Whole Wheat Honey Applesauce Muffins

We needed a snack for a group in a hurry today, these were quick and easy to put together, and delicious.

Whole Wheat Applesauce Spice Muffins
Yields: 12 Muffins 24 mini-muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup unsweetened applesauce


Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin pan or place muffin liners. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl, set aside. Melt honey in a med bowl.  Whisk in eggs, honey, and applesauce until combined well.  Then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden brown, about 18-20 minutes (13 for minis).  Adapted from this recipe.

Orange Spiced Syrup

We came across this recipe from Martha Stewart for Orange Spiced Syrup. It's perfect for winter pancakes.  We had some with pumpkin pancakes the other day--it was even better!

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 In a small saucepan, mix brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in corn syrup and orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally; cool until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool; stir in vanilla.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Pancakes

We've tried a lot of different pancake recipes, but finally found one we really like.  It's a recipe for "Good Old Fashioned Pancakes," which sounds just about right.

Old Fashioned Pancake Recipe
 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix together just until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Flip when bubbles begin to pop around the edges and start to look dry. Cook until browned on second side. Serve hot.

Makes 12 pancakes.  

* * * This picture shows Jeremy's version with wheat flour--substituting whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the flour, and substituting brown sugar for white. 

Honey Wheat Zucchinni Muffins

I tried a recipe from Me and My Pink Mixer for honey wheat zucchini muffins.  I chose her recipe, though it looked almost exactly the same as another, because hers used 3/4 instead of a full cup of honey.  (I'm trying to wean us from the need for everything to be super sweet--a little sweet is enough)

This recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour.  Because muffins use chemical leaveners to rise, instead of yeast and gluten, there's no reason to use anything but the wheat.

Honey Wheat Zucchini Muffins

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup honey

2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and baking powder.  Stir and then add zucchini and toss together.  In a separate bowl, melt butter, stir in honey and eggs.  Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet, and mix just until moistened. Scoop dough into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes.

This recipe made 1 dozen muffins plus 1 dozen mini muffins.   We cooked the minis for 10 minutes and the regular for 16 min. 

Where I'm From

I am from heat, dry and wavy.
From cactus, rocks and transplanted palms.
I am from feet burning hot on the concrete.
I am from gliders on the back porch,
and the call of mourning doves.

I am from trees with painted white bark,
dangling large yellow globes from their branches.
I am from grapefruit, eaten with serrated spoons
(They aren't even sour if you eat them first thing.)
I am from a tree house surrounded by fruit,
carried home in the trunk in brown paper bags.

I am from wind chimes
and the glug of fresh water delivered by truck.
I'm from a window sunny and large,
watching small birds in the bath,
and humming birds drinking.

I'm from Chester and Virginia
From the sound of fingernails clicking on keys
as the piano is played.
From scriptures read and long evening prayers. 
I'm from "Goodbye until next time--
We'll see you again."





* * *
I took this prompt to write about where I'm from (while not actually writing about "where" I'm from) It's more like what I come from--if you get my semantic difference. I decided to focus on just one part of where I'm from. 

Enjoying citrus season has had me thinking about childhood visits to my grandparent's home in Phoenix a lot recently, so I wrote just about that.  I'd love to use this prompt again to write about when my family lived in Germany, and also for my childhood as a whole.  Exploring "where I'm from" is a fun exercise for someone like me who doesn't have a certain place to call "home". 

Read more "Where I'm From" here.

Breakfast Sausage

We enjoyed the homemade sausage links with biscuits for Sunday morning breakfast. The sausages tasted just like they should. So flavorful with fresh herbs, but no artificial ingredients or nitrates or anything we didn't choose.



We used instructions from Alton brown--going all out with a meat grinder and sausage stuffer.  It was great, but we've now made this a number of times using just plain ground pork and adding the seasonings as well..  I just try not to overwork the ground pork, and it has turned out fine and easy.



Breakfast Sausage Recipe-adapted from Alton Brown

2 pounds pork butt (2 1/2 pounds with bone), diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 pound fat back, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine diced pork with all other ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Using the fine blade of a grinder, grind the pork. Form into 1-inch rounds. Refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. For immediate use, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan. Saute until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. 

Homemade Fruit Juice Syrup

One chipper Saturday morning in college, our apartment of three girls headed over to our friends' (three boys) apartment for a waffle breakfast.  They had the table set with an assortment of toppings for the waffles.  There was maple syrup of course.  Peanut butter graced the table as well I'm sure, but the one that surprised me was corn syrup.

"You aren't seriously going to slather your waffle with that are you?" I asked the tall boy. "It's corn syrup--straight sugar."

