Muffins and Fruit

When I used to travel for a living there was a hotel in Rockford, Illinois I would stay at. Next to that hotel was a restraunt. Now the great thing about staying at that particular hotel was receving a coupon for a free breakfast the next morning at the next door restraunt. I would always order the muffin and fruit plate, juice and coffee.

The plate came loaded with grapes, oranges, pineapple and would contain 3 muffins. And they weren't small muffins either. Plus the muffins were always warm and good. (even if I didn't have the coupon I would have paid the $7.00 they charged because it was awesome)

So this morning I decided we were going to have muffins and fruit for breakfast. I wanted oatmeal muffins with apples and cinnamon. I went to my favorite muffins recipe site. Bed and Breakfast Inns. If you want good breakfast and bakery recipes this is the site to go to. (FYI the Pumpkin Crunch cake is to die for!) I decided to base my recipe off the Oatmeal Apple Muffins from Big Locust Farm Bed and Breakfast.

Being as I am trying a new way of eating, I decided to health this up a bit. My changes are in red.

Oatmeal Apple Muffins by Big Locust Farm Bed & Breakfast

1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 cup flour (used whole wheat)
3/4 tsp cinnamon (omitted because I am out)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar (used splenda mixed with molasses)
5 Tbsps oil (replaced with 1/2 mashed banana)
1 egg (replaced with 3 TBS warm water and 1 TBS flaxmeal)
2 apples pealed and diced
2/3 cup cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Add applesauce, milk, brown sugar, oil and egg. Mix until moistened. Put in muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes. (Just mixed it all together, sprayed muffin cups with olive oil spray and baked at 400º for about 17 minutes)

I served this with fresh pineapple, red grapes and and orange juice slushie. This was a huge hit and very filling. It will go on my monthly menu of muffins for both breakfasts and snacks.

Taco Night

We had taco night Thursday night. Oh yummy, we love tacos. The "meat" was Tac-O's and topped with taco sauce, avacado chunks, onion, shredded spinach and tomatos. I served this with refried beans, Mexican rice and clementines.

This is by far the best Mexican Rice I have ever made. Of course I didn't follow the directions but then again I never do. My changes are in red.

Mexican Rice Recipe

* 1 teaspoon of salt (omitted but won't next time)

* 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp which equals about 2 cloves)

* 3 tablespoons cooking oil (omitted)

* 1 cup uncooked rice (brown rice)

* 2 cups chicken broth (veggie)

* 1/2 cup tomato puree or can tomato (fire roasted tomatoes)

* 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

* 1/2 cup chopped onion

Instructions:

Heat oil. Add rice and cook until golden. Add & sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add Salt, tomato and broth in blender. Add to rice, cook until tender and liquid is absorbed.Cooking time 20 minutes over low heat. (Threw everything in a rice cooker, flipped it on and let it cook.)

"..I'm fed up with cabbage water...

...It's not enough!"

I totally understand Charlie's frustration. Cabbage water leaves, um, a bit to be desired. Really it does. But, being a Willy Wonka fan and this never ending need to taste the foods that make the movies I love stand out in my head, I tried it. I waited until I found the perfect recipe. A recipe that might, just maybe, provide us with riches. I believe it will.

I honestly cannot remember where I got this recipe. I found it, printed on printer paper, while cleaning out the cookbooks. I had to try it.

Money Soup

1/2 onion diced

small head of cabbage, shredded

1-2 tbs butter

4 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper

garlic powder

1 peice of silver, boiled

Saute the onion in butter. Add cabbage and saute until parcially limp. Add boiled silver peice (I used a silver dollar) and chicked broth (I used 1 box chicken broth and 1 box chicken broth, so used more broth that is called for). Simmer until cabbage is done. Fish out silver and serve. Make and eat whenever a little money is needed.

Sweet and Chip really liked the cabbage water. Dill sort of liked it. Cool, who really doesn't like cabbage, ate it to be polite (but I noticed he didn't eat it out of his lunch box the next day). I really felt like I was being a good behemie girl by making this dish. :-)

I served this with a lettuce salad and BBQ dried beef.

© 2009 Wicked Pickles-Homefront Lines

Zucchini Crab Cakes

For lunch we had Dill's favorite lunch in the entire world. Zucchini crab cakes. I couldn't find the folder that had our usual recipe in it (until after lunch) so made another one found on the internet. It wasn't as good but we ate them any way. Dill asked if we could have crab cakes again on Thursday. ;-)With the crab cakes I served homemade tarter sauce, canned peaches, carrot chips with homemade chunky dip.

Chickpea Tuna Sandwiches

For lunch yesterday we had tuna sandwiches, roasted potato wedges, leftover hoppin john salad and carrot chips. I admit, I was a little leary at making the "tuna" filling. First of all would I like it and second of all would the picklets like it? Yep and yep. I was happily surprised at the outcome.

Chickpea Tuna Gerky's Way

1 can drained and rinsed chickpea, mashed

onion, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

1 carrot minced

1/2 red pepper

garlic powder, to taste

kosher salt. to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

big spoonful of zucchini relish

1 dollop of mayo

Put all in a bowl and use the imersion blender until blended. Serve on wheat roll with tomato and lettuce (if you have it which we didn't)