Anyone who knows me well knows that I love, love, love anything on the Food Network. Seriously. Especially Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa, Drive-ins, Diners and Dives and of course, Paula Deen, the undisputed Queen of all things butter and calories and fat. Did you know that her show, Paula's Best Dishes, is THE most watched show when people are on treadmills and stair-masters in most gyms? I love that statistic........But now I must confess : I have a new obsession , and it's with these two adorable women.....
If you have a moment, check them out on the new Oprah Winfrey Network, called OWN. The show is called Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag, and it airs (around here, anyways) at the unGodly hour of 6 and 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Probably other times, too, but I haven't taken the time to find out when yet. Anyways, Anna and Kristina, who are VERY Canadian, test out recently published cookbooks in their own kitchen, and the results are often HILARIOUS! Because at the end of the show, the frazzled duo must endure a critique from a Michelin 3 Star - caliber chef, and lemme tell you sister - mama - friend, these visiting chefs do not hold back on what they really think. In the end, Anna and Kristina give the cookbook they're testing a "buy" or "pass", which I find very helpful. So if you'd like to find out more, you can find Anna and Kristina's website HERE.
*********
I have a very dear old college friend named Carrie who is quite famous in the blogisphere......isn't she cute?..................
Carrie lives in the gorgeous Portland, Oregon, and has a husband named Stan the Man, plus two adorable children. Some of her family cannot tolerate gluten, like so many these days. I never used to have any problem with ANY food (well, except for oysters....I won't go into what happens to me when I eat them), but lately I find that I do much, much better, digestion-wise, if I stick to proteins or oatmeal in the mornings. Which means bye bye to my beloved Kashi Cheerios-like cereal and even whole grain toast. Most days, I just scramble up a couple of these, maybe sprinkle on a little bit of shredded cheese, and I'm good to go for hours......
Back to Carrie....she has a blog, called LOVE, and it is the very first blog I check out, each and every day.....you can become addicted to it, also, by clicking HERE. A while ago, Carrie sent me her recipe for Gluten Free Peanut Butter Muffins, and I put it in my old newspaper column. Let me tell you, I heard RAVE reviews from many, even those who don't have to go GF. Hard to believe a muffin with no flour, whatsoever, could be so delicious!
The other day I whipped up a quick batch for our little three day trip out of state, for fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything except for maybe donuts or bagels where we were going, and I just can't go there, especially while on the road. This is truly a one-bowl recipe ; who doesn't love that? To start, measure out 1 cup peanut butter (Carrie recommends organic) into a greased measuring cup (another Paula Deen tip--helps the peanut butter and honey slide out so easily! I just use spray oil.)......................
Add some honey, a couple of eggs, baking soda and chocolate chips.....these particular chips are my most recent favorite---dark chocolate chips by Hershey's--so good for you, and nice big plump chips!...............
Mix everything together and pour into greased muffin tins. This recipe makes 9 regular sized muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees. Pour yourself some coffee and enjoy a gluten-free breakfast...thanks so much, Carrie!................(I ate 2--these are the remnants)
Here's the recipe......
MY FRIEND CARRIE'S GLUTEN - FREE PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS
Makes 9 muffins
1 cup organic peanut butter
1 / 2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 / 3 tsp (Carrie says just eyeball it--weird amount!) baking soda
1 / 2 cup chocolate chips
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour into greased muffin tins (I filled mine about half-way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees (please note--Carrie tells me that since oven temperatures may vary, check your muffins after 15 minutes).
*********************
TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......
**Old friends and new friends, near and far!
**The bookstore on the UC Berkeley campus, for keeping our daughter on to work for the rest of the semester (they only choose a few to stay on, after the back to school rush has ended). The customers and her bosses must have been dazzled by her work ethic and sweet smile!
**The job I've been "dabbling" at this summer (I obviously do NOT have my daughter's work ethic!), watering and pruning and tending to the flowers and herbs and vegetables at the club my husband manages. Sadly, with fall on its way here I fear my gardening days are coming to an end, but I have truly enjoyed my time there, digging in the dirt!
Hmmm I might just make these today, mama.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Red! I'd say enough has been made of me! : )
ReplyDeleteYou may want to warn readers that ovens vary, I only bake mine 15 minutes, now, otherwise they get a little hard and chewy, and I like them gooey!
Lots of love to you!