Pistachio Muffins

I made these pistachio muffins this morning.   Pistachios are a very delicate flavor, so I used a lot and left good sized chunks - after shelling, I cut the smaller ones in half and the larger in thirds.   I added the almonds and almond extract as accent flavor.

I use less sugar than most recipes - we don't care for excess sugar.


1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup chopped almonds
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios




Mix above thoroughly.  

Liquid ingredients: 

1/3 cup grape seed oil or unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup skim milk or 4 ounces non-fat  vanilla yogurt and 1/4 cup skim milk

Mix this up and add to dry ingredients, spoon mix.

Directions:

375 degree oven, middle rack.

Spoon into a lightly oiled muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Makes 12.    As you can see, we ate up three before I could even get a picture!

Oatmeal, Apple and Almond Muffins

I whipped these up this morning before breakfast - quick, easy and very good.

1 1/3 cups  (5.66 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar (though I use 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts


Mix above thoroughly

1 small chopped apple
1/3 cup grape seed oil or unsweetened apple sauce
1/8 cup egg substitute
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup skim milk or 4 ounces non-fat  vanilla yogurt (I use coffee yogurt) and 1/4 cup skim milk.

Mix this up and add to dry ingredients, spoon mix.

Directions:

350 degree oven, middle rack.

Spoon into a lightly oiled muffin tin (or silicone, no oil needed) and bake for 20 minutes.

Appx. 122 calories per muffin.

If I were a dishonest person

I had ordered a couple of things from Amazon recently.  One was a new keyboard for my wife's computer and the other was a Garmin 3597 GPS.    They were not ordered at the same time and I got two UPS tracking numbers.

The keyboard arrived Wednesday.    I opened the box and took it out.  Because I wasn't sure we'd be keeping it, I left the box it came in in my office.

The Garmin should have come the same day, but didn't, so I checked on the tracking later.

The UPS tracking said the Garmin was delivered on Wednesday at 10:23 AM and "Package was left in or near the front door".   Huh?  No, no, that was the keyboard.  I checked tracking for the keyboard and it showed exactly the same information  - 10:23 AM, left at front door.

Actually I had met the UPS guy at the front door and he had handed me ONE package.  So where was my GPS?  I called UPS.  They said I had to contact Amazon and I did, where I was told that I had to contact UPS.

Yeah, right.  I called UPS again and told them that.  They agreed to help and started with the "Are your sure a neighbor didn't take it?". I explained that a different package had been delivered supposedly at the very same time and that I had met the driver at the door, so no, unless the driver was really confused, a neighbor did not have it.

"Are you sure you only got one package?".

Well, gee.  Yes, it is easy to be handed two packages at the door and think that it is one.   Sure it is.  I was annoyed and I kicked the empty box the keyboard had come in.  Something more than packing material moved inside it.

What the hell?  I looked closer - ayup, there was the GPS.  Two separate tracking numbers, one box - which only had one of the tracking numbers on its label.  I told UPS what had happened and that it was a good thing I hadn't tossed out the "empty" box.