Apple Muffins

I was on a mission yesterday to find a new recipe for another breakfast treat with apples.  My inspiration?  I asked my husband what he would like me to bake.  His response was that I have worked hard and should rest.  My response, knowing that it sometimes feels like rest to bake for my family was that I was baking so he should submit a request... and he did.  Something for breakfast and something with apples.  Most days, baking or cooking up something special for my family is relaxing (not always, but mostly) and rewarding.  It's one of the ways I feel connected to them, one of the ways that I feel I take care of them, and that feels good!  It's one of the ways I take time for today.

So anyway, I found this recipe for Apple Spice Muffins.   These were easy to make and delicious!  I did not find them to have that fall "spice" to them that I was hoping for so I will probably switch some things up next time.  But I will post the recipe below as I followed it this time.

Ingredients for muffins:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar (plus a pinch)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (plus a pinch)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground all spice (I used more like 1/4 teaspoon since I already had a feeling these wouldn't be spicy enough)
• 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups apples (peeled, diced)

Ingredients for topping:

• 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line muffin pan with paper cups.
• Toss apples with a pinch of cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and all spice.
• Make a well in the flour mixture and add eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla and mix well.
• Fold in apples.
• Pour mix into muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
• Stir together butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of muffins.
• Bake for 23-27 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (I took mine out after 25 minutes).

Wax Paper Sun Catchers

As of today, this is our new favorite activity!  My two year old LOVED it and asked if we can do it more later after I prepare more supplies!

Here's what you'll need to make these colorful sun catchers...

• wax paper
• scissors
• crayon shavings in little bowls
• iron
• old towel, tshirt, etc to iron on so that you don't get melted crayon all over your table and/or iron (it will get on the towel so don't use your best white one)

And this is what you'll do...

• Use peeled crayons to make crayon shavings.  I tried using a vegetable peeler but was not too impressed.  It's possible but not as practical as a real crayon sharpener.  I didn't have a freestanding one but eventually found one on the back of a dry erase crayon box.  It did the trick but a regular crayon one would be even better.  Shave different colored crayons into little bowls.  I separated my colors but it really wasn't necessary because they were all combined within minutes.

• Plug in your iron (out of reach of children).  I used mine on the opposite side of the table, on a towel.

• Cut shapes out of wax paper.  You'll need two of each to make a crayon shaving sandwich out of them so put two pieces together to cut or if you are making a folded design like a butterfly or heart, fold two pieces of wax paper together so you're actually cutting through four sheets... know what I mean?

• Give one side of the design to your child to decorate with crayon shavings.

• Carefully move to the ironing area and cover with the other side of the design.

• Fold over the towel and iron for 30 seconds or so - maybe more or less depending on how hot your iron is, how many shavings you need to melt, and how big your design is.  Just keeping checking it and when the crayon is melted and the pages are sticking together, it's done.

• Remove from the towel (careful not to burn your hands) and admire the beautiful creation!

Sugar Cookies

I saw an idea for fall colored sugar cookie leaves on Pinterest and knew for sure I would be trying it out.  I was a little disappointed that there was no actual cookie recipe included so I went on a hunt for the very best sugar cookie recipe.  I have tried some in the past but have never really found a favorite.  I hunted online and asked around and when the one I found was the one that a friend also tried and loved, I decided it was the one (thank you, Alicia)!  Here is a link to the original recipe I used.  I cut it in half because I wasn't brave enough to try it all at once and have it be a fail so I will list below what I did.  I was impressed with these and will definitely use this recipe again.  You can make these cookies colored or plain (both are outlined below).

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter softened (take it out earlier in the day so it softens on it's own)
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

 ** At this point you need to decide if you are making colored dough 

or plain dough.  I say "at this point" because I honestly had not 

decided until I got to this point either! **

If you are going to make colored dough....

• Flour your hands and the surface you are working on (my dough was really sticky so flour is a must).
• Split the dough into four equal sections.
• Add drops of food coloring to each section (I used red, orange (red+yellow), yellow, and green).  I would suggest making four balls and then putting a thumbprint hole in the middle of each one to hold the food coloring.  I found this was the best way to minimize stains on my hands and food coloring dripping all over the place.  It took about 8 drops to get the dough as bright as I wanted it.
• Put the colored balls in the fridge for one hour.
• Take them out of the fridge, put pieces of different colors together like a patchwork quilt and roll flat to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Use a floured surface for this.  I'm a huge fan of my pastry cloth and rolling pin cover (thank you, April!) and highly recommend this little invention if you don't have one already!  
• Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 5-6 minutes and remove to cool on wire rack.  Be careful not to overcook.  5 minutes was almost too much and next time I will lower the oven temperature.  You do not want them to be brown.

If you are not going to make colored dough....

• Cover the dough you made and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.
• Take dough out of the fridge, and roll flat to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Use a floured surface for this.  (see above for my pastry cloth shout out)                       
• Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 5-6 minutes and remove to cool on wire rack.  (see above for my time and overcooking disclaimer)

                        

Icing:

Mix the following together in a bowl and spread over cooled cookies.  If the consistency is off, just add more milk to make it thinner or more sugar to make it thicker.

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• few drops of vanilla (I have no idea how much, just a little, I hardly ever measure!)