"Of course I am." he asserted, pouring it on his waffle.  "It's the exact same thing the maple syrup is made out of anyway!"

I couldn't argue with that, but just because it was the truth about the "naturally flavored" maple syrup didn't make it right--didn't mean that I wanted to embrace that fact, and skip the maple flavor and go straight to the corn syrup.

Jeremy and I use exclusively pure maple syrup in our home.  The number one response I get to that is "But it's so much more expensive!"  Sometimes followed by, "With how much my kids use we'd go broke!"

There are a couple of reasons why this doesn't deter us.  First of all.  Real maple syrup is a lot thinner than the corn syrup based version.  So it spreads out thinner and will therefore last longer if used accordingly.  Also the higher price helps us consider exactly how much we do let our kids use.  Even the smaller containers that pure maple syrups come in from the store help give a visual reminder to use it sparingly so we teach our kids that.  Although a natural one--it is still a sugar syrup. 

Recently I've been interested in making fruit-based syrups as a way of providing for our pancake syrup "needs."  (Though one day I'd love my very own maple bush (grove) to make real maple syrup.)  I was contemplating how to get a thicker syrup rather than just adding sugar to make fruit juice more "syrupy".  Of course pectin was the answer and I don't know why I never thought of it before.  I was excited to become familiar with Pomona's Pectin which is a citrus-based pectin as opposed to the standard apple-based varieties.  Pomona's can use significantly less sugar and still "jell."  You can also use honey and other sweeteners--not just white sugar. 

The website suggested for making syrups to use 1/4 the measurements of pectin from jam recipes as a starting point.  My first try was with elderberries foraged from a couple bushes in the university gardens.  Jeremy had a large elderberry bush at his house growing up and he remembers his dad making elderberry syrup when he was a kid.
I'm excited for the potential of making more natural and lower sugar syrups for our family pancakes.  Though truth be told--maybe elderberry wasn't the best choice of fruit for trying to go low sugar!

Homemade Granola

I will eat this granola with milk poured over the top as a replacement for store-bought cold cereals. (It's good when mixed half and half with crisp rice or "O" cereal too.) I also like to put it in the microwave for 30 seconds just to warm it but not make it soggy. This is great as a topping on yogurt, you could even try it as a topping on ice cream or a salad.

I don't put any dried fruit in my recipe. Those strong flavors tend to overwhelm me in granola.

This recipe calls for "Steel-cut Oats." You can often find them in the grocery store right by the other oats and oatmeal or by the grains in the "natural food" section. They are just oats processed by blades instead of rollers. They actually make for a really great porridge-style oatmeal as well.

Homemade Granola Recipe

3/4 C pure Maple syrup
3/4 C oil
1-3/4 C brown sugar

32 oz. container of old fashioned oats
1 C steel cut oats (also called Irish oats or “pinhead” oats)
4 oz. slivered almonds
1 1/2 C large flaked (shaved) coconut

Heat oven to 350°. Mix maple syrup, oil and brown sugar in large glass bowl--microwave for 1-1/2 minutes; stir; microwave 1-1/2 more minutes.

Put the oats, almonds and coconut in a large bowl. Pour syrup mixture over it and stir to blend.

Spread granola onto two half sheet pans and toast, stirring every 4 minutes until golden-crisp, about 12 minutes.

If you want it to be in nice clumps then do not stir it the last time you bring it out of the oven. After the last 4 minutes of cooking just pull out the sheets and leave them until cool. Cool completely before serving.

Store in airtight container.

Makes 20 cups

Eggs for Breakfast

I thought I'd pass on our favorite ways to eat eggs for breakfast.  Everyone knows about the three ways IHOP serves eggs: scrambled, over-easy, or sunny-side up.  But it's nice to have a little more variety than that. 

My boys love using our eggs to make "cowboy toast."  I've heard this delicious food go by a few other names, but since I'm from Arizona I prefer the nod to The West given by the name cowboy toast.

You're going to need an egg, a slice of bread, butter, and salt and pepper. 

 

Start by cutting a void from your piece of bread.  A circle is the simplest, and you can't use any really crazy cookie cutters, but most basic geometric shapes work pretty well.

Butter a griddle or frying pan, lay down the toast, and crack your egg in the middle.  Season with salt and pepper, wait until the white starts to look milky in the middle, then give it a flip.  Cook to your desired done-ness.  

Meanwhile pop the extra toast shapes in the toaster.  Plate them up with the cowboy toast and eat up before it get's cold!

As for the grown-ups.  We have discovered the joy of soft-boiled eggs.

Smooth, creamy and delicious!  Go ahead-try it.

