A couple mornings each week, I do some baking so that I have at least one homemade snack or treat for in Joshua's lunchbox every day. Packing a lunch is great motivation for baking! Somehow a packed lunch just isn't as appealing with only store-bought items. And of course, the children and I get to enjoy the baked goods during the day, as well. :)

Here's a sampling of what I made last week. Pumpkin Spice Bread, which is a moist, sweet spiced quick-bread, is one of Joshua's favorite fruit breads. It's more of a dessert than just a snack, and it makes a great hand-held lunch item!

I also made Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits, which I don't make regularly, so it was a nice treat. They're easy to make! I love variety, which explains the many recipes I share here. :)

And, I made a batch of Breakfast Grain Muffins, a very nutritious whole-grain muffin, which we love to have for snacks or for breakfast. One batch of these muffins didn't last us long! I made a double batch earlier this week, also, and there's only one left!

All of these recipes contain cinnamon. Now you know why I was lamenting about running out of cinnamon a couple weeks ago! I really rely on a variety of spices and seasonings... cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, onion, pepper, oregano, basil...

One of the things I love about making homemade foods and putting in REAL spices and herbs, is that many of them have great health benefits! I want to slowly work towards doing more fresh-ground spices. We already use fresh-ground black pepper for everything, and I got some whole cumin seeds, so when my powdered cumin is used, I'll be crushing my own! I wonder if there's a way to make cinnamon from the cinnamon bark I have in the cupboard? :)