#MuffinMonday: Butternut Squash Raisin Mini Muffins

August 28, 2017August 31, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

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It’s time for another Monday filled with muffins!

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins to brighten their Mondays. There isn’t a theme to #MuffinMonday posts so anything goes, as long as it’s a muffin! (A big thank you to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for helping organize everything this month.)

You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

Recently, my husband and I have been getting in the money saving habit of constantly making breakfast burritos. He takes these burritos to work with him on mornings he’s hitting the gym. An act which is saving us about $9 every other day!

He likes filling his burritos with meat (I’ll use leftover chicken/steak from the week or the typical breakfast sausage or bacon), cheese, eggs, and some sort of vegetable medley. The latest vegetable inclusion has been butternut squash. I grab the pre-cut squash from the produce section of the grocery store.

We used about half a tub for his burritos and the other half I used to make mini muffins. And guess what, Firecracker inhaled them! Hooray for sneaky veggies. These muffins were perfect for rounding out a balanced breakfast.

I think next time I’ll try freezing the leftover squash and toss it into their smoothies.

This recipe makes 4 dozen mini muffins.

Butternut Squash Raisin Mini Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C milk
1 3/4 C mashed butternut squash
3/4 C raisins
cinnamon sugar, for topping

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and milk together. Add in the squash until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Fold in the raisin.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, 3/4 full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with cinnamon sugar. Bake 10-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan to a cooling rack.

*This recipe is adapted from Becky at http://www.thetwobiteclub.com/2015/01/cinnamon-crunch-butternut-squash-muffins.html*

Butternut Squash Raisin Mini Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook

And don’t forget to check out these other muffin recipes:

Ackee and Saltfish Muffins from Passion Kneaded

Apple Cinnamon Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts

Bacon Gruyere Muffins from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Butternut Squash Raisin Mini Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Lemony Olive Oil Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Swiss Almond Vanilla Muffins from Food Lust People Love

Zucchini Walnut Muffin from Palatable Pastime

#Muffin Monday: Graham Cracker Muffins with Carrots and Raisins

April 24, 2017April 26, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

fb5cd-muffin2bmonday2bcrop It’s time for another Monday filled with muffins!

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins to brighten their Mondays. There isn’t a theme to #MuffinMonday posts so anything goes, as long as it’s a muffin! (A big thank you to Kelly of Passion Kneaded for helping organize everything this month.)

You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

Today’s muffin post was really supposed to be shared with another fun blogging group, Crazy Ingredient Challenge. This month’s ingredients were Graham Crackers and Carrots. I had all intentions to post with the group on the 20^th but it never happened. (To see everyone else’s carrot & graham cracker combinations click here:

My break from blogging over Easter weekend lasted into the week. My husband was out of town for work but my mom came to visit. And we had a blast! Instead of blogging at night, we were catching up on Once Upon a Time eating snacks and drinking mimosas. During the day we ventured to see the Hollywood Sign (I’ll probably do an entire blog post about our experience) and went to the Palos Verdes Lighthouse where we saw a whale! Firecracker and I had another preschool tour, too.

So, we made these muffins ON the 20^th before heading to the lighthouse. We were out all day and there weren’t enough minutes left to my day to photograph, write, and post before the 20^th was over on the east coast. So… I’m sharing it with Muffin Monday instead!

CIC-header But you know what, maybe my doing so will help pique someone’s interest about CIC? Join us!

These muffins are probably not healthy – even though they do have some fruits and veggies mixed right in. They are deliciously moist and full of flavor, though.

Graham Cracker Muffins with Carrots and Raisins

Ingredients:

9 graham crackers, divided use
2 1/4 C flour, divided use
½ C sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 C milk
1/3 C canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ C shredded carrot
½ C raisins
¼ C brown sugar
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 tbsp butter, melted

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 15 standard size muffin cups with liners.
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until they’re crumbs.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 C flour, 1 C of the graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the shredded carrot and raisins.
Fill prepared muffin tins 2/3 of the way with batter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, ¼ C graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the melted butter until crumbly. Top the muffins.
Bake 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from HowSweetEats at http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/07/graham-cracker-chocolate-chip-muffins/*

Graham Cracker Muffins with Carrots and Raisins for #MuffinMonday and #CrazyIngredientChallenge

And don’t forget to check out these other muffin recipes:

Buttersquash Muffins by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Lemon Crumb Muffins by Making Miracles

Strawberry Orange Muffins by A Day in the Life in the Farm

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls #EasterRecipes

April 12, 2017April 17, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 21 Comments

What do you do when you can’t sleep?

