Joy's Blueberry Muffins

After our epic blueberry picking adventure a few weekends ago I couldn't get the idea of blueberry muffins out of my head.

These blueberries we picked weren't just any blueberries - they were pesticide-free, fresh off the blueberry bush and SO flavorful.  They were the BEST blueberries I've ever had.

And you can't use extraordinary blueberries in ordinary blueberry muffins, now can you?

So, where was I going to get a muffin recipe for my extra-special blueberries?  My baking guru of course, Joy the Baker.  She makes the loveliest of pies and takes the prettiest of pictures.  Her cookies, cakes and infused boozes all speak directly to my soul, and so that's how I know she and I would be friends in real life, obviously.  That, and I totally GET her sense of humor.  How do I know?  I listen to her podcasts with Tracy from Shutterbean and laugh hys-ter-ically, no matter where I am or who else is around.  I have gotten more than one weird look as a result, but it's so worth it.

Joy's Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins are glorious.  Topped with a crumbly coffee-cake-like topping, the blueberries take center stage and together with the caramel notes from the browned butter, they taste like perfect harmony.  White flour and refined sugar are involved, so these certainly aren't my typical "healthy food" muffin, but they're 100% worth the indulgence.  When you eat real foods most of the time, there's no guilt when you indulge.  We must all splurge a little, now and then.

Happy splurging :-)

Check out Joy's site for the recipe.  I followed her notes exactly and was rewarded with 12 perfectly delicious muffins.

Joy's Blueberry Muffins

After our epic blueberry picking adventure a few weekends ago I couldn't get the idea of blueberry muffins out of my head.

These blueberries we picked weren't just any blueberries - they were pesticide-free, fresh off the blueberry bush and SO flavorful.  They were the BEST blueberries I've ever had.

And you can't use extraordinary blueberries in ordinary blueberry muffins, now can you?

So, where was I going to get a muffin recipe for my extra-special blueberries?  My baking guru of course, Joy the Baker.  She makes the loveliest of pies and takes the prettiest of pictures.  Her cookies, cakes and infused boozes all speak directly to my soul, and so that's how I know she and I would be friends in real life, obviously.  That, and I totally GET her sense of humor.  How do I know?  I listen to her podcasts with Tracy from Shutterbean and laugh hys-ter-ically, no matter where I am or who else is around.  I have gotten more than one weird look as a result, but it's so worth it.

Joy's Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins are glorious.  Topped with a crumbly coffee-cake-like topping, the blueberries take center stage and together with the caramel notes from the browned butter, they taste like perfect harmony.  White flour and refined sugar are involved, so these certainly aren't my typical "healthy food" muffin, but they're 100% worth the indulgence.  When you eat real foods most of the time, there's no guilt when you indulge.  We must all splurge a little, now and then.

Happy splurging :-)

Check out Joy's site for the recipe.  I followed her notes exactly and was rewarded with 12 perfectly delicious muffins.

Three-Ingredient Strawberry Jam

I think I need to confess something.

I am a jam-snob.

Let me explain how this came to be, join me as I recount how it all happened (Hint:  it involves homemade strawberry jam...and yes, there is a recipe at the end of the story).

So, I was standing in the jam aisle at the grocery store, completely mesmerized by the dazzling assortment:  dozens of different flavors, some labeled sugar-free, some with added fiber, some with no added sugar (different than the sugar-free!).  There were organic varieties and some packaged in squeeze bottles, varieties containing whole fruit pieces and some seedless, all in a bright array of rainbow colors.

(BTW what is the difference between jam, jelly, preserves, compote, marmalade and fruit butter?!?)

For as different as the varied jams and jellies seemed at first glance, they all had a few things in common - starting with the ingredient list.  They all looked a little like this:

[Fruit], High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid

Wow - that's a lot of sugar (HFCS, Corn Syrup and Sugar are ALL sources of added dietary sugars).

