Lego Mania & Almond Quinoa Muffins

Big Boy is becoming quite the builder of Legos.  All three of mine love them.

We like them too, its a quiet creative toy. Not cheap though. So when they started asking for some of the more expensive sets we had to get creative.

Queue the chore chart.

I don't like to call them chores though. The term 'chore' to me means a thankless job.

I like to say that by doing jobs around the house they are 'contributing to the family'.  Which implies more of a team effort and belongingness.

So my oldest boy wanted the Museum Break-in: A $70 lego toy. My daughter likes the Lego Friends - her wish list item was a little cheaper - only $30 I think.   I wasn't just going to run out and buy it. They had to earn them.

My son had a lot of work to do to earn that toy. I was worried he'd run out of gas and lose interest, so I had to devise a program where he could earn the toy he wanted so badly, but still contribute to the family.  AND - it had to be something that I could keep up with.

So, we had to fake it a little, but it worked. They each got a point for every job they did to contribute the family. Each point was worth $1 (generous I know, but I wanted them to be successful their first time so they wouldn't get discouraged and quit).  I wrote their point goal on their chart. Then they were off. I had to do a fair amount of reminding them of the reward at the end "points accumulation", but overall they did a fairly good job of helping out around the house.

Then it came time to pay up. They love going to the lego store, but its too far away. It pretty much kills the whole day to go to there.  So I have been trying to find a good day to go when, on the Target mobile I found their Legos on sale!!!!  CHA-CHING!

Like 25% off!  That's unheard of!  So ordered them and told the kids.  They have been waiting so patiently. Checking the front porch for any deliveries.  Then, as luck would have it, UPS delivered them a day earlier than expected!

They were so excited.

I'm letting them keep their extra points to apply toward another purchase sometime in the foreseeable future.

                                                          _________________

Almond Quinoa Muffins
from www.wellvegan.com

Oh, these were quite yummy.  Easy to make. They kept well in the fridge, but they didn't last too long.   I like that they contain quinoa.  My eldest has always been a picky eater and trying to get protein in that child is a challenge.  But she likes these so we will be having more of them.

Breakfast Muffins

I am modifying a non-vegan recipe I found.

Now, I'll be honest, I haven't tried it yet. I hate trying to develop recipes. Why? I'm a cheapskate. I hate wasting money and ingredients on mistakes.  And I'm too afraid to make mistakes.

The adapted version needs to meet 2 requirements: 1) It needs to be vegan and 2) must contain quinoa.

Here is goes. Please let me know what you think:

2 ripe bananas
1/4 C Canola oil
1/4 C rice milk (or fave non-dairy milk)
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C sugar or splenda

1 C cooked quinoa, cooled
1.5 C whole wheat flour

1.5 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour

Mash the bananas with a fork, then add oil, milk and vanilla. Stir in sugar.  In separate bowl combine quinoa, flour, baking powder and soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Very gently stir in walnuts.

Fill a muffin tin 3/4 way full and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Would you believe these are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and (refined) sugar-free? My mother found this cookbook called "babycakes" by Erin McKenna and thought I might like it. She knows I'm always up to a challenge and like trying new things. Babycakes NYC is a bakery in New York (also Orlando and LA) that is dedicated to vegan and gluten-free baking. They are also certified kosher.

This is the first recipe I've tried from it and they were wonderful. They were simple to prepare and I already had the ingredients at home. I did however use real pumpkin that I had frozen from last year's garden, instead of using the canned like the recipe called for. Super moist and not so many spices that it leaves a bad aftertaste.

Give them a go . . . .

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS
makes 12

2 C Bobs Red Mill Gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t xanthan gum
1 t salt
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1/2 C coconut oil (melted)
2/3 C agave nectar (I used the dark)
2/3 C rice milk
2 T pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 C canned unsweetened pumpkin puree (I used real pumpkin)
1/2 C hot water

Preheat oven to 325. Grease the muffin tin with a little coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (1st 7 on the list). Add the oil, agave, ricemil and vanilla and stir until the batter is smooth and thick (mine was a little lumpy, but smooth enough). Fold in the pumpkin and hot water until both are evenly distributed. (Oh, and squeeze out as much of the liquid from the real pumpkin as you can, before adding it).

Pour 1/3 C batter into each cup. Bake the muffins for 22 minutes on the center rack, rotating the tin 180 degrees after 10 minutes. Finished muffins will be soft to the toucha dna toothpick isnerted in the center will come out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the tin for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days.