I had originally planned that this would be a Mommy-toddler activity but then decided that since I didn't really know how it was going to turn out, I would have it be a Mommy only activity with the exception of the decorating.  I'm glad I made that decision because rolled sugar cookies really aren't an instant gratification kind of cookie and my two year old would have never tolerated the fact that the dough had to sit in the fridge for an hour halfway through or that it was so sticky that I wouldn't have let her touch it.  Saving the decorating for her was a fantastic plan!  She had a blast painting on the icing and sprinkling on the decorations.  She only ate a few cookies along the way... double and tripled dipped in icing after the first lick, of course.  And then, for the grand finale, while I was putting the finished cookies away she mixed all the sugar decorations into the icing... YUM!  (never turn your back on a two year old!!)

My favorite recipe for Boneless Chicken Tenders and Boneless Pork Chops

This is one of those recipes that is just in my recipe book and I have no idea where it came from.  It was initially meant to be for Boneless Pork Chops but I actually use the same thing for those and Boneless Chicken Tenders.  It's very easy and has never failed me so I don't think there is much room for error!  Nothing fancy, but very yummy.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 6 thin cut boneless pork chops (or a package of boneless chicken tenders)
• (just add more or less ingredients depending on how much you are cooking)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Dip meat in egg/spice mixture
• Coat with breadcrumbs
• Brown in oil
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of meat (use a meat thermometer to be sure they are cooked enough, chicken is going to take longer than pork - maybe even up to 45 minutes - 1 hour depending on how much you are cooking and how thick the pieces are)

Like I said, I have never had a problem with this recipe however my father tells me he does not like this method because he always burns the meat in the frying pan.  Just add more oil if the pan is getting dry (I use more than 3 tablespoons by the end, for sure) and don't turn up the heat too high.  It only takes a minute on each side, just to make them a little bit crispy, barely browned.  They will cook in the oven.

I've also used this recipe with chicken breasts cut up into bite size pieces - I call them chicken bites.  They are another family favorite!

Let me know how yours turn out!

Blackberry Yogurt Muffins

I have found myself with a surplus of Blackberry Yogurt and I decided to embark on a search for a recipe to use some up.  I came across this recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Muffins and although I didn't have the fresh fruit to add to mine today, I decided to give it a go with my Blackberry Yogurt.  Success!  This is a very easy, versatile recipe.  Give it a try!

Here is what I did...

Ingredients for muffins:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blackberry yogurt
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons milk

Instructions for muffins:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees
• Line a muffin pan with paper liners
• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt
• In a small bowl whisk together yogurt, egg, melted butter
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined
• Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean

Instructions for glaze:

• Stir together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk
• Add more milk if too thick or more sugar if too thin
• Drizzle over cooled muffins

Great Coffee. Good Vibes. Pass It On.

Yesterday I received some samples of Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee in the mail as a part of one of the most recent BzzAgent Campaigns for which I was chosen!  Talk about exciting mail!

October is Fair Trade month.  Prior to this campaign, I had no idea what that even meant but I've been studying up.  I've learned that basically when we purchase items that are Fair Trade Certified, we are supporting the countries from which they came.  Fair Trade gets coffee farmers a fair price for their beans, improves their working conditions, assists in protecting the environment, supports community development, and ultimately helps them invest in better quality coffee which of course in turn benefits the coffee drinkers.

We are obviously not purchasing directly from the farmers themselves but when we purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee we know that the companies that have manufactured it have not only paid a fair base price for the coffee but have paid a community development premium as well.  In the end, we get better coffee and those that have farmed those coffee beans get a better life.  It's a win-win.  As someone who has visited many different countries throughout the world, the thought of helping community development and improving quality of life for people that are working very hard is pretty significant to me.

From my Green Mountain Fair Trade samples so far, I have tried Wild Mountain Blueberry (tastes like a fresh blueberry pie) and Vermont Country Blend (smooth as can be).  Prior to this I've tried Island Coconut at a friends house (unbelievably delicious) and Pumpkin Spice here at home ('tis the season).  My mom drinks Columbian Fair Trade Select every day.  This coffee is great!

You can learn more about Fair Trade on the Green Mountain Coffee facebook page and if you watch a short video you can access some free samples and coupons for yourself!

Click here to read my original post about BzzAgent and other great product sampling and review programs!

Fun Food for Halloween

I love creating fun foods!  Special occasions and holidays get my creative juices and my internet searches flowing to find just the right treats ~ ones that not only taste great, but bring a smile to my family's face.  Here are some of my Halloween favorites.  There are tons of ideas out there.  Find one you love and make a special treat for (or better yet, with) your family today!

Nutter Butter Ghosts

Ingredients:

Nutter Butter Cookies

White Chocolate Candy Wafers or White Chocolate Chips

Mini Chocolate Chips, Black Icing, Mini M&M's, or whatever you want to use for eyes

Directions:

Melt wafers or white chocolate chips according to package directions.  Be careful not to heat too long or it will harden and be impossible to use.

Dip cookies in white chocolate or spread on cookies (I spread - much faster, neater, easier!)

Attach mini chocolate chip eyes while chocolate is still wet.

Let sit to harden.

Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins

Ingredients:

Rice Krispies

Marshmallows

Butter

Orange Food Coloring

Black Licorice

Directions:

Follow directions for Rice Krispie Treats on cereal box

Add drops of orange food coloring for pumpkin color

Form into pumpkin shapes while still warm

Attach licorice for stems

You may need to keep reforming them a bit because they tend to slump a bit until they are cooled

A lot of fancier recipes for these have started to circulate more recently but these are simple and easy.  I will probably add faces this year at the very least!