So, then I looked at the Sugar-Free and No-Added Sugar varieties.  Their ingredient lists were longer and full of things I couldn't pronounce, and the first ingredient was water (WTF?!):

Water (!!!), [Fruit], Polydextrose, Maltodextrin, Fruit Pectin, Locust Bean Gum, Natural Flavor (?), Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sucralose (Splenda), Calcium Chloride, Red 40

Even the varieties billing themselves as all-natural and simple 100% fruit contained some surprising ingredients:

Fruit Syrup, [Fruit], Lemon Juice Concentrate, Fruit Pectin, Red Grape Juice Concentrate added for color, Natural Flavors

It seemed to me like something so simple, so pure and lovely like preserved fruit ought to really be easy to make.  Right?!  

Well actually, YES!  And let me assure you - SO. WORTH. MAKING.  The ability to control the ingredients and the amount of sugar makes it worth it to me, the fresh and delicious taste is the icing on the cake.

Especially if you can pick your own ripe berries for $.50/quart (yes, that's what it cost us when we went picking about a month ago).  Granted, it requires a large amount of berries to yield a modest amount of preserves, so it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to make this when you have to spend $5 per pint for imported berries from South America.  BUT, it just so happens to be strawberry season on the East Coast now so go find a local U-Pick Farm (scroll down to search by state) and get picking!  Make sure to pick more berries than you think you are going to need because if you're anything like us you won't be able to stop eating them fresh, right out of your fridge.  

But do save a couple of pints for this jam.  It will fill up one pint-sized mason jar plus you will have some overflow.  Or use two smaller (re-cycled) clean glass jam jars.  You could even just use a clean plastic container.  It makes a really nice hostess gift or even perhaps a Mother's Day gift?!  My mother loved it....

Feel free to use official canning practices and store the jam in the cupboard for enjoying later.  Or it could probably be frozen too.  It will last at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator, that is, if you don't eat it all first.

I have made this jam three times already this year, it's that good.  I'll never buy grocery-store jam again.  There, I said it.  Never again.  Jam Snob.  

It is amazing on top of waffles with plain greek yogurt, sliced fresh strawberries and Artisana Cashew Butter.  

Or on toast with it's BF, peanut butter. 

Or layered in a jar with greek yogurt, fresh fruit and granola for a quick breakfast on the go.

Or stirred into a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter for PB&J Oats (a personal fave).

The best part about this jam is, you control the amount of sugar you add.  Add as little or as much as you wish, depending on your taste.  I didn't need much because I was using really sweet berries, but you can adjust the sugar as you wish.

Three-Ingredient Strawberry Jam

adapted from Apples for Jam

makes about 2 1/2 cups of jam

2 pints fresh ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered (this is about 5 cups of chopped berries)

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar (or more or less, depending on your taste preference and how sweet your berries are)

juice from 1/2 lemon (I used a very juicy lemon.  If yours is kinda dry, use the juice from the whole lemon)

optional 4th ingredient:  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toss the chopped strawberries with the lemon juice and the sugar in a large non-reactive bowl (not aluminum).  I would recommend you start with 1/4 cup of sugar, you can always add more later if necessary.  Let the berries, juice and sugar sit 1-2 hours, or as long as overnight in the refrigerator, covered, stirring a couple of times to let the berries release their juices.

After resting, pour about 2/3 of the berries and all of the liquid into a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened.

Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash the cooked berries very well until there are no large chunks.  (As an alternative, you could use an immersion blender to puree until smooth).  Then, add the reserved berries (and any more accumulated juice) to the pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until the jam is thickened, tasting after about 5 minutes and adding additional sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired sweetness.  Stir in the vanilla extract, if using.  Cook until thick.  You will know the jam is thickened enough when you drip a small spoonful onto a plate, tilt the plate down and the jam does not run off but clings and slides down slowly.

Pour the jam into clean glass jars and store in the refrigerator.  It keeps at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  Conversely, you could follow proper canning procedures and store in the cupboard until ready to use.  

