Hello friends, how is it going?  I just came back after a long needed walk with my son.  We went to a park nearby, he played and I walked around.  It gave us both some fresh air and exercise.  Blessings of a summer morning.  We came home and enjoyed this delicious muffin.  This one is quite an interesting mix you will agree with me.  Read on if you don't believe.  Cheerios and banana; a breakfast by itself go in to make another, muffin.  Yeah! I thought incredulous too, but it's true. 

  As cliched as it may sound the truth is I have had Cheerios hatching in my pantry for a while.  It came easy, free from our local supermarket.  However, it's proved not so easy to feed my family.   Therefore, I had them all fooled with this ingenious concoction of mixing it up to make some spongy, melt in the mouth muffin.  The recipe is courtesy the 'Cheerios' site.



Ingredients:

Cheerios/ Any plain cereal- 1 cup
All purpose flour- 1 1/4 cup
Baking powder- 2 tsp
Brown Sugar- 1/4 cup
Granulated white sugar- 2 Tbsp
Mashed ripe bananas- 1 cup( 2 or 3 bananas)
Raisins- 1/2 to 1 cup
Walnuts (optional)- 1/2 cup
Milk- 2/3 cup
Vegetable oil- 3 Tbsp
Egg,lightly beaten- 1
Pure vanilla extract(optional)- 1 tsp



Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 400 degree F and line the muffin pan with paper liners or grease it.
2.Crush the cereal.Stir this with the flour,baking powder and sugar.
3.Throw in the other ingredients ,one by one and mix well using a wooden spoon.Do not overdo this step.
4.Spoon into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 17-18 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Notes:

1.I haven't tried this with other cereal,but I guess it should work fine with the normal corn flakes and other plain cereal.
2.This recipe will give you 12 medium sized muffins.
3.You could replace the white sugar with brown sugar for a more healthy muffin.



Recipe adapted from : cheerios.com

Contributor: Namitha

Hello everyone! How are you all? I know it's been a while since I wrote a post on this page. I have been really busy with the children home on holiday, and some other personal matters which called for time away from blogging. I am back now and hope to catch up with you all soon.


The mercury is soaring up! It feels like we went right into the middle of summer skipping spring entirely. Some of you might have read about the big wild fire in Arizona. As a result of the fire we have a smoke cloud here in Colorado! I cannot imagine how bad it must be for people in Arizona, and hope and pray it will be contained soon.


Coming to today’s recipe, it has been lying in the drafts for a couple of weeks now. I got the book ‘Good to the Grains,’ by Kim Boyce from our library, and as soon as I saw these cookies I knew I had to try them. Coincidently, I saw a post in Swapna's blog on the same and decided to give the recipe a twist with the combination of flours and oatmeal. Good to the Grains is a wonderful book with so many whole grain recipes and ideas. I have already bookmarked some other recipes from the book, including the Olive oil cake. I bet you will love this cookie too.


I made some black currant walnut cookies too using the same recipe, versatile recipe indeed!

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour- 3/4 cup
Flax meal- 1/4 cup
Rolled oats- 1/2 cup
Baking powder- 3/4 tsp
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Vegetable oil/Oil of your preference- 1/4 cup
Dark Brown sugar- 1/3 cup
Granulated white sugar- 1/3 cup
Egg- 1
Pure Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
Chocolate chips- 1/2 cup
Chopped walnuts/Any dried fruits or nuts- 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it ready.
2. In a large bowl mix the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl mix well the oil, sugars, egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula together with chocochips and the chopped nuts.
5. Place small scoops of the dough in the prepared baking pan, one inch apart.
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the sides start turning brown.
7. Cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before you transfer them onto a wire rack and cool them completely. When you take out from the oven the cookies will be soft, but they will become firm once they cool down.

Notes:

1. The flax meal and oats can be replaced by whole wheat flour. I replaced the whole wheat with this combo following Swapna's example.
2. The original recipe calls for butter, but I replaced it that with oil.
3. I have tried this with black currants too. You could mix and match with any dried fruits and nuts of your choice.

Adapted from : Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
And Eat Good 4 life

The weather is not very good for spending time outdoors, but I still managed to clean my yard yesterday. What I learned in the process - rains are not only good for plants and the lawn but also for weeds. When my finger tips start to get numb, and my back hurts, a part of me says spray the weed killer! But the other part of me says - it’s unnatural.  Even if the weed killer is organic I can’t get myself to use it.  Old habits die hard.  I have to break my back laboring away plucking out one weed at at me.  And thus continues my never ending confusion of weeding the weeds or spraying the weed killer. 




