Harvest and Muffin time

It is officially fall. I walked out of school the other day and saw fallen leaves strewn about the parking lot and a cool air that only arrives with fall. Not to mention, all the doorstops have their token decorative pumpkins and mums. So, time to do a bit of fall cooking. It's harvest time, so there are lots of delicious vegetables and fruits to work with. Last week, we went apple picking. One of my favorite fall activities. I had hoped to make applesauce this week, but my apple corer/peeler/slice is sub par at best and so usually I'm left with only half of the apple. However, I'm all ready to go with my mason jars. Now I just need to get a canner.  I think one of these is essential to those of us following the SC Diet. Since we can't just go to the grocery store to pick up jams or sauces, being able to preserve our homemade items is essential. It's also a great idea to make items in bulk, like applesauce. Saves a lot of time in the long run.

Along with harvest foods, for me fall always works up an appetite for warmer foods. So this morning - inspired by an overripe banana sitting on my counter-  I made some banana muffins, following a recipe called "Yonana's Muffins." I can't remember exactly where I borrowed this recipe from (I am in no way a creative cook, I just like to follow the recipes and adapt), but I remember liking them the last time I made them. I believe it is an adaptation of the recipe in "Breaking the Viscous Cycle" book. Here's a picture of them looking halfway decent (I could use some tips on how to photograph food dishes).

But, here's the story: The recipe calls for an optional teaspoon of vanilla extract. I had just picked some up at the store, so I had to remove the safety lid. As I was doing so, I accidentally spilled some on my finger, which I licked off without thinking. Ugh! It had a very strong and unappealing taste.  But, I convinced myself that it was because it was a new brand and that the alcohol would cook off in the oven. After baking the muffins (see recipe below), I had to test one of course. Unfortunately, the extract taste was still quite strong. It was then that I realized I had bought almond extract, instead of vanilla. Oops! I have to admit, despite the strong almond flavor, I still ate two muffins toasted with butter.

Okay, so here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Dry ingredients:

* 3 cups almond flour

* 1/2 tsp. baking soda

* 1/8 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:

* 3 large eggs

* 1 very ripe banana, mashed well

* 1/2 cup SCD rich yogurt (made from half and half)

* 1/2 cup honey

* optional: 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (vanilla and alcohol only!)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.

3. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients.

4. Combine wet and dry mixes.

5. Fill paper muffin cups 2/3 full of batter.

6. Bake on center rack of oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

7. Remove muffins from pan quickly or they will burn on the outside from the residual heat of the muffin pan.

Cool and store in refrigerator.

If you’d rather make a loaf than muffins, follow these steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Perform steps 1-4 from above as in making muffins.

3. Prepare a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan by greasing or lining with parchment paper or your favorite method.

4. Pour batter into pan, place on center rack of oven and bake for about 70 minutes.

Important: Ovens vary in accuracy so for your first time baking a loaf, check it starting at 60 minutes and then every 5 or 10 minutes until it’s done. If you do this the first time, you’ll have the proper time for your oven.