CARROT RAISIN MUFFINS

Let's be honest: I'm not muffin fan. I feel like it's like eating cake for breakfast, and I'd rather just eat cake if I'm going to go that route.  But these muffins, these are a dream. Whole wheat, packed full of carrots and raisians. There are sweet, healthy, and a snap to make.

We start with heating up some carrots, raisins, and butter. We add spices: cinnamon and all spice. A little salt, a little water.

We add that, steaming, to our dry goods. Mix it up.

Butter up some muffin cups and fill them with the batter. They should make 12 generous muffins.

Healthy and delicious. A perfect way to start your day.

 

Carrot Raisin Muffins

recipe slightly adapted from Sunset Magazine

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup shredded carrots (about two medium sized carrots)
1 cup raisins
1 tsp each sea salt, cinnamon, and ground allspice
1 1/3 cup water
1 cup each whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour
1 tsp. each baking powdered and baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put sugar, butter, carrots, raisins, salt, spices, and water in a medium sauce pan. Heat over high heat, stirring occasionally, and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat. Whisk flours, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl. Pour in warm carrot/raisin mixture. Stir to combine, but do not over mix. Spoon mixture into a greased muffin tin (or use cupcake liners). Bake until browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and cool on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

PINS AND LINKS

Photo of the Week: Earth Day project

Link Loves:

I loved these photos of sisterly love at Girl's Gone Child.
Jane Austen, human behavior genius. Of course she is!
A reminder from Simple Mom: Less can be more.
And let's just all admit that we want to eat Shutterbean's guacamole with a spoon, mkay?

 

Pins of the Week:      

 

 

1. spinach, chicken, and pesto salad  2. udon noodle inspiration 3. grilled artichokes

 

4.water blocks 5. hand shadows 6. big girl's room inspiration

 

GROWN LOCAL: THE CROCKER ART MUSEUM

Our family tries to do local things on the weekends, either staying in our town, or in the surrounding areas. Grown Local posts showcase some of the best things to do in our area.

 

 

 At school, my son received a family pass to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Over spring break, we took a morning to go and explore. In my teens, I visited the Crocker several times, but it had been expanded greatly since I had moved away from home. They have an entire area for children now, along with a huge collection of California artists.

He wasn't sure about some of the pieces.

This was more his scene.

 

The antique china collections, one of my (nerdy) favorites.

 

In the children's area, called Tot Land, there is a electronic, touchable art board that has different media options that fascinated both the children.

 

 

 

There was also materials for arts and crafts, art books, and design toys.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids loved it and is was almost abandoned, so they had all the books and art supplies to themselves.

 

To top it off, you can have lunch at the Crocker Cafe by Supper Club, which has amazing food. They use several local ingredients, and have a wide variety of salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. We just used the counter service, but there is also sit down seating with an even more extensive menu.

 

BLT for days.

 

The Crocker Art Museum is a great place to take kids in the Sacramento area. The museum is stroller friendly, there are a ton of docents willing to answer questions, there is a good, decently priced cafe, and art that is interesting to both adults and kids. The museum also offers art workshops for kids of all ages and their families.

 

 

 

 

Planning a Visit?

 

Crocker Art Museum

216 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.808.7000 

 

Tickets:

Adults: $10

Youth (7-17): $5

Children (6 and under): free

 

Paid parking (meters)



OLIVE OIL, VANILLA, & PECAN GRANOLA

This granola is everything granola should be. It's delicious, a snap to make, and ISN'T filled with butter and tons of sugar, like almost all store bought granolas are.  The basic recipe came from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and when I read it (olive oil! maple syrup! an egg!) I was intrigued and when I made it I was in love.

You start with rolled oats, pecans, vanilla, shredded coconut, maple syrup, and olive oil.

 

Whisk up an egg white. Pour it over everything else.

 

Stir up all that goodness. The egg white adds protein and gives the granola a big cluster texture (Genius, that Smitten Kitchen!).

 

Pour it out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. bake it. Love it.

 

This flavor combination is fantastic. Vanilla and pecans with a taste of coconut that even coconut haters (hello, my family) will love. It's simple and so good. A word of warning: once you make homemade granola, you'll never like store-bought again.

Olive Oil, Vanilla, & Pecan Granola

adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened (or unsweetened, if you prefer) shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 large egg white

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except the egg white. Whisk the egg white until it's frothy. Stir the egg white into the granola mix, coating evenly. Spread it out evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes; halfway through, flip granola over with a spatula. Granola will be golden brown and dry to the touch when ready. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Enjoy!

SCENES FROM AN EASTER