Monday Musings +Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Almond Butter & Mashed Fresh Raspberry Sandwich

There’s something enchanting about Mondays—the start of a new week, a fresh slate, and the perfect opportunity to kickstart your day with a delectable breakfast. If you’re looking for a breakfast that combines comfort and indulgence, look no further than our Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Almond Butter & Mashed Fresh Raspberry Sandwich.

This delightful sandwich is a symphony of flavors and textures, marrying the rich, nutty goodness of almond butter with the bright, tart sweetness of fresh raspberries. The vanilla bean and brown sugar add a touch of warmth and depth to the sandwich, making it a morning treat that’s hard to resist.

Ingredients

• 2 slices of your favorite bread (whole wheat, multigrain, or gluten-free, depending on your preference)
• 2-3 tablespoons of vanilla bean brown sugar almond butter (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries
• A drizzle of honey (optional, for added sweetness)

• 1 cup of roasted almonds
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean pod (or 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract)
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

For the Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Almond Butter:

Start by making the vanilla bean brown sugar almond butter. In a food processor, combine the roasted almonds, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.

Slice the vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla bean seeds (or pure vanilla extract) to the almond mixture in the food processor.

Process the ingredients until you achieve a smooth, creamy almond butter consistency. This may take a few minutes, so be patient.

Once your almond butter is ready, taste it and adjust the sweetness or saltiness to your liking by adding more brown sugar or salt if needed.

For the Sandwich:

Take two slices of your chosen bread and spread a generous layer of the vanilla bean brown sugar almond butter on each slice.

Take your fresh raspberries and gently mash them with a fork in a small bowl. You can leave some raspberry chunks for added texture.

Spoon the mashed raspberries onto one slice of the almond butter-covered bread.

Carefully place the other slice of bread on top, creating a raspberry and almond butter sandwich.

If you’d like a touch of extra sweetness, drizzle a bit of honey over the top slice.

Slice your sandwich in half diagonally, creating two beautiful triangles that are as pleasing to the eyes as they are to the taste buds.

Serve your Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Almond Butter & Mashed Fresh Raspberry Sandwich with a steaming cup of your favorite coffee or tea, and savor the sweet moments of your Monday morning.

This breakfast sandwich is a delightful way to start your week on a high note. It combines the richness of almond butter with the vibrant burst of fresh raspberries, creating a flavor symphony that’s sure to make your Monday musings a little brighter. Enjoy!

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 250 kcal
• Protein: 10g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Sugars: 22g
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 10mg
• Sodium: 45mg
• Potassium: 320mg

1. On Saturday morning, John and I finally got around to checking out a little, independently owned doughnut & coffee shop in our new town. Now, I’m actually not a big doughnut person, but this place makes theirs fresh daily and the aroma emanating from the shop is downright heavenly (highlighting the fact that their doughnuts are made in-house). Plus, we had plans to visit the uber-popular Voodoo Doughnut during our stay in Portland, OR… but we didn’t end up making it and I’ve been thinking about fresh doughnuts ever since.

I opted for a glazed blueberry doughnut alongside a small decaf coffee (which I haven’t been drinking with regularity due to a first trimester pregnancy aversion… though the aversion has now thankfully passed, I haven’t yet delved back into the ritual of a morning cup of decaf quite yet).

Now this is the kind of doughnut I’ll indulge in! Moist, soft, studded with fresh blueberries, and double-dipped in a sweet & slightly crunchy glaze, this doughnut tasted heavenly.

Halfway through his chocolate honey glazed and cinnamon doughnuts, the hubs declared that he was “full” and couldn’t finish. Um, what? Pass it over to the pregnant lady, please! I polished off his cinnamon doughnut, which was even better than the blueberry. Less sweet than the glazed, encased in a crisp crust, and dusted with an intense coating of cinnamon, this doughnut was simply divine.

Though it won’t be a weekly tradition, I’m sure we’ll be going back again (and again) to this place!

2. About 15 minutes after finishing our breakfast of champions (cough, cough), I proceeded to take Shelby for a brisk 40 minute walk around the neighborhood, followed by about 30 minutes of vigorously vacuuming the entire house.

I’m guessing this burst of energy (which I haven’t felt since prior to being preggo) came from one of two sources: a) the “decaf” coffee I got from the doughnut shop was in fact caffeinated or b) the sugar rush from the doughnuts kicked in to fuel me through the morning’s activities.

Either way, I welcomed the energy rush with open arms!

3. John and I spent a very brief 24 hours down in CT this weekend; John went to a Mets game with his dad and I saw a fantastic film with my mother- and sister-in-law.

Beasts of the Southern Wild follows a community of fiercely independent Louisiana bayou residents before, during, and after the devastation wrecked by Hurricane Katrina. Beautiful acting, (especially considering that the “actors” were actually local residents auditioned and chosen by the director), effective cinematography, and an emotionally charged script combined to create a one-of-a-kind film that I became completely absorbed in.

Highly recommended!

4. A classic childhood lunchtime favorite (PB&J) gets reinvented with my Back Burner post this week. Check out my Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Almond Butter & Mashed Fresh Raspberry Sandwich!