It's Blueberry Season! Quick and Easy Muffin Recipe

As a child, I can remember going to the local blueberry farm to pick fresh berries to have for baking and for freezing to have all year long. It's not that I hated going to the farm, it's that it wasn't really my thing. Usually the bushes were picked over at my height and so I had to get on a ladder to reach higher. Oh, and it was always really, really HOT. I do remember one of the farms having what I'd like to think is a good old fashion swimmin' hole that we'd jump in after to cool off and then have a picnic on one of the tables near by. 

Does it sound like I grew up in an episode of The Waltons yet? Basically. 

Needless to say, as an adult I prefer living in the city over the country, but do like sharing some of these memories with my daughter. My mom called me the other day to let me know their small grove of blueberry bushes was quite bountiful this year and that we should make plans to come visit and let Stella pick. I instantly remembered the heat. 

Lucky for Stella my parents are the only ones who pick from their bushes so no need for a ladder! We picked together and in about an hour had over a gallon of berries perfectly sweet.

Of course, the blueberry experience wouldn't be complete without a homemade snack. We made these easy blueberry muffins from an old home economics textbook. Give them a try—they are not overly sweet and easy for kids to help make. 

STELLA'S SIMPLE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

3 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

1 Egg, Beaten

1 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Melted Butter

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift all of the dry ingredients together and make a well in the bowl for the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and add to the dry. Stir wet and dry together. Add in berries and combine, but do not smash berries. Fill a greased muffin pan 3/4 of the way full. Bake 25-30 minuted and then cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.

*** This recipe can be gluten free by substituting Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 Gluten Free flour and using a total of 1 1/2 cup milk and an additional tablespoon of melted butter. Batter should be sticky, but not crumbly or soupy. 

Last Minute Valentine's Day Treats

At about 4:30 today I realized that I had failed in my motherly duties to procure Valentine’s Day goodies for school tomorrow. And, of course, I would choose to stop at the drugstore on the way home without any decent loot in sight. Then, I had a brilliant idea: I’ll bake something. Well, sorta. No ovens involved.

If you also find yourself out of last-minute Valentine's ideas, consider these little sweets. That is, if your school still allows homemade goods. I’m sensitive to consider all allergies, so today I used ghee (milk solids removed) and chose a gluten-free cereal just in case. Use a cute heart-shaped cookie cutter if you have one. If you don’t square is cool too, because six-year-olds don’t care as much as you think. Well, mine might.

As for packaging, no need to run across town in traffic to Hobby Lobby for those cute little cellophane bags because the Ziploc snack-sized bags work just fine. I also suggest picking up a package of the Avery 2 ½ inch diameter round kraft brown labels. These are a real workhorse: make your own personalized gift tags or labels for jars and create instant happiness. 

And, that’s it….the recipe for low-stress, but a sticky mess Valentine’s Day treats. Use this same formula, but with a star cookie cutter and wooden skewers, (pointy tip removed!) to make fairy wands for princess party favors.

So, at 5:30, here I am in the kitchen committed to making heart-shaped rice crispy treats. And at 6 pm, I’m done. Boom. Time to eat the scraps.

GLUTEN-FREE CEREAL TREATS

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 10 ounce bag of marshmallows

• 6 cups gluten-free rice cereal (I use Envirokids Chocolate Kola Crisp)

Melt butter until slightly golden brown (aka, brown butter) in a saucepan. Add marshmallows, melt and combine with butter using a silicone spatula. Stir mix into cereal in a large bowl. Continue to stir until so sticky you regret the decision to make treats. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out sticky mix. Make it as thick or flat as you like—you’re the captain of this crispy ship. Cut out with whatever shape cookie cutter you like, or be vanilla and cut them square. Vanilla is cool in my book—this is the preferred shape of hardcore crispy treat enthusiasts.

Everything's Better With Chocolate...Even Chili

It’s been a busy few weeks at home pulling me away from the blog--it seems like all my free time has been sucked into weekend DIY home improvement projects and preparing for my Stella’s sixth birthday. Six years already? Where did the time go.

Because I’ve been so busy, it would have been very easy to abandon intentional trips to the grocery store and developing a plan for what we are going to eat during the week. Especially that one Sunday when I climbed the stairs 34,678 times playing musical furniture throughout the house and had to settle for a trip down the street to the store for the bare essentials way too late in the day. Nonetheless, I didn’t throw in the towel and call for delivery. Look at me being committed to health and a budget--level up on adulting.

