Basil Tomato Toast

I made up this recipe one morning over the summer when I had an abundance of fresh basil and needed to use it up.  There's a few different ways it can be made.

2 pieces of toast
1/2 avocado (optional)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4 leaves fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried in a pinch)
2 tbsp Italian dressing

Once the bread is toasted, if you're using avocado, cut the portion in half and spread one half on each piece of toast.  Tear up the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the bread.  Divide up the cut cherry tomatoes between the bread as well, putting them on top (if its cut side down, it sticks better).  Other types of tomato could be used, but cherry is a little sweet and the flavor works best in this recipe.  Finally, pour on the dressing.  This goes well with breakfast.

Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

As a child, I loved eating blueberry muffins in the morning.  My mom usually made them from a box mix.  I decided to find a recipe I could make from scratch, and turn it vegan.  The basis for this recipe came from a Martha Steward website.  I cannot wait until Jess gets back from China, and we gather up our friends and go blueberry picking again!  So delicious, so cheap, and so fun!.  Then I will get to eat these, blueberry crisps, and raw or frozen blueberries to my heart's content.

1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter (or whatever vegan brand)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tspn baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups fresh blueberries (much better than frozen for muffins)

1 cup sugar

1 ripe banana, broken into pieces for easier stirring.

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup soy or almond milk

For a topping accent:

 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

First, preheat the oven to 375.  Prep your muffin tins (this made about 18 muffins for me).  I have these great reusable cupcake cups made of silicon or something.  You just save them from the muffins or cupcakes and wash them, and then you can reuse them (because being eco friendly is caring for people/animals, so its a very vegan thing to do).  I've had them for at least 3 years and they have held up great (which also has saved me money, considering how often I bake).

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix.  

In a separate, large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix well.  I used my hand held mixed.  This or an electric mixer works best I think.  Add the banana and vanilla after mixing for about three minutes, ensuring that the banana is mixed in thoroughly.  Mix in the dry ingredients from the other bowl, slowly so as not to create a flour explosion.  Add the milk and mix until everything is evenly combined.  

Fold in the blueberries gently, so that you do not rupture too many.  A rubber spatula works best for this (that kind whose only purpose is to push down batter on the sides of bowls).  Put about a 1/4th to a 1/3rd cup of batter into each cupcake cup in the pan.

In another, small bowl, mix the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Sprinkle this on top of the muffin batter in the cups before putting it into the oven.

 Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Muffins are best when warm.