Blueberry muffins are a staple...but this kicks it up a notch from ordinary to amazing. Take Pamela's Cornbread & Muffin Mix (available at Earth Fare, or other health food stores & online) and add 2 eggs, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup fat free (or regular) half and half, 1/2 cup sugar (or sub some of the sugar with Agave), a generous sprinkle of brown sugar, 8 TBSP melted butter or oil of your choice, and a generous amount of frozen blueberries. Stir gently, fill muffin cups, bake at 375* for about 18 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (or just blue from berries). Yum! Play with this recipe- these muffins happened sort of by accident- I was trying to emulate a blueberry cornbread I once had so I was playing with ingredients. I was actually surprised this came out so good! I know everyone says baking is a science and it takes precise measurements to come out with a successful baked good but I have found more often than not when I play around with ingredients I am pleasantly surprised but the outcomes. Just remember to keep the ratios of wet to dry ingredients in tact while experimenting. This mix has a lot of wonderful variations to try out right there on the bag. I want to try the corn kernel cornbread and the green chili cheese cornbread...I'll let you know how they are when I do!
Another quick muffin idea! Try making a pumpkin bread muffin with chocolate chips...I made a batch of pumpkin bread last fall and called it "Autumn Bread." My kids ate it and loved it and they had no idea they were consuming a vegetable. I often try to add pumpkin & sweet potato purees or butternut squash to muffins, cookies, cakes/breads, even pancakes. Sometimes it works, sometimes is doesn't but I figure it is always worth a try to get more veggies in our kids. Adding cinnamon, chocolate chips, or brown sugar usually disguises any veggie taste from my kids discerning palates.
Check back here tomorrow...I've got another great gluten-free meal idea cooking up!
lori, these look amazing! do you get most of your food at specialty stores or can it be found in regular grocery chains? is there a big price difference?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie! I get most of my foods from specialty health food stores, and Trader Joe's. Some things can be purchased at normal chains, but that varies from store to store. The mixes I blogged about I purchased at Earth Fare, but up north, you can find them at Whole Foods. They can also be ordered direct from the manufacturers or on another website, like glutenfreemall.com. The price difference between gluten free and regular is substantial...but finding out where to get the best prices helps a lot. I am learning to order more things online when I can get free shipping. The most cost-effective thing to do is to eat a lot of whole foods that are naturally free of gluten, and to go easier on substitute foods such as pasta, bread, pizza, cookies, muffins, pretzels, etc. This is healthier, too. Hope this answers your questions! Thanks for checking out my blog!
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