Feta Cheese Muffins

So much for Spring. It has been gray and gloomy here the past week. Normally this is the time that my body starts craving healthy light foods like salads and fruits but since the temperature is more like winter then summer, my body still wants the warm and hearty.

Both Alex and I were slightly hung over this morning after a late night of celebration with friends. They recently got engaged so drinks were aplenty. While definitely worth today's headache it didn't make the kitchen quite as appealing to me. I decided soup would be the easiest option, allowing me to throw together the ingredients then lay on the sofa and wait. I came across Tara's recipe for Chirizo Lentil Soup and it sounded delicious so I went with that.

I wanted to serve something alongside the soup and initially planned on picking up a loaf of bread. However, as I was walking to the market I remembered that we had a fridge full of Feta cheese and I decided to do something with that instead.

Why does someone have mass amounts of feta? Well, Alex works for a food distribution company and lovingly brings home bulk quantities of the food we love. Currently our apartment is stocked with four, 1.5 lb bags of frozen shrimp, two wheels of Kefalograviera cheese, a tub of buffalo mozzeralla, two 3 liter bottles of Cretan Olive Oil, and three pounds of feta. I'm a lucky girl and have nothing to complain about there!

The idea for feta muffins came from an article I read in the Globe a couple weeks back. While I originally thought about adapting it, I just didn't have the energy. Regardless, the muffins were good and don't need any alterations. I'd make them again but feta is so good plain that unless you too have three lbs of it laying around, you may not want to mess with it.

Feta Muffins
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
3 eggs
1/3 cup corn oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1.) Set the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with cooking spray / butter
2.) Combine the flour and the baking powder. Drain any liquid from the top of the yogurt.
3.) Mix the yogurt, eggs, and oil. Fold in the the flour mixture, then the feta. Don't over mix. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.
4.) Bake the muffins for 4-5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for fifteen to twenty minutes longer, or until the muffins are golder brown. Serve warm!

Candies? Cookies? Breads? Nuts?.....

I've changed my mind at least twenty times concerning what I should send out in my Valentine Day packages. Initially I was intrigued by a Martha Stewart column in the globe that offered advice on creating your own heart shaped candy boxes. While I've never actually made candy before it did seem an appropriate and thoughtful gift. Plus, I've been meaning to experiment with different cooking methods (although I was leaning more towards homemade pasta / bread, not candy). Therefore, for a couple of days, I was set on shipping out boxes of chocolates for my valentines.

In order to get the necessary homemade-box supplies as well as the cupcake like inserts for the candies, I needed a craft store. You would think that this would be an easy task living in a city like Boston. Not so. The closest large-chain craft stores are in Natick, about forty minutes away. I suppose I could have found the necessary supplies at other stores (Papyrus, Crate and Barrel, or Williams and Sonoma) but I was trying to spend as little as possible and also looking for a large selection. Anyway, I didn't get to the craft store over the weekend. Instead we went to Russo's, a hidden gem wholesale vegetable and produce store, located in Watertown. I could go on, and on, and on.... and on about how amazing this store is (this really says a lot seeing as I'm from Rochester and the birthplace of Wegmans) but I will save that for a different day. I know that once I start, they'll be no stopping me.

After Russo's, our fridge was stocked with all sorts of fresh produce and vegetables. (All for a mere thirty dollars, but more on that later.) I had purchased bananas at Wholefoods a few days earlier and knew they'd rot before Alex or I ate them. Bananas just aren't that appealing when you have juicy, fresh cut pineapple- plump, sour grapes- and steroid size strawberries staring back at you. Knowing I had bananas on hand that needed tending to, I decided to give banana bread another go. (I'd made an attempt at banana bread on our old un-working stove and wound up with a burnt black top and oozing raw egg center. This time around, my expectations were rather low and if I was unsuccessful it's likely I'd have been turned off forever.)

To make the bread a little more unique I decided to bake it in mini-loaf tins. I figured it was more likely to be eaten this way since we could just throw it in our backpacks on the way to class. I was right! We've already eaten half the batch and I don't feel compelled to take the remainders to work. I doubt they'll go unfinished. Also, the recipe I used is low fat and contains only 1/4 cup butter. The guilt factor is pretty low.

Although I added a couple of ingredients the recipe is from Cooking Light's new book.

Traditional Banana Bread:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup butter, softened

- 2 large eggs

- 3 cups of smashed ripe bananas

- 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used vanilla)

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips

- 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat over to 350

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla, beat until blended. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until moist.

4. Add Chocolate chips and chopped pecans stirring until mixed.

5. Spoon batter into pan (Large, 8X4-inch loaf pans or mini-loaf pans) coated with cooking spray. Bake for thirty minutes if using mini loaf pan and 60 if using 8x4 dish.

After my success with this recipe I thought it would make the perfect addition to my valentine box. Plus, I knew bread would ship a lot easier then chocolates and my family would be grateful for an easy breakfast. I thus changed my valentine gift box to include chocolate-orange cookies, as well as Hidden Kiss cookies and mini bread loafs.

However, just as I thought my shopping list was finalized, I woke up with a new idea. How about sending out spiced mixed nuts, caramel flavored popcorn, and mini bread loafs? It seems a more likely candidate for mail delivery and also appeases to my families taste buds. I know that my dad will love the spiced nuts and my mom will enjoy the popcorn. I think the bread is a nice addition for both my brother and my grandmother who will love a breakfast that offers more excitement then cereal. Finally, I've got it- this is the perfect Valentines gift!!

I'll let you know what actually makes it into those cute & crafty boxes come V-Day!