Bran Muffins with Raisins

Bran Muffins with Raisins ready for the freezer!

For the past three weeks baking a double batch of Bran Muffins with Raisins has been on my "to do" list!  It had been a long time, since I'd baked a batch, so a box of All-Bran Cereal was purchased.  No, the name is not enticing nor is it glamorous, but these muffins are just delicious!  This is especially true the day after they are baked.

I use the original recipe that was printed on the Kellogg's All-Bran Cereal box years ago.  Well, with a few changes!  I use Olive Oil for sauteing & baking, Soy Milk and Egg Whites rather than the original ingredients.

One batch yields 12 muffins.  As long as my mixing bowls and cooking utensils are being used, I always bake a double batch and store most of them in the freezer.  These muffins freeze very well!   

Bran Muffins with Raisins

Oven: 400°F
Time: About 25 Minutes
Yield: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
1 and ½ Cups Kellogg’s All-Bran Cereal
1 and ¼ Cups Milk (Can use Soy Milk)
1 and ¼ Cups Flour
3 tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Salt
½ Cup Sugar
2 Egg Whites
1/3 Cup Olive Oil (for Sauteing & Baking)
¼ Cup Raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  
2. In a bowl combine All-Bran Cereal and Milk.  Stir.
3. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and stir.
4. Beat Egg Whites with a fork in another small bowl.
5. Combine Egg Whites and Olive Oil with Cereal/Milk mixture and stir well.
6. Add dry ingredients and Raisins. Stir only until combined.
7. Portion batter into 12 muffin cups.
8. Bake at 400°F about 25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.        

**When measuring the Sugar, I use a scant less than the required amount, because I am using Raisins - that are already sweet.

These moisty muffins make for a great breakfast treat!  Store in Ziploc Freezer Bags in your freezer.  Defrost overnight or in the microwave!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  




         

Packing the Peppers

It seems to be much like the workings of a clock.  Every week my Solar Green Tea is brewed on my window sill.  A double batch of Yummy Yogurt will find its place on the top shelf in my fridge.  Just after Labor Day every September, (Boston College Football gets my attention and) I remember to freeze the Green Pepper strips.  It's like this...it's just that time of year thing!  Sure, I could purchase a "fresh" pepper or a bag of the frozen cut pieces in the grocery store, but the peppers are not always firm and the chunks are well... they are small.  I went that route last year after the Halloween Nor'easter and results of a 6 day power outage.  

Yesterday was Green Pepper Day!  The purchased local firm fresh Green Peppers were in my fridge...waiting and I was ready for the task!  The process is simple!  Rinse the fresh Green Peppers under cool running water and dry.  Cut off tops.  Discard seeds.  Each Pepper is cut into strips.   A handful of Pepper strips are placed in a plastic sandwich bag.  (I do not use exact measurements.)  Close the sandwich bag and fold over.  Carefully, place all sandwich bags in a Ziploc Freezer Bag.  Seal, label and place in freezer.

The Ziploc Bag shown below?  Oh that bag was for my scraps...made clean up very easy.

Green Pepper Strips and Chunks

Pepper chunks can be cut off of the tops, so I also had a bowl of chunks to freeze.  Quite often in the colder months when I am making a dinner that contains tomato sauce, I'll reach into my freezer for the cleaned Pepper strips.  WooHoo!


Do you store local fresh veggies in your freezer to use later in the year?  They come in handy!  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

      

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Tuesday is Valentine's Day!!!

This weekend I wanted to prepare a breakfast that we'd enjoy and also place any extras in our freezer for Tuesday morning.  It did not take too long to decide what breakfast to prepare.  One of my My husband's fave breakfast in the world is Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes!  Light Buttermilk pancakes flavored with Cinnamon and a bit of Nutmeg.  Combine that with Blueberries = YUM!  

