Muffin Madness

Today’s update is another three-part post.  Yet again, I’ll be brief.  First, I’ll mention news from this morning.  Next, I’ll jump to last night’s muffins.  Finally, I’ll wrap up with a wee bit of link love.

I ran 2.8 miles today with my running buddy.  I kept it slow so as not to injure myself before Saturday.  I also did my abdominal workout before hitting the shower.  Today I decided to wear my LND that we discussed the other day, and due to the majority vote, I went for nude pumps.

Thanks for the Style Advice!

On to the kitchen catastrophe experience…  I don’t bake for a reason.  The main reason? I eat dough.  Actually, I eat lots of dough.  I managed to keep that to a minimum this time, but I still made a mess of my kitchen and poorly followed directions.  Here is the recipe, which I adapted from Eating Bird Food.

Choco-Nana Muffins (I doubled the recipe)

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup sucanat
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 egg, and 1 egg white, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425° Make sure all ingredients are cool.
2. Line muffin tin with liners or coat well with cooking spray
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well
4. Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
5. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
6. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool.

Chocolate n' Nanner

I mixed the dry ingredients, but I added too much baking soda.  Whoops!  Also, I had to try the chocolate chips before putting them in the muffins.  I say “try,” but I’ve never actually had a bad chocolate chip – especially a bad chocolate chip on the end of a banana.  Speaking of bananas, don’t send your hubby to the store the day before baking for brown bananas.  You’ll end up with bright yellow ones.  I put them in a brown paper bag overnight to help them ripen, but that did nothing.  I just had to throw them in the food processor.  I should have taken a picture of their bright yellowness (Yup, I said “yellowness”).

I then mixed the ingredients with my Dr. Weil mixer.  I am convinced everything I bake is healthy because Dr. Weil’s name is on my mixer.  The original directions say not to “over mix,” but I’m not sure how much is over mixing.  I probably over-mixed the crap out of these things.

Integration

Fill your muffin cups and bake.  At least they smelled good!

Mmm... raw goodness

They look cute too.  They even did that little crack thing on the top.  Woohoo!

Cuties!

Is that a roasting pan?  Yes.  This is what non-bakers who do not own cooling pans use.  Sue me.

What? You haven't had roast muffins?

The verdict?  A little dry, and a little bland.  (I love my muffins super spongey.)  Overall, edible.  Score one for Tiff!

Okay, maybe a little...

As stated, I’m ending with a little link love.  It’s about women liking beer.  Healthy women too!  Hungry Meets Healthy mentions an RJ Rockers beer.  I haven’t tried this one, but I love their brown ale.  I have to wonder though because this blogger lives in South Cackilacky, but she paid $7 for a pint of RJ Rockers, which is a SC brew.  Don’t pay that; it’s too much.  Moving on… this is a post by Eating Bird Food.  She mentions loving some lavender ale.  I’ve never tried lavender, but it’s now on my list!

Tags: baking, beer, chocolate, lavender beer, link love, muffins, nude pumps, run