I know that technically it’s still summer but it’s really beginning to feel a lot like fall here and I’m more then ready. Over the last week I have begun to feel a lot better and the cold crisp air is breathing new life into me. I’m ready for a new season and a new start in this pregnancy. Bring on the cravings! :)

Doughnuts are something that my family loves. My mother-in-law makes one mean glazed doughnut and I love it! My problem is finding time to make the dough, roll it out, cut it out and deep fry it. They’re definitely worth the effort but I’m hard pressed to find the time with an antsy two year old.

That’s why these jam filled fritters make me a happy woman. You simply whip up a tasty muffin batter, drop it into hot oil, pipe it full of strawberry jam and dust it in icing sugar. Bliss. I’m already thinking of different ways to fry up this spice infused batter. I think some chopped apples would turn these into some pretty fine apple fritters.

These would be a great way to end the first week of school. You can have the fritters all ready for when the kids come home, then they can help fill them with jam and dust them in icing sugar. I’m sure they won’t complain and few will probably disappear on their way to the serving tray.

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This time of year has always inspired me. There’s an excitement in the air, almost tangible in the crisp weather that’s making it’s appearance when the sun goes down.

When I was younger I looked forward to going back to school because it meant I got to see my friends every day. Plus I was a little bit of a nerd and enjoyed learning, for the most part.

At 2, I don’t need to start thinking about school time for my son just yet, but I still get that feeling of excitement as others gear up for the year ahead. Planning school lunches is a big part of that preparation and I’m hoping to help relieve some stress with these Guacamole Turkey Wraps.

“School lunches can feel like a chore for both the parent that makes them and the child that feels like they’re eating the same thing day in and day out. Coming up with new and exciting things to put in your child’s lunchbox can get a little stressful. Especially when your trying to work out the best way to pack in nutrition while guaranteeing that your child won’t just trade it for something else.

Wraps are a great way to break out of the normal sandwich routine so that your children feel they’re getting a special treat. Meanwhile, you can be happy knowing they’re getting the same nutrition, sometimes more…”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

Cottage Cheese and Yogurt Parfait (top photo)

You can now vote for which color you want to be next! Scroll down to the bottom for details.

Blueberry Sauce from NinjaHelloKitty

Sugar Plums from VeggieGirl

Blueberry Syrup from Simple Bites

Blueberry Muffin from The Pack

Eggplant by melepix

Plums from vesna1962

Blueberry Cheesecake from mrbinondo

Colorful Mondays is a bi-weekly event featuring photos by color. The next roundup will be White Monday on September 6th. If you would like to submit a photo that fits within that theme please send a link to the photo and the webpage that you would like it to link to (mondays@kitchensimplicity.com) or add it to the flickr pool. All photos must be submitted by Sunday September 5th.

Thanks to everyone who contributed this week!

Vote for the next Colorful Mondays theme or leave a comment to suggest a color.

Get notifications of upcoming Colorful Mondays themes and posts sent to your inbox. Fill out this Colorful Mondays Update Form to recieve the weekly reminders.

I may not have an actual garden, but in the summer months, it seems as though I have one strewn around my kitchen. Pasta Primavera is such a great way to use up the plethora of vegetables in your garden, whether that be in your backyard or your fridge.

Over at Simple Bites I’m sharing the recipe for this tasty pasta (seriously, it’s so good that Max can’t get enough of his veggies when I serve them this way) and some tips on freezing and cooking vegetables so you can enjoy it all year long.

“The end of summer marks the time that we start scrambling to use up all the fresh produce bursting from our gardens. It can be hard to find ways to use up so many vegetables at one time. That’s why the Italians created Pasta Primavera..”

Read more and get the recipe on Simple Bites.

“Quesadillas are a go to last minute dinner in our house. There are so many different combinations you can throw together from leftovers in your fridge that will make for quick and tasty quesadillas. They can be as simple as a filling of ham and cheese (one of our favorites) or as varied as the vegetables in your crisper drawer. The flavors don’t have to be Mexican, anything that goes well together will be great melted between two toasty tortillas. All you need is cheese to bind it all together…”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

I have been obsessed with tea and cookies ever since I saw the recipe for this Chai Concentrate on Hilary’s blog: Let Her Bake Cake. James is in heaven because I make a new batch of cookies practically every week.

