Back in Blackberry Muffins

I love muffins and the healthier the better. I tend to make muffins by the droves when I decide to bake them. We love them here at home and they are a good alternative as a breakfast item, snack, or when you are looking for a sweet treat. Hope you enjoy these simple and wholesome blackberry muffins.

What you will need:

2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar (or regular white sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blackerries, slightly pureed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a seperate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Combine wet ingredients to dry and mix well. Then stir in blackberry puree. *I like to add 1/2 tsp of Splenda or sugar directly into the blackberries and stir before I add them to the muffin batter. It takes some of the tartness out of the berries. After the berries have been combined with the rest of the mixture, spoon into muffin cups one tablespoon at a time. I usually end up using 2 tablespoons of batter per muffin cup. Place in oven and bake for 20 min. Remove and cool for 5 minutes. Then run a butter knife between each muffin and the tin to assure it will be able to be removed easily. After removal, let them cool for about 15 min.

Awesome Butternut Squash

It's that time of year again. You know what I mean. Autumn. The seasonal squash and pumpkins are arriving. I love them. I made this dish for us on Saturday. I had to enlist the help of my strong man to help me peel this determined squash but it was well worth all of our efforts. You can find butternut squash already peeled,seeded, and cubed. I happen to believe you can get more quantity from a whole squash. Hope you enjoy this delicious and healthier dish.


What you will need:

1 2 lb. butternut squash
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
cooking spray

After you have wrestled, tamed, peeled, seeded,and cubed the squash, place on an unsprayed cookie sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the squash with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat the squash. Spray the top of the squash with the non-stick cooking spray. (I use olive oil spray because it browns better) Toss squash to coat. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, removing every 15 minutes to toss. Squash will be tender and slightly browned.

Tender Parmesan Chicken

I love this recipe. It's easy and a pleases a crowd very well. It is also wonderful as leftovers.


What you will need:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 1/2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs
3/4 cup Mayo
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper


Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Lay chicken breasts on cookie sheet and sprinkle with black pepper. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Mix until a paste forms. Spread paste liberally on top of chicken breasts. After the mixture is applied, sprinkle Italian bread crumbs on top of each chicken breast until the entire surface area of the mixture is fully covered. (You can press the crumbs onto the top lightly with your hand to assure the crumbs have adhered.) Place cookie sheet in oven and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. You may want to allow more baking time for thicker breasts of chicken.

Testing The Waters

This is my first blog. I decided to make a blog about my cooking and constant attempts to expand my knowledge of food and cooking. I am hoping to get feedback on my own creative recipes. I will post pictures of some of my creations as well as my own critiques. I absolutely love to cook and am looking forward to using this blog as a guide for do's and don't 's for myself about the dishes I come up with day to day. I also hope people will make some of my food at home in there own kitchens some day. So this is just my way of putting myself out there. Testing the waters if you will.