Category: daily reflection

The Easiest Chocolate Muffin recipe

The Easiest Chocolate Muffin Recipe

This is seriously the easiest chocolate muffin recipe you can make. I cannot take credit for these, someone gave me the recipe and I am unsure of the origin. But thank you to whoever thought of it. The idea seemed strange but I quickly realized what a great way to get a vegetable into my child who seems to be allergic to almost every other vegetable except broccoli and cauliflower.  So here it is …. couldn’t be any easier and they will never even know there is pumpkin in them.

The recipe is simply a package of Devil’s Food Cake Mix and one 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree. I tend to use the Libby’s Pumpkin Puree but I think any brand would be fine as long as the only ingredient is pumpkin. The cake mix I prefer is Duncan Hines Cake Mix because they have not shrunk the package like all the other brands, so the ratios still work great. The trick here is cooking spray. Spray everything: the bowl, mixing spoon, scoop, and muffin tin. It is hard to mix and the batter sticks to everything. Don’t give up. It just takes a second and then it all comes together. It tends to be a bit lumpy, don’t worry about that. Do not use muffin liners, the muffins stick to them. I usually add chocolate chips to the mix and that is wonderful also.

It is always the simple that produces the marvelous

Amelia Barr

These is the easiest chocolate muffin recipe ever and they are perfect for breakfast, packed in school lunches or for an afternoon or after school snack. I have heard friends use other flavors of cake mixes for this and have had success, but I stick to the chocolate.

If you are interested, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

Allergen Information: Egg free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free (All this is dependent on the cake mix that you use)

The Easiest Chocolate Muffins

These muffins are so easy and are a hidden source of vegetables…Pumpkin. Great for breakfast or an afterschool snack.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Course: after school snack, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
  • 1 box Devils Food Cake Mix Whatever brand you prefer

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. liberally spray your bowl and utensils with cooking spray to avoid sticking. DO NOT USE CUPCAKE LINERS. The muffins will stick to them.
  3. Combine the cake mix and the pumpkin puree. This is harder than you would expect. It takes a bit, but be persistent and it will all come together.
  4. Spread evenly in muffin tin. An ice cream scoop and an extra soup spoon work well here. You should get 12 muffins out of it. This step is very sticky.
  5. Cook for 15 minutes and they are done. Great warm.

Notes

Notes:  I have tried to use a mixer and it doesn’t work. Do not bother. 
Allergy Information: Depending on the cake mix that you use, these are very easy to adapt to whatever your allergy may be. 

Grand Banks is a Manhattan Hidden Gem for dining

A New York City Hidden Gem – Grand Banks, NYC

Grand Banks is a New York City Hidden Gem for dining! I am always looking for great dining in New York City and this is my new favorite. Grand Banks is a seasonal oyster bar on the deck of a historic fishing boat. Located on Pier 25 Hudson River in Tribeca, right around the corner from Battery Park, the location is ideal. Combine a great meal with a stroll through a beautiful, waterfront neighborhood with views of the Statue of Liberty makes for a wonderful excursion. This beautiful restaurant shows you a side of Manhattan that tourists don’t usually think of as New York City.

We were in New York celebrating my daughters graduation from her Master’s program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It was a night graduation, so a nice walk and fabulous meal at Grand Banks made for a perfect day celebrating all of her achievements. We went midweek around noon and did not have have a reservation but I would highly recommend getting one for this hidden gem in New York City. It filled up fast. We were very lucky to get a table when we did.

“Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.”

-Van Morrison

The four of us knew that we would be having a heavy meal later that night, so we decided to get some cocktails (there was time for a nap before the ceremony) and a little bit of everything. At the recommendation of the waitress, we decided on the Sailor Baby Oysters (Grand Banks very own!) and the Montauk Pearl oysters. Both were wonderful, but the Sailor Baby Oysters were the hands on favorite with this table. We added the crab dib, shrimp cocktail, french fries, and some lobster rolls. My daughter’s friend from Madrid had never had a lobster roll, so we were happy to introduce her. In addition, we ordered the Bread, Butter and Radish which I had never tried before. Now that I have, I will never be the same. It was wonderful!

The menu has so much to choose from which makes it so hard to decide. My daughter knows I always want to try out of the way places and hidden gems in New York City, not the tourist spots. She did not disappoint this weekend. Every choice was a winner, with Grand Banks standing out not only for the food, but for the atmosphere.

Being rated one of the World’s Best Waterfront Restaurants by CNN Travel and the Best Waterfront Restaurant in NYC by New York Magazine would give you the impression that it is stuffy and expensive. But in reality, it is comfortable and casual with amazing views. I highly recommend Grand Banks in New York City.

If you would like to see some of my other recommendations, check out the Restaurant Review section of my blog Sunday Chefs. Happy Dining!

Tip for Cooking Fish – Soak in Milk

Cook a lot of fish or seafood? Intimidated by cooking seafood? Then this tip for cooking fish is for you! So easy and unbelievably helpful. Check it out. This tip for getting rid of the smell of fish is courtesy of my favorite lady. It has been life-changing when it comes to cooking fish. My late mother Patsy (she always said she hated that name, but I think she secretly loved it) taught me this trick, which has helped so much over the years. Patsy was a wealth of good advice and helpful tips and I am thrilled to pass on just a bit of her wisdom to all of you.

We have all experienced getting home from the fishmonger and the fish or shellfish smells a little fishy. I always smell the fish before I buy it, but occasionally when I get home it still has a bit of an odor. I am not talking It’s time to throw it out fishy, but just a little.

Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.

Julia Child

Cooking Trick - Soaking Fish in Milk to get rid of smell.

Here is the tip for cooking fish. If you put the seafood in a bowl and add cold milk, cover it and let it sit in the fridge for about a half hour the smell goes away. Then just rinse it off, pat it dry and cook as you normally would. I have used this trick on haddock, cod, swordfish and shrimp. Having never tried it with salmon or anything else I can’t attest to that. This cooking tip for fish is something that I never leave out and I find it especially helpful when it comes to frozen fish. It is a game changer!

I don’t know why it works, but it does!

If you are interested in more then check out the Tips and Tricks and Recipes page on my blog Sunday Chefs. My Pinterest page also has a lot of recipes and tips that I have accumulated from other people. Tell me yours, I would love to try!

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