Tag Archives: cooking post

Book Review AND Recipes! :-) 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury

750Muffincover[1]

ChaiLatte750Muffin[1]

From the Vegan Muffins section:

Chai Latte Muffins

Scented with many of the spices of chai, these muffins are wonderful with hot black tea.

Makes 12 muffins

 12-cup muffin pan, greased

1 cup vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, hemp)   250 ml

2 tbsp loose black tea  30 mL

2 cups  all-purpose flour  500 mL

2 tsp  baking powder 10 mL

11⁄2 tsp  ground cinnamon  7 mL

11⁄2 tsp  ground cardamom  7 mL

1⁄2 tsp  ground ginger 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp  baking soda   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   salt 2 mL

1⁄4 tsp  ground cloves 1 mL

2⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar     150 mL

2⁄3 cup plain soy yogurt   150 mL

1⁄3 cup vegetable oil 75 mL

1 tsp vanilla extract    5 mL

  1. In a small saucepan, bring milk and tea to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, discarding tea leaves, and let cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, baking soda, salt and cloves.
  4. Whisk brown sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla into milk mixture until well blended.
  5. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
  6. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.
  7. Bake for 19 to 23 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

 

 RaspOat750Muffin[1]

From the Breakfast Muffins section:

Raspberry Oat Muffins

These tempting, raspberry-filled muffins are a nice (and healthy) way to get started in the morning.

 Makes 15 muffins

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)

Two 12-cup muffin pans, 15 cups greased

2 cups  all-purpose flour  500 mL

1 cup large-flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats  250 ml

1 cup  packed light brown sugar   250 mL

2 tsp baking powder 10 mL

1⁄2 tsp   baking soda   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   salt 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp  ground allspice   2 mL

1 egg  

1 cup milk 250 mL

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted 60 mL

1 tsp vanilla extract  5 mL

11⁄2 cups raspberries  375 mL

1⁄4 cup granulated sugar  60 mL

 

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk, butter and vanilla until well blended.
  3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in raspberries.
  4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 21 minutes or until tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

Courtesy of 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury

© 2010 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

♥♥

As any of my regular readers already know, I’m a BIG fan of muffins! So, when I had the opportunity to test-drive this MASSIVE muffin collection, I was a happy camper! 😉

And 750 Best Muffin Recipes did not disappoint. This is a fantastic baking book and one that every muffin lover needs to have! 

So far, I have made the:

-Toasted Walnut Muffins (Satisfying and not too sweet, perfect for breakfast)

-Oatmeal and Prune Muffins ( I ♥ prunes and these are VERY satisfying, with a nice “toothsome” texture)

Brown Rice and Cheese Muffins (These were AMAZING served with the Cream of Cauliflower and Tarragon Soup from The Groovy Green Kitchen II: Simply, Super, Supper Soups)

And on the menu today:

-Coconut Crumb Muffins (These look so delish, LOADED with coconut in the muffins and topping them too)

I’m planning to try one or two new muffin recipes each week, to work my way through this book. That’s going to take a while but what a yummy journey it will be. 😉

What do I like about this cookbook, well…everything actually!

The recipes are creative, original, easy to make, LOTS of variety (and that includes everything from the top muffin classics, coffeehouse gourmet muffins, gluten free muffins and a good selection of vegan ones too!)

Another plus, from what I’ve noted so far, none of the recipes are heavy on sugar or a lot of other unhealthy ingredients…it really is the ultimate muffin-lovers collection and I’m so glad to have a copy to enjoy, again and again and again!

The only thing that I am tweaking a bit in each recipe is when adding: coconut, fruit, nuts, etc…to the mix. I always add these with the dry ingredients, (not as the last additions)  to dredge them with the flour etc. and to help to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins when mixed. A little baking tip that has worked well over the years. No problem making this slight change and for me, it’s just a long-time personal preference.

And I hope you enjoy the two luscious muffin recipes featured above,that were graciously provided by Robert Rose, the publishers of this cookbook. Stop by their site to see all their bestselling cookbook choices.

And definitely DO plan to order a copy of 750 Best Muffin Recipes soon!

750 Best Muffin Recipes (Amazon.ca) 

750 Best Muffin Recipes (Amazon.com)

Now I’m off to the kitchen to get those muffin cups ready! 😉

Happy Baking!  

 

On the Menu This Weekend ;-)


 I REALLY ♥ to cook, but sometimes it’s nice to have a day off from the kitchen, completely.

That’s where Joe comes in. 😉

When he’s home more on the weekends, he usually makes at least one supper and also a “mean” fry-up (yummm….) for Sunday morning breakfast.

I just sit back with my knitting needles on the couch and wait for my plate to arrive! 😉

This weekend, he’s going to be making Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Lasagna from one of my fav cookbooks:

vegetarian-slow-cooker judith finlayson

The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson

Click the link above to read my review of this book. And  for the yummy Sweet Potato Lasagna recipe, courtesy of the author and publisher of this book. 

It’s a very easy lasagna recipe to make with an intriguing blend of flavors.

And as with all slow-cooker recipes, it’s great to just “set it and forget it” until it’s time to chow-down!!! Gotta ♥ that too. 

Happy Cooking and Weekend!

How I LOVE Beets, Let Me Count the Ways! ;-)

borscht

beets sooooo much! 😉

I think beets are one of the most underrated vegetables in terms of versatility and taste.

Not to mention their health benefits, which are significant too and  in a number of ways. It’s not just vitamin C that you’re getting in a serving of beets! You can read about some of the many nutritional pluses of eating beets and beet greens here. 

