Yes, I know. . .

I'm terrible!  I start this blog and then am the worst (well, maybe not the worst but I'm up there, or down there since it's a bad thing. . .) at posting anything even though it's simple and quick - especially now that my computer is a tad more speedy then the old one.  Hum, now what to post?  Let's go with "Good Morning Muffins" - they are goey utter goodness, and so fun when made in a mini-muffin tin.  It'll make a ton. . .you can deliver them to a friend who might not be having a good morning and it'll help brighten their day.

PS: I am not a fan of orange marmalade but I'm a fan of these, don't let it stop you from making them if you feel the same way!

Good Morning Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup shortening (can use 1/4 cup shortening with 1/4 cup butter)
2 cups orange marmalade
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
wheat germ (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Place in a mixing bowl.
Use a pastry cutter to mix in shortening (or butter/shortening if desired).
Mix marmalade, orange juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into dry ingredients.
Beat eggs and pour into the bowl.
Mix all ingredients together gently, using fewer than 10 large strokes.

In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients.

Fill muffin pans with batter (use cookie scoop!). Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin.

Sprinkle wheat germ over the top for extra crunch.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until done. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature. 

Love,
Pioneer Woman

Garlic Herb Pita Chips

This is my new favorite snack! I love crunchy snacks and these are way healthier than the store-bought kind.

4 6-inch whole-wheat pitas (I love the mini ones from Trader Joes!)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the pitas into chip-size wedges and place on the baking sheet. Coat the pita wedges with cooking spray (or you can brush olive oil). Mix together the seasoning, garlic powder, and salt and sprinkle the mixture onto the pitas. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, time varies depending on the oven and how crispy you want them. Watch them carefully though because they burn easily. 

You can experiment with different herbs and spices to fit your taste. I usually eat them with Trader Joes hummus.. yum!

ahoy, soy!

this isn't exactly a recipe of any kind, but i wanted to post about one of my favorite snacks: soy nuts. in idaho, our equivalent to food 4 less is called winco (and i think winco is also in utah). there is a great bulk foods section, and that's where i buy my roasted soy nuts. soy nuts can be flavored (i've seen bbq and spicy), or just lightly salted. be careful when buying packaged salted soy nuts because a high sodium intake isn't good either.

soy nuts are made from soaked soy beans that are then baked into a golden crispiness. in comparison, soy nuts are smaller and rounder than peanuts. they are crunchier, and i think the texture is slighty more pasty/thicker than peanuts.

in small portions (about a handful), soy nuts are wonderfully good for you. dr. andrew weil is "a big fan" of soy nuts because "the phytochemicals (called isoflavones) they contain have been shown in hundreds of studies to help prevent heart disease and several forms of cancer." soy nuts also contain a healthy amount of protein (which is good for this almost-none meat eater!).

i just eat soy nuts by themselves, but you can add them to salads instead of sunflower seeds (which is also a big favorite of mine!). do you know of any recipes that call for soy nuts? i'd be interested in trying some.

eggs benedict florentine

i wish i had a picture of one of the best breakfast meals ever. yesterday, i moved across town (which is not very far mileage-wise, but there's nowhere like the north end in boise, idaho), and i will definitely miss a little breakfast/coffee shop called the trolley house: home of eggs benedict florentine.

i'm a relatively new eater of eggs, so eggs benedict was a big step for me! however, this version adds nice fresh veggies and tangy hollandaise sauce (i'm so in love!). this is the stacking order, from bottom to top:

-whole wheat english muffin half
-4-5 fresh green spinach leaves
-nice thick slice of tomato
-fried egg (only slightly runny)
-a little salt and black pepper
-hollandaise sauce drizzled all over

amazing.

plenty of squash!

my parents have become big gardeners in idaho, which is ironic and funny to me because we didn't have any growing food in our backyard in california central valley when we lived there! =) squash is overflowing out of the garden, and they always try to send some home with me when i visit! i've taken quite a liking to the flower-shaped, light greenish colored squash, which is firmer and less watery than summer squash. i've used it as a side dish to a small pasta dinner or salad. here's how i add a little more flavor to it:

-cut squash into chunks about 1/4" thick (or thicker if you'd like yours a little more meaty)
-mince 2-3 garlic cloves and add to squash
-add to big fry pan or cast iron skillet
-drizzle with a little olive oil
-add a pinch (or two) or red pepper flakes, a couple of shakes of parsley, Mrs. Dash seasoning, or any other Italian-like herbs
-sizzle until tender (i like sauteing enough to get some brown grilled marks on my squash)

enjoy!

