Friday Food ~ Nana's Blueberry Muffins

Nana's Blueberry Muffins

1 egg (I use Egg Replacer, which can be found in the natural food section of most grocery stores)
1/2 cup milk (I use soy milk)
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup flour (I usually add about 1/2 cup wheat germ in place of part of the flour, that makes these muffins a little extra hearty, healthy)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Apply non-stick cooking spray to one standard sized muffin tin.

Mix all dry ingredients first, then add the liquids, and last the fold in the blueberries gently. Pour the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Tues. News ~ Then . . . and . . . Now

I was recently back home in Kentucky where I grew up. We stopped by the little elementary school where I went to school for nine years! It was so fun to see this place where I made so many memories! So, so much has changed there, but there are also many objects and scenes that are the same and oh, so familiar!

I took a photo with my son, Isaac, because I remembered taking a photo in that same spot with my favorite doll! The "Then" photo was taken when I was 4 years old. I was not even a student at the school yet, but we were probably there for an event or to pick my big brother up from school. At that time I couldn't really imagine being a Mommy, although I loved to play with my dolls! Now, I am a Mommy to a "real doll"! God willing, there will be so, so many more memories to make with my "real family"!

Monday: Mommy Menu ~ Veggie Egg Rolls

Today's Mommy Menu has a bonus recipe! You have got to try my Veggie Egg Rolls! They are easy to make and taste really great with sweet & sour sauce!

Veggie Egg Rolls
1 head of cabbage
4 carrots
1 onion
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (vegetarian chicken broth is available at health food stores or the natural foods section of most grocery stores)
1 small can water chest nuts
1 can bean sprouts
1 package egg roll wrappers
canola oil


Start by shredding the cabbage, carrots, and onions in a food processor. You might have to do it in two batches. Coat a large fry pan with canola oil, add all the shredded veggies and the 1/2 cup of broth. Cover and let cook for at least 5 minutes. Stir, then let cook until all the veggies are soft and fragrant, about another 5 minutes. Next, add the water chestnuts.

Add the bean sprouts. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Turn the heat off on the filling, and take off the burner. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Add about 1- 1/2 inches of oil to a fry pan. (You could also use a deep fryer) Turn the heat on medium. Place an egg roll wrapper on a plate or cutting board.

Put the filling in the middle. Have a small bowl of water nearby to use for sealing the edges.

Fold the bottom up completely over the filling.

Fold the edges up, making sure that the corners are not bulging out, but are sealed nicely.

Use small dabs of water along the edges, and roll up completely. Check the oil by dripping a drop of water in. If it pops and hisses, it's ready.

Place seam side down into the oil. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes. As you cook these, the time needed to fry them will be less and less, because the oil will get hotter and hotter.

Watch them to see how golden they are getting. The filling is already cooked, so you are mostly just browning the exterior.

Serve with some yummy Stir Fry!

Monday: Mommy Menu ~ Stir Fry

Today's Mommy Menu is for my friend, Jennifer! This is a yummy way to use tofu, and of course includes lots of veggies, too! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Stir Fry

1 onion chopped
olive oil
1 bag frozen California Vegetables (you can use fresh, too --carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
3 carrots, sliced (optional . . . the frozen veggie mix never has enough carrots for my taste)
1 package rice noodles (angle hair pasta works, too)
1 package firm or extra firm tofu
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. seasoned salt
10 dashes soy sauce

Pour about 1-2 TB of olive oil into a large, hot fry pan. Add the chopped onion.

Chop the tofu into 1 inch by 1/4 inch cubes. Once the onions have begun to soften, add the tofu and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Shake the garlic and onion powder and seasoned salt onto the tofu.Next, steam the frozen veggies for 2 minutes to defrost. If you plan to use the extra 3 carrots, chop them and steam them until tender (4-5 minutes). Place your rice noodles into hot water, let sit for 10 minutes. Drain. Add the noodles to the fry pan. Drizzle with olive oil and pour 5 shakes of soy sauce onto the noodles. Mix in, and use the edge of a spatula to cut through the noodles, making them smaller segments, and helping to combine them with the tofu and onions. Add all of the steamed veggies. Pour 5 more dashes of soy sauce over the veggies, and combine everything together. Allow the stir fry to cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Check the flavor at this point, and add a little more soy sauce, seasoned salt, or regular salt. If it seems a little dry, you could also drizzle in a dash or two of olive oil.