These blueberry muffins are to die for. They're easy, moist, and perfect when you're just craving something sweet, but not to sweet, in the morning.

Not to mention they went perfectly with our celebration of finishing reading The Wizard of Oz. We've been making a point to make our way through chapter books with Michael, who is eating it up. And when trying to figure out a way to do something special after finishing the book, we decided we'd bake something new.


Because that is our way, isn't it?

As always, I digress.

Here's the recipe you're here for!


Ingredients:
Note: This is a HALVED recipe. If you want 12-18 muffins, double the recipe.
- 1 egg
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C milk
- 1/4 C olive oil
- 1.5 C unbleached flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 C blueberries

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 and prep your muffin pan as you like (with liners, spray, or both).
- Whisk together your egg and sugar. Next add your milk, olive oil, and vanilla.
- Add your dry ingredients, mixing until completely combined. (Batter is going to be thick. Don't over mix!)
- Gently fold in your blueberries.
- Fill the muffin tin with 1/4 C batter per muffin.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

See what I mean? So easy and you almost always have the ingredients in house. You can also substitute the blueberries with a different berry, or chocolate chips, or anything similar!

Valentine's Day came too quickly for my liking, but it never has to really end. We celebrated by going out and playing some T-Ball with our oldest while our youngest was pretty much the cutest outfielder, ever. Don't believe me? Check it out....



But you're not here to tell me how cute my kids are (a little bit of favoritism there). You're here for this delicious recipe.

Red Velvet Donuts

Ingredients:

- 3 TBSP butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring
- 1 C flour
- 3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt

- 1.5 TBSP distilled vinegar
- 1/2 C buttermilk

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and spray your donut pan.
- Use a standing or handheld mixer to combine your butter, egg, vanilla, sugar, and food coloring.
- In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients. Alternate adding your dry ingredients, vinegar, and buttermilk to your butter mixture until all is well combined.
- Add the mix to your donut pan, filling each 3/4 of the way full.
Side note: I don't have a piping bag, but using one or filling a large ziplock and cutting off the tip to put the mix into the donut pan helps it disperse evenly and come out "prettier".
- Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from the oven/pan to a cooling rack.
- Let them sit for around 20 minutes before adding your icing/frosting (and sprinkles if you like)!
Forgive the poor quality of my photos, they're all with my phone!
I cheated and simply stuck some Pillsbury frosting in the microwave before dunking these bad boys in it to frost them, but this recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting was paired with the original recipe.


Pair with coffee or milk for the greatest taste!


I wrote an "attitude" piece over at my new blog. You should check it out!

I promised you a meatless Quinoa recipe and you're getting these muffins instead! The quinoa didn't turn out quite like I wanted, so it's back to the drawing board with that one. However, these have been tried and proven delicious (thanks to WhatToExpect.Com), so I thought I should still share something with you!

And, no, I'm not pregnant. Since Levi is only about 5 weeks old at this point, I'd say we're waiting a while before deciding if we want to expand our family again.

HOWEVER, I did have two friends inform me (secretly) that they're expecting! They haven't announced that news yet, so I won't spoil it and say who they are, but I will say they're the ones who inspired me to make these muffins. They're going in their Pregnancy Care Packages (which I'm so excited about because they're so much fun to put together). So while I'm collecting the last few items to get those in the mail (and before I share my ideas on that with y'all), here is this recipe!

Lemon-Ginger [Pregnancy] Muffins

Ingredients :

- 1 C Lemonade Concentrate
- 1/4 C Oil (Coconut or Canola)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2.5 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1.25 C Whole Wheat Flour
*You can substitute 1/4 C Flaxseed or Wheat Germ for 1/4 C Flour if you have it handy*
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 C Oats (I used Quick Oats)
- 1 C Grated/Shredded Carrot (I used 3 good-sized carrots for this)


Directions :

- Preheat your oven to 375 and prep your muffin tin with liners/spray.
- Whisk together your lemonade, oil, eggs, vanilla, and ground ginger.
- Add your flour and baking soda to your wet ingredients. Stir until just combined (don't over do it!).
- Fold in your oats, then fold in your shredded carrot.
- Use 1/4 C of batter for each muffin, or fill your tin 2/3rds full for each one.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes depending on your oven.