These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies have been a long time fave and are one of the cookies I turn to most when I’m looking for something to dip in my tea. Don’t get me wrong, these are by no means just a side-kick to tea. These cookies stand alone in their awesomeness.

One thing that keeps me coming back for more peanut butter deliciousness is the fact that these cookies actually seem to get softer as the week goes on. I’m guessing this has to do with the peanut butter and oatmeal? Whatever the case, it takes a long time for these cookies to go stale, which means you can make a large batch and gorge on them all week long.

Peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chips makes the perfect cookie combination, in my book. And, another great indulgent breakfast treat.

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This is a twist off of my mom’s Broccoli Salad recipe. Hers is packed full of yummy goodness like grapes, sesame seeds, grated carrots and crumbled bacon. Although it is one of my favorite salads to eat, I’m much to lazy to make it for a weeknight dinner. This is my simplified version with a bit different ingredients which I think is just as yummy.

The dressing on this salad is sweet and tangy lending itself to all sorts of fruit and nut combinations. You could really mix this up with any type of fruit and nuts you like. Strawberries and almonds would be a nice change. Or, how about apples and walnuts. Mmm.. apple season. I’m actually getting quite excited about fall and all it’s produce.

I chose to fill mine with broccoli, mandarin oranges, cashews, dried cranberries and red onion. It’s a stunning combination. And, this is a great do ahead too, although you’ll want to add the nuts just before serving as they tend to get soggy.

What yummy combinations would your salad consist of?

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I was debating whether to call these muffins or cupcakes. But I think anyone that eats chocolate muffins for breakfast understands that, that distinction is always hard to make when your having chocolate for breakfast. The only real reason I’m calling these “muffins” is because I took my Blueberry Sour Cream Muffin recipe and altered it slightly to make it Double Chocolate Raspberry. Can I get a whoop whoop?

My husband isn’t really a fan of raspberries but he devoured these for breakfast, snack and dessert, so I’m guessing he thought they were pretty good. I’m a die-hard chocolate-raspberry fan so these were pretty much heaven in cupcake form for me. A moist chocolate batter with gooey chocolate chips and fresh bites of sweet and tangy raspberry. Mmm.. what could be better?

Whether you decide to call these muffins or cupcakes I advice that you make them a super-indulgent breakfast sometime soon.

What’s your favourite breakfast splurge?

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Roasted Pear Crisps (top photo)

Pomegranate Profiteroles with Caramel from Michael Seidel

Golden Beets & Pickled Golden Raisin Salad from One Hungry Mama

Honey tea from JustABigGeek

Jam and Honey from ly wylde

yolk-dijon from Island Vittles

Lemon Gem Cupcakes from VeggieGirl

“a taste of honey” from michele cat

Round Rock Honey from motleypixel

Honey in a Jar from rumahama

Creme Caramel from eatzycath

Colorful Mondays is a bi-weekly event featuring photos by color. The next roundup will be Deep Purple Monday on August 23rd. If you would like to submit a photo that fits within that theme please send a link to the photo and the webpage that you would like it to link to (mondays@kitchensimplicity.com) or add it to the new flickr pool. All photos must be submitted by Sunday August 22nd.

Thanks to everyone who contributed this week!

Get notifications of upcoming Colorful Mondays themes and posts sent to your inbox.  Fill out this Colorful Mondays Update Form to recieve the weekly reminders.

My mouth is seriously salivating looking at these pork chops. This is by far my new favourite way to do up pork chops on the grill. They’re spicy, succulent and so very flavourful.

I’m having so much fun making recipe creations for Smithfield.com. I’m over there today sharing the recipe for these tasty chops. It’s such a quick and easy recipe that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

I’d love for you to stop by, say hi and fill me in on your favourite way to grill pork chops. You can never have enough grilling recipes!

Head here for the recipe and to join the conversation.