Monday Morning Muffins make me a happy Lar Ain't nothin like baking something just for fun on your day off, and how lucky I am that I have two wonderful housemates to share with. I can actually make 12 muffins and they won't go to waste! Just don't make the rookie/I-know-better mistakes that I did which were making these post-run when I was starving and tried to rush the process by not thawing my giant chunks of rhubarb and being all like "it's fine" and then taking them out of the oven when they were done baking only to discover that the bit of batter around the frozen rhubarb was of course still raw. I promptly ate two muffin tops and felt sorry for myself for a bit before I did the old turn the oven back on and put the almost cooled muffins back into the oven in the hopes that they will continue baking which by the way almost NEVER WORKS but by some miracle this time it did. In any case, my two roomies did enjoy the finished product! The next day mama and I treated ourselves to a morning coffee in the park and I brought us each one of these guys to munch on, and one for her to take home to papa. The muffins turned out just fine and we all agreed we can feel good about the healthy whole wheat quality that they bring to the table. A wholesome little snack to satisfy. These babies are made using quinoa flakes... which are incredibly similar to rolled oats, but made from quinoa instead of oats, of course. They are fun and if you can find them then please give it a whirl but if you wish you can tOATally just substitute them for rolled oats. Either way, sprinkle a little on the muffin tops before they go in the oven, everything looks better with a little garnish don't you agree? Whole Wheat Muffins with Rhubarb and Gingerrecipe slightly adapted from Jennifer MacKenzie, found in this book makes 12 muffins
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A very wise lady inspired the belief in me that a house is not a home until one has baked homemade banana bread in it. I am 100% on board with this concept. And so in an effort to make my new house my new home... I baked banana bread. Amen. My mom, and her sister, are both banana bread baking queens. They both use the same recipe, one passed down from their Aunt, known by most as, Auntie Irene. My great Auntie Irene was the sweetest of little ladies, with fire-truck red hair and the cutest smile. Despite her petite size, she would smother you with hugs and kisses and tons of food. Her recipes remain family favourites, and are made often in my household. A few recipes come to mind including cheesy mashed potatoes, her famous chocolate sauce... but made most often, her whole-wheat-banana-bread. One taste of this loaf and I am instantly "home" no matter where I actually am. I love the combo of half whole wheat flour and half regular flour, not just because I trick myself into thinking its good for you, but the whole wheat flour adds another layer of nutty flavour which I crave! This baby is delicious just on its own, but I also love adding toasted walnuts for some crunch, or chocolate chips if I'm feeling it. Oh I'm feeling it. Can't go wrong. I baked two mini loafs in my new place to welcome myself into the kitchen and lay a foundation for home-baked goodies to come. Before we can get crazy making new experiments, we gotta stick to the old favourites first, ya know? When I got to sit down and enjoy a warm slice of my labour... my first thought was "Tastes like mom!" (Hi mom) Life is good. Auntie Irene's Whole Wheat Banana Breadmakes 1 large loaf, or 4 mini loaf pans. Or ~12 muffins!
