Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've made these at least 3 or 4 times and keep forgetting to post the recipe, mainly because we eat them before I can take a picture. My kids LOVE these and beg for them. I found the recipe at My Baking Addiction.

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray the wells of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla, mixing until well combined.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid ingredients into the well. Stir until ingredients are just combined - do not over mix the batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan wells. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

6. Remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Candied Cinnamon Sugar Almonds (and Salad)

I love the Nuts About Berries salad at Cafe Zupas and tried to recreate it for a family dinner. It turned out awesome, and I've since made it again!

The salad part is simple:

1- your choice of greens (I like to chop up a head of lettuce with a bag of baby spinach)

2- a bunch of berries (any combo of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

3- poppyseed dressing

And now for the Candied Cinnamon Sugar Almonds (this is from the Cafe Zupas blog):

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup honey

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 cups whole natural almonds

1. Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly roasted. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they do not burn. Stir occasionally.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the butter and the honey to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add the almonds and simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the almonds from the saucepan to the sugar mixture. Mix until the almonds are well coated.
4. Transfer the almonds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put under the broiler for just a few minutes, just until sugar melts and caramelizes.
5. Let cool and break apart if neccessary.

*I found that putting the almonds in the cinnamon/sugar mixture worked best in small batches, like a spoonful at a time. When they were completely cool, I chopped them up for the salad.

Happy Trails Mix

With all this summer camping going on - I needed a go-to trail mix I could keep handy and pack easily. Obviously you can omit any ingredients based on your family tastes (or allergies) - but this is a great base. Enjoy!

Dry roasted peanuts
Cashews
Raisins
Dried fruit (assorted)
Yogurt covered craisins
M&M's

I like to put all the ingredients in a gallon size zip lock. Mix all together and enjoy!!

Granola!

What would we do without The Sisters' Cafe? I saw this recipe a few weeks ago and have been dying to try it. I finally did, and WOW! I can't stop eating it!

Please excuse the flour-lined canister that I put the granola in.

The recipe is here. I followed it exactly except for the cardamom. I even went to the grocery store to get it, but it's $12 a container! So I didn't get it. Also, you can do almonds or pecans and I did almonds since Carson's allergic to pecans. Plus, I prefer almonds myself.

Next time I make it, I will make one change. When you first spread it in the cookie sheet, I will try to "clump" it together better and make sure I don't have very many loose sections.

3 ¼ cups Oats (Old Fashioned or Quick—any combination)

1 ¼ cup white wheat flour-freshly ground if possible
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut
¼ cup flax seed (optional)
1 cup or more coarsely chopped almonds and/or pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup water
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom

Preheat oven to 300. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, flax seed, coconut and nuts. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and water and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture together until smooth, and then stir in the salt, vanilla and spices. Pour mixture over the oats mixture and stir well to coat. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Spread mixture on a large baking sheet, separating it into irregular clumps with your fingers, and allowing space between clumps for the hot air to circulate. Slide it into the middle of the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to break up the mixture into medium sized clumps. Return to the oven and bake again for 15 minutes before stirring again. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the granola is uniform golden brown and completely dry—this usually takes me about 45 minutes . Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.

Spiced Oyster Crackers

Got this one from Jenna, who got it from Sister's Cafe. SO easy and yummy!!

2 packages oyster crackers

¾ cup canola oil

Hidden Valley ranch dressing dry mix

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp dill weed

1 Tbsp lemon pepper

Heat oil in microwave until luke warm. In the meantime, combine all dry ingredients. Drizzle oil over oyster crackers. Mix in dry ingredients. Shake or stir to coat. These are better a day or two after you make them.
(I mixed it all in a gallon ziplock and it worked great!)

These are great for toting along for kids' snacks. They are also perfect for game night or just munching!

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
4 Cups whole almonds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a 10x15 jellyroll pan with parchment paper (if you spray the pan first with Pam, the parchment will stick better). Lightly beat the egg white. Add the vanilla and beat until frothy, but not stiff. Add the nuts and stir until well coated. Mix the sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Add to nuts and toss to coat. Spread evenly on prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven stirring occasionally until golden. Allow to cool. Store in airtight containers.

These taste just like the ones sold at malls or sporting events. SO yummy!!