Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins

These muffins are moist and delicious, the kids (and adults) love them for a quick healthy snack or breakfast.

The Grocery List

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
  
• 1/4 cup natural wheat bran
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup reduced fat milk (whatever you have on hand, I use 2%)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup frozen blueberries

Cooking Them Up:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray with cooking spray).

In a bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat bran, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork; stir in milk and vanilla.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, mix just until combined.

Fold in frozen blueberries

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 22 minutes.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Makes 18 muffins.

Spinach and Feta Potaoes

The Grocery List:

6 potatoes (about 5 lbs.)
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light sour cream or regular sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (10 ounce) package spinach, thawed and drained (or I buy the frozen spinach in the bag and use 4 or 5 pieces)
1 cups crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese or regular feta cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cooking It All Up:

Peel and cook potatoes. Mash with a potato masher. Stir in butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Combine the spinach, garlic and feta cheese. Make sure the spinach is thawed and as dry as possible.

Stir spinach mixture into potatoes.

Spoon into buttered dish swirling top slightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered until golden and a knife inserted in center feels warm, 35-40 minutes.

Makes 4 Servings.

Maritime Hodge Podge

Love this time of year; and not only for the usual hot summertime weather (which we have not been experiencing this year) but also for the garden fresh vegetables that are available from our local vendors! Mmmm….mmm – I swear I’ve eaten $20.00 worth of fresh peas in the last two weeks by myself! So sweet and delicious! And I could consume a plate full of Swiss Chard every night topped with vinegar! Yum!

Hodge Podge may be known to some by a different name; but one thing is certain, it is a Maritime tradition in many homes.

(The key to this dish is the ‘garden fresh’ vegetables!)


Ingredients:

Potatoes
Carrots
String beans – yellow and green
Peas
Handful of flour
½ cup of cream and ½ cup of milk (can use milk only)
2 big (overflow a bit) spoonfuls (tablespoon size) of butter
Lots of pepper and some salt

Directions:

In a pot, place your cubed potatoes with just enough water to cover them; once they are getting soft; place your carrots in; then once these are almost cooked and soft add the beans, peas, milk and cream, lots of pepper and some salt, your butter and flour. (flour would be approx. ¼ cup…you can tell as your consistency should thicken a bit). Turn it on low and cook for 10-15 minutes more and then serve.

Leftovers are even better the following day! :)