Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

(makes 12)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup poppyseeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

1 egg
3/4 cup rice milk (or regular milk)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
In large bowl combine flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (and lemon zest if you choose to add it).

In separate bowl mix egg, milk, oil, and lemon juice.

Pour into flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten being careful not to over-mix.

Spoon into greased muffin tins.

Bake in 375* oven for 25- 30 minutes or until tops are firm.

St. Patrick's Day menu

Breakfast:

Irish oatmeal and cream

Second Breakfast:

Dublin Coddle (without the carrots)

Afternoon nibblies:

Irish oatmeal cookies

Supper:

- Green salad (baby spinach, avacado, green onions, cucumber, green peppers, green herbed vinigrette)
- Spinach pasta with pesto
- Breadsticks in shape of shamrocks plastered with dried parsley instead of sugar

Dessert:

Chocolate brownies with icing sugar-stenciled clover on top
Irish cream coffee for Hubby and I

Snack to accompany watching Hockey Night in Canada (Go Sens!):

Potato chips
and finish off the cookies
and nice strong tea

Pancake Tuesday

This is our favourite pancake recipe. We have made it successfully without the blueberries, and also by substituting chopped apples. The original recipe came from the back of a Kellogg's Bran Flakes box, but we use cheaper store-brand bran flakes and changed some of the ingredients to make them healthier and more nutritious.

Bran flake pancakes

Ingredients

(250 mL) 2 cups whole wheat flour
(25 mL) 2 tbsp raw sugar
(15 mL) 1 tbsp baking powder
(2 mL) 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
(425 mL) 1 3/4 cup milk (we use rice milk because of Baby's milk allergy)
(25 mL) 2 tbsp oil
(250 mL) 1 cup bran flakes cereal (or multigrain flakes, or ancient grain flakes or whole-grain oat flakes, etc.), crushed to 125 ml (1/2 cup)
(300 mL) 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries

Directions

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In medium mixing bowl, beat egg until foamy. Stir in milk, oil and crushed cereal. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir again. Add flour mixture and blueberries, stirring just until combined.

3. Using 75 ml (1/3 cup) batter for each pancake, pour batter onto lightly-greased preheated skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface and underside is golden brown. Carefully turn and cook until browned. Serve immediately with syrup.

YIELD: about 14 pancakes

Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake (or Muffins)

This one literally makes The Boy squeal with delight. This is what I heard yesterday at lunch time:

"Mommy, what are we having for lunch? It smells delicious! I could smell it all the way up in my room... Oh my goodness, is that what I think it is??!! Baby, Baby! Guess what we're having for lunch??!! Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! Baby! It's ginger cake! It's GINGER CAKE!"

Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake (or Muffins)
Makes one 9x9 snacking cake, or 24 muffins

1 to 1 1/2 cups raw sugar (or granulated)
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (not pie filling- pure, puréed pumpkin)
1/2 cup oil (we use olive)
1/2 cup soured milk (1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tsp. vinigar or lemon juice added- let sit 5min before using) or buttermilk
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and all-spice (I use 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice)

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil and milk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices, salt and baking powder.

Stir dry ingredients into large bowl until blended.

Pour into lightly greased 9x9 square pan (or muffin pans).

Bake at 350* for about 35 minutes, or until set in middle. Let cool in the pan before cutting and serving.

* Tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ;-)

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