Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Most blueberry muffins are made with butter or oil, eggs, white flour, and refined sugar with the only “healthy” ingredient being the blueberries. But, what if I told you that a moist, high-rising great tasting blueberry muffin can be made without butter, oil, eggs, and refined sugar?
The secret to making healthier blueberry muffins without giving up flavor or texture is to use healthier ingredients: a mixture of almond flour, whole grain spelt flour and a small amount of cake flour instead of just white flour; a non-dairy milk that is naturally high in fats (oat or walnut by Elmhurst work well) instead of butter or oil; and maple syrup instead of refined sugar – all of which combined with other clean ingredients create a healthy blueberry muffin that is truly scrumptious.
It is also important to include 10 full ounces of blueberries (I often use frozen wild). Don’t skimp on the blueberries as these super nutritious berries are not only natural sweeteners but also add moisture and flavor.
The Best Ever Corn Muffins (Vegan)
Making a moist and flavorful corn muffin without butter, oil, milk, refined sugar, or eggs used to be a challenge until I was inspired by a recipe for Double Corn Muffins in the Forks Over Knives Flavor cookbook by Darshana Thacker. Her recipe is excellent but I want a lighter muffin so I use whole grain spelt flour or Hayden Flour Mills all purpose flour (instead of whole wheat flour which is a heavier flour), medium grain cornmeal (instead of coarse) and add a teaspoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to help leaven the muffins more than by using baking powder alone.
Whereas most corn muffins taste like corn but are often dry, these corn muffins are moist and delicious because fresh off-the-cob kernels are used along with medium coarse cornmeal and almond flour that provides just the right amount of granular texture. The result is best described as “the best ever corn muffins, period.” Read more 
10 Better Halloween Treats
Halloween is that one day of the year when it’s all about the candy from the moment the kids wake up to that serene moment when you tuck their sugar laden bodies into bed. Although most people have to go with the flow and tolerate their kids bringing bags of sugary candy (is there any other kind?) home, there are ways to work around the system and provide trick or treaters (and your kids) with a delicious treat that isn’t loaded with garbage. Read more
Taralli by Terre Di Puglia
Taralli are round Italian breadsticks, similar in texture to a crumbly cracker with a savory or sweet taste, depending on the ingredients. A delicious, crunchy pretzel-like snack that can be eaten on its own, Taralli are traditionally made with flour, extra virgin olive oil, white wine, yeast, and salt although the savory Italian rings are often flavored with fennel seeds, onion, pepper, sesame seeds, oregano, tomatoes, anchovies or poppy seeds. Read more
Gagne’s Cream Cheese Biscuits
There used to be a restaurant called Robinhood Free Meetinghouse Restaurant in Georgetown, Maine, a small town in the southeast part of the state. The restaurant was located in a 19th century church that was restored and converted to a destination dining hall by Michael Gagné, a chef who had a vision: “to create decadent, flavorful biscuits made entirely from scratch, and use only the finest ingredients.” Read more
Blueberry Buckle Streusel Cake
Up until a few years ago, blueberries were only available in late summer. To take advantage of the bountiful supply, August menus were filled with blueberry laced recipes: muffins, pancakes, cake, pie, cobbler, and buckle. No one ever got tired of blueberries but just as quickly as the blueberries arrived and just as we were able to fully appreciate how incredible these special berries taste, they would disappear and we would have to wait a year to see them again. Read more
Restaurants and Gourmet Markets in La Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua is filled with restaurants and there are always new ones opening up. Below is a short list of my favorite places to eat in this colonial treasure of a town: Read more
Paddock Post 