brown food

Fondly reminiscing about Spring Break, which now seems like decades ago. I was home. I had free time. Muffins, you know it!

 

Made a variation on these awhile ago to get rid of some grody applesauce (you know how you can buy “natural” applesauce? This one, by default, is therefore “unnatural” and had way too many forms of corn syrup). This recipe is healthier (back to “natural’, or as natural as something mass-produced, from the grocery store, can be) and it’s great for when you are sort of out of fresh things.

Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 T ground flax
1/4 c. plus 1 T water
3/4 cup applesauce
2 T milk
2 T oil
2 carrots, grated
3 T granola
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts (or pecans, or whatever)

Combine flax and water. Then combine remaining wet ingredients (applesauce through carrots) and then stir in granola so wet ingredients soften it up. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients (oats through cinnamon) in a small bowl. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, then fold in nuts. Pour into a greased muffin pan (this made 12 muffins for me). Bake at 325 degrees for 17 minutes.

Finished product was sweet, fluffy, moist and satisfying. Which shot of these is better, the auto setting (first) or the gourmet (second)?

 

It’s funny cause I would say at home I love getting away from stressed work lunch and getting to focus on the presentation of my lunches

But this one was totally brown!

 

At least it tasted good. From the upper right, that’s one of the muffins; a thawed frozen lentil burger (it  tasted off and needed mustard- I need to refine my freezing technique); and homemade parsnip oven fries (1 parsnip, cut into spears, cooking spray’d and baked at a 425 oven, flipped halfway, 20 minutes or so until nicely browned)

 

Also homemade coffee yogurt: plain farmer’s market yogurt, 1/4 tsp instant coffee, a few drops stevia.

      

Also brown, also delicious: I have a total year-round tea habit. In the winter I drink it to keep me warm, in the warm months I drink it cause… I stinkin’ love tea.

My fave:

How is so much sweet and spice infused into one calorie-free teabag?! A wondrous mystery. Totally caffeine free (from rooibos base; I accidentally bought the Original instead of the Caffeine Free Original and actually preferred the decaf’s flavor). Intense. It’s almost more like eating than drinking.

New excitement on the scene (at least to me):

Chocolate tea?! Whatttttttttt?! Holy awesome!

Completely delicious cocoa-ness. Comes across as sort of… smoky. Like mole! (Not the animal. The Latin American sweet and savory sauce. How does one do an accent in Windows Live?) But mole (again, not animal) in tea! Well, that makes it sound bizarre. But it is not. It is delicious.