Now with the yard weed-free, and an aching body, you will agree that I truly deserve a treat. Then again, who will make it? Since the answer is ‘me’ I decided on a smart, easy, quick and yet delicious dessert. Extremely delicious chocolate fudge!  This can be made in 5 minutes, and you only need simple ingredients that most will have handy in their pantry.  If you haven't tried this sinfully delicious fudge yet, do it right now. One bite and you'll be hooked for ever!




These are quite addictive; don't blame me for not warning you.  ;-)


Ingredients:

Semisweet Chocolate morsels- 2 full cups
Sweetened Condensed milk, fat-free/regular- 1 14oz can
Salt- a pinch
Pure Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Chopped Walnuts/any nuts of your choice- 1 cup

Method:

1.  Line a baking pan that is preferably 8 by 8 inch square, with a parchment paper.
2.  Gently heat the condensed milk and chocolate chips together in a thick bottom pan on very low heat.  Continuously stir till all the chocolate is melted.
3.  Turn off the heat, add vanilla and mix in well.
4.  Throw in the chopped walnuts and fold in.
5.  Spoon out into the prepared pan and level the top with a spoon or butter knife.
6.  Let it cool for an hour, cover with cling paper and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
7.  Cut into squares and serve.  Store the left-over in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from: internet and Eagle brand condensed milk cover
Contributor: Namitha

Everyone in the family loves muffins; strawberry or banana muffins tops the list. Therefore, muffins have become a regular in this household.  Seeing that these two flavors are a hit and having some of both to spare, my mind went into overdrive.  I wondered what if I combine the two.  Ok, secret only for you: I had only a little of both but together they would just be the right amount to bake a loaf.  I gleaned the web and used some stored memory in my gray cells, and what do you know, I baked some delicious combination bread.  Try it to see the flavors blend in marvelously.

  Digressing from cooking, I wanted to tell you how spring has been treating me.  These days I am out in the yard either in the pretext of educating my son or mowing the grass or something else.  Whatever the excuse I make it a point to be out a couple of times.  Guess what fantastic sights I have been enjoying.  The other day I was out and about and lo and behold I spotted this sparrow working away within the pine tree.  I craned my neck a little and confirmed my doubts.  It was making it's nest!  Oh! the thrill of it.  I sneaked in and got my camera and clicked away.  Hmm... it was something else! I have updated a picture on facebook and if you would like a peek its here.  




Ingredients:

Strawberries (hulled and chopped)- 1 cup
Banana mashed -1 cup (~2 numbers)
Walnut (chopped coarsely)- 1/2 cup
Flour- 1 3/4 cup
Oats- 1/2 cup
Cinnamon- 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder- 1/8 tsp
Salt- 1/8 tsp
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Baking soda- 1 tsp
Butter/ oil- 1/2 cup
Eggs- 2
White granulated Sugar-3/4 cup



Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F.Grease a loaf pan (9 by 5)
2.Whisk together the dry ingredients except sugar in a mixing bowl.
3.Beat the butter/oil and sugar until soft.
4.Add the eggs one by one and beat well to mix in.Also add the mashed bananas in and beat well.
5.Throw in the strawberry pieces into the flour mixture and toss well to coat the pieces.
6.Fold in the wet mixture into the dry one along with the chopped nuts.
7.Transfer to the loaf pan and bake for 45- 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Notes:

1.I have tried both with butter and oil and both works fine.
2.If you wish you could add a little more fruit.
3.I read that this tastes best if you cut the loaf after 24 hours.I was never able to do it,though I had a couple of slices left on the second day and sure that tasted better.
4.If any of you happen to make this and let the loaf ripen before you cut, do let me know :-)




Contributor: Namitha

  Who knew even chopping walnuts for this muffin could bring out quite the drama.  My son Milan (LM) loves walnuts.  Foreseeing I will not be able to chop up the walnuts, I need for the recipe, without appeasing him first, I counted out a few into his palms, tilted his face to make eye contact, and lovingly but certainly said “No more for today!” 
 


It was about his lunch time, and if I am not stern enough, walnuts will be his lunch.  He seemed to be taking it well.  Ate what I gave him, pulled up a chair, and stationed next to me.  Peering curiously onto the cutting board, while I chopped the walnuts, he asked:

LM:  "Amme, What is this?" (Pointing at the walnuts)
Aaah! All sweetness!  My mommy guard was up.  I knew where this question was going.  I did not answer that question directly for obvious reasons. 
Me: LM, it's your lunch time. I'll soon give you rice, so you cannot have any more walnuts!
He seemed unaffected and continued to stare at the cutting board.
LM: Ooook! (With his dragging ‘o,’ the accent he picked up from his sister.)
 Me: Don’t stand so close to the board kunje (endearment), what if the knife hurts you?
LM: Amme, what is this? (Now, pointing out to dates I was chopping)
Me: These are chopped dates. I am going to try and make some yummy muffins with walnuts and dates. 
LM: Oh, Muffan! (No accent anymore it comes out with a rounded ‘an’ at the end and resonant.  It’s quite cute the way he says it, if I may say so myself!)
Me: Right.
LM: Amme, can I have more walnuts?
Me: I already told you. That's it! (Mildly amused and exasperated, thinking how tenacious children can be, I handed him one more)  “This is the "last-last" one. 
He coined last-last, which essentially means my "last" is not his "last") You figure!
LM: Ooook! (Dragging himself off the chair.)



