Recipe: Sweet Honey Morning Muffin/Bread

I came across this recipe while looking for a cake made with honey on the internet. Google came up with quite a few entries, but only one did not have sugar. Reading the recipe I thought it would be more like a quick bread - and we were right. Still, it is a perfect addition to my Farmer's Market Menu - and super yummy!

Click here for Original Recipe

When I made it, I made it two ways, one with the almonds, one without. I love nuts in things, but hubby does not, so I thought I should see if it was worth making again if I did not add nuts.

1 C sliced almonds
1 1/4 C Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 C Unbleached White Flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 C butter (it called for unsalted, but I used salted)
1 C honey (my store honey was almost gone - i used 3/4 C store honey, the last T of local honey, and the last t of buckwheat honey my sister gave me) it was not quite a full cup
4 large eggs - these were fresh from my chickens!
1/4 C yogurt or sour cream: I used a plain greek yogurt that was milk & active cultures.
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Directions

• Preheat oven to 325˚
• Grease a 9" round cake pan (I used 2 loaf pans - one with almonds, one without)
• Sprinkle bottom with 3/4 C of the almonds
• In one bowl - mix dry ingredients (Flours, Soda, Salt)
• In another bowl: mix butter, honey, and eggs. My batter was lumpy at this point. I mixed by hand, I wonder if I had used my electric mixer if the cake would have been fluffier? I also am thinking I might try to lighten it up further by separating the egg whites, and mixing till fluffy, then mixing in creamed butter, egg yolks, and honey.
• Stir in flour
• Stir in yogurt
• Stir in almonds - this was the point where I poured 1/2 the batter into the almond free pan. Then added almonds to the rest of the batter.
• Make sure everything is evenly moistened
• Mix 1 minute more
• Pour the batter over the almonds in the pan
• Bake for 50 - 55 minutes (this was plenty of time for my two loaf pans to finish as well)
• Cool for 15 minutes
• Remove from pans and cool before serving

Full Sized Goats!

Dear readers,

I am inconsistent in my writing. I know to have a successful blog I must plan. I have grand ideas and failure to follow through. I am going to do some planning this summer, and try to come up with an idea or two and a plan to pursue.
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Here is the blog I started 2 weeks ago:

Have you ever had one of those days where you get through 3 things on your list, but still feel as though you have gotten nothing done? And not small things either. Wednesday night I wanted to finish folding the laundry, and put it away. I also wanted to bake a few more baguettes, and make another batch of goat cheese. I did all these things. I still felt that annoying, pent-up, frustration as though I had gotten nothing done. Le sigh.

I own a hobby farm or at least that is what we call it. We have chickens and goats and children and gardens. We have had pygmy goats for 2 years now, and chickens since before we moved. We had a pygmy goat in milk through last winter (January - March). She was ornery (read more about Betsy here). The goats were free range at that time, and she was difficult to catch. She did not enjoy being milked and would stomp about. She did calm a little through the process, but was never an easy milker.

This winter we got a two new nannies with babies. We tried milking Suzi, but she was so new to us, we gave up quite quickly. Then we tried Aggie, and had a similar result. Neither had been handled much, nor were they prepared for milking.

Then last weekend, my hubby found someone selling full sized milking goats for only $50 each. That is an amazing deal for anyone who knows about milking goats. When we arrived to get the new girls, she offered us two more who were in milk. Friendly, loving, easy, trained full size milking goats!

What a difference milking a trained goat can be! It was amazing that first time we brought them to the milking stand, and they jumped up onto it. I did have to readjust their heads to fit in the holder, although I do not think they really need it. They stand still once they are in place and happily munch their grain. I can milk with my entire hand instead of just 2 or 3 fingers. We get more than a quart per day. Simply amazing! My husband, who could not milk our pygmy, has taken over the milking! We are even back to milking one of the pygmy's now that we have a routine down. We have started separating her from her baby overnight (very common practice in milk goats). We came away with 9 cups on a Sunday from all 3 goats!

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Sorry - I stopped keeping track. My 40 days were sketchy toward the end. I kept dropping off things as I got busier. Easter weekend, we had a fun, free for all of sugary goodness - with some healthy stuff thrown in. I have discovered some new honey instead of sugar recipes I am excited to share in the coming weeks.

Friday: Didn't have time for buffet - hit mcdee's instead. Over-budget by $8 :(
Saturday: brought home 4 new goats instead of 2. 2 of them are in milk. They are standard sized breeds.
B: Cereal w/milk
L: sandwiches? don't remember.
D: Take out chinese (friend's treat) to make up for mcdees - shrimp fried rice & egg rolls - yum!
Sunday:
B: oatmeal w/granola
dessert at church: apple pie & a lemon bar
L: leftovers - chili
Visit to sister's: New recipe: honey "cake" - more like quick bread. still very yummy! Sampled lots of new sugar free things... check out my sister's sugar free blog.
D: roll, oatmeal cream pie
Monday:
B: oatmeal w/granola
L: Almond bread - coworker went to greatharvest again. Chowder.
D: Leftovers fried rice!
Started a batch of ww bread the 5 minute way. also tried making cheese with 1/2 gallon of goat milk - major fail. Wasn't curdling with the recipe i found, added more vinegar, still nothing. finally reheated and it curdled, but now it is overpowering in it's vinegarness - ggrrrrr.
Tuesday:
B: oatmeal w/granola - I know it sounds so boring to eat oatmeal every day - but I really do enjoy it! Especially with the added crunchy of granola on top!
L: Baked potato w/butter & spike, apple sauce, carrot
D: Leftover turkey sauteed in butter with celery, onions, on top of reheated multi-grain rice. Forgot salt - but then it was perfect! I love turkey & celery together.
Wed:
coffee w/creamer from commuter
B:Oatmeal & granola
L: Chowder - all gone now, applesauce
D: French toast bake: Store "wheat" buns, home eggs, home goat milk, cinamon, vanilla, home canned apple pie apples (cin/sugar). Kids did not like the apples, but loved the toast - they didn't notice the goat milk. I didn't notice either until I remembered I had added it, and noticed a slight difference in flavour.
Thurs:
B: quaker cin apple oatmeal w/granola too - sooo yummy. I am noticing I am eating too fast again. Need to slow down & savor!
L: Leftovers from Son's lunch - carrot/celery with dressing, cottage cheese, cinamon apples with granola (ooo apple crisp - I should make some!). end of french bread. Oh, and 2 spoons of pb. menses hunger/tension has me feeling bleh!
D: on the go - carrot, watered down koolaid, 2 cold pancakes (boy's book was in the "power night" he received some cute comments."
Fri: finally!!
B: quaker cin apple oatmeal w/granola
L: "wheat" buns w/cheese, carrot, 2 chips (boss brought in new variety), couple slices of her cheese, spoon pb. My lunches are really getting carried away. Must be more disciplined next week!)
D: Fish, rice, green beans (appears all the corn I canned last year has gone bad - luck for my chickens!)
Sat: B: L: D:
Sun: B: L: D:
Mon: B: honey muffins w/almonds (altered my posted recipe by using only ww flour.
L: Bread w/cheese, yogurt, carrot
D: Spaghetti - ground beef, home made tomato sauce, pasta, cheese, goats milk
Tues: B: honey muffin, bran muffin, oatmeal... goodness I feel alot of hunger lately. And feel very drained by the end of the day... Desperately in need of a good shopping trip to fill up on fresh foods!
L: leftover french toast bake with apples - added cheese on top - yum!, cottage cheese, yogurt, coffee - I really don't understand why I am so tired.