The Blueberries Taste like Blueberries

Blueberry muffins are one of my favorite breakfast foods. Before I became the Chef in Training, my daily routine included a drive-thru stop at Panera Bread on my way to work for a delicious, fresh-baked blueberry muffin. Although they are delicious, Panera's blueberry muffins are not dairy-free. Instead, I've found a great recipe online for delicious blueberry muffins.

In the morning, I'm often rushed, so having something easy to grab on my way out the door is important--and I can only eat so much toast.

The recipe for the muffins is very simple and easy to make. I made my muffin batter while my dinner was cooking tonight. They went into the oven while I ate dinner and the timing was perfect. Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose (or gluten free flour)
3/4 cup sugar (plus extra for sprinkling on top)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup neutral flavored oil (canola, vegetable etc.--I used canola)
1 large egg
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk:dairy and non-dairy both work (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

First, you whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium to large size bowl and set aside. Measure oil in a 1-cup measuring cup. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix together. Once mixed, add to dry mixture and mix with a fork until combined--batter should be thick and gooey, not thin and runny. Fold in the blueberries. Makes 8 decent sized muffins. Put the liners in the tin and fill the additional spots with 2 Tbsp. with water to ensure the muffins bake evenly. Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven. I put mine in for 15 minutes and add 5 until a toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean with crumbs, not batter.

This was a very easy recipe and one that I enjoyed making. You can keep the muffins in a sealed container for up to 3 days or freeze for later use. In my house, eight muffins won't last very long, so no freezing necessary. But this recipe is so easy and quick I can whip up another batch on the fly, as I always have blueberries in my refrigerator.



Recipe courtesy of: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/18982/our-favorite-easy-blueberry-muffin-recipe/

A Peck of Pickled Pickles

Who doesn't love a good pickle? The crunch of a dill pickle makes any sandwich better, while the sweet and tangy bread and butter chips go great on a burger. 

About a year ago, I stopped getting regular pickles because most varieties contained yellow (and sometimes blue) dye to give them their florescent greenish yellow color. Other varieties had a lot of chemicals and additives, which I try to avoid. I found that the Vlasic Farm Fresh pickles were all natural and had no dyes or additives. They tasted fresher than traditional pickles and had a much richer flavor. 

Unfortunately, grabbing a jar of pickles off the grocery store shelf, is a thing of the past for me. Earlier this month, I stopped eating garlic and onion, following a low FODMAP diet. FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) are short chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. Most varieties of pickles contain garlic and/or onion. 

This week, I made pickles. I have never made anything in the line of canning before, so it was a new experience. Thankfully, I did not need the large pot, tongs, and heat sealing of lids for this quick and easy recipe, which I found online.

12 pickling cucumbers

1 package of fresh dill

4 cups water

2 cups white vinegar

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp.red pepper flakes (optional)

The first step is to wash and dry the cucumbers and then cut into the desired shapes. I did two jars of chips and two jars of spears. Once you've cut your cucumbers, place in jars, leaving room for brine. 

Next you add the dill. Dill is very aromatic. If you don't want to smell like a pickle, wear gloves while handling. Finally, you whisk together the water, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes and pour into jars. Put on the lid and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours. One week is recommended for full flavor. 

I will be tasting my pickles next Monday; however, I wanted to share the recipe and photos as it was so simple and a great way to make a wholesome snack in a healthy way.  I will post an update when I taste them!

A New Beginning

I started this blog approximately one year ago. I was enthusiastic, energetic, and ready to become a culinary prowess in the kitchen. Slowly, but surely, my enthusiasm, energy and prowess faded away and I returned to eating out most of the week and cooking boxed, frozen and kindergarten staples. Sadly, my health suffered. For a while, my tummy troubles subsided and I thought everything was fine. But then, slowly, but surely, it all came crashing down again. So, here I am, back to my training and ready to become a culinary force to be reckoned with.

I've recently made a discovery regarding my eating habits and health. I cannot tolerate dairy products. I thought it was just milk, but it's not. It's cheese. It's yogurt. It's butter. Cooking is no longer something I want to learn, but something I need to learn. In order to ensure I'm dairy-free, I have to prepare my own foods. Eating out will be a special treat once in a while. It will no longer be the staple of my dietary intake.

Thursday I ordered four dairy-free cookbooks (and a fifth one based on the Food Network show, Chopped). Friday, I purchased new ingredients at the grocery store including an array of unique spices, coconut milk, and non-dairy Almond Dream vanilla ice cream. So far, the only thing I've tried
is the ice cream and I must say, it was AMAZING. It was actually better than regular vanilla ice cream because it has a subtle hint of almond flavor. It definitely makes me happy, as ice cream is probably my favorite sweet treat and I hated giving it up. One of the cookbooks I purchased is all dairy-free ice cream recipes. Now I just need to get an ice cream maker.

This post is a little rambley, so please bear with me. It's been quite a while and I'm trying to catch you all up on what has been happening in my life.

I've decided 2018 is my year to get all of my health issues under control. I've joined Weight Watchers, which is both easy and difficult. The plan itself is easy--especially the new Freestyle plan--but with my dietary restrictions, it's sometimes hard to stay on track, when you just want to eat food you can, without counting points.

I've also made an appointment with a GI specialist to determine what exactly my tummy troubles are. I'm fairly certain it is a mix of dairy intolerance with IBS. So, not only have I given up dairy, I'm also trying to stay away from coffee and caffeine, garlic, onions, and other high-fodmap foods, including gluten.

I've also made an appointment with a back doctor to figure out how to handle this sciatic nerve pain that I've had for the past couple weeks. Technically, I've had issues since I had an aggravated disc three years ago, but it's time to get some answers.

I am hoping to get back to doing yoga within the next couple weeks and just getting things moving forward in my life.

So, here's to a new beginning. Hope you enjoy my culinary adventures in cooking, dairy-free cooking and maneuvering my health throughout 2018.