Mini Blueberry Muffins

As I have mentioned before, it is good to have some food for bento stashed in single use packages. In this case I had some blueberries that were headed to la la land, so I cleaned them up and put them to use in this bento fare.  I adjusted a recipe I found on about.com because the recipe didn't have any acid to make the baking powder work and no baking soda. It also had them cooking five minutes longer than necessary. They came out quite yummy.

I am so sorry that I can't seem to get decent pictures in my kitchen. Blame the people who put in the recessed lighting! Sure, that is the reason.

Okay, this isn't such a suck shot. I wish I knew what I did to the camera to get that shot. Anyway, I will be placing most of these on a baking sheet and freezing them individually then popping them into a freezer bag.

Here is the recipe:

Yield: Makes 36 mini muffins

Prep Time: 08 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Ingredients:
•2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour

•4 tsp baking powder

•1/2 tsp salt

•1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp powdered buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

•1/4 cup soft butter or margarine

•1 medium egg, lightly beaten

•1 cup milk

•1 cup fresh blueberries

Preparation:

1.Grease 24 cup mini muffin tin. Preheat oven 400 degrees F. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, powdered buttermilk, baking soda and sugar. Mix in soft butter (mixing with clean hands works well). In separate, smaller bowl, lightly beat egg. Pour milk into egg bowl and stir. Stir wet mix into dry mix until flour mixture is just wet. Fold in blueberries.

2.Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and feel spongy. Remove muffins from tin with spoon and let cool. Serve warm or cold with butter.

Almost Time for School!!

I have some new bento equipment and have my list of things to stock up on for easy to put together bentos for school. On Monday and Wednesday I will be making at least two, maybe three because I will be at school from late morning to early evening and will need to have something to eat. I say three because I will also make my eldest daughter some if I can do it. She doesn't start school until early afternoon, so technically she would be fine without one.

Starting out fresh is very exciting. I am a little worried that I have only potstickers and pancakes in the freezer, but I hope to be adding mini quiches, meatballs and hamburgers, fried tofu and other fun foods that can be frozen. I am also going to make a carrot furikake with a recipe from Just Bento since Paige doesn't like any with the bonito flakes on her rice. She doesn't even like the nori, but will let me decorate with it when the soy paper is just not dark enough.

Paige has opened up her mind to many new ideas and is willing to try new things, she even said that she would try fish, and she loved the squid in my last post. Soon I may have to change the name of this Blog! Of course I am getting ahead of myself. Still, she has promised to be more adventurous since I will also be making one for myself and maybe Catherine. She doesn't want us stuck in a rut with the same old lunches all the time. Have I mentioned that she is a great kid?