Here are a couple resources for small-batch home-canning.  (Full-disclosure - I have never used these guides.) 

Oh, and another tip.  If you do happen to come home from the U-Pick Farm with 12 Pounds of Strawberries, you can freeze a big giant bag of them and make this jam at a later date.  Like in January when strawberries cost $5 per pint and have to be shipped all the way from Mexico.  You will be so happy you picked 12 pounds and froze half of them.  You'll probably want to thank me - FYI, I happily accept homemade jam as a Thank You gift :-)

Three-Ingredient Strawberry Jam

I think I need to confess something.

I am a jam-snob.

Let me explain how this came to be, join me as I recount how it all happened (Hint:  it involves homemade strawberry jam...and yes, there is a recipe at the end of the story).

So, I was standing in the jam aisle at the grocery store, completely mesmerized by the dazzling assortment:  dozens of different flavors, some labeled sugar-free, some with added fiber, some with no added sugar (different than the sugar-free!).  There were organic varieties and some packaged in squeeze bottles, varieties containing whole fruit pieces and some seedless, all in a bright array of rainbow colors.

(BTW what is the difference between jam, jelly, preserves, compote, marmalade and fruit butter?!?)

For as different as the varied jams and jellies seemed at first glance, they all had a few things in common - starting with the ingredient list.  They all looked a little like this:

[Fruit], High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid

Wow - that's a lot of sugar (HFCS, Corn Syrup and Sugar are ALL sources of added dietary sugars).

So, then I looked at the Sugar-Free and No-Added Sugar varieties.  Their ingredient lists were longer and full of things I couldn't pronounce, and the first ingredient was water (WTF?!):

Water (!!!), [Fruit], Polydextrose, Maltodextrin, Fruit Pectin, Locust Bean Gum, Natural Flavor (?), Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sucralose (Splenda), Calcium Chloride, Red 40

Even the varieties billing themselves as all-natural and simple 100% fruit contained some surprising ingredients:

Fruit Syrup, [Fruit], Lemon Juice Concentrate, Fruit Pectin, Red Grape Juice Concentrate added for color, Natural Flavors

It seemed to me like something so simple, so pure and lovely like preserved fruit ought to really be easy to make.  Right?!  

Well actually, YES!  And let me assure you - SO. WORTH. MAKING.  The ability to control the ingredients and the amount of sugar makes it worth it to me, the fresh and delicious taste is the icing on the cake.

Especially if you can pick your own ripe berries for $.50/quart (yes, that's what it cost us when we went picking about a month ago).  Granted, it requires a large amount of berries to yield a modest amount of preserves, so it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to make this when you have to spend $5 per pint for imported berries from South America.  BUT, it just so happens to be strawberry season on the East Coast now so go find a local U-Pick Farm (scroll down to search by state) and get picking!  Make sure to pick more berries than you think you are going to need because if you're anything like us you won't be able to stop eating them fresh, right out of your fridge.  

But do save a couple of pints for this jam.  It will fill up one pint-sized mason jar plus you will have some overflow.  Or use two smaller (re-cycled) clean glass jam jars.  You could even just use a clean plastic container.  It makes a really nice hostess gift or even perhaps a Mother's Day gift?!  My mother loved it....

Feel free to use official canning practices and store the jam in the cupboard for enjoying later.  Or it could probably be frozen too.  It will last at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator, that is, if you don't eat it all first.

I have made this jam three times already this year, it's that good.  I'll never buy grocery-store jam again.  There, I said it.  Never again.  Jam Snob.  

It is amazing on top of waffles with plain greek yogurt, sliced fresh strawberries and Artisana Cashew Butter.  

Or on toast with it's BF, peanut butter. 

Or layered in a jar with greek yogurt, fresh fruit and granola for a quick breakfast on the go.

Or stirred into a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter for PB&J Oats (a personal fave).

