Skinny Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

I just love a good blueberry muffin and love trying new variations on them. I wanted to find one that incorporated oatmeal because oats and blueberries and just so delicious together. One of my absolute favorite blogs Skinny Taste posted this recipe called Insanely Good Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins and with a name like that, I was sold! 

I made these larger than the standard muffin size because I wanted to give them as a welcome gift to our new neighbors. They told me how yummy they thought they were and I agreed! They are moist and dense but still have a wonderful texture. Even better -- they are low fat! Perfect in the morning with a big cup of hot coffee or a cold glass of milk, or in my case, both!

Skinny Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
From Gina at Skinny Taste 
Makes 12 standard size muffins
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup milk (almond or skim milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I didn't have any on hand so used white sugar)
1 tablespoons honey (or agave)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla (my homemade vanilla extract is pictured in vodka bottle)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
Baking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Line a muffin tin with liners and lightly spray with oil. Place oats in a food processor or copper and pulse a few times. Soak oats in milk for about 30 minutes. 

In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, honey, apple sauce, vanilla, egg whites, oil and mix well. In a third bowl combine whole wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and whisk to combine. Combine oats/milk mixture with sugar/apple sauce mixture and mix will. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the blueberries, saving a couple to place on top. 

Spoon into liners and bake for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack. Keep in an airtight container. These taste great even the next day!

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

In my humble opinion, breakfast doesn't get much better than this. Fluffy coffee cake with pops of blueberries covered in a cinnamon sugar crumble. With a big glass of milk or steaming cup of coffee this is breakfast perfection. I made this Blueberry Buckle for a Sip and See - a celebration of our neighbors' beautiful newborn baby girl. I wish I had more occasions to make coffee cakes because I LOVE THEM.

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake
From DeAnna House Cookbook
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups blueberries, fresh or unthawed frozen
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine

Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large mixing bowl sift together 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a 2 cup clear measuring cup combine the vegetable oil, milk, and egg. Beat with a fork until egg is blended with milk. Pour liquid ingredients into flour mixture. Stir just until four disappears. Fold in blueberries. 

Pour into a greased baking pan - I used a 7 X 10 pan but you can also use a 9 inch square pan. Set aside while mixing together the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over blueberry batter for topping. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes if using fresh berries or 50-60 minutes if using frozen berries. Check for doneness by inserting a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool about 20 minutes before serving.

Banana Berry Mango Smoothie

Lately I have been really into smoothies. As in I make one just about every single day. I started out buying the Yoplait frozen smoothies that you just add milk into but I wanted to include different fruit and decided to have a go at my own original smoothie. Since mango is grown here on Okinawa I always have access to big, fresh mango. Unfortunately berries are hard to come by so I am just buying frozen organic berries instead.

It's a healthy, filling, quick and easy breakfast. I don't know why I neglected the smoothie for so long. What ingredients are you in your favorite smoothie??

Banana Berry Mango Smoothie
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 frozen banana (or fresh)
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup fresh mango
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk

Directions
Place all ingredients into a blender or cup of a hand blender. 

Blend until everything is smooth and to your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Panna Cotta with Summer Berries

My husband and I just spent two glorious weeks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Hubby's family built a beautiful cabin on Lake Michigan in the U.P. (Michiganders know that U.P. is an abbreviation for Upper Peninsula) and just to make you all jealous here is a picture from the porch of the cabin, looking at Lake Michigan:

While at the cabin, I had the chance to cook a little bit with my lovely mother-in-law and her very dear friend Gail. I love cooking with other women in my family and learning from them. Gail showed me how to make a Panna Cotta with summer berries. Although the batch looks small, we made enough to feed about 10 people. The Panna Cotta was extremely creamy with wonderful vanilla flavoring. The blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries were a perfect addition and a great way to incorporate fresh Michigan berries. 

Panna Cotta with Summer Berries
From Epicurious
Printable Version
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half (we ran out and used lowfat milk, which was a fine substitute)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups of fresh summer berries (we used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
1/2 cup sweet dessert wine

Directions
In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.
In large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring.

Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2 cup ramekins and cool to room temperature (we placed the mixture in a large bowl instead). Chill ramekins, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Meanwhile chop berries into bite size pieces. Place berries into a small bowl and pour the dessert wine over top.

Mix to cover berries in the wine and allow to marinate until serving time. If serving in ramekins, dip one at a time into a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin and invert onto a small plate. Garnish with fresh berries. If serving in cup like ours, scoop the mixture into serving cups and garnish with berries.

Strawberry Blueberry Mint Spritzer

This refreshing drink is a wonderful summer cocktail and although it's not red, white, and blue, it's got the red and blue component!  Fresh strawberries, blueberries, and mint leaves are muddled together then mixed with freshly squeezed lemon juice, champagne, sake, and seltzer water. I fell in love with the recipe when I saw it called for Sake! A friend gave us a bottle of Sake as a going away present since we will be living in Japan in less than a month. This cocktail was the perfect use for it!

