelings is not only ok, but in many ways a good thing -- a healing process. Don't bottle things up, or you will never be able to let them go...

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Pumpkin and Hemp Seed Bagels

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Pumpkin + Hemp Seed Bagels

You already know that bagels are basically my go-to item of 2020. I am a bit obsessed with baking them, eating them and sharing them with you guys. These Pumpkin and Hemp Seed Bagels are my favorites so far because they are loaded with healthy, protein-rich hemp and pumpkin seeds. At first I figured I would add any seeds as coating to my bagels, but discovered that both hemp and pumpkin (two faves for health) burn very easily. So I folded them into the dough and that process works perfectly!

Get the recipe and become a bagel baking expert in no time!...

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Peach Coconut Water Smoothie

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peach coconut water smoothie with turquoise

This Peach Coconut Water Smoothie has been my summer smoothie obsession ever since I first made it last week. I'm pretty sure I have made it once a day since then.

This coconut water smoothie blends up frosty and light, super hydrating with a sweet and bright flavor. This is the perfect hydration beverage for when you feel a bit drained or just want something cool and refreshing and fruity to sip on.

Coconut Water Smoothie

I love that it is made with coconut water because that adds electrolytes, natural sweetness and keeps this smoothie super light. Sometimes you just don't have the hunger for a richer, creamier, heavier smoothie -- you want refreshing, yet still fruit-packed! This is that smoothie!

But this Peach Coconut Water Smoothie has one very important rule that you simple cannot skip to make it the best ever.....

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Are Bagels Vegan?

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Yup, I have been on a complete bagel kick these past few months. It all started when I made my first batch of homemade bagels using this easy recipe. And one of the questions I see come up a lot in regards to bagel is: Are bagel vegan? So today, I want to answer that question for you and give you a few options for how to veganize the possibly non-vegan parts of a bagel....

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Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

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sweet potato cauliflower soup

What am I doing posting this warming, spiced, creamy Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup right as summer is coming? Well, for me, pureed soups are an absolute year-round meal. And this particular vegan recipe is a spin on one of my most popular soup recipes - my Sweet Potato Soup in a Flash. And just like that recipe, this bowl has warming spices that wake up your palate, bright, summer-y citrus and the tones, colors and textures just feel very 'any season approved' to me.

This recipe makes one large bowl of soup - perfect for the solo diner, a la meal for one! Or you can easily double, triple or (whatever) the recipe if you are sharing this meal with some people you love. Spoons up!...

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Blueberry Lemon Loaf

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blueberry lemon loaf

This light and fluffy Blueberry Lemon Loaf is studded with juicy, antioxidant-rich wild blueberries. A hint of lemon in every lovely bite. This loaf pairs so well with a latte or mug of tea. Perfect healthy meets decadent snack loaf. This one is a keeper!...

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