Cinnamon Raisin Celebration Muffins

These muffins look especially festive wrapped in multicolor paper!

 These muffins are delicious, satisfying, easy, and healthy.  They are easily made gluten-free, and they clock in at about 100 calories/muffin and have almost no fat.  Each muffin is fairly generously proportioned, too, and while it may taste like a traditional muffin, it won't leave you with a sugar high followed by a sudden crash.  You may choose whether to use or omit the flaxseed - it won't affect the taste much but will make the muffin a bit less crumbly than it might be otherwise.  To make the muffins, you will need:

• 3 cups oat flour
• 1-3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 spoonful of ground flaxseed (optional, makes muffins less crumbly)
• 1 bottle of beer (for gf muffins, use a gf beer)
• salt, sweetener, and cinnamon to taste
• vanilla (optional)
• raisins to taste (I used 1.5 single serving boxes of Del Monte  raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together the oat flour and baking powder (and the flaxseed, if desired); fluff with spoon.
3. Add the beer, stir until all the clumps of oat flour get dissolved.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and taste the batter.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Pour the batter into 12 lined or greased muffin tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
6. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Right after they leave the oven, all ready to be eaten!

You can see a few of the raisins peeking through the surface.

Orange Creamsicle Powerbar Balls

 These balls are the lovechild of an orange creamsicle and a protein power bar.  They also happen to be rich, creamy, coconutty, and vegan.  With the proper choice of jam, they are poteintially fiber rich as well as sugar free!  They're also super-easy to make.  No baking or waiting required-just mix, roll, and presto!  You have healthy creamsicle balls.  If you have been following this blog, you may recognize the following dough mix as the same as the one from our no-bake shortbread cookies.  This time just go a bit heavier on the marmalade and vanilla, and there's no need to refrigerate the balls first.

You will need:

• Coconut butter
• Protein powder (I used unsweetened soy; I haven't tried others here)
• Orange marmalade (I used SF Polaner)
• Vanilla extract

1. Melt the coconut butter in the microwave.
2. Add protein powder and orange marmalade and stir into the melted coconut butter.  Start with equal quantities of the three ingredients, and then keep adding protein powder until you get a thick dough.
3. Add vanilla to taste.
4. Roll into balls.
5. Enjoy!

Green Snacks for Your Next Party

 My aunt never ceases to amaze me with her creativity.  At a recent family gathering, she worked with my cousins to create these clever snack boxes full of green goodies.  Every party has a theme, and the goodie bags are selected accordingly.  In this case, it was the food packaging that was green (colored).  I can't guarantee that everything here was environmentally friendly.  However, the products did come to us packaged in green colored boxes or baggies, often with green product names to boot.  And one could certainly make good use of the recycle bin container in which everything was stored!  My goodie bag contained:

• Beigel Beigel Long Thick Sesame Stick Pretzels
• Emerald brand Sea Salt & Pepper Cashews
• GoGo Squeez appleapple (squeezable applesauce!)
• Jalapeno Heat Dirty Potato Chips
• Joray Sour Apple Fruit Roll
• Laffy Taffy in Sour Apple
• Lime 
• Mike and Ike Candy
• Sour Power Belts (Green Apple)
• Turkey Hill Green Tea

Most of the contents were allergy friendly.  All were kid-friendly and kosher.  Any subset would be great for a children's party or St. Patrick's Day. 

The Turkey Hill Green Tea says "green" on the cap!

Coffee Ice Cream BuzzBuzzBuzz

 I recently got to try the Ben & Jerry's flavor "Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz" while waiting for a flight and another chance to enjoy my membership in the Mile High Coffee Club.  The ice cream provided a nice alternative to a daily mocha.  The caffeine buzz felt fairly signficant and coffee-like, but the coffee taste was not overpowering either.  Recommended!  (Available in stores only).

Note: this is an excuse to practice food photography, not a paid or sponsored post.  :D

Real recipes return tomorrow!  Stay tuned!

In the meantime, for some awesome recipe that combine coffee and chocolate, check out our Easy Mocha Pudding and our Oreo Muffins!

Mile high coffee club

This coffee is served with love (and in my case, cream).

My experiences with airline coffee have always surprised me.  While the meals on flights are notoriously bad, the coffee is generally quite good - fresh, not at all bitter, and neither too strong nor too weak.  A recent flight on Southwest added a nice touch to the coffee service - heart-shaped stirring rods and unlimited snacks.  Included in the snack selection: plane-shaped graham crackers.  Too cute!

The coffee also is served with yummy graham cracker planes.