Better than the Bakery's Blueberry Muffins

If you like muffins, you absolutely must make these. Incredible is my word of choice.

They are meant to be made in an oversized muffin tin so as to give you really big muffins, like the kind you get at a bakery (or Costco). :) I made mine in my normal muffin tin, filled to the brim, and they are huge and delicious. I doubled/modified slightly the original recipe, and I will just put the measurements I used here for your enjoyment.

Muffins:

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 t. salt

4 t. baking powder

1/3 c. canola oil

1/3 c. applesauce (or just double the oil if you don't have applesauce)

2 eggs

2/3 c. milk or buttermilk

2 c. blueberries

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Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. flour

1/4 c. butter, cubed

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin cups liberally.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add liquid ingredients and mix until just combined. *Be very careful not to over mix.* Fold in berries. Your batter will be verrrry thick. This is normal and probably what makes these muffins so dang good.

Fill your muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle on the crumb topping.

Bake 18-23 minutes-- depending on your oven. Trust your judgment if you know your oven seems to bake faster, etc.

Enjoy.

Onion Soup of Dubious Nationality

It's not technically French because if it were, it would be much more fussy.

1 Large yellow onion
2 TBS of butter
1 TBS olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 C sherry
3 quarts of beef broth
kosher salt to taste

Crusty bread
Snooty cheese of your choosing (Munster is actually amazing on this)

Slice the onion into strips. Sautee over medium heat with butter and olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and thyme and sautee for a minute before adding the broth and sherry. Simmer for 15 minutes until onions are tender. Season with salt and more garlic if necessary.

Unless you have 12 oz. oven proof straight-sided bowls hanging around don't attempt to serve this the French way (with cheese dripping down the side of your bowl, fresh out of the broiler). Cool. It's much easier to serve like so: Cover your bread slices with shredded cheese, throw 'em on a cookie sheet, and broil for 5 minutes until crusty and browned. Plop atop your soup and enjoy.

Smoky Tomato Soup with Maple Candied Bacon

Sometimes, normal tomato basil soup can get a little boring.

And kids, this tomato soup recipe is anything but boring.

The recipe is from Naomi Pomeroy, award-winning chef and proprietor of Beast in Portland, Oregon. She prepared the hands-down best piece of lamb I've ever eaten, with a polenta pudding on the side, in a savory plum and balsamic vinegar sauce. I feel like Homer Simpson when I describe this dish. Cue uncouth drooling here.

The soup has bright citrus notes from freshly-squeezed orange juice, smokiness from the smoked paprika, and a spicy kick from the pimente d'Espelette (available at some speciality grocers . . . if not available, I would substitute cayenne, but less if you are squeamish about spice). I have made the soup both with and without the maple candied bacon if I'm trying to avoid killing myself with saturated fat. We had a bit of trouble with the bacon last time as our oven just doesn't seem to get hot enough for it to cook in any reasonable timeframe.

Just make it and enjoy.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

This is kinda amazing. Tangy and sweet and addictive. If you have ever sat and wondered "Could I eat an entire 24 oz. container of plain yogurt in 2 days?" the answer is an emphatic "YES!"

1 24 oz. container of plain Greek Yogurt (non-fat works fine, but whole is creamier)
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste (or 1 scraped vanilla bean)

Mix all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Make sure batter is chilled before freezing in an ice cream maker.

Serve with blackberries and mango chunks.