Recipe #55... Pineapple Macadamia Muffins... A little bit of Hawaii in a pretty wrapper

The kayak tour "bail out" beach
Your choice after personal assessment

Kauai's Napali Coast

Note:  After kayaking 12 miles along the stunning Napali Coast (not sure which activity was more breath-taking... the paddling or gawking), our group arrived at a kayak-only accessible beach for a well-deserved and immensely necessary-for-survival lunch.  As we tore into our sandwiches and chips, our guides sliced fresh pineapple.  Their advice to get us through the final 5 miles: Eat plenty of pineapple because the fruit contains Bromelin which helps your muscles recover.  Now, why question the wisdom of a guy who leads 4, 17-mile kayak tours per week??  Brett and I let the information soak in during a little post-pineapple nap on the beach...

Pineapple Macadamia Muffins 



Makes 12 regular muffins

1 cup millet flour

2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour 1/2 c chopped macadamia nuts

1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch of salt  For the blender...

1 c fresh cut pineapple 1 carrot 2 eggs 1 tsp minced ginger  1 tbsp to 1/4 c sugar 1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with baking cups. 2. Pour pineapple mixture into flour mixture and fold to combine. 3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.   It just occurred to me that a little shredded coconut would also be a delightful inclusion... Sweetly yours... -A

Recipe #50... Ginger Pear Muffins... Inspired by the Ginger People

Note:  Society has been blessed with Ginger Rogers, Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice, Ginger Ale, the Gingerbread Man, and more recently Gingerpedia; the newsletter about, you guessed it, ginger!  Brought to you by... suspenseful pause... the Ginger People.  Prepare to be educated about the perks of ginger in its edible form... 

Who doesn't adore a ginger person?

Ginger Pear Muffins

Makes 12 regular muffins  Combine in your cute mixing bowl...

1 cup millet flour

2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour 2 tbsp Vanilla Spice Hemp Protein

1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch of salt  Blend in your hard-workin' blender...

1 1/2 ripe, juicy pears *Enjoy the other half while you blend and bake 1/4 c roasted almonds 2 eggs 1 tbsp sugar 1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp fresh ginger (I used Ginger People's Quick & Easy Minced)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with baking cups. 2. Pour pear mixture into flour mixture and fold to combine. 3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy these for breakfast or - fresh from the left brain - treat them as a healthier version of shortbread by slicing a warm muffin in half and topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream... As one famous Ginger said... "My love of ice cream emerged at an early age, and has never left." We have that problem too Ms. Rogers... -A

Recipe #26... Berry-Lemon Muffins... Colorful Lil' Characters & Gluten-Free

Note: Lemon is so bright and so cheery it's a perfect companion to the sweetness of red and blue berries.  The addition of yogurt infuses serious moisture into these muffins.

Berry-Lemon Muffins (Gluten Free) Makes 12 regular muffins

Combine in large bowl... 1 cup millet flour (try 1/4 c almond meal, 3/4 c millet flour)

2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour

1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch of salt  Pile into blending device... 1/2 lemon (juice + zest)

4 oz of plain greek yogurt 2/3 c berries* (if frozen, defrost)  *I used strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries - choose your own adventure! 2 eggs 2 tbsp sugar (can go up to 1/4 cup if you like your muffins sweeter) 1/3 cup grapeseed or light olive oil

1 tsp vanilla Fold into purpliscious batter... 1 c fresh blueberries (you'll find the more the merrier)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with paper baking cups. 2. Place lemon, yogurt, berries, eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla into the Vitamix container and secure lid. 3. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 4 or 5. 4. Blend for 30 seconds until thick and creamy. 5. Pour blended mixture into flour mixture and fold in blueberries to combine. 6. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until golden brown. These purplicious muffins freeze and defrost well (cool completely and then some before freezing)... I mean, who really eats all 12 muffins within 3-4 days??? wink... don't answer that :)... -A

Recipe #14... Maaarvelous Boo-berry Muffins... No hidden greens or strange seeds here...

Note: Special thanks to my Sous-chef - Jules, Art Director & Jules' Mama - Katie, and Bath-time supervisor so mama could direct art and taste-test finished product, Jules' Dad - Adam.  My husband also loves blueberry muffins and when he wakes up tomorrow, shaking off the last bits of sleep, he'll have a nice surprise awaiting him. 

If you'd like to follow our baking process photo by delicious photo, follow the link... A Maaarvelous Process

Maaarvelous Boo-berry Muffins (Gluten Free) Makes 12 regular muffins

1 cup millet flour

2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour

1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch of salt

3/4 cup peeled carrots 2 eggs 1 tbsp sugar 1/8 c Feta cheese 2/3 cup walnut oil & light olive oil mixed

1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp orange zest 1 tsp fresh or frozen-fresh ginger 1 1/4 c fresh blueberries (you'll find the more the merrier)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with paper baking cups. 2. Place carrots, eggs, oil, cheese, and sugar, vanilla, orange, and ginger into the Vitamix container and secure lid. 3. Select Variable 1. 4. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 4 or 5. 5. Blend for 30 seconds until thick and creamy. 6. Pour carrot mixture into flour mixture and fold in blueberries to combine. 7. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. PS... A little helper bakes in a little more love, and I am certain that leads to a better flavor! G'night, sleep tight... -A

Recipe #2... Spiced Carrot & Raisin Muffins (Gluten Free)

Yummy, can't believe they are gluten-free, Spiced Carrot & Raisin Muffins...

Makes 12 regular muffins

1 cup millet flour

2/3 cup gluten-free oat flour

1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch of salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2/3 cup raisins 3/4 cup peeled carrots 2 eggs 1 tbsp sugar 2/3 cup walnut oil & light olive oil mixed

1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp orange extract 1 tsp fresh ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with paper baking cups. 2. Place carrots, eggs, oil, and sugar, vanilla, orange, and ginger into the Vitamix container and secure lid. 3. Select Variable 1. 4. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 4 or 5. 5. Blend for 30 seconds until thick and creamy. 6. Pour carrot mixture into flour mixture and fold tom combine. 7. Fill muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. PS They freeze like a dream.  Just let them cool completely, ok? -A