summer thoughts + very berry whole wheat muffins

It's not possible to be the best at everything. That's understandable. It is possible, however, to take what you're good at, take what drives you forward, and work hard at it to do the best that you are capable of. To me, it doesn't matter if it doesn't come easily or if I make mistakes. Actually, I enjoy mistakes. The lesson at hand ends up sticking with me more than if I had nailed it on the first try. What does matter to me, though, is that I'm doing something I love. Something that makes me want to be the best. Something that gives me that push to always want to keep going and excel. So, don't worry if you're not the Albert Einstein of your particular passion. The more important thing to realize is that you've found that passion, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your personal best.

Usually I'm not one to write things like that (it just floats around in my head,) but I thought it'd be nice to share it with anyone who is kind of feeling like I am. When you set a goal, you will accomplish it if you really want to. You won't give up, you wont circumvent it, and as said earlier, you will do what it takes to get there.

My triple berry whole wheat muffins are sort of an example of this, although on a much smaller scale. It took me one night and three tries to achieve the results that I wanted, but after that first (& semi-failed attempt,) I still persevered. Because of that, my third attempt yielded the best whole wheat berry muffins I have ever tasted!

I am applying this thought process to all aspects in my life that I am passionate about. I want to bring out the best in myself and what I do. Hopefully this summer will grant me the time to achieve such things!

Okay, now that I'm done with my motivational speech (which I hope kinda/sorta motivated you in some way), let's get to talking about these aforementioned muffins!

I went to the market this past weekend and bought some fantastic (with some being organic & local) items that I will be using in upcoming recipes (get excited!!) Fresh berries, hazelnuts, almonds, whole wheat pastry flour, millet, whole grain quinoa, and a few other things too. The berries were calling out to me, similar to "Buy me! Bake with me!" How could I not listen to them? The raspberries were plump and showcased their beautiful, deep red color. The blueberries looked like they were on steroids (in a very good way), and the blackberries just seemed like a good match to mix in. I couldn't pass up on the opportunity. I love muffins, especially blueberry muffins. And while a warm blueberry or chocolate chip muffin from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks can be quite delicious, there is no denying that they are full of calories, fat, and sugar. I wanted to create a muffin that I wouldn't feel too guilty about eating in the morning... and maybe again in the afternoon.... and again at night. Did I really just admit that? Don't be too quick to judge, though! Once you try these you will understand the constant cravings!

P.S.- I'm just kidding. Do you really think I'd eat THREE muffins in one day? Of course I wouldn't... I only ate two ;)

Very Berry Whole Wheat Muffins:

These triple berry whole wheat muffins are moist, soft, delicately sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With berries that are literally bursting when you bite into them, and ingredients that don't require you to work out twice as long- how could you go wrong?

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sifted whole wheat pastry flour (or 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1 cup all purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of organic Sucanat sugar*
• 1 cup of fat-free dairy milk (you can probably use almond or soy milk, though I haven't tried it)
• 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ~1/3 of a cup of raspberries
• ~1/3 of a cup of blackberries (sliced in half)
• ~1/3 of a cup of blueberries + another small handful (I looove blueberries!)
• A little bit of rolled old fashioned oats to sprinkle on top (optional)

The berries can be substituted out with just your favorite berry or more/less of the others.

*Note: Organic Sucanat is the least refined dry sweetener that I've found. It still retains some of it's natural molasses flavor and also retains nutrients as well, unlike refined white sugar. This is my first time using it, but I already LOVE it! The flavor is awesome, too. I bought it in bulk at the local market here (I think it's cheaper), but if you can't find it in any stores, you can purchase it online. I understand that some of you may be apprehensive to buy something that is relatively expensive and you haven't tried before. The good thing about Sucanat is that you can substitute 1:1 with other sugars. Therefore you can use brown sugar or regular, refined white sugar in replace of it.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tin with baking cups. Rinse berries, pat dry, slice blackberries in half, and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, sift ~2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour. (You will be using the sifted flour to measure out your exact 2 cups.)

Now that you have sifted your flour, measure out exactly 2 cups of the flour and place it in a medium/large mixing bowl. Remember that baking is an exact science, so you want to be sure to level off your measuring cups.

Sift your baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl containing your flour. Add the Sucanat (or other sweetener of your choice). Mix together well. These are your dry ingredients.

In another mixing bowl, add milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Whisk together until the wet ingredients are homogenous.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add your berries and fold them in with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scooper, scoop batter into lined muffin tins. Sprinkle oats on top if desired. Bake for ~15-20 minutes. Mine took 17 minutes.

For best results, it is important to let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This is for a couple of reasons. First, if you bite into them right away, you will most likely burn your mouth on the hot berries. Second, the muffins will be very, very soft and will fall apart. When I take mine out of the oven, I don't place them directly on the stove top because as I'm sure you know, the stove is warm as well. Place the muffin tin on a trivet or cooling rack, instead.

Do you SEE that oozing berry right there??! So freaking yummy!!

*****

I wouldn't even think about buying berry muffins anymore, because to me, these are perfect!! And to make today even more exciting, my Cuisinart ice cream/frozen yogurt/sorbet maker arrived! I am going to have way too much fun with it. If you know me well, you know that I am basically obsessed with frozen yogurt. Expect some delicious frozen treats coming your way soon :).

As I must get off the computer now to do other things (like sleep), I leave you with this:

What are you most excited about this summer? And more importantly, what are your favorite kinds of muffins?

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