Will Run For Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

so many blueberries

My Granny is a master blueberry picker.  She has a hat, cowbells, a wooden basket and more importantly a log book where she's recorded picking conditions and the number of blueberries picked for over ten years.

Granny has weaselled many unsuspecting grandchildren into a day of blueberry picking with "we'll be gone just long enough to pick a basket".  Considering that we either ate our blueberries before they made it into our baskets or we spilt them all over the ground chasing after one another it was usually a pretty long day.

As far as I'm concerned blueberry picking should last just long enough to pick blueberries for Granny's blueberry cake or muffins(always served with brown sugar sauce).  How long could it possibly take to pick 1 cup of blueberries?

These muffins are moist and delicious just like Granny's but much to Granny's chagrin they include a few substitutions.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

12 small muffins

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup soy milk (+ 2 tsp of lemon juice)

Combine rolled oats and soy milk in a small bowl and set aside. 

1 flax egg (1 T flax + 3 T water let sit)

1/4 C agave nectar (honey or maple syrup works as well)

1/4 C melted earth balance (butter or margarine works as well)

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 1/2 tsp lemon extract 

Add flax egg, agave nectar, melted earth balance, grated lemon rind and extract to rolled oats and soy milk.

1/2 C whole wheat flour

1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking power

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C fresh blueberries

In a separate large bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and gently fold in  blueberries.  Make a well in the centre of your dry ingredients and add wet ingredients.  Mix until just combined.

Fill oiled muffin cups (I'm a big fan of silicone muffin cups).  Bake at 400 F for 15 min or until lightly brown.  Share with your  favourite blueberry hound or eat them while your hound sits pretty.

blueberry hound

Will Run For Chocolate Cashew Butter

chocolate cashew butter

Sometimes you need a little more chocolate in your diet.  For example, when you accidentally get a mullet (Luckily this didn't happen to me) or when you are gearing up for a Dawson's creek marathon (Don't judge. Everyone needs a little teen angst every now and then), when your groomer shaves your bouviers except for their heads....they both look surprised) or when you're celebrating your summer vacation.

3 simple ingredients

deliciousness in no time

Happy summer!

Chocolate Cashew Butter

Ingredients

1 C pitted dates

1/2 C cashew butter (or your favourite nut butter)

1/4 C ground cocoa nibs (or cocoa powder)

How To

1.  In a small saucepan cover dates with water.  Cook at medium heat until water has been absorbed and the dates can be mixed into a thick paste.

2.  In a medium bowl combine date paste, cashew butter, and cocoa nibs (if you prefer a smoother spread consider using blender).

3.  Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

4.  Lick spoons, bowls, etc.  Great on french toast, pancakes, waffles, or as a dip for dried or fresh fruit.

Will Run For Garlic Scapes

ball o'scape

Garlic scapes make the wait between crops of garlic a little more bearable.  They are 'flower stalks' that can be used in place of green onions when young and tender or in place of garlic cloves when they are a little larger and a little more mature.  I'm thinking pesto, pasta, soups, etc.

   I'm also hoping that garlic scapes are an appropriate "I'm sorry my dog chewed your shoe, I'm sorry that we made fun of your weeding outfit ( really who thought that green fleece MEC long johns and a ripped plaid shirt were a good choice for 30+ weather), you are our favourite housemate thanks for coming back to visit", etc. gift.

  It's a rough crowd around here sometimes.

Farmer and I planted about 450 cloves of garlic last fall which means that we have an abundance of scapes that need to be eaten within the next two weeks or so.  Since we don't have any vampires to ward off preserving the scapes (with some help from the healthy frugalista) seemed like the thing to do.  

  

I heart garlic scapes

bucket o'scapes

Start by chopping off the bulbous portion of your scapes.  Using scissors is much more efficient than trying to cut them with a knife (If you are trying to get out of helping, use a knife.  It will take forever)

off with your head!

In your blender process 1/2 C of olive oil and 4 C of scapes until well combined.

processed scapes

Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or wax paper.  Use a tablespoon or an ice-cream scoop to make balls o'scapes.  Place cookie sheet in freezer until balls are firm.  Store balls in freezer bags.  


When you're ready to use your ball o'scapes simply add your scapes to your soups or sauces towards the end of your cooking time.

Will Run For June Foodie Pen Pals!

Hi, from British Columbia!

A box filled with delicious treats on the last week of school.  Life is good (even better now that I'm enjoying my first official day of vacation).  My foodie pen pal this month was Helen Mills from What Happened Next. 

I absolutely loved everything that Helen included in my box:  handmade card, chocolate hazelnut butter, locally grown and dried pears, nuts and chocolate, on the go snacks, chews for long distance running, kale chips and a spice blend for salsa.  I thought that I might save all of my treats for our upcoming road trip to New Brunswick or at the very least our trip to Oro Medonte for the Spartan run...that lasted about five minutes.  Who can resist dried pears dipped in chocolate hazelnut butter?

Does this come in bulk?  

Locally grown and dried pears

maple, nuts, AND chocolate...I'm in love!

on the go snacks and running 'candy'

some help for quick and easy dinners

kale chips minus the smell of baking kale = awesome

Here’s a detailed explanation of the program:

-On the 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you can choose to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
- Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian residents & UK residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. So, I’m going to keep two separate lists and match US w/ US and Canada w/ Canada!

