Blueberry Muffins

I love the box mixes for blueberry muffins -- don't you? You know what brand I'm talking about. I could sit down and eat 4 at a time. Wait, that's just me? Dang, I'm a little embarrassed. But then again, I've had a passion for baking since I was in the single digits. That's not so normal to begin with...

So as I sit and open the box, stir in the obscene amount of oil, the water, and the eggs, that reminiscent aroma of muffin batter fills my nose and I barter with myself to only have a few spoonfuls of batter and save the rest for the intended end result.

Then once I sit down and have those 4 muffins at a time, I start to feel a bit guilty. I look at the nutrition on the box and the ingredient listing and feel even worse. Artificial ingredients, high sodium, etc.

So why is it that every time I try to make a better, more wholesome, homemade version of blueberry muffins they taste nothing like the one's I've come to love??? So frustrating!

But have no fear -- I think I finally figured it out! The key is to use sprinkling sugar (shout out to Wilton's sugar sparkles), almond extract, and to coat the blueberries in cornstarch before mixing in. Here's the DL on how to make them (a little bit more healthier) yourself:

Blueberry Muffins

1-1/2 C. all purpose flour

1/2 C. sugar (I like vegan cane sugar)

1/4 C. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 C. vegetable oil (I know, I know)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 C. buttermilk

2-3 tsp. cornstarch

1 C. fresh blueberries

Sparkling Sugar (the big chunks of sugar crystals)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups.

Sift together the flour, sugar, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the oil, egg, extract, and buttermilk together. Carefully stir in the flour mixture until barely incorporated (2-4 stirs).

In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with the cornstarch. The blueberries should be slightly damp (hopefully you washed them!) so the cornstarch will coat them nicely.

Again, carefully stir in the blueberries to the batter mixture (use a spatula at this point) and stir a few more times until incorporated. The more dry pockets of flour mixture there are within the batter, the better.

Use a measuring cup or ice cream scoop to fill the baking cups (3/4 full -- I hate dinky muffins, but this is a science to master because they can also overflow and ooze if too full. I have faith in you though.) Then sprinkle the top of each muffin with sparkling sugar and then place in the oven. Batter should be thicker than the box mix that you're used to. Bake 13-15 minutes until barely golden around the edges. Cool on a rack and enjoy! Makes 11 perfect muffins or stretch to make 12.

Amazing Veggie Sandwich

Here's a shoutout to my vegetarian friends! So I tried a new detox cleanse this weekend and had an enormous amount of vegetables on hand. For some reason the idea for this sandwich came to me -- and I'm so glad it did. I was full all day, and based on what I know from the detox cleanse, this sandwich is packed with healthy nutrients. I hope you give it a try for yourself!

Butternut Squash Veggie Sandwich

2 slices whole-grain bread

3-4 slices butternut squash, roasted

Sliced cucumber

Sliced tomato

1/2 avocado

2 slices good quality cheese (I recommend gouda)

Sprouts

Arugala

Note: to roast the squash, cut into 1/4-inch rounds and season with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (flipping once) until soft.

Preheat the broiler to low. Using the slices of bread, lay out the squash slices on one half and the cheese on the other half. Broil until heated through and cheese begins to melt. Remove from the oven/broiler and top with the remaining ingredients. Slice in half and enjoy!

Potato Leek Soup

I feel guilty that it's been a while since we've seen each other. Summer has gotten the best of me with weddings, homework, and an ailing roommate. But the good news I'm here now :)

The garden is blooming and I've made a few more trips to Home Depot due to some hungry rabbits. There will be no peas or broccoli this year :( But I did learn a thing or two about calcium levels in soil and how to treat it. Are you bored yet?

So anyways...I have been cooking. You wouldn't think so with my lack of posts, but I swear. I just can't share my summer hobby with you yet. In the meantime though, here is my latest creation for my roommate. She just got out of the hospital and made this special request. Let's hope it's got healing powers!

Remember, you must wash the leeks thoroughly or you will get itty bits of sand in your mouth. And I have to put a plug in for free-range organic chicken broth. Check out my pictures below of it and notice that it's not even clear like normal broth...So worth it.

Potato and Leek Soup

2-1/2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

2-1/2 lbs. leeks, green ends removed, sliced, and rinsed clean

1/2 C. celery

6 C. chicken broth

Salt and Pepper

1 C. heavy cream

juice of 1 lime

2 Tbsp. olive oil

In a large stock pot, combine the potatoes, leeks, celery, stock, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes -- just until the vegetables are tender. Once the vegetables are tender, uncover, remove from heat, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Using a hand blender (or multiple batches in a blender), puree the cooled soup mixture until smooth.

Finally, using a large spoon, stir in the cream and lime juice. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Heat through before serving.

I recommend serving with crumbled bacon bits and chives.