Yummy Blueberry Muffins

I grew up always having fresh vegetables and fruits that were literally grown right outside my front door.  My parents always had a veggie garden and various fruit trees and plants every summer.  There is no comparison between fresh produce that you grow on your own compared to what is shipped across the country or countries to the grocery store.  Anyway, my mom always made some killer blueberry muffins that were bursting with flavor and were absolutely delicious.  I have had a craving for blueberry muffins and saw this recipe in hopes that it would live up to my mom's version.  They turned out very good but I think the fresh berries from back home are what is missing.  My husband has discovered grilled muffins recently so we grilled up a few for dessert tonight.  Sounds weird but it's very good.

Sugar Topping

1/3 cup (21/3 ounces) sugar 
1½ teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Streusel Topping
3 T white sugar
3 T brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
5 T melted butter

Muffins
2 cups (or less if you are me!) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups  plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups  unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

If topping with lemon sugar, stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.
If topping the muffins with streusel, combine ingredients until it is the size of peas and set aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. If your oven cooks on the hot side normally, reduce the heat.  Some people have commented that 425 was too hot.  I would recommend getting a thermometer for your oven if you aren't sure.  

Prepare standard muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or liners. Bring 1 cup blueberries, water,  and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing the berries with your potato masher or fork several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced by about half.  This will take about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and well combined. Slowly mix in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar or streusel evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of https://sites.google.com/site/acooksquestblogrecipe/best-even-blueberry-muffins

Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip

So I've only recently discovered avocados, they were always one of those things where the texture freaked me out more than the taste.  I tried guacamole the other week and really liked it.  I think because the texture was nice and creamy.  This dip appealed to me because you blend it with yogurt so the texture shouldn't be an issue for me.  And, I was right!  It's nice and light and yummy.  I let it cool and firm up in the fridge before digging in.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Pita chips, tortilla chips, cut up veggies-for serving

Directions:

1. Place the yogurt, avocados, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and cumin in a blender or food processor. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Scrape dip into a serving bowl and serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or cut up veggies.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/creamy-avocado-yogurt-dip//print/

Thanks But No Thanks, Martha Stewart! Cucumber Salad Recipe

I know it's the middle of winter but I have been craving a good cucumber salad.  I saw this one by Martha Stewart and figured I couldn't go wrong.  Well, I was wrong.  I think it was the lemon juice that just made it too sour tasting.  My sour cream was a little old but still smelled fine, maybe that was part of it too.  I would try a different recipe next time.  This one is a thumbs down.  Sorry, Martha!

Ingredients

• • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish (optional)
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 4 to 6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
  • 
    
  • Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk well to combine.
2. Add cucumbers, and toss to coat. Garnish with more dill, if desired. Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours.

Recipe can be found at http://www.marthastewart.com/317461/cucumber-salad-with-sour-cream-and-dill?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/ultimate-grilling-sides#slide_3

Here's how mine turned out:

Man-Pleasing Chicken?

I wanted to whip up something quick for dinner tonight and this seemed easy enough.  It's another recipe that has been getting rave reviews on Pinterest so I figured, why not give it a whirl.  I used pretty thin chicken breasts so they cooked pretty quickly and didn't get as crispy as I wanted, but the flavor of the sauce was very good.  Pinterest calls this "Man-Pleasing Chicken," I would have to agree.

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice/rice wine vinegar. 

Put a 1.5 pound package of chicken thighs or breasts into a foil-lined, oven-proof baking dish.  Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated. 

Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. 

Recipe courtesy of the following:

http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Well, we are back from our four day mini vacation at the beach.  It was wonderful but as all good vacations go, they must end.  I got home today and went to the grocery store to stock up on some essentials for the week and also did some baking :)  These muffins were very easy to make and turned out great, although I may have left them in the oven a few minutes too long.  Also, the filling stuck to the cupcake liners quite a bit so next time, I will spray the muffin pan and use no liner.  Yummy and now breakfast is taken care of for the week.

Ingredients
2.5 cups old fashioned oats 
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar 
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 ripe bananas 

Let the Baking Begin!
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.
2. Place all of the ingredients, including bananas in a blender or food processor, and blend until oats are smooth. 
3. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Recipe courtesy of http://chaseandem.blogspot.com/2012/09/oatmeal-banana-breakfast-muffins.html

The Perfect Treat - Juicy Pear Italian Ice and Vanilla Custard Gelati

Please promise me that once you read this, you will go to a Rita's and try a Gelati.  It is one of the best desserts I have ever eaten.  The cool creaminess of the custard and the sweet, icy, fruity flavor of the italian ice in the same cup is absolutely delicious.  Rita's uses real fruit juice and sometimes actual little chucks of real fruit in their italian ice so it's not the fake sugary fruit flavors other places use.  They have lots of flavors and they change every day but whenever I request juicy pear ahead of time, they always make it for me.  Another reason why I love Rita's so much.  Also, we are currently on vacation so there won't be many recipe posts in the next few days, but this is just as good!