As I've mentioned previously, I discovered this Buttermilk Pancake recipe that BURYGOLD submitted on allrecipes.com.  These are really great pancakes!  Now, I make a lower fat version that tastes divine!  You know how I like to reduce the cholesterol content when baking/cooking.  It sure works when you reduce it over time.  Egg Whites rather than Whole Eggs (1 Whole Egg = 2 Egg Whites when baking), low fat Milk rather than whole Milk, using Olive Oil instead of Butter, when possible.  Those little changes that do not make a change in taste, do reduce cholesterol levels.  I know from experience and I am very happy with the results!  :)

  

Third Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake ready to Flip over!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

- adapted from BURYGOLD on allrecipes.com 

Ingredients: 

3 Cups White Bread Flour (can be all purpose Flour)

3 Tablespoons Sugar

3 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda

3/4 teaspoon Salt (I use a little less.)

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Whole Egg + 4 Egg Whites

3 Cups Fat Free Buttermilk

1/2 Cup 1% Milk

1/3 Cup Olive Oil for Sauteing & Baking

2 Cups Blueberries (can be fresh or defrosted & drained)

Method:

1. Heat griddle over medium heat.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Lightly beat Egg + 4 Egg Whites in another bowl.
4. Add Buttermilk, Milk and Olive Oil. Beat.
5. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture in large bowl.
6. Stir just until blended.  Make sure all dry ingredients are mixed in, but do not over stir.
7. Allow about 1/3 Cup of batter for each pancake and place on griddle.
8. Add 8-9 Blueberries to each pancake.
9. When brown on one side flip over.
10. Brown other side.  

After Breakfast and the extra pancakes have cooled I place each in a sandwich bag and then stack them in a Ziploc Freezer Bag.  Into our freezer they go to enjoy other mornings.  This works great! 

The Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes will taste wonderful tomorrow morning!  The Blueberries are defrosting in our fridge.  As a matter of fact I do know what we will enjoy on Valentine's Day for breakfast!  

Enjoy!

Yummy!

~Butternut Squash~

Last Year's Butternut Squash Ready for Freezer

Oh, it was not an easy find the end of September.  Butternut Squash!  The orange colored tasty fall vegetable had a difficult growing season in some areas of Western MA this summer.  The heavy rains at the end of summer in my area were not beneficial to this vegetable.  Usually, I purchase a large quantity at Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow, but it was not in the cards this year. 

So, my DH & I took a "road trip" up to Atkins Farms in Amherst.  Growing up in Amherst I remember when this venue was a small roadside stand.  Now, customers from that area shop year round in Atkins' large market in addition to having the opportunity to pick apples in designated orchards during the autumn harvest season. 

Our purchased stash of Butternuts from Atkins has been stored in our garage.  This fall has been hectic and I just never did get "round tuit" and prep them for our freezer.  Well Thank Goodness For That!  Any food in our fridge and large freezer was tossed during our long lived power outage.  Sitting on our garage floor are the untouched beauties that we purchased about 1 month ago.  Oh, yes!

As we are catching up on things, the Butternut Squash is on the top of the list!

Prepping Butternut Squash to Freeze

I usually prep 6 Butternut Squash at once. First, the Butternuts are rinsed/cleaned in cold water.  Then, carefully the skin is removed with the aid of my cutting board and a sharp knife.  Cut off & toss the stem and rounded top.  Then, the long top portion is cut into slices that are circles, and the skin cut off.  After removing the seeds, I do not save them, but do save as much of the orange veggie as possible in the surrounding area.  2" chunks of orange squash are placed in two large pots on my stove top.  (I use my 2 Dutch Ovens.)

Cut Chunks

After adding cold water (to reach up about 2" in the pots), the heat is turned up to High.  After a Boil is reached, lower the heat and simmer about 13 - 15 minutes, until pieces can be pierced with a fork.  During the cooking minutes, carefully stir the Squash pieces in the pot, so they soften equally.   After draining the squash using a colander, return the chunks to the large pots and mash.

Mashed Butternut

I pack about 2 Cups of mashed Squash in Ziploc Freezer Bags.  After labeling, store in freezer.  Whenever desired for dinner a bag is unwrapped and the frozen chunk of squash is placed in a Corning Ware container with a lid.  Reheat in the microwave.


There is no need to add any sugar nor butter/margarine.  This is a very tasty veggie and stands quite well on its own!

There will be Butternut Squash on our Thanksgiving Dinner table served in a number of recipes.  Soon, Ziploc Freezer bags will be located in our freezer containing this very delicious orange colored family favorite veggie.  Life is good!

Do you like the taste of Butternut Squash also?

We will enjoy!
Yummy!