Will Run For Mud

"You'll Know At The Finish Line"

This past Sunday Team Edumacator competed  participated in the Toronto Spartan Sprint.  The Spartan Sprint is a 3+ mile /15 + obstacle race.

The tag line for the Spartan run is "you'll know at the finish line".   You'll know mud.  You'll know mud in bits and pieces and cracks and crevices that mud should never be.  You'll know mud in the gash that used to be your finger.  You'll know mud despite having several baths and showers.  You'll know mud even after your significant other threatens Comet and S.O.S pads.  

Can you call in muddy and maimed?  We all made into work on Monday.  If only to see the school nurse.  

will...not...let...go

"Wow, those burpees were awesome", said no one ever.

standing in the pouring rain for over an hour

nothing like a little nail polish to get you through

muddy, bloody, and exhausted

Even though we'll likely never get the mud out of our running clothes I think that it was everyone's favourite part.  I'll take mud and barbed wire over plastic covered A frames with muddy ropes, carrying 40 pound sandbags up hill and climbing nets where people use other people's heads (and faces) as leverage any day. 

Will we do it again?  As much as I loved the obstacles and the run itself I was disappointed with the organization ( over an hour wait in the rain for the shuttle, inadequate first aid at the obstacles, no showers... the water wand from the knee down doesn't count, a small electrical fire on the timing box which means no finishing time as of yet, etc., etc., etc.).  Maybe the warrior dash is next or even better and closer to home the miners mayhem.

Will Run For Rhubarb Berry Cherry Crumble

Crumble makes things better.  Especially when it's on top of rhubarb and cherries.  You might try some crumble after you've read a race waiver that reads:

The risk of injury and/or death from the activities involved in the Spartan Race and the Event is significant including, but not limited to the following: (i) drowning and cold water; (ii) near-drowning and cold water; (iii) sprains; (iv) strains; (v) fractures; (vi) heat and cold injuries; (vii) over-use syndrome; (viii) injuries involving vehicles and caused by electrocution; (ix) animal bites and/or stings; (x) contact with poisonous plants; (xi) accidents involving, but not limited to, paddling, climbing, biking, hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, travel by boat, truck, car, encountering electrocution , or other convenience;(xii) heart attack and (xiii) the potential for permanent paralysis and/or death. While particular rules, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of death or serious injury does exist;

I'm thinking poison ivy? Snake bites? Heart attack caused by snake bites? All while being chomped by mosquitos?

I suspect that we'll make it out in one piece or at least most of us will.  Our team motto after all is every woman for herself.  

Rhubarb Berry Cherry Crumble

(serves 6)

Fruit Mixture

2 C diced rhubarb

4 C PC Organics Power Fruit Blend (or a mix of frozen cherries, blackberries and blueberries)

*1-2 T honey, maple syrup, or agave (optional)

Crumble

3/4 C old fashioned oats

1/4 C ground almonds

2 T organic sugar

1 T ground flax

2 T coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp allspice 

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a 9 x 13 ceramic dish combine rhubarb, power fruit blend and sweetener if using.  In a small bowl combine oats, ground almonds, ground flax, cinnamon and allspice.  Using your hands or a pastry blender add coconut oil until crumbly (it's perfectly okay to taste test the crumble mixture).  Top fruit mixture with crumble.  Bake for 25-35 minutes.  Try not to eat the entire pan by yourself (or at least not all in one morning).

* I didn't add sweetener mostly because I forgot.  I thought the recipe was delicious but someone who is used to a more traditional crumble (like my granny) might appreciate a little maple syrup or honey.

Vegetable Pasta Salad

Team Spartan took our training to the next level today.  We battled bogs (maybe it was a really large puddle), a vicious dog (a Chihuahua?), bees and the dreaded burpee (stand, plank, wheeze, moan, jump...you get the idea).  We survived without any chafing, leeches, and only a minimal amount of ego bruising.  It was a pretty good run.

How we looked/felt after the run

After seeing the delicious looking pasta salad that Farmer brought to a bbq yesterday and stealing dill from PB's garden I thought I would try my own take on pasta salad.  This salad is really more of a vegetable salad with a few pieces of gratuitous wholewheat pasta added in for good measure but it was pretty delicious none the less.

Pasta Salad

(4 servings)

12 Cups mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, peas)

1 cup shelled steamed edamame 
1 1/2 C cooked wholewheat pasta (3/4 C uncooked)


Dressing

3T olive oil

2 T apple cider vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1T fresh basil minced

1T fresh dill minced

1 large pinch dried oregano

1/2 - 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1T diced red onion

Salad Topper

1/4 C nutritional yeast(or parmesan cheese)

1-2 T hulled hemp seed

Instructions


Choose a large pot (big enough for vegetables & pasta).
While waiting impatiently for your pasta to cook prepare vegetables cutting them into bite sized pieces.
 Set mushrooms, peas, and peppers aside.  
When pasta is 1-2 minutes away from being cooked add vegetables to pasta water.
Prepare dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

Drain pasta & vegetables. 
 Add mushrooms, peas, and peppers.

Add dressing.

Top with salad topper if desired.