Blueberry Maple Muffins from Eating Well

Like yesterday's Morning Glories, this recipe for Blueberry Maple Muffins comes from Eating Well. My daughter Katie uses Eating Well as a source for healthier versions of her favorite foods. She packed up a batch of these for this weekend's camping trip. What makes them even more special are the blueberries -- grown right here on our own bushes. We just have a few, but they are producing a nice crop of berries as July ends and August is on the horizon. It's definitely blueberry season in Upstate New York!

It's been quiet here at home while Katie, Bill, and the kiddos are camping north of Indian Lake in the Adirondacks, though I've been busy while they're away. Yesterday, I went to a graduation party for the nephew of two good friends, Cathi Jackson and Barbara Doane (sisters). My contribution to the party was the graduation cake. Delos Jackson is a great kid who graduated in June from Hartford (NY) High School where he was very active in sports, but especially basketball. He's a tall, blond stretch of a kid, with sparkling blue eyes and a shy smile. I've known him since he was a very little boy. His Aunt Cathi was my daughter's Girl Scout leader, and Delos and his family joined us on many of our excursions, but I especially remember the fun we had on our trips to Disney World. My sister-in-law Carolyn and I had rented a sporty convertible on that trip, and Delos, then about 8 or 9, loved riding in that car.  He sat in the back, with the top down, on our way back from a day at the beach in Daytona to our hotel, near Orlando. His excitement just made it all the more fun!  Delos is going to start at SUNY Adirondack in the fall, and I know he'll have a great first year of college. His mom Vicky and dad Ken (along with the rest of his family) have a lot to be proud of in Delos.

Hartford High School Colors - Black and Red!

My Saturday night was pretty quiet. I thought of taking a walk on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, THE summer place to be this time of year! Instead, I settled in here in Middle Grove and did some laundry, checked Facebook, watched a little TV, and talked to Russ (our pretty-much nightly ritual in this long-distance relationship - 16 years next month!). Of course, I'd much rather have a face-to-face conversation (especially with his handsome face!), but we'll catch up soon. We both have such busy lives it's a wonder we manage at all! But we do, and it works for us. I sometimes joke that we are the only two people who can put up with each others' crazy schedules! Fortunately, we can.

On this Sunday I look forward to doing a little shopping in preparation for my trip to North Carolina in just two weeks (!). When I get home this afternoon, I'll prepare a dinner for Katie, Bill, and my little men. After three days of camp food, and with today's rainy weather, comfort food like lasagna or meatloaf and mashed potatoes will be a welcome change. Later tonight, it's more baking for my favorite Saratoga hotel, to be dropped off in the early morning before I head to the track. Tomorrow there's a special race sponsored by Skidmore College's Tang Museum (home of my day job!) at the historic Saratoga Race Course, and our entire office staff will be there for the festivities. We'll be hosting an information booth near the paddock, from 10 am - 6 pm, for anyone who wants to stop by to say hello and pick up some Tang merch!

Looks like my quiet morning is leading into a busy couple of days!  Before the busy-ness kicks in, here's the recipe for Katie's Blueberry Maple Muffins, from Eating Well. Hope you are all enjoying a terrific Sunday!


BLUEBERRY MAPLE MUFFINS
very slightly adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
1/3 cup whole flaxseeds (Katie used flax meal that I keep in my freezer - King Arthur)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (ours came from our chicken coop!)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup nonfat buttermilk (or sour 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar - let stand 5 minutes)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (Katie used lemon)
1 tablespoon orange juice (Katie used fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries (homegrown!)
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

1. Grind flaxseeds in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder or dry blender (Katie used King Arthur Flaxmeal, already ground). Transfer to a large bowl.Add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend.

2. Whisk eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk, oil, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla (Katie used lemon zest and juice).  Whisk until blended.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 26 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto wire rack to cool slightly.