The best part about this jam is, you control the amount of sugar you add.  Add as little or as much as you wish, depending on your taste.  I didn't need much because I was using really sweet berries, but you can adjust the sugar as you wish.

Three-Ingredient Strawberry Jam

adapted from Apples for Jam

makes about 2 1/2 cups of jam

2 pints fresh ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered (this is about 5 cups of chopped berries)

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar (or more or less, depending on your taste preference and how sweet your berries are)

juice from 1/2 lemon (I used a very juicy lemon.  If yours is kinda dry, use the juice from the whole lemon)

optional 4th ingredient:  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toss the chopped strawberries with the lemon juice and the sugar in a large non-reactive bowl (not aluminum).  I would recommend you start with 1/4 cup of sugar, you can always add more later if necessary.  Let the berries, juice and sugar sit 1-2 hours, or as long as overnight in the refrigerator, covered, stirring a couple of times to let the berries release their juices.

After resting, pour about 2/3 of the berries and all of the liquid into a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened.

Using a potato masher or wooden spoon, mash the cooked berries very well until there are no large chunks.  (As an alternative, you could use an immersion blender to puree until smooth).  Then, add the reserved berries (and any more accumulated juice) to the pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until the jam is thickened, tasting after about 5 minutes and adding additional sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired sweetness.  Stir in the vanilla extract, if using.  Cook until thick.  You will know the jam is thickened enough when you drip a small spoonful onto a plate, tilt the plate down and the jam does not run off but clings and slides down slowly.

Pour the jam into clean glass jars and store in the refrigerator.  It keeps at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  Conversely, you could follow proper canning procedures and store in the cupboard until ready to use.  

Here are a couple resources for small-batch home-canning.  (Full-disclosure - I have never used these guides.) 

Oh, and another tip.  If you do happen to come home from the U-Pick Farm with 12 Pounds of Strawberries, you can freeze a big giant bag of them and make this jam at a later date.  Like in January when strawberries cost $5 per pint and have to be shipped all the way from Mexico.  You will be so happy you picked 12 pounds and froze half of them.  You'll probably want to thank me - FYI, I happily accept homemade jam as a Thank You gift :-)

Routines

It feels so good to get into a normal routine again!

After a couple of weeks of having company and getting used to my new work schedule (and neglecting my poor blog) I finally feel like things are settling into a comfortable routine.

I've been cooking and baking up a storm the last couple of weeks but you wouldn't know it if you've been following me on Twitter, Facebook or this blog - I've just been too busy to post about it!  Even with all of the craziness around here I still managed to take some pictures.  Now I just have to get around to writing about it...

First up - BREAKFAST!  My favorite meal of the day (obviously!)

On Sunday, I made my High Protein Oatmeal Pancakes for breakfast and had a chance to take some better (at least I think) photos.  This time, I had mine with sliced bananas and a dollop of Artisana Cacao Bliss on top.  Oh my God - Cacao Bliss is pure HEAVEN!

The lovely folks at Artisana sent me some samples to try (a full review of their products and GIVEAWAY is coming SOON) and I had just been waiting for the right time to try the Cacao Bliss.  Wow - just wow.  It's a creamy, chocolatey coconut spread that kind of reminded me of Nutella only not quite as sweet, and it has a definite coconut taste to it (YUM!)  Oh, AND it's 100% organic, vegan and raw!

On the side - I had a little plain Fage Total 2% greek yogurt with a sprinkling of Nature's Path Love Crunch Dark Chocolate and Red Berries.

This was the kind of breakfast that fills you up yet somehow doesn't weigh you down.  I don't know how these pancakes do it, they're just magic.

Please promise me you'll try them.  In return, I'll promise not to take such a long hiatus from posting.  OK, now go make some breakfast!

Click here for my previous post on my High-Protein Oatmeal Pancakes for the recipe.

