Hello my almond butter loving friends. If you're new to HEAB, you may like to subscribe to my RSS feed or receive my posts via email. Thanks for reading!
Last night, our friends Nate and Tonya came over for dinner. They were married while we were in Michigan, and we wanted to have them over to celebrate their nuptials…I also had ulterior motives. A certain someone’s first birthday is coming up, and I’m experimenting with various cupcake recipes. Little did our dinner guests know that they would be forced to sample cupcakes…thankfully, they didn’t mind too much.
We dined on goat cheese potato salad and an autumn salad with apples, bleu cheese, candied walnuts, and a creamy mustard vinaigrette dressing (loved the dressing Andrea!)…
Since Tonya is a vegetarian, I made lentil burgers…
and CD made Butterfied Burgers with sauteed onions for the rest of us, although I did enjoy a lentil burger as well. My plate…
Then came time for dessert…
I made Sarena’s nutmeg muffins with goat cheese frosting.
Me: So, what did you think?
Nate & Tonya: These are really good. Banana bread muffins with cream cheese, right?
Um no, not exactly…the recipe didn’t contain bananas. So, it’s back to the drawing board for the birthday cupcakes, but if you’re looking for a wonderful muffin recipe, try Sarena’s. Delicious, especially if you like banana bread!
Actually, Andrea’s candied walnuts were the big hit of the evening…
Think I could just stick a birthday candle in them? 
{ 33 comments }
what a great night with friends heather! love both the burgers as well. i would have had one of each too. we had friends over for dinner as well. kind of a nice way to spend a saturday night. sorry about the cupcakes but how can you go wrong with goat cheese frosting? YUM! enjoy your sunday
Thanks Kalli, glad you enjoyed your dinner guests as well. Don’t you love having people over for dinner – it’s so much more relaxing than going to a crowded loud restaurant, you know? Oh, and just so you know, you can never go wrong with goat cheese frosting. NEVER.
Loved every bite of the dinner and the company too : ) You can invite Nate and I over anytime for cupcake testing! P.S. We are totally joining Costco Love yall!
Mmm, goat cheese frosting sounds awesome!
I made these the other day with honey instead of agave, and they were AWESOME. My whole family devoured them. http://www.elanaspantry.com/cinnamon-bun-muffins/
Thinking they’d make a great first birthday cupcake for a certain beautiful little girl
Ellen,
I love all of Elana’s recipes but have yet to try her cinnamon bun muffins. Oh my gosh, they sound amazing! We’re holding off on giving Summer nuts until she’s officially a year old, and I’m thinking the birthday party would not be the best time to discover a nut allergy. Hopefully, she’ll be enjoying some of Elana’s goodies soon!
wait… goat cheese frosting sounds even more delicious that cream cheese frosting to me! haha loved the ‘cupcake’ comment, but they sounds delicious whether you consider them a muffin or a cupcake!
i cannot believe that summer is almost a year old!! i still remember a few mothers days ago when you announced you were expecting… time flies!
Kathleen, I know, I can’t believe it myself.
Candied nuts are the best. Oh, I love them so. The smell, the flavors, mmmm, good. It reminds me of holiday time in the malls where the scent of nuts goes wafting everywhere.
The cupcakes look crazy good, too. Frosting w/ goat cheese…would love to try that!
Cannot believe it’s almost first bday time…wow!
Everything looks SO yummy! I’ve gotta try goat cheese frosting, that sounds amazing (and dangerous – ha!). Nutmeg in a muffin-cupcake sounds delish even if it did turn out tasting a little like banana, I’ll have to give it a shot!
Everything looks SO yummy! I’ve gotta try goat cheese frosting, that sounds amazing (and dangerous – ha!). Nutmeg in a muffin-cupcake sounds delish even if it did turn out tasting a little like banana, I’ll have to give it a shot!
I can’t believe Summer is almost ONE! Wow, where has the past year gone?!?
Nora,
I have no idea – time is flying, and yes, you gotta try the goat cheese frosting. So easy – so very tasty!
Haha, that’s because of the nutmeg! That’s too funny. The frosting sounds amazing. Everything looks and sounds delicious! I would have been more than happy to eat that dinner!
Sarena,
And I would have been more than happy to have you join us. LOVED those muffins – and now questioning why I sent most of them home with our guests.
Oh, goat cheese frosting! A delightful selection…wonderful flavor combinations, as always, Heather! Hope you and Summer and CD are enjoying fall.
Thanks Victoria. Same to you – I love fall!
Swoon! I just bookmarked a recipe for goat’s cheese brownies, but now I think I may have to make these instead. I love nutmeg; it’s always associated in my mind with my mum’s rich custard
never would have thought of goat cheese frosting! sounds heavenly!
really great menu Heather…
Thanks Bid. Tasted pretty darn good too.
Welcome back, Heather! Great recipe! Love the nutmeg muffin!
Thanks Health Bee. I loved the nutmeg muffins too. In fact, kind of kicking myself for sending most of them home with our guests.
Whoa- goat cheese frosting? There’s something I’ve never heard.
Looks like a fun night with friends. That’s so nice of them to be testers for you! He he! You know, that WOULD be cool if you could figure out a way to get a candle in walnuts. 
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
we need to be yer neighbors
Oh wow, what a feast! I’ve had Sarena’s nutmeg muffins pinned since she first posted them weeks ago, but I keep forgetting to make them! That goat cheese frosting sounds like the perfect addition!
Ahh, I can’t believe Summer is almost a year old already!!
Heather,
I know, I can’t either. You must try that goat cheese frosting. It was super easy and tasted so good. I think it would be amazing atop a bowl of oatmeal.
Your cupcakes come out the perfect shape. Mine are always “loppy”
I recently picked up the cookbook “Babycakes” – some great cupcake recipes in there! And GF.
Nah, candles are over-rated and a fire hazzard.
I m so jealous, I want to be invited over!
What about the almond flour cake you made awhile back? Could that be made into cupcakes? It looked so yummy and I have been wanting to try it, but I’ve been too lazy.
Melanie,
Good memory! Yes, that cake was actually adapted from a cupcake recipe. However, we’re holding off on giving Summer nuts until after she’s a year old, and I’m thinking her first birthday would probably not be the best time to discover a nut allergy.
I’d happily take a candle in candied nuts, YUM!
In my haste to meal plan this week, I neglected to plan sides for our dinner tonight, thinking I’ll whip up this potato salad to go with our chops.
Your newlywed friends are so cute!
Check out the cupcake project blog for great ideas. I’ve done her vanilla cupcakes in orange rinds before, huge hit and yummy!
Thanks Sam – just checked out the Cupcake Project and pinned a couple of recipes. Such a cute site!
Aw, they look like nice, happy people. Glad you got to spend some time with good friends!
Comments on this entry are closed.