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Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Another day, another chocolate chip muffin. I’ve come to realize that as long as two criteria are met: 1.) smooth batter (no lumps of fruit); and 2.) chocolate chips are included, my boys will eat anything I can pack into a muffin, even if they’d never touch it otherwise (carrots, peanut butter, bananas, etc.). Today it was pumpkin. I had intended to throw some flax meal in at the last minute but I forgot. Next time.

These are a nice, simple, slightly-dense muffin that I am comfortable serving for breakfast with a cup of milk. It beats crackers or pretzels, which is what G. has otherwise been requesting after I turn down his pleas for ice cream or cookies.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Kid’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

3 c. white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except chocolate chips until they are just combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

Line or grease muffin tins, and fill each cup generously with batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6 Comments November 9, 2008

From My Pile of Recipe Clippings…

Recipes I’ve torn out of magazines recently… surprisingly most are from Every Day with Rachael Ray, a magazine I love to read but that rarely yields recipes I’d like to try.

• White Chip Orange Cookies, with a little orange zest.
• Mushroom Not-Potpies with Cheesy Parmesan Crust, a hearty vegetarian option for cold winter days.
• Thanksgiving Stuffings, a whole batch of recipes! I’m eying the Apple-And-Date Stuffing for this year’s holiday meal.
• Veal and Olive Ragù with Pappardelle, which I’d make with ground turkey instead.

1 Comment October 20, 2008

Menu Plan Monday, 10/6 – 10/12

With the high holidays and both boys’ birthdays falling around these few weeks in fall, it’s hectic here. I was tempted to ditch a meal plan this week and just take the week as it comes, but I think that will make things more difficult in the long run.

My quick plan for the week:

Monday: Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic (plus tofu), udon

Tuesday: Meatballs (baked in the oven), whole wheat pasta, roasted kale

Wednesday: Scrambled eggs, bagels, crudite or fruit

Thursday: TBD (Yom Kippur)

Friday: Chicken soup (from the freezer), challah, farm share veggies

Saturday: Take out

Sunday: Slow Cooker Ratatouille (from the freezer), whole wheat spaghetti, farm share veggies

For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.

3 Comments October 5, 2008

Crumbs, 9/23

• I am deeply indebted to Keirnan, who told me that to avoid tears, she rinses her onion under cold water after she makes the first cut, which slices the onion in half. I tried this and it worked perfectly for me. It’s the first onion I’ve cut in a long time where I didn’t do half the chopping by touch alone, hoping I didn’t lop off a finger.

• Last week when I made chicken soup, I used my regular recipe but threw it in my crock pot on high for 6 hours instead of doing it on the stove. It was one of the best batches of soup I’ve made in a while. I may never use the stove top for soup again.

• J.’s family introduced me to Manero’s in Greenwich, CT a long time ago — eating there was one of their family traditions. The Greenwich branch closed a few years ago, but some of the employees from the restaurant opened up Greenwich Prime Meats to fill the void (their Web site has been down for a while though the store is definitely open; you can read about it on Chowhound). You’ll have to cook your own steak, but they sell the prepared Gorgonzola salad, garlic bread, and fried onions the restaurant was well-loved for. So bad for you, but oh so good.

3 Comments September 23, 2008