Nutrition information from Eating Well:
Per muffin: 208 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 36 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 184 mg sodium; 149 mg potassium
Carbohydrate servings: 2
Exhanges: 1 starch, 1/2 other carbohydrate 1 1/2 fat

Link to original recipe:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/blueberry_maple_muffins.html

Irish Food, Family Memories, and Soda Bread

Coming from 100% Irish origins through and through, it's surprising that I didn't grow up eating a lot of what is considered to be Irish food.  We did have lamb chops now and then (my father would buy 27 so our family of nine could each have three).  He broiled them with lemon pepper seasoning and they were delicious.  One time, just as dinner was coming together, he dropped the broiler pan with its just-cooked chops on the kitchen floor and couldn't bear to throw the expensive meat away, so he rinsed them under the faucet and put them back under the broiler! Every now and then there was a pot of stew, and sometimes my mother would leave the kitchen and my father would pour  a bottle of beer into the pot, something she did not approve of!  When my parents discovered the pressure cooker, stew became dangerous.  The little toggle on the top of the pot would start to hiss with steam and wobble, and my father would tell all of us to get out of the kitchen, in case the whole thing blew!  Eating at my house was an adventure.

I was never fond of the traditional corned beef and cabbage.  I didn't like the strong flavor of the meat, and cabbage was just too stinky a vegetable for me.  I've grown to like it in my later years (probably because my senses of smell and taste are less acute!).  Nope, not a lot of Irish food in my house, despite the bloodlines.  Still, I embrace tradition. 

In the spirit of Saint Patrick's Day which will be upon us in just eight days, I'm bringing you soda bread.  My Aunt Jeanne, mother of eight and now age 90, still makes it.  This timely recipe comes from Eating Well, and is featured on the Food Network's Website which states, "Soda breads are hearty Irish staples - wholemeal flour with large flakes of bran and wheat germ, or white flour or a mixture leavened with baking soda and moistened with buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, which is an alkali, creating bubbles of carbon dioxide which rise the bread. Soda breads have the heft of a yeast bread but are made in minutes and the dough can be shaped into scones or a round loaf, depending on the occasion. Originally it would have been baked in a bastible (pot oven) over the open fire."

IRISH SODA BREAD from Eating Well and The Food Network

Prep Time:
    10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
    --
Cook Time:
    1 hr 20 min

Level:
    Easy

Serves:
    2-pound loaf (12 slices)

Ingredients

    * 2 cups whole-wheat flour
    * 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 2 1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.

Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Recipe and Photo Credit:  The Food Network and EatingWell.com

Apple Nut Crisp from Eating Well and The Food Network

It's September 1, and my thoughts turn to apples. Driving by Saratoga Apple on Route 29 the other day, I noticed that the trees are laden with ripe fruit. We'll be apple picking any time now, right through mid-October. Last year when we went to pick, Henry was just a tiny bundle in his Baby Bjorn. This year he'll be pulling (or pushing) his own wagon and picking up "drops." I remember when my kids were young. We'd pick more apples than we could ever use (I didn't can them) and as soon as we got home I'd make a huge pot of applesauce, bake a pie, and we'd eat apples until we all had stomach aches! We used to go to Focastle Farm in nearby Burnt Hills and we'd enjoy apple picking as well as shopping in their beautiful gift shop (which also has a great restaurant for breakfast or lunch). I'm going to try to visit Focastle a few times again during the next few months.

This recipe comes from Eating Well, and offers a somewhat more nutrition-packed Apple Crisp than the traditional version by incorporating whole-wheat flour and walnuts (or hazelnuts) along with the oats. It has a 5-star rating, and the link to the recipe and web page can also be found below.

APPLE NUT CRISP

* 5 medium-large crisp, tart apples, such as McIntosh, Empire, Granny Smith or Cortland, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar or Splenda Granular
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
* 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
* 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts or walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch square (or 2-quart) deep baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine apples with granulated sugar (or Splenda), lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine whole-wheat flour, oats, brown sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix to blend. Using your fingers (or a fork or pastry blender), cut in butter until evenly distributed and there are no chunks. Stir in oil, apple juice concentrate and nuts; toss well until evenly moistened and clumpy.

Remove the foil from the baking dish and scatter the topping evenly over the apples. Bake uncovered until the topping has browned and the fruit is soft and bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.


Recipe and Photo Credit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/old-fashioned-apple-nut-crisp-recipe/index.html