Cherry Almond Muffins

Over the last year I've evolved into a morning person. An early bird, if you will. Waking up with the sunrise and falling asleep shortly after sunset has slowly become a way of life for me. I've grown to embrace it. Some days, I can't even imagine sleeping through the early morning hours I've learned to love.

It never used to be this way.

I suffered from insomnia for many years. I was a night owl by circumstance, not by choice. Growing up, the thought of going to bed was enough to instill a deep dread within me. During my teenage years, it would take me nearly two hours to fall asleep at night, every night. Two hours. I would lay there, staring at the ceiling, imagining far away places and wishing my dreams would take me there. I longed for rest. Reading books, staying away from the television, trying to turn off my mind—nothing seemed to help.

Sleep eluded me.

As a result, I would sleep very late into the morning hours. The idea of waking earlier than 10 am sent shivers down my spine. I became the typical teenager, hardly sleeping during the week and crashing on the weekends.

During university, my symptoms only worsened. I would be awake until the wee hours of the morning doing homework or spending time with friends. Unfortunately for me, my courses were always early in the day. Instead of lying awake in bed hoping the sandman would drop by for a visit, I simply didn't sleep. For an entire semester, I averaged between 3-4 hours of sleep a night. I had cured my insomnia, but replaced it with mental and physical exhaustion.

Was it healthy? Certainly not. But it prevented me from spending those long hours in the dark, dreaming of sleep. I've had enough of those hours to last me a lifetime.

Last summer, I was determined to find a healthy balance. Each morning, both weekdays and weekends, I would set my alarm for the same time. I started late and gradually set it earlier over the next few months. I wouldn't go to bed until I was tired. Whether my drowsiness set in at 11 o'clock at night or 2 o'clock in the morning, it didn't matter. When my alarm went off the next morning, it was time to get up. No snoozing. No just five more minutes.

I gave my body a schedule and it had learned to adjust.

Every now and then I still have trouble falling asleep, but my insomnia has essentially disappeared. Though I'm often awake at the crack of dawn, I've grown to love it. My mornings feel long and luxurious, like I'm living on stolen time. I use these new found hours to go to the gym or bake sweet treats for you.

Being an early bird also means I get to enjoy muffins when they are meant to be enjoyed—in the morning, with a cup of tea.

These Cherry Almond Muffins are filling, yet retain a lighter texture. The cherries bring a soft sweetness to each bite. Almonds are mixed into the batter as well as sprinkled on top. During baking, the sprinkled almonds become lightly toasted, adding another dimension of flavor to these simple but delicate muffins. These are best served warm with a small pat of butter.

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Roasted Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies

Inspiration can arrive without a moment's notice. Like a lighting bolt illuminating the sky and racing towards the ground, inspiration strikes equally. When I am inspired with a new and unique idea, it hits like a punch to the gut, all-encompassing and demanding attention. True inspiration isn't just a light bulb switching on above your head. It is too powerful. If true inspiration struck, the light bulb would burst into a fireworks display that would light up the night sky.

These brownies were my inspiration.

Rarely am I struck out of the blue with unique and delicious ideas. Chances are you've already eaten most of the recipes I feature on this blog, or a variation thereof. You may not have set out to make them yourself, but I find that it's hard to surprise people with a new take on an old recipe or idea. That's not to say I certainly don't try to keep you on your toes and surprise you once in awhile. I'm just saying it's difficult to re-invent the chocolate chip cookie.

When I got the idea for these brownies, I immediately went to the internet to see if it had been done before and with any luck. There are recipes for dark chocolate brownies, brownies with dried cherries, and brownies with cherry preserves. Combining cherry and dark chocolate certainly isn't a new idea, but no one, as far as I can tell, has ever put roasted cherries in a brownie and decided to share the tale.

Let me tell you, this needs to be remedied as soon as possible.

Roasted Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies are like brownies sent down from the dessert gods themselves. The dark chocolate base of these brownies is so unbelievably moist and decadent. As soon as the brownie hits your tongue, it melts into a gooey, chocolaty mess that sticks to the roof of your mouth like a spoonful of peanut butter. When combined with the rich sweetness of caramelized roasted cherries (like in this ice cream), you might feel tears come to your eyes. These really are that good. I would never lie to you about something so serious as a good, quality dessert. These are the best brownies I have ever eaten (and I've eaten some good ones).

No one in my house can get these brownies off of their minds and, several times a day, someone will sneak up with a fork to subtly steal a bite (or ten). You will want a tall glass of milk with these. Oh, and another brownie.

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Cherry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

I find that the more I watch television, the more I continue to watch television. Once I start, I can't quite bring myself to stop. The advertisements for the next episode or a new show draw me in, whether I like it to or not.

I lived without a television for many years. Sure, I would keep up with a few of my tried and true shows through the internet, but I never went out of my way to find new shows or, god forbid, watch reality tv just for the sake of it. Going for walks, reading books, or just sitting in silence replaced the background noise of the glowing screen. I never missed the television—when you don't have one you simply find other (and often more productive) ways to spend your time.

Lately, my eyes have been glued to the screen. I find myself flipping through the channels looking for something, anything, to watch. It doesn't even have to be good, quality television. Bad TV and I have become close friends, whether I like to admit it or not. This weekend I saw a promo for the next episode of The Bachelor and actually tuned in. I've never watched an episode in my life! While I know many of you know and love it (we all have our guilty pleasures, don't we?), it is something that has never interested me. Since when have I become so lazy I'm willing to watch anything as long as it thinks for me? I feel a bit of shame.

But today, I shut off the television. I turned down the radio. Reveling in the silence of a snowy winter afternoon, I baked these cookies. And it felt good.

These cherry chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies have the qualities of a classic oatmeal cookie. Crispy at the edges and thick and chewy in the center, these cookies combine the best in cookie textures. The tart cherries and bittersweet chocolate contrast well against the lightly sweetened dough. These cookies are perfect for dunking in a glass of milk or curing the midnight munchies.

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