I very rarely take the time during the week to make a breakfast that isn't a couple of really quick eggs, so when Rob has a day off like he did yesterday for Veteran's Day, I can't resist taking a bit more time and making something a little more special. 

Ingredients:  

• 1 banana
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2-1 cup coconut milk
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar 
• the heavy part of a can of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions: 

1. Turn on your waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl, mix almond flour and coconut flour together. Add eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and agave nectar. Mix until smooth.
3. When the waffle iron is hot, scoop large spoonfuls of the batter onto the iron. Close it and let it cook for a few minutes, or until the waffle is nicely toasted and you can pick it up with tongs or a spatula. Keep in mind that these are grain free and not nearly as hardy as waffles with regular flour, so you may need to be a bit more gentle.
4. While you're cooking your waffles, combine the heavy white part of a can of coconut milk and the pumpkin puree in a mixer. Blend until it gets thick and add the pumpkin pie spice. If it isn't thick enough, you can store it in the freezer for a few minutes, until the waffles are done.
5. Stack waffles on a plate and top with pumpkin cream. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!

Lavazza sent me a couple pounds of their Perfetto roast and it's so delicious on a chilly fall morning with a sweet breakfast like this one. We're spending Thanksgiving here in Charlotte this year (and so are a few of our neighbors and friends), so I'm really looking forward to gathering around the table for coffee and breakfast every morning. It's a year for new traditions, I think, and I think the holidays (and waffles) are a good place to start.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Lavazza.

Last year, I came up with a delicious cafe miel popsicle recipe and I thought of them this year when Lavazza sent me some of their Gran Selezione roast and asked me to come up with a cold beverage to celebrate summer. So I pulled out the blender and used almost the exact same ingredients--coffee, coconut cream, and honey--to make a Paleo coconut frappé. 

Whoever said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" was on to something.

Paleo Coconut Café Frappé

Ingredients (serves 2) 

• 12 ounces of coffee--I used Lavazza Gran Selezione
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish

Instructions 

1. The night before you make this, take a little over half of the coffee and freeze it in an ice cube tray.
2. In a blender, combine coffee ice cubes, the creamy part of the can of coconut milk (about four or five tablespoons), honey, and the liquid coffee.
3. Pour into a chilled glass, top with cocoa powder, and enjoy!

This post is brought to you in partnership with Lavazza.

I've been a little obsessed with lavender simple syrup for a while now--two summers ago I made it for the first time while trying out a new cocktail recipe, but it wasn't until I had it at my favorite coffee shop in Minneapolis that I really fell for the flavor. Lavender and coffee, especially when iced, is such a fantastic combination and when the weather gets warmer, I can't help but make a big batch of both to fancy up my mornings.

Here's how I do both:

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Four or five sprigs of fresh lavender

Instructions: 

1. In a saucepan, heat water and lavender to a simmer. Allow the lavender to steep in the water like tea for a few minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Store in a jar and add it to your iced coffee--I like mine with lots of ice and a splash of coconut creamer.

Cold-Brew Coffee

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of ground coffee
• 3 cups of water

Instructions: 

1. In a large jar or other glass container, combine coffee and water. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
2. Cover and let stand overnight, or for at least eight hours. Strain with a coffee filter (a paper towel works in a pinch, too) and store in the refrigerator.

I took a couple photos of some purple flowers in our courtyard and hopped on my HP Sprout to make a few labels for my jars. I think fancy simple syrup in cute jars with custom labels would make great gifts for Mother's Day or even a sweet bridal shower (I wish I had this computer last year when I was making body scrub for my bachelorette party friends)!

This post is brought to you in partnership with HP. As always, I thank you for your support as I work with sponsors.

Photos by Joshua Vasko for Freckled Italian.