Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I woke up to sound of the wind brushing against the palms outside my window this morning.  The fog and mist were turning into rain.  I hugged the blankets over my head, happy that the first rainy day of fall beckoned me to stay home.  My roommate had said it was a good weekend to make muffins, so that's what I did.  I was hesitant to make up my own recipe as the last two times I baked muffins they turned into deflated messes.  So I looked on line and found this recipe by Erin McKenna, the owner of Babycakes, a fabulous gluten free bakery in NYC.  I changed the recipe slightly and made it fresh with some lemon zest.  Listening to "This American Life" on NPR, I measured the flours, zested the lemon, and scooped the blueberries.  To my pleasure, these muffins turned out fluffy, soft and delicious.  I should have known they would be good since I love everything at Erin McKenna's bakery!  These lemon blueberry muffins will warm you up and brighten up any rainy day.   

Ingredients

• 1 cup of garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
• 3/4 cup of rice flour
• 1/4 cup of tapioca flour (or potato starch)
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup of melted Earth Balance
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup of maple syrup
• 2/3 cup of rice milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of one lemon
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries (mostly thawed and well-drained)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degress F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
3. Slowly add in the wet ingredients (except the blueberries) and mix well until smooth.
4. Add the blueberries and stir gently- don't over mix or the whole batter will turn blue!  
5. Fill each muffin cup to about 2/3 full.  
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until slightly golden on top.

Meditations on Chocolate

Indulging in the decadent chocolate pie from last week's post challenged me to be more mindful of my cravings.  The pie was so damn delicious, and sweeter than most foods I eat, that I noticed myself becoming addicted to having a slice of pie every night after dinner...and sometimes after lunch...and ok, maybe a bite for breakfast.  I even turned the extra pie filling into these sweet little chocolate truffles (photo above) so I could keep indulging.  And though there is nothing "bad" about wanting to eat something so yummy that I had made, I was aware that I was compulsively going for the chocolate, time after time, without thinking about it, and without fully enjoying each bite I was eating (which is kind of the whole point!)  

Luckily, I've been reading Pema Chodron's book, The Places That Scare You, about learning to sit with discomfort, pain, anxiety, and fear.  In meditation, I've been taught that when you feel a strong sensation (maybe your foot getting tingly, your back aching, or a feeling of anger), rather than fighting it, or immediately trying to fix it, you should pay attention to the feeling and give it some space to be.  My meditation teachers do not encourage suffering in pain, but they do suggest that before I quickly move my foot to a more comfortable position, I first give it some mindful awareness.  Often when I have done this, after a few minutes, the feeling goes away.  If it doesn't, I will adjust myself so that I am not in pain.  

So I tried to apply this practice to my chocolate cravings.  Before grabbing another slice of chocolate pie, I sat and meditated on the feelings I was having.  I noticed a sort of clenching, anxious, sad sensation in the center of my body.  I sat with these feelings, trying not to judge them, stifle them, or change them.  Instead I tried embracing these feelings, and sending loving-kindness towards myself for having these difficult feelings.  And you know what?  As soon as I gave these feelings the attention they needed, they melted away.  I did not have a dire need to eat another slice of chocolate pie anymore.  Now, I certainly do not believe in a self-torture diet, or in denying yourself pleasure.  That is not the lesson here.  Instead, I am reminded of listening to my body and giving myself lot's of love and compassion.  Making the decision to stop eating wheat, sugar, and dairy was not about restricting myself and suffering, it was about learning how to take good care of my body.  Practicing mindfulness around eating (and living) has made me a healthier and happier person.  Next time you have a strong craving for chocolate (or whatever it is), try this home-made "recipe" for a chocolate meditation below!  

Ingredients:

• Yourself
• A place to sit

Directions:

1. Take a comfortable seat in a quiet place.  Try to sit up straight so you feel alert, but not stiff and uncomfortable.
2. Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath.  Just notice it coming in and out of your body.
3. Then bring your awareness to your cravings.  Notice where you feel it in your body.  Notice it's qualities (does it feel heavy? does it feel constricted?  does it have a color? does it have something to say?)
4. Once you've observed these feelings, try sending yourself compassion and loving-kindness. This might be as simple as placing your hand on that place on your body, or giving yourself a hug, or saying something comforting like "I see your pain, and I have compassion for you."  Or whatever feels good and relevant for you, do that.
5. Then see if anything shifts in these feelings.  Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.  But just pay attention.  Try to suspend your self-judgement and try fully accepting who you are in this very moment- chocolate cravings and all!

Chocolate Cream Pie

"Sex in a pie," my friend said as she tasted this decadent dessert.  It's true, I couldn't get enough of this heavenly pie.  The filling was rich in chocolate flavor, smooth and creamy, with a perfectly firm consistency.  The crust was nutty and buttery and held together well.  And the coconut whipped cream reminded me of the "real thing"- rich and not too sweet.  Seriously, this pie will make you happy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of gluten free oats
• 1 cup of nuts (I used almonds and macadamia nuts)
• 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tbs of brown rice syrup
• 2 tbs of Earth Balance or coconut oil
• 12 oz of silken tofu- firm or extra firm!
• 6 oz of unsweetened 100% chocolate
• 4 tablespoons of maple syrup or more if you like
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• Whipped Cream:  1 can of whole fat coconut milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, process the oats and grind up the nuts to a crumb consistency (or finer if you like.)
3. In a large bowl mix together the processed nuts and oats, the coconut, Earth Balance and brown rice syrup until the whole mixture is soft and moist.
4. Press mixture into a nine-inch pie pan to make a crust and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until it's golden and toasty.  
5. Meanwhile, using a double boiler melt the chocolate until it becomes a liquid.  
6. Drain and dry the tofu, and in a blender or the food processor (cleaned after grinding the nuts), blend the chocolate and tofu until it's fully mixed. You might need to scrape the sides a a few times with a rubber spatula to integrate all the tofu with the chocolate.
7. Add the maple syrup and vanilla to your liking.
8. Pour chocolate tofu into the baked pie crust, smooth down the top, and let sit in the fridge for an hour or more.
9. Enjoy a slice with this easy-to-make whipped cream:  Take a can of full/whole fat coconut milk that has been sitting in the fridge overnight, scoop out the thick white fatty part of the milk into a bowl (save the clear liquidy part for another cooking project) and whip it with an egg beater until fluffy.  Mix in just a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to your tasting.