Saturday, December 4, 2010

Are you UP for the challenge?

Every once in awhile I find an odd satisfaction in my cupboards being bare. Not because I don't enjoy eating... we all know I do! I like the challenge of having to dig into my food storage and seeing what kind of meals I can come up with.

This morning I awoke to the sound of metal scraping cement as the gas station next door plowed their lot at about 5:30 a.m. which also woke Fiona up, so I fed her and put her back to bed.

I thought I would be a sweet wifey and make my hubby something to eat before he had to shovel the entire apartment complex sidewalks and leave for work. I decided to make Banana muffins as I have a freezer stocked with old Nasty Nanas. My favorite recipe is an prize winner from Better Home and Gardens. It has flaxseed in it, and boy do I love flaxseed :)

The recipe also calls for Wheat flour... which in my food storage wheat is not ground into flour and so I found myself grinding wheat at 6:00 a.m. Then I realized the recipe called for applesauce which I also did not have, but I had some old withering apples that were being neglected, so I put them in the steamer basket, got out my food processor, and made applesauce.

I put them in the oven to bake and heard Chuck hit the shower... and since I was feeling so productive already I packed his lunch and then slapped on some boots and went and started shoveling the sidewalks.

I loved seeing the expression on Chucks face when he emerged from the shower to find that I had woken up early, ground wheat, made applesauce, baked muffins, packed his lunch and shoveled all before 7:00 a.m. Then we sat down and enjoyed a warm muffin before work. There is something very satisfying about impressing my husband... I like seeing him smile.


Who needs energy drinks!?!?!

Here is the recipe from Rita Morrow of Leonard Michigan. ENJOY!



Here is one on it's way into my mouth

Flax, Banana and Raisin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 cup flax seed meal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup mashed banana (I just use two)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk (I always use milk + lemon juice)
1/3 cup canola oil (or vegetable... whatevs)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup raisins chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or line muffin tin. Mix all the dry stuff (flax meal - salt) in a bowl and make a well in the center of mixture.

2. Combine wet stuff (egg - applesauce). And add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in raisins or chocolate chips.... I also add walnuts because they are good and good for you... Ya for Omega 3's!

3. Spoon batter into muffin tin and bake 20 -25 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test.

4. Cool five minutes, and eat... because they are so good warm!


4 comments:

Unknown said...

holy geez. talk about a productive morning!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mommadriver said...

All I can say is, WOW. That's quite an energetic morning! Pace yourself. You are amazing!

jeff and alli said...

Funny reading this, I just made bread for Jeff at 4 in the morning because Isla woke up, I couldn't fall back asleep....however, I didn't have to grind my own flour, or make applesauce. Very impressive.