Magelby's Muffins

Anyone who has lived in Utah has probably eaten here and they have delectably good rolls and muffins. Here is a recipe for their muffins, healthified of course. I will write in the recipe as I have it, but in parenthesis I'll write in my variations.
I usually complain that whole wheat muffins are too dry, these are anything but. They are super moist.
Apparently the real secret to the muffins is the "secret caramel nut topping"; out of laziness I didn't do it and the muffins were still great!

Magelby's Muffins

Cream:
10 TB butter (I used some butter and some coconut oil- the coconut gives great flavor)
1 1/4 cup honey (I used about 3/4 C Sucanat and 1/2 c Honey)

Add in:
2 eggs
1 Tb Vanilla

Add and blend until creamy:
1 1/2 Tb Baking Powder
1/2 Tb Salt
1 1/3 C Whole Wheat Flour

Add and stir until lumpy:
2 cups each, rice milk and whole wheat flour

Fold in one of the variations below:
Blueberry or Raspberry: 1 cup fresh or frozen
Pumpkin Carob Chip: Substitute 1 cup pumpkin for 1/2 c milk; add 1/2 Tb cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, and 1 cup carob chips
Lemon Poppy Seed: substitute 1/2 c lemon juice for 1/2 c milk, add 1 Tb poppy seeds
Carrot Raisin: substitute 1 c grated carrots for 1/2 milk, add 1/2 c raisins
Banana Nut: substitute 1 c mashed banana for 1/2 c milk, add 1/2 c chopped nuts
Zucchini: substitute 1 c grated zucchini for 1/2 c milk, add 1/2 c chopped nuts

Pour into greased muffin tins. (I filled them 2/3 thinking they would rise, but they didn't so go ahead and fill them) It makes about 2 dozen. Sprinkle warm "secret caramel nut topping" over each.
Bake 350' for 12 minutes, then turn down oven to 250' and bake 12-14 minutes more. When they are just firm to the touch they are done.

"Secret Caramel Nut Topping"
Saute until bubbly:
4 Tb butter
1/2 c honey
Add and simmer 1 minute:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 Tb cinnamon
Spoon warm nut topping over muffins before baking.

As I said, they didn't rise like I expected, but they were so moist and sweet, that I didn;t mind. Next time I am going to try the lemon poppy seed variation.

Pumpkin, Zucchini or Banana Bread

I have found this recipe to be very versatile and we just love it. The last batch I made I used the pumpkin recipe but added 3 cups of zucchini as well as the pumpkin- Super Yummy!
(I would also like to try adding some grated carrot or other squash)

Pumpkin Bread
1 cup honey
4 eggs
1/3 c oil + 1/3 c applesauce
1 (16 oz) can pureed pumpkin
2/3 c water
3 1/3 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp each of cinnamon and ground cloves
Chopped nuts and chopped prunes (the prunes look and feel like chocolate chips)

Cream honey and eggs. Add other wet ingredients. Add dry stuff and mix well. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour in greased bread pans. Small pans take about 45 minutes.

Zucchini Bread
Same as above, only substitute 3 cups of zucchini for pumpkin and add 2 tsp. vanilla.

Banana Bread
Same as above, only substitute 3-4 mashed bananas for pumpkin.

How do you afford to eat this way?

I get asked this question a lot. I have become more and more disenchanted with traditional grocery stores. So much of the food that they offer I don't want in my home, let alone my body. I have really started to look for alternative ways to buy food. I thought I would share a little of what I have found. I am sure some of you have some great tips as well, and I hope you will share them in the comments.

A garden is the best way to get fresh fruits and vegetables economically. Plus it allows you to know exactly how they were produced and the level of chemicals used. I recently discovered a great book called Four Seasons Harvest. The author, Eliot Coleman, lives in main so I know his tips should work in my cold climate. I hope to get someone to help me build some of the cold frames.... However, in all honesty I am not a very good Gardner. I am working on it and get a little better every year. This year I actually got at least one of everything that I planted (with the exception of Butternut squash, I just couldn't save them from the silly snails).

