Green Options » muffin

Underground Abundance: Three Steps to Foraging a Local Fruit Tree

Lisa Kivirist — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:07:38 +0000

Pear pie. Pear ginger muffins. Pear cordials made from fruit, sugar and vodka. Pears canned in sugar syrup. Pear jam.

When my senior neighbor Mary calls me every year at the end of August with her annual message of “The tree is ripe – come pick,” I turn into the Bubba Gump of pears, gratefully using the four bushels of pears I harvest off her abundant backyard tree.

As the country whines about escalating food prices, there’s often rotten apples falling from some tree near you. Or pears, plums – name your fruit. You know the tree I’m talking about – the one you pass by every day in someone’s yard that is practically falling over with ripe fruit and you think to yourself, “Someone needs to do something with that.” How true – and that “someone” is you.

Talk about an organic homerun: By connecting with and harvesting a local fruit tree, you not only garner more organic, fresh, local fruit booty than you know what to do with – and put something to use that would otherwise have gone to waste. You build community by connecting with others. We’re talking community at its core, most sustainable essence, sharing abundance with others, relishing the gifts of the land.

Step up to the plate – or bushel – and tap into these unwanted fruit on trees in backyards across the nation that could be making the world a better place through more pie – or jam or cobblers or muffins – you get the picture. Here are three tips for foraging a fruit tree near you:

Vegan Recipes: Quick and Easy Organic Chocolate Chip Pecan Muffins

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:15:38 +0000

My kids love to make muffins, and one of their favorite vegan recipes is for chocolate chip muffins. We like to put a special dash of bran on the bottom and a dash of coconut on top for an extra treat. If you’ve never tried chocolate chips in a muffin, you will be pleasantly surprised! These muffins are quick and easy to make, but be warned: they will be eaten up quickly!

Organic, Vegan Blueberry Oat Muffins

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:00:52 +0000

My children dearly love muffins, especially making them. They like to pour the ingredients into the bowl and put the unbleached muffin cups into to our stoneware muffin pans.When it comes to putting the batter into the cups, I have to admit that I am a bit of a control freak and don’t let my children help, but then the aroma of baking muffins fills the kitchen, and soon we are rewarded for our cooking efforts.This recipe is super simple, vegan, and best when made with organic ingredients. It is adapted from the cookbook The Garden of Vegan.Organic, Vegan Blueberry Oat Muffins Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine:

1 cup soymilk
1 cup rolled oats