Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

If you like rhubarb, you are going to want to try these delicious muffins!

Don't tell my hubby, but I really do have a love affair going on with muffins...somehow, they can often feel/taste like 'dessert' to me without a lot of calories.

I love everything bite sized too...anything I can walk around and eat, since I'm normally on the go.

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine passed on to me.

I made a few changes to 'lighten' them, and they were oh so delicious. 

I gave half of them away or they would have been gone within 2 days.

The crunchy topping makes these extra special...similar to a coffee cake.

Trust me...they were perfect with my morning coffee! (Or my coffee was perfect with them?!)

I filled the muffin cups 3/4 full, then sprinkled the topping over them.

RHUBARB STREUSEL MUFFINS

(From The Better Baker)

 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar (I substituted Splenda)

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour (I replaced 1 c. with whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (used Lite)

3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed

TOPPING:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cold butter

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in rhubarb.

Fill paper-lined or greased muffin cups three-fourths full. For topping, combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350° for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: about 1-1/2 dozen.

Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

(Because I used Splenda, they baked a little faster - I baked mine for about 17 minutes - be sure to check so they don't overbake...all ovens are different).

Linked to Tea Party Tuesday
                   Wonka Wednesday
            Breakfast Ideas Monday

We have an Eggland Winner!

I'm thrilled to announce the winner of the Eggland's Best Egg Giveaway...

CONGRATULATIONS TO....(drum roll please)

Comment #5 -

Anonymous said...(Roxanna Warfield in disguise!) 



When you have eggs, you have a meal! Thanks to Egglands Eggs, you have a healthier meal. I never want to be without my Eggland eggs. Scrambled with shredded cheese is good for any meal. Deviled eggs are a must for all family gatherings along with potato/macaroni salads. An omelet full of veggies, meat and cheese make a yummy meal. A breakfast sandwich with fried egg, slice of ham and cheese on an English muffin is great. Homemade ice cream and baking are my favorites. Poached in the microwave is quick. Also, boil eggs, peel and eat with salt and pepper..can reheat in microwave and snack on them...yum. aka:LUCY

Please contact me within 24 hours.

I will be contacting Emily Prager at Eggland and she will be sending the gift pkg. out soon.

Thanks to all who entered!  Keep trying...there will be more giveaways ahead.

And we bloggers LOVE comments!  *-*

Good News!

I truly enjoyed time with daughter Deb and family last week.  Little Sam is doing great recovering from surgery. Drs. removed 20% of his large intestine and he's now eating like a champ and his system is definitely a 'go'...if you know what I mean.  =)  Sam smiles so much and I just had to share one of my favorites shots of him...Thanks again for your prayers on his behalf. God is good...all the time!

He has the biggest blue eyes that just melt your heart!

MORE GOOD NEWS....

My taco chicken recipe was #1 viewed at Jane Doiron's Melt in Your Mouth Monday #27 last week.  I feel very honored....especially since there were 96 other recipes linked there. 

AND....


at Mandy's Recipe Box's Totally Tasty Tuesday too.  I've followed both of these blogs for some time...two of the very first I began following...and am blessed to be featured there.

If you haven't tried this tasty dish yet...I suggest you check it out.  It's definitely a popular family favorite.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORT ME!!!

Caramelized Vegetable Trio - Great Side Dish!

I'm excited to share this one with you...

It's a favorite and I think it makes a great side dish for any meal.

I hope your family enjoys this even half as much as we do!

My Alaska friend, Wanda, who doesn't do much cooking, shared this recipe with me and we have enjoyed it so much. She manages to come up with some real winners...she just doesn't realize her talent! *-*

This recipe is a great way to serve fresh summer veggies in season. It's not too late to get fresh green beans and red taters.

MMMMMMMM!!!  MMMMMM!!

It's easy, delicious and impressive!  If you're having company and need a side dish, this is a great one.  First, you'll want to check to be sure they 'do'

onions...as many don't, but we love this!

Try it...you'll like it.

First you clean and chunk the potatoes and green beans, and while they're cooking, you caramelize the onions.  I browned them a few minutes longer after taking this picture. You want them nice and brown.

Then you mix balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together (I use Brown Sugar Splenda - half the amount called for) and add it to the onions, then pour that over the top of the drained veggies.  I can eat a whole plateful of this sooo- good dish!

(For Curious Minds...The 'other' thing on the plate is a burger

with sauteed fresh mushrooms topped with sour cream - YUM!)

CARAMELIZED VEGETABLE TRIO

2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks

1 lb. fresh green beans, cleaned and snapped in half

(may substitute 2 cans canned green beans, drained)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. margarine

2 lg. sweet onions, chopped

1/4 c. cider or balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

In Dutch oven, bring 1-1/2" of water to a boil.

