Better Blueberry Muffins

My girls and I went blueberry picking with a friend today and came home with just under a gallon of perfect, organic, warm-from-the-sun berries. Of course, we couldn't do a thing when we got home until we made some muffins! I dug out my grandma's recipe and made a few adjustments to make them just a bit healthier. Don't get me wrong, these are still a treat, just not too bad ;)

Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together in one bowl:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup date sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (make sure it's aluminum-free!)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix in a second bowl:
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
scant tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones until just incorporated (don't overmix). Fold in 1 cup (or more!) fresh or frozen blueberries.

Spoon in to paper-lined or well-greased muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes for regular muffins or about 14 for minis. This recipe made me 12 standard and 16 mini muffins...DELISH!

Canning: Homemade Pasta Sauce

You asked for it! Making and canning your own pasta sauce is easy peasy. Use any recipe you like. I recommend a simple one--tomatoes, veggies, and herbs. Simple recipes are more versatile...you can use one for pasta, soups, chicken parm, meatball subs, etc, and just gussy it up as needed. Mine contains tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, carrots (for sweetness), salt, pepper, and just a touch of date sugar. It's organic and refined sugar-free. You can use canned or fresh tomatoes. Fresh ones will need to be peeled, which is done by cutting an "x" in the skin on the bottom and dropping in a pot of boiling water, then an ice bath. Canned ones save you this step, but don't forget that the lining of cans contains BPA. I think the perfect solution would be to self-can some whole, peeled tomatoes. Hmmm. Add that to my list :)

Make your sauce according to the recipe. While hot, ladle through a funnel into sanitized canning jars. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth, place lids on top. Screw on rings. Place jars on a canning rack in enough boiling water to cover the tops of the jars by at least an inch. Process for 30 minutes (for altitudes up to 1000ft). When your jars cool, the button on the top of the lid will depress, indicating a good seal. If one of your jars doesn't process properly, cool it and freeze or use within a couple of days.

GIVEAWAY: Stylewipes!

My friend Heather recently starter her own WHAM business, Stylewipes. I immediately thought of how cute these sylish cases would be for holding cloth wipes on the changing table...so much cuter than my unplugged warmer or a plastic tub.


Even if you use disposable wipes, wouldn't changes be a bit more fun with a Stylewipes box? You want one, don't you? :)
On Monday, July 19, we'll randomly choose one winner who'll get a large Stylewipes case, custom made in the fabric of her choice.

Here's how to enter.

1. Follow this blog and comment.
2. Become a fan of SNM of Facebook, comment.
3. Become a fan of Stylewipes on Facebook, comment.
4. Leave a comment sharing your favorite Stylewipes fabric.
Dont' forget to leave me your email so that I can contact you if you win!



Good Luck!