Diana's Recipe: Veggie and Cranberry-Infused Muffins

Do you know what one of the greatest things about summer is?  Not only is it a relaxing time to bask in the sun and take time off to rest,as well as enjoying the many grueling hours of taking summer college courses (oops, that's me LOL)  it is really about the garden.  Summertime is when the garden is at its peak, where it will be the most productive of the seasons.  Nothing is more satisfying than to watch your garden grow during these sunny days, so appreciate them!  One of the vegetables I absolutely love to grow in my garden is zucchini.  I have been growing it for years and I always manage to have an overload of them, so I try to find creative ways to incorporate them in cooking.  

I have experimented many times, but I FINALLY created my very own recipe for zucchini muffins.  Got those extra Craisins or nuts in those metal tins from Costco lying around?  Incorporate them in!  You will be amazed how it adds a punch of tart/crunch in your baked goods.  Not only are they delicious, they're nutritious!  It's a great way to sneak in vegetables for those picky kids.  I am happy to share with you my very own original recipe for one of the best veggie muffins you'll ever taste, you won't be disappointed! :)

Diana's Original Veggie and Cranberry-Infused Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla flavor
3/4 cup grated carrot (2 medium carrots)
3/4 cup grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
1 cup dried or frozen cranberries
3/4 salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*Optional:  coconut shavings or tree nuts to your liking!

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F.

1)  Place the eggs, sugar, olive oil, and vanilla into a medium-sized bowl and whisk until evenly blended.

After the whisking.

                                 
2)  Secondly, add in the grated zucchini, carrot, and cranberries and whisk again.

Don't those veggies look yummy?

3)  Thirdly, add in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon powder and whisk again.

4)  Lastly, slowly add in whole wheat flour and mix until blended (try not to over mix it, as you want the lumpy texture).

5)  Distribute the batter in equal proportions into the muffin cups.  I used some paper cupcake liners because I don't like using the spray-on oil, as they have a lot of harsh chemicals inside them, and you definitely want to try your best to eat as healthy as possible!  Place in oven.

6)  Bake muffins at 375 degrees F until the muffin tops start to golden brown.  This will take approximately 20-25 minutes, depending on the heating power of your stove.  Transfer the pan onto a cooling rack after they are ready.  Now serve these babies up with some delicious home-brewed coffee and you're good to go!

The American Seed Company Review

We all know seeds are the inexpensive way to grow your favorite vegetables, even some that are unavailable to you at the grocers.  But has anyone ever tried to grow seeds from the "American Seed"  Company?  They come in either 10-20¢ packages.  The company is owned by Plantation Products, which whom reside in Norton, MA.  As I enjoy a thrifty bargain, why not I review these seeds? ^^  

This was my first time purchasing these seeds last year around February at a Walmart in the OC.  They usually will sell these at either Walmart or the Dollar Tree.  I don't normally buy these sort of seeds though, I get mine from special seed catalogs...  I'm not scared to try anything once, and I was initially tempted by their low prices...had to do a double take!  I also like buying American-made products, so this product definitely sold itself!  And as the retail price shows, I bought each for 20¢ each.  Despite the cheap prices, I only ended up purchasing a White Lisbon Onion and Rutgers Tomato though.  (I already ripped the top off already on these). 

 After I came home, I immediately planted them in plastic trays on a nice warm February day.  I planted both in a mixture of forest moss, steer manure, sandy soil, compost and organic plant food, blended with a small trowel.  I read the instructions on the back of the packet, and I left them out on my patio, watering when necessary.  Here are the results of the seeds growing after 3-4 weeks.  Overall, they grew very well!  There were some 'runts' of the litter, but it's not a surprise as every seed packet has a few.  I have already removed some tomato plants for transplanting.  (The middle plant is Cilantro, I didn't grow those from those seeds.)

This picture was taken last year 2013.

White Lisbon Onions are good for seasoning Korean food.  Onions in general are a stable in almost every Korean banchan (sidedish).  I would just consider them another variety of green onion, although I may be incorrect.  

Rutgers Tomatoes are very meaty and make great sun-dried or canning contestants.  According to what I read online, they are one of the types of tomatoes used in Campbell's Tomato soup.

Well to wrap up this post, here is my overall opinion of the American Seed Company seed packets........

Pros:
-VERY VERY cheap!!!  
-Seeds WILL grow with proper care (They will not shrivel up on you!) 
-Great experimenting seeds for beginners and first-time growers.


Cons: 
-Succession rate of germination is not the best (I'd rate it a B- to B+ range).
-Lack of diverse varieties.
-About 200 mg of seeds, so not as much as the standard seed packet.

If you are the type to invest huge amounts of money to get the 'optimum' veggies, then this brand is not for you.  Super hardcore 'OMG I gotta be the best' growers should buy a more expensive brand for better germination rates.  But seriously what do you expect from cheap seeds?  It matters how diligent and caring the gardener is in caring for these plants.  I'd recommend this brand to the cheap hobbyist gardeners who only wants nothing more than to try and feed their family with yummy food recipes.  Do not look down at this brand, because they will most certainly not disappoint :).