And these pancakes can be refrigerated or frozen for super easy, quick weekday breakfasts.  Just thaw for a few seconds in the microwave (if frozen, if refrigerated skip the microwave), then pop into the toaster on a low-medium setting and toast until thawed and warmed through.  SO GOOD!

Also, a note:  these pancakes are gluten-free - just MAKE SURE to use certified gluten-free oats (Bob's Red Mill makes some) if you are sensitive to gluten, or keeping gluten-free.

Routines

It feels so good to get into a normal routine again!

After a couple of weeks of having company and getting used to my new work schedule (and neglecting my poor blog) I finally feel like things are settling into a comfortable routine.

I've been cooking and baking up a storm the last couple of weeks but you wouldn't know it if you've been following me on Twitter, Facebook or this blog - I've just been too busy to post about it!  Even with all of the craziness around here I still managed to take some pictures.  Now I just have to get around to writing about it...

First up - BREAKFAST!  My favorite meal of the day (obviously!)

On Sunday, I made my High Protein Oatmeal Pancakes for breakfast and had a chance to take some better (at least I think) photos.  This time, I had mine with sliced bananas and a dollop of Artisana Cacao Bliss on top.  Oh my God - Cacao Bliss is pure HEAVEN!

The lovely folks at Artisana sent me some samples to try (a full review of their products and GIVEAWAY is coming SOON) and I had just been waiting for the right time to try the Cacao Bliss.  Wow - just wow.  It's a creamy, chocolatey coconut spread that kind of reminded me of Nutella only not quite as sweet, and it has a definite coconut taste to it (YUM!)  Oh, AND it's 100% organic, vegan and raw!

On the side - I had a little plain Fage Total 2% greek yogurt with a sprinkling of Nature's Path Love Crunch Dark Chocolate and Red Berries.

This was the kind of breakfast that fills you up yet somehow doesn't weigh you down.  I don't know how these pancakes do it, they're just magic.

Please promise me you'll try them.  In return, I'll promise not to take such a long hiatus from posting.  OK, now go make some breakfast!

Click here for my previous post on my High-Protein Oatmeal Pancakes for the recipe.

And these pancakes can be refrigerated or frozen for super easy, quick weekday breakfasts.  Just thaw for a few seconds in the microwave (if frozen, if refrigerated skip the microwave), then pop into the toaster on a low-medium setting and toast until thawed and warmed through.  SO GOOD!

Also, a note:  these pancakes are gluten-free - just MAKE SURE to use certified gluten-free oats (Bob's Red Mill makes some) if you are sensitive to gluten, or keeping gluten-free.

Simple

Good Morning!

Sometimes simple things are the best things, don't you agree?

- coffee and the Sunday paper in your pajamas
- a bouquet of tulips
- finding the perfect seashell on the beach
- the cool side of the pillow
- a handwritten note
- the smell of old books
- a parking meter with time still left on it
- hitting all green lights
- the way your dog greets you like he hasn't seen you in hours even though it has only been 10 minutes

...I wanted to go simple this morning for breakfast:

1/2 cup Nature's Path Blueberry Cinnamon cereal (I'm all out!  Must get more ASAP)
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
Trader Joe's unsweetened vanilla almond milk
sliced Florida strawberries
dollop Trader Joe's roasted creamy almond butter

Plus one hard boiled cage-free egg (with a little s + p) and Kona coffee.

I had my first day at my new job yesterday!  Things went well and my commute isn't bad at all.  I even have a co-worker, Jess, who is into running :-)  She and I decided to register for the Iron Girl 5K taking place in Clearwater this April.  

Today, I'm going to try to find a minute to write Part 3 of my Gasparilla Recap: What I Wore/My Gear.  If you are interested, make sure to check out Part 1:  The Race and Part 2:  Preparation.

I've also got a couple of recipes in the works that I want to share.  They're GOOD ones too, so make sure you check back!

Happy (almost) weekend!



What are your favorite simple things?  

Simple

Good Morning!

Sometimes simple things are the best things, don't you agree?

