May 5, 2010

my Muffin Top brings all the boys to the club


This recipe is flying out of the tin:

Fluffy Easy Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3 Tbspn sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cups milk, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbspn maple syrup
1 cup blueberries (thawed from frozen ok)

makes 12 muffins.

Pre-heat oven to 400. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Combine milk with oil, egg and maple syrup. Make a well in of the dry ingredients; pour the combined liquid mixture all at once and mix lightly. Do not over mix! Quickly fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter in to muffin pans- lined our lightly greased. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool a few minutes, remove from pans.

Thank you Cathy Banks form the Ocean Beach Co-op


I recently read an article regarding Agave- my current sweetener of choice. It is said the Agave is not processed much differently than High Fructose Corn Syrup. (Using strong acids, caustics, and genetically engineered enzymes.) Yet, organic manufacturers claim this is not true. Agave has been proven not to spike blood sugar the way many other sweeteners do, and because it is about three times sweeter than table sugar, it does take less to get your desired taste. But in the end it is still a sweetener.
It may be natural but it is not a whole food. Our bodies are not designed to consume a processed, high-sugar diet, no matter what the kind of sugar, and where it is coming from.
The holy grail of benign sweeteners does not exist. Instead, we must tame our sugar cravings.

I am no saint. I eat "refined" wheat/sugar products- mostly, when they are homemade. Yes, I have a little muffin top (and not the kind pictured,) but I have no regrets. After reading this and admitting I am a sugar addict, I am less likely to slather on the agave (in the past splenda- ew) as I have been known to do.

Many natural foodists, nutritionists and the like agree that honey is our best option. (See post 'home is where my honey is'.)

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