Sourdough Doughnuts

Owen's been asking us to make doughnuts for the last couple of weeks. Fortunate or unfortunate as it may be Owen is now to the age where he actually remembers things we say to him from day to day or week to week. So when we as his lazy parents say "not today Owen, maybe next week. . ." he remembers, and holds us to our word.

Saturday Jeremy was out for the morning on site at a schoolyard garden, so I decided it was as decent a time as any to go ahead and make doughnuts. We've made them before with a recipe that has given us great results. I decided to try a new recipe this time; however, as I'm on a sourdough kick.

It's a fun process and very fulfilling to create something at home that most people only buy in stores.

Rising.

Frying.

Draining and Cooling

Rolling in cinnamon sugar and serving.

We were deliciously impressed with the sourdough doughnuts. They were more dense than commercial yeast doughnuts--they were more like cake doughnuts. And as with most baked goods they're best eaten the same day. So we made a few trips to share some of the goodness with friends, but it didn't keep us from devouring much more than our own fair share!

Sourdough doughnuts

¼ cup Milk
1 cup Sourdough starter
2 Eggs, beaten
¼ cup Oil
⅔ cup Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Baking soda
3½ cup Flour
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix sourdough starter with soda in large bowl. Add milk, sugar, eggs, oil, flour, vanilla, baking powder and spices. Mix well, shape into ball, cover for one hour. Roll out onto a well floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut doughnuts with biscuit cutter. Let sit one hour. Fry in 350-375* oil until golden brown. Turn once when you can see the color coming up the middle of the doughnut. Drain on a cooling rack over a paper towel. Roll in cinnamon-sugar. These are best eaten the same day you make them.

Sourdough (or not) Waffles

2 cups sourdough starter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ c. vegetable oil

Turn on your waffle iron, then stir down your starter. Measure two cups of starter into a glass or plastic bowl. Add eggs, sugar, salt, and oil. Mix until completely smooth. When the waffle iron is ready, fill according to waffle iron directions. Use up all the batter, and freeze any extra waffles.

Top with your favorite syrup, jam or jelly. Makes a great dessert too. Try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

Serves 4-6


Not-So Sour Dough Waffles

These can be made without an existing sourdough starter as well. 

Step 1: Make the instant sourdough starter the night before

In a large glass, plastic or ceramic bowl, combine:

2 c.  flour
1 c. milk
1 c. plain yogurt that "contains live active cultures"

Mix until smooth with a plastic or wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with a cloth and put it in a warm place in your house.

Step 2: Make the Waffles
Turn on your waffle iron, then stir down the starter and add:

2 eggs
 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ c. vegetable oil

Mix until completely smooth. When the waffle iron is ready, add:

1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine thoroughly and use immediately.

Sourdough English Muffins

Recipe adapted from: Bake Your Own Bread & Be Healthier/Stan & Floss Dworkin The Night Before:
1 C starter
2 tablespoons honey
2 C reconstituted powdered skimmed milk (or whole milk)
4 C unbleached white flour

Mix starter, honey and milk in mixing bowl until smooth. Add 4 C flour, 2 C at a time, and mix in. Cover with clean towel and leave at room temperature.

The Morning of:
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1-2 C unbleached white flour
2 tsp sea salt
cornmeal for sprinkling.

Stir down mixture. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons sea salt over the surface of the dough and work in.

Flour your counter with ½ C of flour. Transfer dough to counter on top of flour pour ½ c flour on top of dough and work flour in. Add up to 1 cup more flour until the dough longer sticks to your hands is stiff enough to roll out. Knead for 5 minutes.
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper, sprinkle corn meal over both.

Flour counter again and lightly roll dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Take a 3 inch round cutter and cut as many rounds as you can-rolling out the left over dough and cutting more until the dough is all used.

As you cut each round, place it on the cornmealed wax paper. Don't allow muffins to touch or they will stick. When all rounds are cut, sprinkle corn meal over the tops of the muffins.

Allow to rise in warm place, covered, for about one hour.
Preheat a griddle 300*F or flat pan over medium. Cook one side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and flip. Cook on other side for about 5 minutes or until done.

Split with a fork and top with a fried egg and cheese or marmalade.

Makes 24 Muffins (Freeze leftovers!)

Sourdough Oatmeal Muffins

1 egg
1/2 C. oil
1 1/2 C. sourdough starter
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 C. flour
1 tsp salt
1 C. oats

Oil a muffin pan and preheat oven to 375*F.

In a small bowl mix together the egg, oil, and starter; set aside. In a large bowl mix together the brown sugar, flour, salt, and oats. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients in the well and stir just enough to moisten the dry mix. The batter will be lumpy.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 30 minutes.