Apple and Cinnamon Muffins

These muffins are the easiest to whip up when unexpected visitors drop in.
Makes 10-12
220grms self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon
120grms vegan margarine
1/2cup maple syrup or other sweetner [apple or pear syrup is good]
1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
1cup unsweetened apple sauce or stewed apples [ I usually have some frozen, but you also can use tinned or jar variety]

1] Pre-heat the oven to 180c and prepare a muffin tin [ I use muffin papers]
2] Place all dry ingredients into a bowl, mix well.
3] In a larger bowl, cream margarine and add all the wet ingredients, mix well.
4] Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring gently by hand.
5] Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when tested.
6] Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. ENJOY

Chocolate Berry Muffins

I have been so busy, not much time to blog. Lots of work going on at our place, the only problem is that the workers don't take as much care as when one does things oneself, my beautiful two year old grape vines are gone, but thank God, my wisteria remains, lets hope there are no more mishaps. I have promised friends that I would put more recipes on the blog so here is one of my favourites.
CHOCOLATE BERRY MUFFINS
Makes 12 - 14
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tbsp. soy flour
1/2 cup cocoa
tsp. baking powder
1 cup raw sugar ( I use 1 cup maple syrup or other sweetener)
160mls. vege oil ( I used olive or other nice oil)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
160mls. rice or soy milk( can use almond milk or other)
160mls. apple juice
1 cup mixed frozen berries ( I have actually used between 1-2 cups we like more berries)

1) Pre-heat oven to 180 c and prepare muffin tin.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, Sifting the flours and cocoa.
3) In another bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together.
4)Slowly stir the combined wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in the frozen berries. (the berries are best kept frozen as they keep their shape better when mixing)
5) Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.
6) Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

I usually use muffin papers in my muffin tins, so much easier and less mess. ENJOY

old home

I went back to my old home town of Wodonga at the weekend, and revisited lots of my old haunts. The most interesting, was the Bonegilla Migrant Heritage Park. Both my parents came through there before their new lives began in Australia. It was a very difficult time for a lot of people and then not so difficult for others, my Mother was very young and romantic, she met my Father on the ship coming to Australia , for her there was a lot of fun and not too much to worry about. When I took her there for the 50th annivesary cellabrations, her memories where happy ones. There is a wall where plaques can be placed in memory of the people who came through there, and I will have one placed there for my Mother.

garden

I don't have much of a garden , I am waiting for my dam to be built, that should be done in the next week or two, but I do have a couple of plants and my favourite is my wisteria given to me by my children. It has flowered for the first time and I think it's beautiful.

house

I have worked hard all afternoon to try and put a photo of our house on my blog , let hope I have succeeded, it's very difficult when one doesn't understand what one is doing. To talk about our Owner Building Adventure I need to post some pictures, so here is the first one.

fear

We all have our own fears and fear them in different degrees. My fears are always about my family and as long as they are all ok then so am I. Naturally this World Credit Crisis is a fear but only as far as money matters so one learns a little more and as far as I'm concerned money doesn't make us happy, it helps pay the bills but in the cold light of day that's all. We can do without lots of things but we can never do without the love of our Families and that money can never buy. So lets not worry too much OK, [even though our supper has gone down and we might need whats left soon]. I had a beautiful day with my whole family yesterday, in Melbourne, the weather was great, they were great, the food was great what more can I ask for.

workcover

As I've said before my husband is home at the moment on stress leave, from his work, which is where the stress comes from. Today we had a workcover investigator come to our home to take Hans statement, which led to a lot of stress over the weekend, naturally, well it just goes to show, we shouldn't have worried so much as he was a very nice man. So now it's been all recorded, and for once the small worker is taking a stand for his rights, it still mightn't work out in our favour but at least we tried, so now it's a waiting game till we find out the results at the end of october, which in it's self is also stressful. Once we have closure that will be the time when hopefully the stress will be all gone. Our son came to see us over the weekend and took us out to dinner and generally we had a lovely time catching up with him, as he's been out of the country, our daughters have also been very supportive. I think my family are just great. I made that Tofu Cheesecake for the weekend and it is very good, our son is not vegan or vegetarian, but he thought it was great, so do give it a go.