Oh, Hi there....

Littlefoodies is back with a brand new edition......

It's been a long while but its time to get things rolling again. Happy 4th of July, Happy Birthday, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Halloween, Merry Christmas/Holidays, and everything else that I have missed in the last 7 months. Life is busy around here. We started home schooling the Littlefoodie, who turned 5 this past summer. The household picked up and moved. we have a beautiful new garden bursting with broccoli, pumpkins, cauliflower, bok choy. The littlefoodie lost another tooth 2 weeks ago and is working on 3 more- 6 total! I have been sewing and having fun with that. We started a new square foot garden and have been living the best way we can- clean, green and full of imagination.

Today is a rainy day here in the land of sunshine and plastic surgery and we've all been hit and recovering him the sickness that seems to be milling around. After littlefoodie made a mural out of cardboard- depicting the waters of ancient Egypt (there is that awesome imagination) we decided to pull out some frozen cranberries and bake us some muffins. For the last few months I have been receiving an organic fruit box from Farmer Steve in Ramona which is put on by our local CSA's moderator. Bi-monthly I get the juiciest and sweetest oranges around, apples, pears, pomegranates, fuyu persimmons, passion fruits, juju fruit, quince, avocados (they are amazing and creamy) and whatever happens to be in season in the farm. They have also begun offering organic eggs! We took the rind and juice of some tangerines and combined with the tartness of fresh cranberries threw them into our muffins along with a handful of chopped walnuts. I am almost smell them now (as much as my stuffy nose can breath).

Later today I plan on puree the persimmons, as I have a crazy amount and throw them in the freezer to make persimmon jam later next week. These persimmons are like none others I have had.

Cranberry, Tangerine and Walnut Muffins

1 1/2 cups fresh organic cranberries
2 tbl organic cane sugar
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 cup organic almond meal (can use regular flour, oat flour, barley flour, etc.)
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
4 tsp aluminum free baking powder
Zest of 2 tangerines or zest of 1 small orange and juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 organic egg
3/4 cup buttermilk (can sub regular milk, coconut milk, almond milk, etc.)
1/4 organic butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Line muffin tin with liners. Combine cranberries and 2 tbl sugar in a bowl.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, orange peel and salt. Stir. Combine egg, milk, butter and juice in a small bowl. Make well in flour mixture and add wet ingredients including cranberries and walnuts to dry. Folding until just incorporated. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 15 min at 400 F.

Enjoy!

candied ginger and dark chocolate cupcakes with coconut frosting

each sunday i make a big dinner, complete with dessert for littlefoodie, daddy and i. this sunday littlefoodies grammi and papa were off and was he excited to see them. littlefoodie and i made grilled burgers, root veggie gratin with blue cheese, grilled zucchini and these cupcakes which he frosted and sprinkled and made into a x-mas tree!
the candied ginger in these was such a nice spicy touch with the dark chocolate and tiny orange flavor., next time i would do a dark chocolate frosting but we used coconut to add some texture for our cupcake x-mas tree. try these and you will not be disappointed!
i lifted and adapted the recipe from epicurious.com, a great source of recipes.

enjoy!




5 tbls unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
zest of 1 tangerine
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup minced candied giner

preheat oven to 350F.

beat butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. beat in egg, zest, and vanilla.

sift flour, baking powder, salt, and spices..mix into butter mixture at low speed, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

fold in chocolate chunks and candied ginger.

bake 20-25 min. cool completley before frosting.



cream cheese coconut frosting

1 block cream cheese, room temp
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp orange extract or vanilla
zest of 1 tangerine or orange
1 cup coconut

beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. beat in extract and zest. gradually add powdered sugar until combined. stir in coconut.