- coffee and the Sunday paper in your pajamas
- a bouquet of tulips
- finding the perfect seashell on the beach
- the cool side of the pillow
- a handwritten note
- the smell of old books
- a parking meter with time still left on it
- hitting all green lights
- the way your dog greets you like he hasn't seen you in hours even though it has only been 10 minutes

...I wanted to go simple this morning for breakfast:

1/2 cup Nature's Path Blueberry Cinnamon cereal (I'm all out!  Must get more ASAP)
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
Trader Joe's unsweetened vanilla almond milk
sliced Florida strawberries
dollop Trader Joe's roasted creamy almond butter

Plus one hard boiled cage-free egg (with a little s + p) and Kona coffee.

I had my first day at my new job yesterday!  Things went well and my commute isn't bad at all.  I even have a co-worker, Jess, who is into running :-)  She and I decided to register for the Iron Girl 5K taking place in Clearwater this April.  

Today, I'm going to try to find a minute to write Part 3 of my Gasparilla Recap: What I Wore/My Gear.  If you are interested, make sure to check out Part 1:  The Race and Part 2:  Preparation.

I've also got a couple of recipes in the works that I want to share.  They're GOOD ones too, so make sure you check back!

Happy (almost) weekend!



What are your favorite simple things?  

Breaking (Eggs at) Dawn

Hopefully I don't offend any Twilight-fanatics with today's post title.  It just seemed appropriate, given my breakfast this morning:

One Kashi 7-grain waffle, toasted to crispy perfection.  Topped with a mound of Fage Total 2% greek yogurt, sliced strawberries, a small dollop of Trader Joe's Roasted Creamy Unsweetened Almond Butter and a sprinkle of Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus granola.

On the side: one egg, scrambled.  And coffee, glorious coffee.

The serving size for these Kashi 7-grain waffles is two waffles, but I only ate one today since I was loading it up with yogurt and eating an egg on the side.  This was one FILLING breakfast!  And so, so delicious.

I made the same breakfast for Brian but increased his portion size because the man has not one but TWO hollow legs.  I served him two waffles (dressed the same as mine) and three scrambled eggs.  And he likes things sweeter than I do, so he added a little Maple Syrup to his waffle stack.  He loved it!  Husband-Approved :-)

I have a ton of work to do today and I am hoping to complete and post Part 2 of my series on my first race experience: Preparation.  Stay tuned!

Does your husband/boyfriend/fiance/male-person-in-your-life eat twice as much as you do?  This topic came up in the Joy The Baker Podcast I listened to yesterday afternoon, and I was wondering:  What do YOU think about a guy that has a small appetite?  

Breaking (Eggs at) Dawn

Hopefully I don't offend any Twilight-fanatics with today's post title.  It just seemed appropriate, given my breakfast this morning:

One Kashi 7-grain waffle, toasted to crispy perfection.  Topped with a mound of Fage Total 2% greek yogurt, sliced strawberries, a small dollop of Trader Joe's Roasted Creamy Unsweetened Almond Butter and a sprinkle of Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Plus granola.

On the side: one egg, scrambled.  And coffee, glorious coffee.

The serving size for these Kashi 7-grain waffles is two waffles, but I only ate one today since I was loading it up with yogurt and eating an egg on the side.  This was one FILLING breakfast!  And so, so delicious.

I made the same breakfast for Brian but increased his portion size because the man has not one but TWO hollow legs.  I served him two waffles (dressed the same as mine) and three scrambled eggs.  And he likes things sweeter than I do, so he added a little Maple Syrup to his waffle stack.  He loved it!  Husband-Approved :-)

I have a ton of work to do today and I am hoping to complete and post Part 2 of my series on my first race experience: Preparation.  Stay tuned!

Does your husband/boyfriend/fiance/male-person-in-your-life eat twice as much as you do?  This topic came up in the Joy The Baker Podcast I listened to yesterday afternoon, and I was wondering:  What do YOU think about a guy that has a small appetite?