Do you just toss and turn, stare at the dark ceiling and hope for rest to return?

Well, today (yesterday) I decided to do something productive with my restlessness. Maybe I’ll be regretting that later, but I was tired of feeling like I was keeping the hubs awake. (Pun unintended.)

So what did I do?

Wash dishes.

Everyone washes dishes at 2am, right?!

I don’t know why I couldn’t sleep. I have a slight head cold, but it’s nothing to write home about. (Hopefully this “just wake up” decision doesn’t come back to bite me with that cold. I’m off to get some Nyquil tomorrow!) I keep having these parenting dreams that seem all too real, involving unplanned pregnancy and horrible mothering.

I think the real culprit has something to do with the first of three preschool tours lined up this month in the morning. All yesterday, while he was playing with his trains and talking up a storm, I just looked at him and thought, “When did you get so big?”

We aren’t looking to start Firecracker in school until the Fall – he’ll be 3 and {hopefully} potty trained by then. He is definitely interested in going to school. My boy is such a social butterfly, it’s just something we need to do for him. He’ll be attending VBS at our church this summer, so it’ll be a great test! (Yep, typing that reminded me to go register him now. Look at all of the productive things one can get done in the 2 o’clock hour!)

Who knew picking a preschool would be such a big decision!? I have a spreadsheet on my computer with our top choices, breaking down stats, including the insane cost that is preschool. We’re only considering 2 or 3 times a week, and half days. Yikes!

Maybe typing out these thoughts will help calm my mind and I’ll be able to go back to sleep soon. Odds are I’m going to end up asleep on the couch, computer in lap!

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Absolutely none of that intro story has to do with the Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls I’m sharing with today’s Holiday Fun with our Blogging Friends group. Except that I have to write this post and might as well do it at 2:45 in the morning, right? That way I don’t have to pull out my computer during playtime with my growing boys!

This week, 13 bloggers are sharing 46 recipes and tips to help you serve up deliciousness this Easter. Follow #EasterRecipes on social media to see what we’re serving up!

Yesterday, I shared Carrot Cake Pancakes that came with a confused maple cream cheese topping. All of that leftover maple mixture didn’t go to waste. I simply made cinnamon rolls the next day! Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls, of course.

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients for the dough:

1 packet active dry yeast
1 C warm water
3 tbsp room temperature butter
1/2 C sugar
3 – 4 C flour, plus extra for rolling
1 egg
1/2 tbsp salt

Ingredients for filling:

4 tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 C brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Ingredients for frosting:

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 C real maple syrup

Steps:

Stir yeast into the warm water. Let bloom for 5-10 minutes.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat butter, sugar, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined. Slowly pour in the yeast and water. Beat until combined. Add the flour about one cup at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Once the dough starts to form switch to the dough hook attachment. After all the flour has been added knead the dough for 3 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise to double in size (about 30 minutes) in a warm place. (In the microwave or turned off oven)
Roll out dough onto a floured surface.
Roll into a rectangle. Spread the dough evenly with the softened butter. In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the mixture over the dough. Add the grated carrot, raisins, and walnuts, pressing into the dough slightly. Roll the dough into a log, lengthwise. Cut the dough into 2″ cinnamon rolls. Place cut side down in a 9×13 casserole dish.
Cover dough with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes before baking. The rolls should have doubled in size again. (Or you can freeze the rolls and after thawing let rise until doubled in size.)
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 7 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool, slightly.
Meanwhile, make frosting. Using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and syrup. Frost the cinnamon rolls!

