Fruit and Fiber Muffins (gluten free)
I have been experimenting with muffin mixes, primarily because it is a quick and easy breakfast that my husband will usually eat. I make a dozen up on the weekend and keep them in the fridge all week. Thirty seconds in the microwave and they are nice and warm.
Here is the flour mix I am using. It is based on the Bette Hagman proportions, but with modifications to include a variety of flours and more fiber.
Gluten Free Flour Mix
3 parts brown rice flour
2 parts sweet white sorghum flour
1 part soy flour
1/2 part flaxseed meal
1 part tapioca starch flour
2 parts potato starch flour
Mix thoroughly and store in a plastic container in the refrigerator.
Now here is the gluten free muffin recipe I am currently using.
Gluten-free Fruit and Fiber Muffins
3 1/2 c. gluten free flour mix
1 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 T egg replacer
1 tsp xanthum gum
1/3 c. demerara cane sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tsp powdered vanilla
5T powdered buttermilk
4 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
1 1/2 to 2 c. water
1 to 2 c coarsely chopped fresh fruit or dried fruit
1 to 2 c chopped nuts, rolled oats or coconut (I use whatever I have on hand and just mix it to make 2 c)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease 12 Texas size muffin cups. Thoroughly mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a large (4 c or larger) measuring cup, mix together the oil, eggs and water. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the fruit and nuts. Divide the mix evenly between the 12 muffin cups–they will be full to the top, but they don’t rise enough to run over. The mix should be quite thick. Bake about 30 min or until they are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in them comes out clean.
Note: If you are not on a gluten free diet, try using whole wheat flour and regular flour in equal proportions and leave out the xanthum gum and egg replacer.
A different kind of Turkey Day
We (mom-in-law, hubby, me) decided today that rather than a) cook all day tomorrow for just the three of us or b) deal with the crowds going out, we would go out tonight. Wednesdays are seafood night at the Gathering of Nations buffet at the Inn of the Mountain Gods. We all love seafood, but here in the mountains, you don’t find a lot of it, at least not anything really good like you find on the coast. We have not tried this particular buffet before, so I’ll let you know how it turns out.
My favorite "cook book"
Living sustainably goes beyond “green living”, at least for me. After seventeen years as professional staff in a major research university, I was looking for a change. My job was taking up more and more of my time and energy, particularly as I got more and more into grant writing, and yet it was less and less fulfilling. To change that, I have two simple rules–simplify life and spend more time doing things I enjoy.
When my kids were living at home, I cooked all the time and on Saturday nights, we often chose a country and cooked dishes from that country. In the process, I taught my boys how to cook. After they fledged and left the nest, I cooked less and less and spent more of my time doing work related tasks–reading journal articles, editing grant proposals, etc. and just snacking for meals or eating TV dinners. Now I have started cooking again and am enjoying it more than ever.
One of my favorite “cook books” is AllRecipes.com. It allows you to rate recipes, add recipes to share with others, search out recipes and see how others have rated them and, my favorite feature, have a recipe box where you can save recipes that you like. You can search by country, which is what my boys and I often did, or you can search by ingredient or any other key word. My youngest son, my mom and I must stay on a gluten-free diet, so today I am trying a recipe for Tres Leches for my wedding to see how I can modify the recipe with gluten-free flour that I get from Bob’s Red Mill. I usually have really good luck with their gluten free flour mix and we are looking forward to trying out this cake recipe. I will let you know how it turns out!!
I will write more later on the other projects I am working on for the wedding–my dress with crocheted accessories, the ceremony, the food–all done in an effort to keep the day simple, beautiful and memorable.
