Louise issued a challenge: Dig out your cookbooks, find a recipe, and make it. Choose one appropriate to an October food celebration. Change it up some, maybe, post it, and tell her. Mine came from the trusty red checked cookbook that most of us grew up with and have even today.
ORANGE OAT MUFFINS
1-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp powdered milk
2 tsp baking powder
1/5 tsp salt
1/2 cup oats - quick or not
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Stir together the dry ingredients, make a well in the center and add the juice, egg and oil. Stir until moistened, then stir in the walnuts. Spoon into muffin cups (I used 18 standard muffin cups), sprinkle white or brown sugar on top if you wish (I used brown sugar), and bake at 375F for 15 to 20 minutes, until they test done.
These are not only great for breakfast or dessert, they're a great lunch box filler. So, there you are, Louise, an entry for School Lunch Month! It also works for Cool Foods for Kids Month! Happy Monday!
No, not really. But that was Ryan's exclamation of horror when he saw them in the pans from across the room. Of course, the name stuck.
I needed a quick dessert that would travel well in the lunch bag, and muffins are always a good choice. Since I only had frozen strawberries, that's what I used, completely unthawed. Fresh ones would work, too.
STRAWBERRY MUFFINS
(a.k.a. Meatball Muffins)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp sugar
1-1/2 cups frozen whole strawberries
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
Stir the dry ingredients together. Slice the frozen berries in the food processor (or very finely with a knife), and stir them into the dry mixture to coat. Stir together the egg, milk and butter, and stir into the strawberry mixture until just moistened. Spoon into mini muffin pans, and bake at 375F for 14 to 15 minutes, until the toothpick test indicates they're done. Makes about 4 dozen.
And trust me, the 4 dozen don't last long. I think there might have been 15 left over after the hordes descended upon them, and those disappeared first thing in the morning.
(You can make these in standard sized muffin pans. I just prefer mini muffins, because then I can eat 2 or 3 and not ruin the perpetual diet!)
