Fresh picked, fresh baked, fresh frozen

I just came back from getting groceries. Everything is so expensive now I do everything I can to save and still eat good and healthy. I always had a garden but now I have great friends that are good to share their produce. Helen Blackburn arrived at my door with a bag of her lettuce, a small squash and the cutest bouquet of blue bachelor buttons. What a great surprise. The next week Gail Martin carried in a cooler full of beets and greens  beans, zucchini, lettuce, baby carrots and a pail of cherries. I enjoyed every mouth full. I cooked new potatoes, beans and baby carrots for Sunday dinner. My daughter asked for seconds she said they tasted so good. Then I realized she probably doesn’t get to taste fresh from the garden veggies very often.  

Remember the zucchini I was given? I grated it,  peel and all, and froze it in freezer bags in small amounts because I always add it to my muffins. What a good way to save money on groceries. 

I have a muffin morning every month. I make three or four kinds then I put two different kinds in each bag and freeze them for breakfast. I pull out one baggie and add fruit and a yogurt and it is a great breakfast. I think it is a great way for school lunches as well. My recipes are simple and only half a cup of sugar for 18 muffins. I add sometimes rhubarb, zucchini, banana or raspberries and I add walnuts and pecans for the protein. First of all it adds moisture and taste. I don’t make the muffins big but medium size, so if I feel like eating both that I take out of freezer I can. They cost 50 cents a muffin. I use the same baking bowl and beaters for all recipes so very little cleanup and of course I use paper liners in my muffin tins. Below are  my favourite basic recipes:

Bran Muffins   

¼ cup butter

1 egg  

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup bran 

1 cup milk

Add some walnuts or grated zucchini, pecans or all of them. 

They are simple  but freeze well. 

BananaWheat Germ Muffins 

 1 ½ cups of all purpose flour 

1 cup Rogers Wheat Germ

½ cup brown sugar 

½ walnuts or pecans 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 

½ cup milk 

1 cup ripe bananas

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

I love these muffins. Again you can add or omit and they are still easy.

Chocolate Chip with Raspberries

I put fresh raspberries on top before baking. 

1 ½ cups of all purpose flour 

½ white sugar

3 tsp of baking powder

1 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

1 cup of chocolate chips 

Bake all muffins in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Do a touch on top of muffin to make sure they are done if they bounce back they are good. 

I have now convinced a few to do the muffin thing. I know some recipes are complicated but these aren’t. Enjoy!