Project Bread

This post doesn't have to do with baking or cooking, but it does have to do with food so I feel it's totally relevant in this forum. A few weeks ago, my friends and I participated in Project Bread's Strike Out Hunger Bowlathon. I want to draw some attention (for the roughly 3 people who read this) to a really great charity that raises money and food (through walkathons, bowlathons, food drives, donations, etc) to feed those who are going hungry in Massachusetts. We often hear about those who are starving in other countries, and we overlook the fact that hundreds of thousands of people go without in our own state. Click here to donate!

This is Team Naan-Kosher* in all its glory:














(me, Nirja, Sam, Mayank)








*I know, right?

Whole grain, low fat...you know you want a piece of that.

So for two weeks I baked nothing but pumpkin muffins...I guess I got a little over-excited about Autumn. That's why today, I decided to be totally radical and branch out into lemon strawberry muffins.

The proportions for this recipe come from here, however, as usual I changed the ingredients to be healthier and added a lot of my own ingredients (read: chocolate).

Lemon Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of Canola oil
• 1/2 cup of milk (or soy milk)
• 1 egg (or 3 tbsp of egg whites)
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flower
• 1 (generous) cup of strawberries
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
• 2 tsp lemon extract

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2:
Oil your muffin tray or put in the muffin cups.















Step 3:
Put on some sweet tunes. This is imperative: the muffins will not rise without the proper amount of grooving.















Step 4:
Combine milk, eggs, oil, and lemon extract in a small bowl. Beat lightly.















Step 5:
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Step 6:
Chop strawberries into small cubes.















Make sure the strawberries are not poisonous.















Step 7:
Add strawberries and chocolate chips to dry mixture, making sure to coat the strawberries completely in flour.















Step 8:
Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Stir thoroughly.















Step 9:
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way.















Step 10:
Put the muffins in the oven. Do something really important like read Perez Hilton for 25 minutes (are they seriously giving Speidi their own show? Haven't we already learned our lesson about this?).

Step 11:
Take the muffins out of the oven. Let them cool for ten minutes.















Step 12:
Find a willing volunteer for the taste test, and let your future self worry about the dishes.

A first attempt at muffinry

My first ever post reminds me of a joke that was my absolute favorite when I was in high school:

Two muffins are in the oven. One muffin says, "Ahhh! It's hot in here!" the other says, "Ahhh! A talking muffin!"

With that said, this recipe makes a dozen medium-sized muffins.

2x Chocolate Chip Craisin Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Canola oil
• 2 eggs (or 1/3 cup egg whites)
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup craisins
• OPTIONAL: 4 tbsp Nutella (yeah, you heard)
  
  

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, water and Nutella if you've chosen the path of extra deliciousness.

Step 3: In a different bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.

Step 4: Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Stir until the concoction is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and craisins.

Step 5: Bake for 20 minutes (do the toothpick test- if it comes out clean, they're done).