Fling-A-Ma-String

For all you cat owners out there, you MUST get this toy!  I swear this in the ONLY toy in the history of owning our cats that all FIVE play with at the same time.  We have other toys that some of them like and then others could care less, but with this thing, they ALL love it!  We have this hanging on a closet door and every time I walk by, there is a cat sitting under it and giving me a sad face so I will turn it on for them.  It's battery operated and essentially flings a string around as it goes around and around on a track.  It's not that cheap but it's worth it.  You can find them on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Moody-Pet-Fling-ama-String-Motorized-Interactive/dp/B001MVDCY2

Cilantro Lime Pork Tacos

This particular recipe has been extremely popular on Pinterest lately.  Every time I get on there, people are pinning a link to this one.  We actually didn't have any chicken on hand but did have some pork chops so I substituted the pork for chicken and it turned out great. I also used pre-minced garlic, which I always think is a bit stronger than fresh, so I would cut down on that next time.  Hubby loved these and so did I!  You can really taste all the flavors that bring these together.  We cut up some fresh avocado and bell peppers and onion, as well as fresh cilantro and sour cream and cheese, and topped off the tacos.  Highly recommend this one, Pinterest was right!

The link to the recipe I used is below.

http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/05/cilantro-lime-chicken-tacos.html

This kitty loves her Apple products.

Minsi Lupe Martin.  She is the sweetest, most loveable cat, and she loves her Apple technology too.  Every time my hubby or I get out our Macbooks, or iPhones, or our iPad, she has to be around them.  I think it's because they make big warmz.  She would be one of those cats that would willingly play lots of games on the iPad, maybe one day after her nails are trimmed and groomed.  I got home late today and after I got out my Macbook, she promptly comes over and makes herself very comfortable. Such a cutie.

By Request...Salted Caramel Shortbread

So I made these for New Year's Eve and they turned out amazing!  I was so proud of myself for pulling them off.  Caramels can be tricky.  After storing them in the fridge overnight, however, the caramels did  melt a little and weren't as pretty as the day before but still tasted awesome.  After reading some comments from the blog I got the recipe from, it's a good idea to let the caramel mixture heat up a little bit hotter than recommended.  That should help them set better.  Anyway, here is the recipe and some pictures.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

for the shortbread layer:
10 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1-2/3 cups flour

for the caramel:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling on top
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp heavy cream
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides to make removal easier.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork. Add the egg yolk and continue mixing.

Add the flour and use your hands to combine the dough until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and press it down into one even layer.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the caramel, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5-10 minutes until caramel reaches the “soft ball stage” at around 230 degrees.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour caramel over the shortbread.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, then sprinkle with sea salt and cut into squares. Store caramels in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.ericasweettooth.com/2012/03/salted-caramel-shortbread-fbf-orlando.html

Debate-able Crockpot Orange Chicken

I was all excited to try this, thinking it would be similar to the Orange Chicken that you get at Panda Express, but I was wrong.  It has a very orange-y taste that I was not a fan of.  I think that is mostly due to the use of the orange juice concentrate.  My husband said he really liked it though and is taking the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, so it couldn't have been that bad :)  If you're not expecting the standard orange chicken from a Chinese restaurant, then you should try this for a bit of a twist. I served it with brown rice and veggies.

Ingredients:

• boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks (I used about 4)
• 1/3 cup flour
• olive oil
• 1/2 Tbl. salt
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbl. ketchup
• 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds)
• 4 Tbl.  brown sugar

In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and ketchup.  Pour the flour in a small bowl.  Cover the chicken breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess.

Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.
The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot.

After the chicken is done cooking, pour the pieces into the crock pot. Then cover the chicken with your sauce mixture and give the pot a stir.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/09/slow-cooker-orange-chicken.html

Ginger Salad Dressing

What's better than a really good ginger salad dressing?  Every time we go out for sushi, we always have to get a ginger salad especially because we LOOOVVEEE the dressing.  I figured why not try to make some on my own, how hard could it be?  I happened to come across a recipe the other day on Pinterest and pretty much had all the ingredients already, just had to pick up a few things.  And all you do is through it all in a blender or food processor and chill.  Good thing I have a nice new Ninja blender :) This turned out really good but next time will add a little more ginger.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup minced onion 1/2 cup peanut oil 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root 2 tablespoons minced celery 2 tablespoons ketchup

4 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons white sugar 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/famous-japanese-restaurant-style-salad-dressing/

Chocolate Scotcheroos

I don't even know how many time I have made these but they are a favorite and get requested quite often.  They are absolutely delicious and incredibly easy to make.  I can whip some up in 10 minutes.  I know the recipe by heart but I just copied and pasted this below from Kellogg's website.

Ingredients and Directions:

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal
• OR
• 1 package (6 oz., 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• or 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 
  
• 1. Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray or lightly with butter. Set aside.
  
  2. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.
  
  Note: Before measuring the corn syrup, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray--the syrup will pour easily out of the cup.

Very Easy Pesto

Over the past few years, I have really started to enjoy pesto.  My parents have their own vegetable garden and use their fresh organic basil to make it and it is always very good.  I don't have a garden but I bought some fresh from the store and it just tastes so much better than the pre-made.  I think I might increase the proportions of olive oil and cheese next time as the basil flavor was quite strong, but it was still very good.  Here's the recipe I used.  Enjoy!

1 cup of fresh basil – packed
2 cloves of garlic
3 Tablespoons of Pine Nuts 
3/4 Cup of grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

Either in a blender or a food processor, add all the ingredients. Pulse until mixture is a think puree.  Serve with pasta or bread or anything you like!