What is the alternative for those of us that aren't great gardners? A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which provides a mutually beneficial arrangement between farmers and consumers. People join by purchasing a "share" of produce pre-season, then pick up their weekly produce from a central drop point in their area during the harvest season.
CSA Benefits for the farmer? When signing up, you dedicate yourself to being a customer for the season, providing the farmer a secure market. CSAs enable farms to share the risk and abundance of producing food with the consumer, resulting in a more direct and rewarding link between farmer and community. (Payment in the Spring also provides cash to the farmer when it is needed most. )
CSA Benefits for the shareholder? No more guessing where your food comes from! Members receive a weekly supply of diverse produce with "the farmer’s face on it." You can talk with the farmer, and many offer opportunities to visit the farms. Your produce is harvested and delivered directly to you, generally via a drop–off point, ensuring the freshest produce with a high nutritional value. You also get the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting a local farm. I found the ones in my area by going to http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ then clicking on my state and following the links. I found out about these too late to be able to join last year, but I am already working on which I will join for next year. The cost was a little daunting to me to start with, so I broke it down and started setting aside some money so this year I will have enough saved to be able to pay for my share up front. Then I can save what I would have spent on produce to be able to pay for next years share. Where I am, the CSA's generally go from June-October, some areas may be longer or shorter depending on the growing season.

Farmers Markets are another great alternative. I followed the same links to find out about the farmers markets in my area. However, the early bird gets the worm at most Farmers Markets. I am not an early bird so I didn't fare very well. Hopefully I will improve at that as well.

Food Co-ops are another great way to get your food. I have friends that have found amazing food co-ops in their areas, Here we only have one and it isn't as nice as the others I have heard about, but still better than nothings. Food co-ops work like this, a group of people get together to order in bulk and share the work and the benefits of bulk buying. You can find local co-ops through the same link above.

What if there aren't any co-ops in your area? See if you can start your own. Start talking to everyone you know. See if they would be interested in splitting large orders of things. You can buy a 50 pound bag of flax seed for much cheaper than buying it in single pound bags. Then divide it up. I have ordered from a few different companies locally, but I think my new favorite is Azure Standard. They have an amazing selection and really reasonable shipping if you are willing to meet the truck at their drop point. In my area, if our order is over $200 then shipping is only $5. I have had no problem finding $200 worth of food that I want, and it is even easier if you have a group that wants to split a few items. I am ordering bulk grains and beans, as well as seasonings this month. I hope to start ordering from them every other month or so. They have specials every month as well. Ordering is very simple, you can do it by phone or online. I personally hate using the phone so I use the online method. It was very simple and they also allow you to change your order up until a few days before it ships. They ship on a rotating schedule so that each delivery area gets one delivery a month. They deliver to the following states Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. I think they will ship UPS to areas they don't drive to.

There are several other companies you can order through. If you start asking around, you will be surprised how many people might be interested in sharing bulk items. As you start to ask around you will find others who are interested in the same type of orders. They will let you know about deals they have found and it will start to snowball. I started asking around in August, and I have already started to find a network of people who are interested in sharing bulk buys. We have bought Honey, Almonds, Agave nectar and several different grains and legumes to share this way.


Buying in bulk may be intimidating at first, but once you start it is a wonderful way to always have a wide variety of grains and other items on hand at a more affordable price. Sharing with others allows you to try new things and find out what your family loves, and what they don't love so much... Sharing also increases your resources for new recipes and tips from the people you share with.

I hope this helps someone. If you have any questions, be sure to ask and I will answer as best I can!

Veggie Lasagana!

I have tried many a veggie lasagna recipes and this one is far superior!. The consistency was good and it tasted delicious, all of us had seconds, even Afton and Madelyn.

(Makes on 9x13) (I actually halved the original recipe, so you could easily double it and freeze one for later.)

1 Pkg. whole wheat lasagna noodles

Mock Ricotta Filling:
1 (10 oz) box Firm Tofu
1 Tb olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tb. Parmesan Cheese (I like buying the grateable kind, it has much better flavor and you can use less)
1 Tb. Parsley Flakes

Veggie Filling:
1 cloves garlic, crushed (I actually just sprinkled in powder)
2 Tb. olive oil
2-3 cups grated Zucchini
1 cup fresh or frozen Spinach (if you use frozen, thaw a little)
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper
2 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

Cook only 1/3 of your noodles (so probably 4) for the top layer of lasagna, leave the rest uncooked. (Sounds weird but worked great). Layer ingredients in lasagna pan. First put about 1/4 cup of tomato paste on the bottom. Then place a layer of noodles (3), then veggie filling, then Ricotta filling and repeat.. Top with a layer of noodles (the ones that are already cooked), some tomato sauce sprinkled over with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and Parsley flakes. Bake covered at 375' for 50-60 minutes, uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
SUPER YUMMY!