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Happy Baking <3 Two things I love most in life: Fresh Muffins. Fresh Hair do's. Yesterday both of these occured within the same morning... and life was glorious Fall is sort of like spring in that there is a feeling of renewal in the air. It's hard to deny. When the world around you is changing colour, you can't help but feel like you should change a bit too. Suddenly I find myself inspired to clean out forgotten drawers, organize my closet, start a new project, refresh my look... My tastebuds crave all the warm spices, but my heart and soul also desires to spice things up a bit... I finally did a thing I have been threatening to do for a few months now... I went WILD and got my hair permed. My inner grandma is so content right now. There is nothing quite like a new hair-do to put a new spring in your step. Or in my current case, a spring in your hair (Sorry not sorry). Although I am still not used to my reflection, and admittedly can't help myself giggling every time I look in the mirror... I am pretty happy with my new curls! Even though I am not going back to school this fall I still feel like I want a fun fresh start. So why the heck not?! Yes, a new season, a new look, a new Lar. I do love the fall. Spice it up! That's what fall is all about #amiright? More importantly however, fall is about PUMPKIN EVERYTHING Hence I made these pumpkin muffins which are soft and fluffy and spiced with all the happy spices and studded with chocolate because CHOCOLATE and crowned with pumpkin seeds to make them pretty. I brought some to my hair dresser which I think helped her to forgive me for showing up late... Note to self, if you're gonna be late, at least bring muffins. Also known as, nobody notices your flaws if you distract them with fresh baking. This is how I get through life. Here's to the pumpkin-spice-curly-perm life. Amen. Pumpkin-Chai-Chocolate-Chip MuffinsRecipe from Renee Kohlman (Sweetsugarbean) and her wonderful book: All The Sweet Things {makes about 12-14 muffins}
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Muffin Monday!!! There is nothing quite like alliteration to encourage one to bake. Although I have often worked on Mondays, this particular Monday was a DAY OFF for me, and so a perfect muffin-making-monday opportunity. I have recently acquired a GORGEOUS NEW HARD COVER SHINY COOKBOOK, of which is bursting with handfuls of recipes that I am so very excited to try. It's rather difficult deciding where to begin when one is so inspired by so many ideas... but seeing as it is blueberry season, (and muffin monday) these blueberry muffins seemed appropriate enough, and so I stopped thinking about it and just MADE MUFFINS. These are not your usual blueberry muffins however... See how yellow they are? That is not just me putting some hipster filter over the photo, no, the yellow is for real! The colour comes naturally from one of my favourite spices... turmeric! I've had turmeric in savoury foods and in tea before, but never have I ever seen turmeric in muffins. I love turmeric because people claim that it is healthy for you and I claim that it is delicious. Both turmeric and blueberries have anti-inflammatory properties, and with all the biking and on-my-feet-all-day days, I could use some of that healing power. Topped off with a honey-oat-sunflower streusel because streusel makes muffins more fun! The turmeric in these muffins is intriguing but not overpowering and they are sweetened only with a bit of maple syrup and banana, so a lovely option when you want muffins but don't want a lot of refined sugar for breakfast. But I must say they taste delicious with a bit of butter and honey fresh and warm from the oven ;) This recipe comes from "All The Sweet Things" by Renee Kohlman, and at first glance the book appears beautiful and the recipes divine. Upon closer inspection, Renee, who is also known as SweetSugarBean, is my new hero, as her interests and career path align with my interests and life goals and her words and stories both give me encouragement and inspiration. Also, there are so many wonderful photos in this book, and she does all of her own photography. Let's just say I am a huge fan and I look forward to my future days off when I can try out more of these creative, scrumptious sounding recipes. Blueberry-Turmeric Muffins with Honey Oat StreusalRecipe from Renee Kohlman's (Sweetsugarbean) All the Sweet Things cookbook muffin inngredients:
I am happy to have another addition to my muffin repertoire. I absolutely love the flavour of cornmeal in both sweet or savoury adaptations... this particular quick-bread is more on the sweet side, making it a lovely breakfast option. You can add anything you like to the batter to mix things up... in the photo below I added local saskatoon berries and fresh thyme from my backyard which gives the muffins a splendid scent. Cheddar cheese and chives add savoury notes, which makes for a nice lunch alongside a soup or salad. Any kind of frozen berries, chopped fruit, sundried tomatoes, cheese, olives etc would also be welcome additions. Use your creativity/imagination/pantry! Cornmeal MuffinsRecipe adapted from my experience at The Butchart Gardens I like to measure by weight, however I have tried to also give cup measurements on the side. I cannot guarantee their accuracy, but it would be my best approximation!
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. If desired, add any fruit, herbs, cheese etc to the batter and fold in gently, being careful not to over-mix. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 (325 convection) for about 20 minutes depending on the size of your muffin tins, until just lightly golden around the edges and the tops spring back when pressed with your finger. Let cool slightly, serve warm or at room temperature. |
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