I have a feeling that over these next summer months there might be a few lot of recipes with some kind of berry or fruit roasted into the title. Roasting, baking, grilling, sauteing, simmering really any way you can think to heat up and warm up fruit is a favourite past time of mine. Whether it be roasted strawberries for muffins or grilled peaches to go along side a big scoop of ice cream (aka dessert last night), warmed fruit is just splendid anyway you have it.

I can still smell the aroma of these muffins has it lingered into each and every crevice of the kitchen, out into the hall and even into the living room. It is really glorious. The first time I baked them was on a Sunday morning so I mean that itself is just extra special. Who doesn't like to wake up on a Sunday morning to fresh baked roasted strawberry muffins and tea? But these muffins themselves just had a unique special quality about them.

Super moist, laced with cinnamon, not too sweet, the dates add the extra texture and sweetness needed and the roasted strawberries just take these muffins to a whole other level. The moistness comes from the vanilla yogurt and it is a magical addition. I used a local company's grass fed, cream top, vanilla yogurt but most any will do. I am sure even a coconut or almond based yogurt would work just as well too if you are vegan or can't have dairy products. Of course sub the eggs for a chia seed egg too.

The mix of the roasted strawberries, cinnamon and dates truly is outstanding in this recipe. I wanted to make a muffin that was suitable (well as suitable as muffins for breakfast can be) for breakfast as well as an afternoon snack or a sweet tooth craving. So the addition of the yogurt adds a load of protein as does the spelt flour and really there is not too much sugar (maple syrup in this case) considering you are making 12 muffins out of this recipe. So I think you can safely indulge in these pretties for breakfast without any muffin guilt! Plus there is fruit in them, fruit is a breakfast staple.

I am really excited about this upcoming weekend. I am shooting a flower workshop for the lovely Clare of Clare Day Flowers on Sunday afternoon (could there be a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?). We have been Instagram friends/admirers for a while now, her gallery is truly beautiful you can check it out here and finally we have connected in real life. Ironic because her family farm is literally 5 minutes down the road from our house.

It is one thing I love about the online world is meeting others and connecting with people you already have this connection with, sometimes you feel like you have known someone through Instagram or another social media platform for years or you feel like you have met them in person before you even do you grow such a close relationship with them. I have had three girls I met online through Instagram who have actually come and spent time with me and stayed at our house and really they are truly now dear dear friends of mine.

I had one of the biggest compliments I feel like I have received from one of my most favourite girls on Instagram, our names are exactly the same except the spelling so I mean it was mean fate we were to meet and become instantly in love with each other. But Lindsey wrote me through whatsap the other day with the sweetest message saying she felt like my Instagram "was like a dating service for making friends", my heart completely fluttered when I read that.

If there is one thing I would want to convey out to the world or bring in, it would be the feeling of comfort. I truly adore everyone that leaves me a comment and I love receiving them, I have made unbelievable relationships with people through interactions online that would never have been made if one of us had not first reached out with a comment or a like or a private message. Now I feel like I really do have friends all over the world, ones that I hope I can visit one day and ones that I hope will visit me one day, my door is always open.

So I suppose the moral of my story is reach out, let someone know you love their picture or their recipe sounds really good, or their cat is adorable. Whatever it might be, if you admire someone and want to get to know them better just do it. I guess it is kinda like anything in life, most of the best things come from action and wanting and desiring and putting those things together into play and sending them out into the universe.

One of my favourite sayings goes something along the lines of (I am really bad at remembering quote for quote) "what you put out into the world is what will come back to you". If you are putting positive vibrations into the universe she will repay you with positive vibrations back. Negative brings negative. Hate brings hate. And my favourite of all love brings love.

So send a little more love out there, love and light are always needed in this lifetime. Someone somewhere could always use a smiley face or a hug emoji. Or better yet send someone you adore a sweet message telling them how much they have impacted your life or how you feel like their Instagram is like a dating service for friendship (Thank you again and again Lindsey). I always try my hardest to respond to everyone on social media because like I said I cherish and treasure every comment and I read every single one of them but if for whatever reason I have not responded to one of yours know that it sits in my heart.

vanilla yogurt + roasted strawberry spelt muffins

muffins

1 1/2 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped dates

roasted strawberries

1 pint strawberries

1 tbsp of melted coconut oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla

pinch of Himalayan salt

directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with wrappers or wipe down with coconut oil.

Slice the strawberries into threes length wise, this does not have to be perfect! Toss them in a large bowl with the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and a touch of salt. Spread evenly only a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Once roasted set aside.

In a large bowl add all of the dry ingredients (spelt flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon) and mix well. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients (yogurt, egg + extra yolk, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla). Mix until just combined and add in the dates

To assemble the muffins place a small scoop of the batter in the bottom of each muffin round. Then add a layer of strawberries and then top with another scoop of the batter and another layer of strawberries, until finished. It should make 12 muffins.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.