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls Sew You Think You Can Cook #EasterRecipes

Be sure to check out these other Easter Recipes:

Cinnamon Crescent Rolls by Tip Garden

Individual Easter Breads by Cooking With Carlee

Tomato Asparagus Quiche by Caroline’s Cooking

Peeps Whoopie Pies by Palatable Pastime

Rosemary Garlic Herb Rib Roast by Family Around The Table

Honey butter Peas and Carrots by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Pea and Pasta Salad by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Roasted Eggplant Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm

In case you missed them, here are the recipes from Monday and Tuesday:

Monday

Deviled Ham Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

30 Minute Dinner Rolls by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Easy Pecan Sticky Buns by Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Easy Citrus Ham by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Sausage and Vegetable Strata by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus With Lemon Herb Sauce by Tip Garden

Dipped Strawberry Carrots by Family Around The Table

Easter Malted Milk Dip by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Sharadan’s Lemon Blueberry Parfaits by Cooking With Carlee

Easter Egg Cooking and Dyeing Tips and Tricks by Palatable Pastime

Tuesday

Italian Easter Bread by Palatable Pastime

Carrot Cake Pancakes by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Torta Salata Pasquale by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Dill Roasted Radishes by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus by Family Around The Table

Praying Arm Pretzels by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Creamy Coconut Mini Tarts by Making the Most of Naptime

#ChoctoberFest: Halloween White Chocolate Raisin Bars

October 11, 2016October 17, 2016 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

#Choctoberfest

I’m opening up my #ChoctoberFest offerings with the chocolate that’s questionably chocolate. I know, I’m a rebel. I’m talking, of course, about white chocolate.

Upon making these bars I came to the conclusion that, to me, white chocolate tastes like Christmas. I’m not sure why, but there it is. Therefore, I decided to up the Halloween factor because, folks, it’s way too soon for Christmas things.

I took a cranberry white chocolate bar and swapped some raisins. For that spooky black and orange combo I dyed the frosting. Bingo bango. Happy Halloween and happy #ChoctoberFest!

Halloween White Chocolate Raisin Bars

Ingredients for bars:

1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 C brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C white chocolate chips
1/2 C raisins

Ingredients for frosting:

2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 – 1/3 C powdered sugar
2-3 tsp heavy cream, as needed
food coloring (optional)
raisins and white chocolate chips for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9″ cake pan with foil and lightly grease.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until combined.
Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the white chocolate and raisins. Spread into prepared cake pan and bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.
Make frosting: Using a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 C at a time until desired sweetness is reached. Add heavy cream a teaspoon at a time as needed to bring the frosting together. If using, mix in the food coloring.
Spread frosting onto cooled bars. Garnish with white chocolate chips and raisins.

*This recipe is modified from Allison at http://celebratingsweets.com/cranberry-white-chocolate-bars-copycat-starbucks-cranberry-bliss-bars/*

Halloween White Chocolate Raisin Bars for #ChoctoberFest from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more chocolate recipes today:

An InLinkz Link-up

#FoodieExtravaganza: Pork

October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 23 Comments

It’s the first Wednesday of the month (OCTOBER – what?!?!) and that means it’s time to celebrate some foodie fun! Specifically, National Pork Month. (Ironically, it’s also Vegetarian Awareness Month…) Thank you Lauren, host of From Gate to Plate, for hosting our piggy party today!

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share. If you are a blogger and you’re interested in joining in the fun, visit us at our Facebook Foodie Extravaganza page. You can also visit our past party submissions on our Pinterest Foodie Extravaganza board.

I am sharing a recipe that actually fits two of national food month themes – pork and apples! Quite a classic combination, it only makes sense they share a month, too.

A few years ago – four maybe? – my brother gave me Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen for my birthday. I’ve already shared his Poppy Seed Muffin recipe from this cookbook. This recipe is the very first recipe I made from Tyler’s cookbook, I actually used chicken breasts instead of pork and pumpkin pie spice instead of the mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove because I didn’t have two of those ingredients at the time. According to my notes (it’s surprising I took notes years before this blog was even an inkling) I also had to roast the chicken at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. But, today, I’m sharing the version I made more recently – with pork.

Pork Chops with Spiced Apples

Ingredients for pork chops:

1 gal water
1 C brown sugar
1 C sea salt
1 C frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
4 1″ thick, bone-in pork chops

Ingredients for Apples:

1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 C dried cherries (or raisins, cranberries, or currants)
3/4 C frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of cardamom
pinch of ground mustard

Steps:

Combine all the ingredients for the pork chops, except the pork, in a large pot. Stir until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add the chops, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Note: Do not brine longer than that.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove pork from the brine and pat dry. Season with S+P. Sear pork chops 4 minutes on each side in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Do this in batches if needed.) Place pork in a casserole dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is reached.
Melt the butter in a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apples and thyme. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the dried cherries, apple juice concentrate, sugar, and spices. Season with S+P. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Stir often, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Serve apples over the pork chops.

*This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen*