So You Say You Love Pumpkin?

I've been looking for a new breakfast idea and muffins have been on my mind lately. And I've had a can of pumpkin in the cupboard for a while now and thought it'd be fun to try making pumpkin muffins loaded with cinnamon and nutmeg. The results were good, but not great and I'd make a few modifications next time - see below.

I got the recipe here but I've added my revisions in:

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 can canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking spray
• Brown sugar - for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine flour thru salt in a large bowl.

Combine pumpkin through eggs and add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Don't over-mix!

Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

I found the muffins a little dry, so I might have added sour cream to the batter to loosen it up a little. Also, some cranberries would have been a tasty addition.

Hearty Beef and Barley Stew

Time to make a recipe which has been sitting in the back of my mind for over a month. I saw it in my Martha Stewart Magazine in the "Healthy Living" section back in October but didn't get a chance to make it because I had neither beef nor barley. But after my last trip to Whole Foods I stocked up on some goodies and spent the week anxious for the weekend when I could make this beauty. My good friend Jeremy, came over for a night of "comfort" (plus a little awkward/hilarious/slightly sketchy trip to Blockbuster).

Beef and Barley Stew - modified from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

2 Tbs olive oil plus 2 Tbs butter

1 pound London Broil, 3/4 inch pieces

salt and pepper

1 large onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped

8 oz sliced button mushrooms

2 Tablespoons minced garlic (4-5 cloves)

2 Tbs tomato paste

1/2 cup sherry

4 cups chicken stock

3 cups water

1 cup pearl barley

pinch of nutmeg

1-2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Heat 1 Tbs plus 1 tsp oil in a large pot over medium-high heat

Season beef with salt and pepper and brown on all sides

Transfer to a plate

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining oil and the butter

Cook the onion, carrot, and mushrooms until golden - stir occasionally so they stick to the bottom of the pan (15 minutes)

Add garlic and tomato paste and cook until caramelized, about 2 minutes

Remove from heat and add sherry

Return to heat, bring to a boil and scrape up the brown goodies from the bottom o the pan

Continue to cook down until the liquid has reduced by about half - 5 minutes-ish

Add the beef and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Add more water if it gets too dry.

Add barley and cook covered for 10 minutes, then uncover the pit and cook until the barley and beef are tender. This takes about 20-30 minutes. Stir in the spinach.

Serve in a big bowl curled up in bed with a good book, a cute movie...or your bacteriology notes.

Jeremy brought pumpkin muffins, by the by...which he baked in handmade parchment cups (just take a square of parchment and tuck it into the baking cup).

I had some homemade cream cheese frosting in the fridge which we spread over top. Best combo EVER.