Having reached an agreement with my son, I continued chopping the rest of the walnuts.  Mostly in a hurry, thinking about getting his lunch ready.    
I turned around to check on him and he was out of sight.  Being a mother, looking instinctively at unlikely places for my children is second nature to me.  Within seconds my eyes caught his shirt behind the counter.  I bent down to see what he was up to.  LM looked back with eyes filled with guilt. I searched him with my eyes:

LM: Here we go! Pushed his hand in front of me, opened his palms and counted out a couple of walnuts into my hands. 

Children!  I have no idea how he nicked those from under my nose.

His middle name is the synonym for Krishna.  If Lord Krishna stole butter from his mother my LM steals walnuts and every thing else that is forbidden.  The proverbial joy of eating the forbidden fruit!

As for the muffins, they are far from forbidden.  Make a whole batch and enjoy them to your heart’s content.   



Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour- 3/4 cup
All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
Brown sugar- 1/3 cup
Baking soda- 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder- 1/8 tsp
Cloves powdered- 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powdered- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/4 tsp
Milk- 1/2 cup
Unsulphured Molasses- 1/3 cup
Olive oil- 6Tbsp
Eggs- 2 large
Walnuts chopped- 1 1/4 cup
Dates pitted and chopped- 1 cup

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Line muffin pan with paper liners and grease them.
2.Whisk together the flours,salt,spice powders and baking soda.
3.In another bowl mix molasses, milk,sugar,oil and eggs.
4.Mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture along with the chopped walnuts and dates, only until combined.Do not over mix.
5.Spoon into the muffin pan , till it is 3/4th full and bake for 15-16 minutes or until done.

Notes:

1.As the original recipe suggests you could use pumpkin pie spice mix instead of all the spices.
2.I got 18 medium sized muffins.


Contributor: Namitha
Recipe adapted from :here

What do you do, if you have some over ripe bananas and some left over nuts? I would make some muffins that melt in my mouth for breakfast.
When did you have or see muffins for the first time? In India we get sugar loaded version known as cupcakes, which are far from healthy. This being my experience when I first moved to Germany, a few years back and my first travel outside India, I saw muffins and confused them for cupcakes. I thought it bizarre people eat cupcakes with their morning coffee. My curiosity got the better of me and I tried it myself. Instantly, realized why it was good to be served for breakfast. The muffins were sweet but just enough and the fruity flavor was apt to kick start my day. I was hooked. Among my many adventures with muffins I came across banana muffins with nuts and I was smitten.
Now I bake them regularly and thankfully the whole family shares my delight for muffins. I hope you will enjoy the following recipe too. It is simple, not too banana-ish, yet with a bite of nuts in between and healthy to boot. Now, tell me how you make banana muffins. I am waiting to hear from you.



Ingredients:

Butter-1/2 cup
Sugar- 3/4 cup(or 1/2 if you do not like sweet)
Eggs- 2
Really ripe bananas(large)mashed- 2
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Flour- 2 cups
Salt- a pinch
Baking powder- 3/4 tsp
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp
Buttermilk- 1/2 cup
Walnuts- 1/2 cup



Method:

1.Mash the bananas well.
2.Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
3.Beat the butter and sugar until it is smooth and fluffy.
4.Add eggs one at a time and beat well to mix.
5.To this mix the cinnamon powder and beat in.
6.Finally mix in the buttermilk by beating well.
7.Fold in the flour mixture alternately with mashed bananas and walnuts.
8.Meanwhile prepare the muffin pan by spraying the cooking oil or by lining with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
9.Spoon in the prepared dough into the muffin pan.(this gives you 18 std. muffins)
10. Bake for ~20 minutes or when a skewer inserted comes out clean.


Note:
1.This is just mildly flavored, banana muffins, just perfect for my family's liking.You could add one more banana if you wish.
2.This measurement is for 18 standard muffins or 12 extra large muffins. If you need only 12 muffins take only 1 1/2cup flour and change all the other ingredients proportionately.
3.This could be served warm or cold.


Contributor: Namitha