What a day. . .

I haven't even done the dishes yet (there are not many though) and here I am blogging about my super yummy dinner. It was one of those times in the kitchen where I kept telling myself that I should stop and take a picture but then couldn't tear myself away from the allure of the colors and smells and soon-to-be tastes on my pallet. I hope you've been there before yourself! :)

A quick run-down of the day is needed - considering the fact that this is a food blog and this day involved some fun food experiences. . .
- an early start with stops at 3 different grocery stores: Monterey Market (by far the most amazing produce market I have ever been to in my life, I'm thrilled it's walking distance from my apartment - read more on my personal blog, I could rave for days!), Safeway (really the only chain grocery store in Berkeley and always handy for baking staples as well as their super yummy generic-brand salsas), and Trader Joe's (by far the biggest one I've been to yet, technically on the Berkeley/Oakland border although they're building one a block from my apartment!)
- hanging out with a sweet friend who came to visit so we could reconnect in person (she was in Germany for 2 years!). . .walked to town and through a great Farmer's Market on the way (bought a yummy loaf of apple walnut bread there last week) and had lunch right outside of the "asian ghetto" (named by the locals, a huge variety of cheap asian foods) - I say right outside because we had Italian. :) Meatball sandwich for me, cheap and pretty good - too much though. . .especially since we made plans to hit up Yogurt Park afterwards. A warm day perfect for very yummy frozen yogurt - also cheap and lots but SO delicious!
- went on a bikeride to the Berkeley Marina (takes about 30 min) - took a super sweet and juicy pluot (thanks to our awesome neighbors upstairs who give us fruit) with me. . .something small and tasty to enjoy while listening to some tunes, soaking in the sun and the view, and reading a good book.
- Upon biking home I could smell people cooking different foods throughout town (those who didn't have tickets to the big Cal football game tonight. . .sadly that means me as well - maybe next time!) which started me thinking on dinner - now I'm finally getting to the point of this post! Here's what you do to make this Gnocchi dish I just made up with things in the pantry and yard that was out of this world:

- first pick some herbs in the herb garden out front (things like sage, basil, oregano, chives and anything else that smells savory) while talking to brother on the phone
- trim stems off of asparagus purchased at the Monterey Market (simply by allowing each stalk to snap at it's natural breaking point) and cut on an artsy-angle.
- mince one clove of garlic and add to a pan with hot olive oil, then add the asparagus, and after a minute or two add the herbs (washed and finely diced). . .allow to cook up for several minutes - asparagus should soften but still be slightly crunchy. while cooking add a splash of balsamic vinegar to make it even more flavorful
- in the mean time boil water in a pot, add gnocchi (I buy this at Trader Joe's, it's located with all of the other pastas and seems relatively healthy) and allow to cook until the little guys begin popping up to the surface - only takes about 2 minutes.
- scoop the asparagus mixture into your serving bowl (I used a cute green one), add some capers and coarsely chopped Kalamata olives, as well as a spoonful or 2 of pesto
- add the cooked and drained gnocchi to the bowl, toss and eat up. SO AMAZING! Super flavorful, fun fresh ingredients, somewhat healthy I assume, and so speedy. . .with hardly any mess. Speaking of which - I should go do the dishes now! :) One last thing, when you come for a visit I'll offer to make this for you. . .it just may become my signature dish for special guests like yourself!

homemade granola

I re-discovered my love for granola this summer, so I've been trying out some recipes. I love making my own compared to buying it at the store because it's cheaper and I can put whatever I want into it, it's really adaptable to your preferences... Here's a basic recipe that I like:

4 cups old-fashioned oats

2 cups whole-grain cereal (I used Kashi Heart to Heart)

1/2 cup oat bran

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 1/4 cup fruit juice (I used orange)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, boil juice until reduced to 2/3 cup. Remove from heat and add honey. Combine juice mixture with oat mixture and spread onto a jelly roll pan (or any large pan with sides) that's coated with cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly and stir in blueberries. Enjoy!