 I served these cocktails when we had a dinner party and everyone loved it! It can also be made without the alcohol, just substitute additional seltzer for the champagne and sake.

Strawberry Blueberry Mint Spritzer
Modified from LindaWagner.net
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 bottle of Sake
1 bottle of champagne
1/2 pint of strawberries
1/2 pint of blueberries
6 lemons
6 sprigs of mint
2 cans or 24 ounces of seltzer water

Directions
Slice strawberries into vertical slivers and halve the blueberries. Tear the mint leaves roughly and all all to a large pitcher. Squeeze the lemons into the pitcher and gently muddle using a fruit muddler or wooden spoon. 

Add the seltzer water in and stir. Add equal parts sake and champagne. Pour into individual glasses and garnish with additional fruit if desired. 

Berry Puff Pancake

Last weekend my mom and my in-laws were in town to celebrate hubby completing his residency. We hosted them all for brunch and I wanted to make something new and special to eat. This Berry Puff Pancake from Val SoCal was the perfect solution. Impressive and absolutely beautiful to look at, as the golden puff pancake is filled with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It's light, fluffy and sweet with the pop of flavors from the berries and a hint of citrus from the orange marmalade. You're not going to find a more lovely breakfast choice. 

Berry Puff Pancake
From Val SoCal
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced vertically
1/3 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons powdered sugar


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the butter in a 9-inch pie pan and place in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until melted. Meanwhile whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. 

Combine the flour and salt and whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour into the prepared pie plate.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until sides are crisp and golden brown.

In a large bowl gently combine the berries and marmalade. 

Fill berries in the pancake and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into slices like you would a pie. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

I stocked up on frozen berries at my last Trader Joe's visit, thinking I would start making smoothies. I made one smoothie and gave up. Smoothies are just not my thing. So I decided to make muffins with the berries instead.

I found this recipe of Emeril Lagasse's on Food Network and was sold because it received a 5 star rating. I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I didn't have walnuts, so substituted almonds instead for the struesel. I didn't have lemons either, but I am sure the lemon peel and lemon zest would have these muffins even better. They were very moist and I loved the pop of the berries in each bite. The streusel topping is of course the best part!

Blueberry Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
From Emeril on Food Network
Makes 18 muffins
Printable Version


Ingredients
For the topping:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel


For the muffins:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
2 large eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup raspberries


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with a standard with paper liners. To make the topping, in a medium bowl, mix together the topping ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large bowl beat the eggs with the melted butter. Add the buttermilk and lemon zest and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine. Batter will be somewhat lumpy, do not over mix. 

Gently fold in the blueberries and raspberries to the berries do not break open. Pour into the prepared muffin tin. 

Crumble the streusel to topping over the muffins and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire racks.

30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30: Blueberry Pie

Today is my thirtieth birthday. Yikes, that's hard to say. Although it was hard to see my twenties come to an end, a friend at work gave me the best words of wisdom I've heard on turning thirty. She told me, "All the things you worked so hard for in your twenties will happen in your thirties." For my husband and I this is so true. Lots of exciting things are going to be happening in the near future and I am really looking forward to seeing all that is in store for the next chapter in our lives!

Now about that pie! It just so happens that my birthday is 3/14 which is also known to nerds and mathematicians as "Pi" Day (since Pi is 3.14). And coincidently, Blueberry Pie was the last item on my list of 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30. (For those of you really keeping track of my list I haven't posted the yeast bread I made yet, but I have made it! It will be posted soon.) My Mom and Dad flew in this weekend to celebrate the big 3-0 and so I enlisted my Mom's help in making my very first pie crust from scratch and my Gram's delicious no bake blueberry pie.

I was adamant that the crust had to be homemade because I felt like I was sorta cheating in not baking the blueberry pie. Mom and I were nervous the whole time because neither one of us are bakers. My Grandma Hutch was an amazing baker and her pie crusts were to die for! So with a little inspiration from Grandma H and the use of her glass pie plate that I inherited, we went to work creating Better Homes and Garden's Single Pie Pastry. (Recipe to come next.) It wasn't the most beautiful, smooth pie crust in the world but it turned out perfectly golden brown and more importantly tasted flaky and was awesome with the blueberry filling. I achieved pie perfection at the ripe age of 29 years and 364 days!

No Bake Blueberry Pie

From Grandma W with a little modification by my Momma

Printable Version

Ingredients

1 baked pie shell

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

In a large pot heat 2 cups of berries with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar over medium high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

 In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup sugar with the cornstarch and salt. Take two large spoonfuls of liquid from the mixed berries and add to the cornstarch mixture. 

Stir to make a paste, then add in slowly to the pot of cooked berries. Slowly stir to thicken and add in lemon juice. Take the pot off the heat and cool slightly. 

While berries are cooling whisk together softened cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 

Spread with a spoon in the bottom of the pie crust. (This was my Mom's modification to add a little creaminess to the pie and ensure the crust doesn't become soggy.) 

Fold in the remaining two cups of berries into the pot. 

Pour into pie shell. 

Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow pie to set. Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or by itself!