And, VOILA, you're done! These muffins are yummy for any stage of pregnancy, but they really helped when I was suffering from nausea. The lemon and ginger help your stomach/sickness, and you're getting some good stuff with the whole wheat flour and carrots.

Hello all.

I have a lot of recipes saved that I intend to share with you. I've been so swept up in working on my YA novel and being a wife/mother that I admit you've been neglected. That happens. Sometimes things have to be put aside for a while-- but hopefully I'm making an excellent return to the blogosphere!

In order to do that successfully, I knew I had to start with a wonderful recipe-- so I hope you approve in my choice. I've been procrastibaking a lot (Procrastination- Baking). It tends to happen when I'm writing and working and all that jazz. Luckily, Michael doesn't seem to mind. He loves getting creative in the kitchen with me.

Citrus Tea Muffins


Note: This is a half-batch recipe (it makes six muffins). For a full recipe, make sure to double up!

Ingredients:

MUFFINS:
- 1/4 C butter, softened
- 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 C sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract *optional*
- 3/4 C flour (I did 1/2 C unbleached all purpose and 1/4 C whole wheat)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 - 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 - 1 tsp lime zest

OPTIONAL GLAZE/ TOPPING:

- 1/2 C powdered sugar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Juice from 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp shredded coconut
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and line your muffin tin/ spray with cooking spray. *Remember this is a half recipe unless doubled*.

- Beat softened butter until fluffy. Mix in your applesauce, sugar, egg, and lemon extract.
- Gradually add your dry ingredients, including your zests.
- Use 1/4 C of mix for each muffin, approximately. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick to make sure they're cooked all the way through. Remove to baking rack to cool.


-While they're cooling, combine your powdered sugar, citrus juices, butter, and vanilla for your glaze. In a separate bowl, toss together your zests and coconut (if using).
-When the muffins are cool, drizzle the glaze over them, then sprinkle the topping on that. Let sit for a few minutes before serving so the topping stays put.



Recipe adapted from Positively Splendid.

It's Mrs. Healthy Ever After's Birthday! Make sure to visit her site. I positively love all her recipes and posts.

If you couldn't tell, I'm loving lemon this season. It just so happens that Nikki told me lemon blueberry is one of her favorites, so I shipped some of these to her for her special day... and ate the rest myself.

Just kidding. Michael really did help.

Kind of.


Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter (1 stick), softened
- 1 C sugar (can lesson to 2/3 or 3/4 if desired)
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice OR 1/2 lemon, juiced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 7 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 2 C + 3 tbsp unbleached, all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 C of fresh blueberries

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare a muffin pan with liners/cooking spray.

- In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 3 tbsp of flour until blueberries are coated. Use a slotted spoon to remove blueberries and shake off any excess flour. Set aside.


- With a handheld or standing mixer, blend your butter and sugar. Add your lemon juice, zest, milk, vanilla, lemon extracted, and eggs. Continue mixing until smooth.

- Fold in your dry ingredients (either pre-mixed or not...I like to save dishes). Make sure you just use 2 C of flour, you already used the 3 tbsp!

- Carefully stir in your blueberries.

- Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 C of mixture.

- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes (depending on your oven), and check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean before removing to cooling rack. Recipe makes about 15 muffins.


Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

I've been dying to do something with Lemon Poppyseed because, well, let's face it-- it's delicious. It's one of my favorite combinations for when it starts to warm up... or I guess I should say for spring and summer, since it's always warm where I am.


Ingredients:

- 2/3 C butter, softened
- 1 scant C sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 bananas, mashed (I used overripe bananas that I had frozen)
- Juice from 1.5 Lemons
- 1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp poppyseeds
- lemon zest from one whole lemon



Directions:

- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Line your muffin pan and spray with cooking spray.
- Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the banana and mix well.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition.
- Mix in the lemon juice, flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt, poppyseeds, and lemon zest.
- Scoop about 1/4 C into each muffin liner.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove to cooling rack and let sit for a few minutes before serving.


Recipe molded from Something Swanky.

