FLOUR
I've gone most of the winter without baking very much....to my husband's dismay. But lately I wanted to get back to making some favorite quick breads and muffins....and maybe do a little substituting and a little experimenting.
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| Muffins made with fruit combo |
Recently I pulled out some frozen fruit from a section of our freezer I've designated as FRESH. That means I purchased it that way or made it from fresh ingredients to use later. On this particular day that freezer section also included grated lemon and orange zest, tomato sauce, applesauce, pumpkin puree, lemon juice, and basil leaves. The fruit was a handful of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries that had the look of "save me now," or else they would soon end up in the trash. So, I added them to a basic muffin recipe, you know, flour, sugar, egg, milk, oil, baking powder, salt. I also added the frozen orange zest and stirred just until combined. After about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, I had breakfast. It's gratifying to be able to use what you have to make something delicious and to also know exactly what you are eating.
Next, about a week later, I decided to follow a banana bread recipe I found that used brown sugar instead of white.
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| Ripe bananas best for making bread |
I was not hesitant at all because I really like brown sugar. This bread turned out really well. The batter was a light brown color as was the finished product. Its taste was richer, probably due to the molasses in the brown sugar. Even though I didn't this time, I usually cut the amount of sugar in my recipe because I believe bananas are already sweet enough. Some might be surprised to learn that banana bread is not my favorite, as much as I bake it.
I'm sure one could swap out the sugars using any banana bread recipe or other bread recipe. There have been times when I have even used different flours. I may not have enough all-purpose to complete a recipe, so I add in whole wheat or cake flour to fulfill the quantity. Sometimes I change up just to say I tried something different.
Lastly, just this week, I made blueberry muffins that included a small amount of cornmeal along with the flour. They "stand up" a trifle more than the average muffin, due to the cornmeal adding a little stiffness, but these were outstanding.
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| Blueberry Muffins with cornmeal |
I used a basic blueberry muffin recipe, except I took out one half cup from the total amount of flour and swapped it for one half cup of cornmeal. Or I suppose one could use their regular cornbread recipe and just add your blueberries to that. Either way...yum, yum. These are really good Great for breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner.
Enjoy experimenting and, if you are like me, using up your winter stored ingredients. Have fun!
& FLOWER
Well, just like in many other places, winter is still hanging on here. Just when you think Spring is about to literally appear - especially because the daffodils and jonquils are opening - another cold snap arrives. Hopefully this is temporary...as I say while crossing my fingers and toes!
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| Daffodils | |
However, the abundance of birds in the neighborhood, the greening of the grass, and buds on the trees are a sure sign of what is to come. And, I am excited about that. I really enjoy the newness of Spring. I even enjoy the vibrant green, clingy weeds that think they belong in my perennial bed. Eventually, I will go in every year and pull them out, despite their awesome color.
Spring appears in the form of Tulip trees opening in our area.
And, as in other areas of the country...the budding of trees. This one is a Possum Haw.
This is my favorite blooming shrub; a flowering quince. I had one real quince form and grow on this shrub during last year's growing season. It was the first one I had ever seen. I love the coral color of the blooms, but also appreciate the fact that it appears first in our yard. This one blooms in time with the average Forsythia bush.
