Carrot, Orange and Ginger Pulp Muffins

I've been on a juice kick for about a month now.  Every time I juice I am left with this amazing pulp.  Sometimes it's celery, green apple and ginger, other times it's orange, carrots, beets and ginger.  This past week my breakfast juice has been carrots, orange and ginger.  Any of these combo's yields the most beautiful, amazing pulp that I feel guilty for just throwing away - it is so colorful and smells AMAZING!!!  I was putting it in the garden for the critters, but knew I could somehow repurpose it for our own enjoyment.   So, in my quest to recreate my pulp I came up with this muffin recipe and I am glad I did.  These are yummy right out of the oven, or warmed for 30 seconds with a dab of butter (yes, a healthy fat) or drizzled with honey.  Hope you enjoy these as much as we did, there will be more pulp recipes to come, no doubt! 

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 c white or whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ c honey (I substituted with organic maple syrup)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (if you don’t have they still turn out yummy)
• 1 c applesauce (unsweetened, sweetened, regular, cinnamon, chunky…whatever)
• 1 cup juice pulp

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. 
3. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
4. Make a small well in the center of dry ingredients; add butter, honey or syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and applesauce.
5. Stir ingredients together until just combined (do not over mix).
6. Fold in juice pulp until just combined (again, don’t over mix).
7. Divide batter evenly among muffin tin. 
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.
9. Remove and cool completely. 
10. Serve warm with butter or honey.  
11. Will keep in airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or freeze.

*These are good source of fiber; add scoop of protein powder for protein muffins

Chicken Pot Pie

Servings: 8 | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Bake Time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

- Half of rotisserie chicken
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Fresh sage, chopped (optional)
- Frozen peas, half to 1 cup
- Thyme (fresh or dried)
- Salt, pepper, turmeric (to taste; turmeric optional)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- Butter (to sauté veggies)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 pie crusts
- 1 egg

DIRECTIONS Sauté veggies in butter till onions are translucent and carrots soften, add thyme and garlic sauté for few more minutes. Add chicken, stir in salt, pepper and turmeric, warm through. Add flour, stir well. Add broth and milk, stir constantly while sauce thickens. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray, line dish with bottom crust, use fork to poke holes in crust. Fill with pie filling. Top with top crust, tucking ends under bottom crust, crimp crust to seal. Poke hole in top center, brush with egg wash. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes, let rest for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffin -

Low calorie muffin alternative.  No milk, oil, or eggs, just yellow cake mix, a 15oz can of pumpkin, a dash of pumpkin pie spice (optional) and that's it!  Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

For cupcake version, top with a vanilla or cream cheese frosting.  For a maple twist, add maple extract to taste.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”  

-- A.A. Milne

Though I have three little chickadees, the very first stole my heart and all my attention.  For a wee one (4lbs 3oz, to be exact) who should have been stillborn you fought from day one for this life, and 24-years later you are still a fighter.  I am always proud of you, and I will forever be.  I love you "Little Nutbrown Hair."  

German Apple Pancake

One of my things to make on a Saturday morning, and well worth the effort!  A dash of confectioners sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup, along with a hot cup of coffee...yummo!

Prep Time: 15 minutes                                                                        

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 12 ounces Golden Delicious apples (about 2), peeled, cored, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• Powdered sugar (optional)
• Maple Syrup (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
2. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl until well blended; add flour and whisk until batter is smooth. 
3. Place butter in 13x9-inch glass baking dish; place dish in oven until butter melts, about 5 minutes. 
4. Remove dish from oven; place apple slices in overlapping rows atop melted butter in baking dish; return to oven and bake until apples begin to soften slightly and butter is bubbling and beginning to brown around edges of dish, about 10 minutes.
5. Pour batter over apples in dish and sprinkle with brown sugar (I sprinkle a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg on top). 
6. Bake pancake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes, remove from oven.
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and drizzle with Maple syrup, if desired.  
8. Serve warm.

Gerber Daisy Hair Clips -- I love Gerber Daisy's so much, I thought I would make hair clips out of silk daisy's and wear them! 

Handmade Citrus Scrub -- super simple and easy to make, and is a great gift.  Take a large craft stick (tongue depressor-size), drill a small hold through one end, and run thin jute twine through it, tie off in a knot.  Makes a great applicator.  This scrub is in a small jelly jar and wrapped in a hand towel ready to gift!

Pacifier Clips -- These clips are for the Avent Soothie pacifiers.  You slide the ribbon through the hole on the pacifier, then run the clip-end through the ribbon to secure the pacifier.  These are made from 100% cotton, and are machine washable.

Burp Clothes -- Made from 100% cotton, and machine washable, these burp clothes are every moms lifesaver.  I pair them with a paci-clip for a sweet little baby gift.

Burp Cloth & Pacifier Clip -- This is my most requested baby gift.  Both are made from 100% cotton, and are machine washable.