I've been trying really hard to get Michael to try new foods. It's possible there's been bribery sweet incentives involved, but I think I'm OK with that. Very rarely does Michael like to try new things unless it involves the words cheese, chocolate, or fruit. Anything with meat? Forget it. He only eats tuna. Not saying there's anything wrong with that, and I'm definitely not forcing anything on him, but sometimes it gets tiring making dinner only to have him eat black beans, tuna, or a grilled cheese.

The other night we had breakfast for dinner, and I had been dying to try out this recipe. With a few alterations of my own, they were a big hit. After offering Michael a sort of "reward" for trying one bite... he ate three of them. I'd call that a success.


Ingredients:

- 1 C grated zucchini with or without skin. (About 1 large zucchini.)
- 1/4 C Parmesan or cheddar cheese (You can use any kind of cheese, including a cheese that isn't cheese ;), but thus far these are the two I've tried)

- 1/4 C breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
- 1/4 of an onion, diced (I used white, but sweet onion works really well, too!)
- 1 egg or egg substitute

Optional spices:

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

- Grate your zucchini and squeeze all the extra moisture out of it by placing it in a towel (like you would with frozen spinach). Make sure you really get rid of all the extra liquid. If you don't, the tots will be moist in the middle and you don't want that!
- Preheat your oven to 400 and spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix together all your ingredients in a large bowl.


- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill each hole around 1/2 to 3/4 full. Press down with a fork to even out the tops.

- Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, checking on them after 15 and going from there. This all depends on how crispy you like them, just make sure you don't burn them! (Unless that's your taste, of course.)

Oh, and HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Only fitting I give you a green recipe for the day, right?

This is one of my absolute favorite muffin recipes. Not only are they delicious, but they don't make you feel guilty for eating them because you know they have "good stuff" in them.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 C whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
-1.25 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 C butter (1 stick), softened (not melted)
- 1/3 to 1/2 C honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
1 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 to 3/4 C carrot shreds (I used a cheese grater to do this work!)

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare your muffin tin by spraying with cooking oil or lining with tins, or both.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine: butter, honey, egg, vanilla, and applesauce. Once well mixed, gradually add your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt).
- Carefully fold in your shredded carrots.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, checking with a toothpick. Give sufficient time to cool before serving.

Note: Muffins may seems soft or crumbly when warm. If you let them sit for a good amount of time, even as long as thirty minutes, they seem to be better formed and not as soft.

Recipe adapted from 100 Days of Real Food

CHRISTMAS IS ONE WEEK AWAY! We are also leaving to begin our move TOMORROW. While you're reading this we are probably frantically trying to figure out how we accumulated so much stuff over the last few years and trying to convince each other what's really important to take in the UHAUL.

Can you picture it?

Well, while you are, maybe you should think about making these amazingly delicious, super easy, healthy citrus scones! That's why you're here, isn't it?


Ingredients:

- 1/3 C chopped cranberries
- zest of one orange
- 1/3 C freshly squeezed [orange or clementine] juice

*Note: I used clementine juice because Michael stole my orange while I wasn't looking after I zested it! Sneaky bugger.*

- 4 tbsp non dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1.25 tsp olive oil
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350.
- In a medium to large bowl, whisk together your juice, non dairy milk, syrup and olive oil.
- Add your flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and orange zest to your wet mix. Next fold in your chopped cranberries.
- Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it or lining it with parchment paper. Scoop your mix and put it on your baking sheet. I used 1/4 C per scone and got five scones exactly.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until slightly golden on top.


Confession: I made two batches of these. Why? Because I made them for friends initially but I kept going back for more... until there weren't any. To be fair, Michael had one, too, as did one of our neighbors. So... I only ate two... but still! They're that addicting.


Inspired from My Inspriation's Recipe.

This is the first time I've made Biscuits & Gravy. I know. I don't know what my problem is. I guess I had this sort of premonition that if I made them, I'd eat way too much. But Clark really wanted so, so I finally gave in. Michael, much to our surprise [sarcasm sarcasm], wouldn't try it. He stuck to his eggs and bacon. The boy knows what he wants!

These are easy and not too time consuming, honestly. I always envisioned making biscuits was so difficult, but after investing in some rather cheap biscuit cutters, it wasn't hard at all.