Add potatoes and beans; cook until tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Drain - set aside. While vegetables are cooking, melt margarine

in 12" skillet; add onions and cook until tender and browned, about

10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar

and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour onion mixture over potato mixture;

stir to coat.  If desired, top with freshly ground pepper

before serving.

ENJOY EVERY SWEET 'N' SOUR BITE!

​

Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Fit & Fabulous Friday

Ingredient Spotlight

GBP Roundup - Farmer's Market Favs

Meal Plan Monday

Eggland's Best "Plate Date" and a Giveaway!

You may, or may not know, but I recently had the special honor of teaming up with Eggland's Best Eggs.  We 3 gals at Country Cooks Across America each signed a contract with EBE and they helped us throw a "Plate Date" at their expense.

It's a first for me, and I certainly hope it won't be a last.

Eggland's Best Eggs not only have awesome, healthier and tastier eggs, they are an EGGS-celent (couldn't help myself=) company to 'work' with.  I enjoyed every step of the way and want to sing their praises.

Doncha just love the little stamp on each egg!?  I'd sure love to see just how they do that.  I honestly think I could get much joy from doing that monotonous job.

I had 15 people in attendance for my Eggland "Plate Date" brunch and 5 of them were these sweet kids. (No - they're not all my grandchildren!) 

The theme was to use kid friendly dishes to get kids start the school day with a healthy breakfast.  I shared recipes with the moms and grandmas to help.

 Here are a few of the recipes I made...

The first one is 'easy peasy'. You mix everything in the blender - it does the work for you!

I gave the kids each a little condiment cup with their choice of syrup or peanut butter to dip the sticks in.

INVISIBLE BANANA FRENCH TOAST STICKS

2 eggs

1 banana, sliced

1 Tb. milk

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 slices bread (I used Texas Toast)

1 Tb. margarine

1 Tb. oil

Place eggs, banana slices, milk and cinnamon in blender. Blend until smooth.  Pour into bowl; heat margarine and oil in skillet. Dip bread into batter and fry. Serve with peanut butter or warm maple syrup.

(Actually, I baked them this time and it worked great to do a bigger batch at once!  I placed them on non-stick foil and baked at 375 for about 10 - 12 minutes - turned each over when brown on the under side...then baked about 6 or 7 minutes more until brown.)

May cool to room temperature, spread on lightly greased cookie sheet and freeze.  (This way they won't stick together and you can remove one at a time.) Remove and place in ziploc freezer bag. On busy mornings, just heat as many as you need in the microwave and you have a warm breakfast in no time.

Here's another delicious "grab 'n' go" quick and nutritious breakfast recipe that folks were pretty impressed with. Have you ever had a cookie with bacon it it?  It's really good with a peanut butter base.

I know it really isn't an 'egg' dish, but it does have an egg in it, and it makes for a great breakfast on the run.  It has peanut butter, oatmeal, cornflakes, applesauce and bacon.  YES!  BACON.  Try it...you just might like it.

Your kids might too!  (I'm pretty sure they will!) These kids did.

Some kids don't care for raisins, so I purposely made some without.  Can you tell by looking at them.  Personally, I prefer raisins. 

Either way, these are really good and good for you!

BREAKFAST COOKIES

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 Tb. applesauce

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. oatmeal

1/4 tsp. baking soda

10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 c. cornflakes, slightly crushed

1/2 c. raisins, optional

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugar until light.  Beat in egg and applesauce. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Blend thoroughly. Stir in bacon, cornflakes and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonsful 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Store in the refrigerator.

 

I also served one of my all-time favorites...Special Egg Salad.  It has cream cheese and garlic powder.  It's hard to 'beat' it.  =)  I made sandwiches and cut them into heart shapes.  I also served it in a bowl along with cracker sticks for those who didn't want the bread.

There were a couple others at the Plate Date who have the same problem I do...they couldn't quit eating it. 

Click here to see this recipe already posted at my blog. 

All of the opinons above are my own. EBE's provided me with coupons and a giftcard to help purchase the items necessary to make these recipes. I was also provided with a package similar to the one available in the giveaway.

FUN! FUN! FUN!

WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!!

ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER WILL BE WINNING

A PRIZE GIFT PACK FROM EGGLANDS BEST.

All these things are included in the gift pack...

~2 Free EB Dozen coupons (any variety)

~1 Free EB Hard Cooked and Peeled variety coupon

~4 EB ramekins

~1 EB apron

~1 EB whisk

~1 EB spatula

~1 EB egg timer

~1 EB ecobag

~ EB plush egg

You MUST be a follower of The Better Baker

And a Fan of Eggland's Best Eggs at Facebook

(click here to 'like' EBE if you haven't done so already)

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below telling me how you use

Egglands Best Eggs.

The contest will end at noon on Wednesday, August 31st.

~Open to U. S. Residents only~