Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Autumn is here, which means it's pumpkin and apple season.  Mmm, these muffins combine both fall flavors into one yummy treat.  And, they're healthy--they have whole wheat flour, fruit (apple), even a veggie (pumpkin).  Who knew all the food groups could fit into a little muffin?

I like to make a big batch and freeze them in ziploc bags.  Then I just pop two or three in the microwave when we eat breakfast.

What you need: for 24 muffins

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4" pieces

Let's get cooking:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease bottoms of 24 muffin cups.
2. Combine flours, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  
3. Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, oil, applesauce, and honey in a 2nd mixing bowl.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.  Fold in chopped apple.
4. Spoon batting into muffin tins (about 2/3 full).  Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.
5. Cool muffins in pan 5 minutes, then remove from pan.  Cool completely in a wire rack.
6. Freeze in ziploc bags for up to 2 months.

Enjoy!
-Lily

Homemade Greek Yogurt

I love greek yogurt--so creamy, delicious...and expensive.  Too expensive for me to buy regularly.  But, I recently discovered that you can make greek yogurt at home.  Apparently, greek yogurt is simply regular yogurt that has had the whey (liquid) strained out.  Who knew?

What you need:

• cheesecloth (or very thin tea towel)
• colander
• large bowl
• homemade yogurt

Place the cloth in the colander and set over the bowl.  I didn't like buying cheesecloth all the time, so I bought a set of very thin white kitchen towels.  I just run it through the washer when I'm done and it works great.  If you're using cheesecloth, I'd double it up.

 Pour in the yogurt.  Wait about 2-4 hours, depending on how thick you want your yogurt.

 Discard the liquid whey in the bowl. (I've read that you can use whey rather than water when making bread.  I need to try that in my homemade honey wheat bread!)  

Scoop out the yogurt from the cloth, and enjoy your homemade greek yogurt!
-Lily