Ingredients:

[BISCUITS]

makes 5 to 6 biscuits

- 1 heaping cup of all-purpose, unbleached flour; extra for dusting
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 C butter, softened
- 3/4 C buttermilk

optional: melted butter (for brushing the baked biscuits)

[SAUSAGE GRAVY]

- 1/4 pound sausage
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups milk

If you double your biscuit count, I would suggest doubling your gravy as well!

Directions:

[BISCUITS]

- Preheat the oven to 450F. Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the butter, and using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter in until crumbly. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

- Remove from the fridge and add in the buttermilk slowly and stir just until combined. I did about 1/4 C buttermilk at a time, mixing after each addition.

- Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly dusted with flour. Knead the dough, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Roll/knead until it is no longer sticking to your hands or the surface you placed it on.

- Pat or roll the dough until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into circles with a biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.

[SAUSAGE GRAVY]

- Brown the sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat, breaking it up it's cooking.

- Stir the flour into the sausage and sausage grease. Add in the salt and pepper.

- Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is slightly browned. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps.

- Lower the heat to low and cook, stirring until thickened.


Serve warm, together, as you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.

Adapted from Taste and Tell Blog.

Guess what? Christmas is ONE MONTH AWAY! Can you believe it? We sang "Go Tell It On The Mountain" yesterday and I was SO EXCITED. I have to admit, every year I end up listening to Christmas music earlier and earlier. But, I mean, come on... who doesn't love Christmas music?

I needed a new muffin recipe. I know, I know. I make a lot of them. I can't help it. Luckily, these are super easy, have little sugar, and are SO YUMMY! I mean, pears in a muffin? If you love pears, you'll love these!


Ingredients:

- 1.25 C pears, chopped
*Note: My pears were REALLY ripe... as in I needed to do something with them, fast. It made the muffins really moist and I loved it that way. I haven't tried it with unripened or not-overly-ripe pears, but I have a feeling they'd be yummy no matter what!*

- 1/4 C milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 C brown sugar (unpacked)
- 1.5 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 400. Prepare your muffin pan with liners, cooking spray, or both!
- Whisk together your milk, egg, unsweetened applesauce, and brown sugar.
- Stir in your flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. It shouldn't be ridiculously thick, but since you're using whole wheat flour it will be thick-ish.
- Fold in your pears.
- Scoop in your muffin tin filling 2/3rds the way full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Should make exactly 12 muffins!


Michael absolutely devours these. It doesn't surprise me because the kid LOVES pears. The reason we had so many that were too ripe was because he went on a clementine-kick for a while.

Happy Monday!

It's beginning to feel a lot like fall around here! I was so excited when my friend (who just happens to be about 11 weeks along) told me she was craving apples. Of course this meant for our get together I was going to make her a new recipe! (Something tells me she might have known that....)

These muffins truly are easy. I used applesauce along with chopped apple to help get a true fall-flavor going. Molded from The Comfort of Cooking's Apple-Pumpkin Muffins. I was so excited for these. Pretty sure I will be making them A LOT this fall... although I'd like to change a few things to make them vegan (promise that will be posted once I do it)!

Ingredients:

- 1.5 C whole wheat flour
- 1/3 C brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 C oil (I don't think you HAVE to have this, but it does make them more moist)
- 1 small apple (I used GALA), chopped
- 3/4 C oats
- 1/4 C wheat germ *optional*
- 1/2 C to 3/4 C raisins

Directions:

- Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners and/or cooking spray and preheat your oven to 350.
- Mix together your brown sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs, and Vanilla.
- Mix in your flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If you're putting in wheat germ, add this as well.(You can pre-mix your dry ingredients if you want to, but I tend to not to save on dirty dishes.)
- Fold in your oats, then your apple. Lastly, add your raisins.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (mine took closer to 25 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool a bit before devouring.


TA-DAH! If you're pregnant and craving some apples, this is the recipe for you! OR if you just LOVE apple recipes in general... ya know... either way.


Friends, please take time to remember what happened twelve years ago today and say a prayer for all those affected then and now by the events of September 11, 2001. We will never forget.