Tonight I’m making a beet pesto with pasta recipe for the first time. Sounds and looks so yummy. It’s a recipe that I found recently in Alive MagazineI also make a variety of beet salads on a regular basis and of course, my fav soup of all time:

Veggie Beet Borscht (click for the recipe).

Do you like beets and what’s your fav recipe to make with them?

Happy Cooking! :)

My Heinz Beans “Horror” Story :-(

heinz-original-beans-in-tomato-sauce-product-image

If you buy/use any Heinz products, I hope you’ll stop by and read about a recent experience I had, over at: My Real Life Reviews.

Click to read: My Heinz Beans “Horror” Story.

And please DO share this post if you can on your FB, Twitter, blogs…

It’s an important warning/heads-up about Heinz, that I hope a lot of people find out about.

As I said in my post:

Buyer Beware!!!

Raiding My Cookbook Stash! ;-)

cookbooks 2

I  ♥ cookbooks!

I have a large collection of all kinds of cookbooks. Many of them supplied by publishers and authors over the years, as review copies. I spent one afternoon last week, going through some of my favs from the cookbook shelf and picked out some recipes from all of the ones shown here. And yes, two of those are mine. 😉

I made a new version of ratatouille last night from Alive Magazine, which was quite good and from the slow cooker, ♥ that too.

Today, I’m making: Dilly Potato Salad from the Sensational Salads cookbook. I’ve made that one before and it’s delish. Lots of dill and other yummy ingredients in this one.

Here’s a link to that recipe from a previous post, if you’d like to try it.

What’s on the menu for supper at your place tonight?

And do you have a favorite ‘go-to’ cookbook?

Happy Cooking! 🙂

Recipe: Summer’s Bounty Veg and Herb Soup

A summer recipe classic!
If your garden is overflowing with fresh herbs and veggies right now, give this soup a try.
A unique and delish combination of flavours!
Hope you enjoy the encore. : < )

VEGGIES, YARNS & TAILS

Yes, I know it’s not quite ‘soup time’ yet!

I must admit, I am a self-proclaimed soup-lover (big time) and unless it’s 100 degrees outside, I still like to make a batch. Enjoying it slowly simmering to perfection, the aroma wafting through the house. Then the best part, savoring all those flavors combined to enjoy in one big bowl of yummmmm….    🙂

I’m working on a soup promotion with one of my favorite health/recipe organizations online, for  their upcoming fall features (will keep you posted!). At the same time, I’ve been creating and ‘tweaking’ some new recipes and this soup was one I put together last week.

The results were: hearty, satisfying, very colorful and delicious. Summertime truly is a great time for making veggie soups and I took full advantage of as many fresh garden (wish it was ours!) vegetables and herbs as I could, to add to the pot. Hope…

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My Kind of “Processing” ;<) In My Kitchen

scones
In my kitchen, I create.
Breads to rise and cakes to bake.
Here, I stir, knead and sauté.
Spoons and knives, in happy disarray.
                                        
In my kitchen, I am queen!
Baking cobblers, date bars and other sweet dreams.
Soups and salads, lovingly prepared.
With a smidge of spice and a dash of flair.
                                                                                                   
Blissfully, I’m lost….
in heady aromas and tastes.
A world of flavors.
and delights to partake.
                                                                                     
I am home.
Oh so free.
This truly is, where I am ME!
                                                                                   
The stress of the day is left behind.
It’s time to create.
All problems resigned.
                                  
Pity those who can’t boil an egg.
Seeking culinary skills.
They will often beg.
                                                 
The chemistry of cooking.
A wonder to share.
It’s almost like love, but with calories…
oh dear!
                                                         
In my kitchen, safe and warm.
A haven…
flour heaven ?
So glad to be here.
                                               
♥ ♥ ♥   
 
Also posted for the June 16th, Woven Dreams prompt: Processing
          
    
“In My Kitchen”- revised  May 2013.
 
From the poetry collection: My Poetic Path
   
PS: In case you are craving a fresh-baked treat, after reading this poem,  😉
here’s the link to the recipe for these delicious scones.

Sweets for Your Sweetie! Happy Valentine’s Day

February…..

The month in Canada that usually heralds the last, cold blast of winter. On the plus side, February is also the month of  ♥ and Valentine’s Day! And what better way to celebrate than to make some oh so easy, homemade chocolates for you and those you love.

I have quite a collection of chocolate heart boxes from over the years. Some so beautifully decorated, they are like works of art. I find it hard to discard/recycle these. So much better to fill them up  again, with yummy chocolates from the kitchen. 😉

The following is a recipe from my cookbook: Not Just for Vegetarians that was also featured in my craft book: A Year of Crafts,  years ago as a Valentine’s project. They are very easy to make but still decadent and delish. 

See page 2 for complete recipe.

♥♥

This wonderful photo courtesy of Flickr

                     

Quick and Easy Zucchini Stir-Fry

I’ve been getting a lot of requests lately for recipes that feature (and use up!) zucchini and the more the better! Seems that the short season this veggie appears leaves a lot of people wondering what to do with all these glorious ‘green wonders’.

Can you tell that I am a true zucchini fan?

Today I’m sharing a VERY ‘speedy’  main dish recipe, Quick and Easy Zucchini Stir-Fry.

If you have 30 minutes to get supper on the table but still want something satisfying, fresh and delicious, give this one a try. Yummy with a sprinkle of feta cheese on top (as in photo) for a nice flavor contrast. 

Also try: Zucchini and Cheddar Fettuccini, a yummy, rich and delicious main dish.

Happy Cooking! 🙂

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