If you have never used Tofu, give it a try. It takes on the flavor of whatever you are making so it works well in a lot of things. It is a healthier alternative to cheese in this recipe.

Cafe Rio- Healthified!

This recipe is for the Cafe Rio salad or Burrito, even though it looks like a lot of work it isn't too bad and you end up with a ton of leftovers- so it's worth trying.

Salad:
Warm whole grain tortillas (just buy these, it took me a lot of practice to make them well)
Sweet Lime Cilantro Rice
Black Beans
1 head romaine lettuce or salad greens, shredded

Toppings:
Diced Tomatoes
Guacamole
Tortilla Strips
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

THE RECIPE

Sweet Lime Cilantro Rice
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups brown rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tb. each of lime juice, Vegenaise and honey
1 Tb. Cilantro

Stir ingredients in rice cooker, press on. Or cook on stove for 45 minutes or until tender.

Black Beans
2 cups dry black beans
5 cups water
1/2 Tb salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 onion diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tb Cumin

Pre- soak black beans according to package, then rinse them, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 3-4 hours until tender.

Black Beans (QUICK)
2 cans black beans, drained
1 cup tomato salsa or stewed tomatoes
1 Tb Cumin

Warm and serve.

Guacamole (our favorite way)
1-2 ripe avocados, mashed
salt, pepper to taste
1-2 Tb. lemon juice or lime juice

Mix and enjoy.

Tortilla Strips
Slice corn tortillas in 1/3" strips and cut in half lengthwise. Spread thinly on cookie sheet and toast in 350 degree oven 10-12 minutes. Serve (they keep well in Ziploc for a few weeks)

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
If you really like this dressing, make the whole batch and use it on other salads and in Shrimp Tacos.
1 cup ranch dressing (3 cups Vegenaise, 1 lemon squeezed, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tb parsley)
1 (12 ounce) can Tomatillos drained, then pureed (found with Mexican food, look like green tomatoes)
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne or hot pepper sauce

Measure ingredients into a large liquid measuring cup. Blend with hand blender and enjoy.
I use this dressing for a lot of things as well as the extra Ranch, so it's worth making the 3 cups of Ranch first.

Vegenaise- this is also referred to as healthy mayo, it looks and tastes a lot like mayo, but way healthier. It is found in the health food section in the cooler, by like the Tofu and soy cheeses and comes in a jar. The jars are great for storing the extra dressing in.

Wheat Thins

I made these with friend. I was surprised how easy they were to make.

Ingredients

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour

1 1/2 T sugar

1/2 t salt (+ more for dusting the top if desired)

1/4 t paprika

4 T butter

1/4 c water

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the butter until it is pea sized. Add the water and knead until smooth (like play dough)
Preheat oven to 400

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Keep the other pieces covered while you work with one.

Dust work surface with flour and roll into a square (I am not talented enough to make a square) Roll to about 1/16 of an inch thick. Cut into strips using a pizza or rotary cutter (a knife will work too)

Place on a lined baking tray and bake 7 minutes or until starting to brown. Mine took 10 minutes, but watch closely. They are so thin they can burn quickly.

I sprinkled salt only over half of the crackers. The salt is only necessary if you are going to eat them plain. If you add a topping I don't think you need to add salt.

Butternut Squash Soup

This was so yummy! I ate all of the leftovers by myself. Just thinking about it makes me want to make it again.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

1/2 c chopped onion (I used 2 T dried minced onion)

2 cans chicken stock (4 cups)

1/2 t marjoram

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

8 oz cream cheese.

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Brush with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in oven 30 minutes at 350. Once roasted, remove from skin. You can do this several days in advance it that is easier.

Blend squash and cream cheese in blender or food processor until smooth.

Place in large pot and use whisk to combine with remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, not a full boil and serve.

If you want this soup to be truly smooth, I would also blend the onions with the squash. You could even blend the whole lot up in your blender if you wanted!

Delicious! We served it with fresh bread and it was an awesome meal. I totally loved it. I think you could leave the cream cheese out, it just wouldn't be as rich.