One of my favorite go-to dishes when I know I’m going to be short on time is chili. Once I get everything in the pot and simmering, I like to keep things at a low bubble for 2.5 hours, so I’d say you might want to make this meal when you find yourself bouncing between folding a million batches of laundry and rescuing Legos from the wrath of the vacuum cleaner.

The end result will yield a dish with endless opportunities--you can eat this chili by itself, but what fun would that be. Don’t forget to top with some diced onions, cheese if you do dairy, or my personal favorite: a scoop served in the middle of a baked sweet potato and topped with a sprinkle of green onion. And, don’t forget the biggest perk to this big batch is the leftovers waiting in your fridge after a busy day of work and kid-wrangling.

Tomorrow our local United Way agency is hosting a chili cookoff. I know for a fact this recipe is fantastic when cooked outside in a blackpot….that’s a cast iron cauldron for any non Louisiana folks out there. I won’t be entering myself in the competition, but no one ever complains when this is on the stove. And, that’s a big win in my book.

Chocolate Chili adapted from Well Fed

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)

• 2 medium orange or yellow peppers, diced

• 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)

• 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

• 3 tablespoons chili powder

• 3 tablespoons ground cumin

• 2.5  tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

• 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, diced tomatoes

• 2 cups beef broth

• 1 cup water

• 2 bay leaves, whole and dried

Heat a large dutch oven with oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers when oil melts, stirring with a wooden spoon and cook until soft (5-10 minutes). Add garlic and all spices for about 1 minute and then, add meat to the pot and break apart with spoon to combine with mix. Continue to cook the meat, stirring until brown. Add tomato paste and stir until combined.Add tomatoes with their juice, broth, water and bay leaves to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer uncovered for at least two hours or more to desired thickness. Do not be afraid to taste and add additional seasonings as needed. Scoop and enjoy! Freezes well, too….if you are lucky to have any leftovers.

Countertop Cold Brew Coffee

Things that take a long time to make cost a lot of money. Ghee, bone broth, sauerkraut, kombucha--you know, all the foods you might not have a clue of which I speak. Try ‘em, they’re delicious. Cold brew coffee falls into this category of time-consuming treats with a price tag.

Brewing this way is trending with good reason--the smooth taste of this iced coffee extracts the bitterness often associated with hot brew. Cold brew can be pretty potent giving you a nice jolt to get through the Monday-ist Tuesday ever.

It can be pricy considering how cheap it is to craft. When I’m not on Whole30, I like to add a little condensed milk to make a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Coconut condensed milk is my jam and I’d love to share that recipe with you now, but in the spirit of Whole30, I won’t even tempt you.

I will say I think the biggest secret to making cold brew that tastes like expensive artisan coffee is the type of coffee you use. I’m not big into trying different beans at my house because by now, I like what I like. I like Lavazza espresso for hot coffee and Cafe Du Monde coffee with chicory for making cold brew. By the way, you can research more recipes for what blend makes the best iced coffee and you’ll find Cafe Du Monde with chicory is the go-to for at home baristas. If you can’t find this in your grocery store, I’ve had luck with finding it at World Market on a regular basis.

The other tip to making this recipe successful is how you strain it. I use a Coffeesock I picked up at the mothership Whole Foods in Austin. Visiting grocery stores on vacation gets me excited, OK? The cheapest alternative to a specialty filter is cheesecloth. For my kitchen newbies, cheesecloth can be found in specialty kitchen shops or even Walmart. I found some on an end-cap next to the chalk paint and craft aisle recently.

Give this recipe a whirl--it’s virtually foolproof.

COUNTERTOP COLD BREW

• ¾ -1 cup ground organic dark roast coffee

• Filtered cold water

• A 3 cup mason jar with lid

• A nut milk bag, cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer

Fill the jar with cold filtered water, about ¾ of the way to the top of the jar. Add in coffee grounds. Using a spoon, gently press coffee down enough to be submerged by the water. Add more water to fill the remaining space in the jar. Leave the jar on the kitchen counter for at least 8 hours, but overnight is recommended. In the morning, filter out liquid in the jar using nut milk bag or strainer. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Get creative with your coffee: Add a cinnamon stick and a splash of vanilla extract when combining brew mix and enjoy a lovely Mexican-inspired coffee.