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Recipe for Soothing Beetroot and Banana Smoothie

October 3, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 2 Comments

Soothing Beetroot and Banana Smoothie

Servings: 1-2
Time: approximately 20 minutes
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Ingredients:

3 small or 1 medium/large beet (about 1/2 cup to 1 cup)
1 large banana
1 cup yogurt (if you use unsweetened yogurt, you might want to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey)
1 cup of cranberry juice
ice cubes (optional)

Directions: Wash the beets. Trim roots and all but 1 inch of the stems. Place in boiling water, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the beets are fork-tender. You may need to simmer them a few minutes longer if they are large or especially tough. After beets are tender, rinse in cold water, rubbing off the skin as you rinse. Place cooked, peeled beets, banana, yogurt, and cranberry juice in a blender and puree until smooth. You can add a couple of ice cubes if you like your smoothies really cold. Serve in glasses and enjoy!

Autumn Sun and Apple Cinnamon Muffins

September 29, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 4 Comments

Absolutely gorgeous weather we are having these days! The birds are gathering in large flocks in the sky, getting ready to migrate, and pumpkins are ripe in the fields, waiting to be collected. The sun is still warm and the light is golden. It reminds me of this quote from Walt Whitman: “Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard.” It is the time of ripeness and fullness. My mom recently gave us a bag of Empire apples from an orchard near where she lives. It is such a good feeling to have lots of apples piling up in the kitchen, just waiting to be eaten or baked into a tasty concoction. I promised more apple recipes for apple season, and below I have posted a recipe for apple cinnamon muffins. I made a dozen yesterday morning and they are already gone. They are so moist and delicious, and they work great as part of a breakfast or for a snack. I know my kids love them, so it is a good way for me to be sure they eat something filling for breakfast before rushing out the door. I originally got the recipe from “The Family Circle Cookbook: New Tastes for New Times” many years ago, and have made only minor changes to it because it has worked so well for me. I hope you enjoy these muffins, and hope we all can savor the beautiful autumn while it is here.

Recipe for Apple Cinnamon Muffins

September 29, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 2 Comments

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins
Time: about 20 minutes, plus about 20 minutes baking time
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Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup apple, peeled, and cubed into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a standard sized 12-muffin tin or line it with paper muffin-pan cups.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and apple. Make a well in the center. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Add the wet mixture all at once to the well in the dry ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened and everything is combined. Do not overmix–it is okay if the batter is lumpy. Spoon the batter into muffin cups, dividing it evenly.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around the edges of the muffins. Remove them from the tin and serve warm. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Family Circle Cookbook: New Tastes for New Times, 1992 edition