Blueberry Lemon Muffins

This recipe is a nice twist on your standard blueberry muffin – the lemon gives it a brighter flavor and the addition of cornmeal adds a different (but nice) texture. Using your own hand picked blueberries makes it a little more special too!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the blueberries and lightly stir to incorporate. Combine the milk, butter, lemon juice and zest, and egg in a bowl. Lightly whisk together. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir together until just moist. (try not to over mix!)

Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper liners. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops of each with a pinch of sugar. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the tin immediately and cool on a wire rack. Serve while warm (ideally) and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from myrecipes.com

Blueberry Picking

One perk of living in a small country town is that there are neat places nearby to do food related activities like…blueberry picking!

About 5 minutes away from our home, there’s a farm where you can go pick your own blueberries, so hubby and I went for a fun outing. It’s a huge property with endless rows of plants – the employees were so nice and led us to the most fruitful spots.

After only 45 minutes, we’d picked 3 pounds and decided that was plenty for our first trip. Let me tell you, these berries are plump and SO fresh! A few berries may or may not have been eaten in the picking process…

There will be some mighty tasty blueberry recipes to follow – stay tuned!

PS: If you live in the North Texas area and want to join in the blueberry picking fun, let me know and I can point you in the right direction

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

I’ve officially fallen in love with strawberry spinach salads. They make a mighty tasty one at the place I work, which sparked my current obsession and forced me to try making my own at home. Packed full of flavor and easily customized, it’s such a simple, healthy, and delicious lunch choice or light dinner option. You can add grilled chicken, cheese, or whatever your heart desires. Try it for yourselves – but don’t blame me if you fall in love too.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
For dressing:
2-3 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and halved
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper

For salad:
Baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried if needed
Sliced strawberries, for topping
Sliced almonds, for topping (optional)

Directions:
To make the dressing, simply combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. (add a little more berries or sugar to taste if you think it needs more sweetness)

Arrange spinach on a plate and sprinkle with sliced almonds and some strawberry slices. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Source: Inspired by several things, including Annie’s Eats, dressing slightly adapted from Vegetarian Perspective