Plum Sauce - For Plum Walnut Muffins

I bought a big bag of plums recently that were lacking in flavor, so they lost their charm as something to just grab and eat. I decided to make plumsauce, like applesauce. My mom made the best Applesauce Muffins. Originally, she couldn't find applesauce she liked, so she made her own with her favorites, either McIntosh or Jonathan apples.

I Googled the ingredients I wanted to use and A.I. popped up with a recipe for this! 

1# 12oz. chopped purple plums

~ scrub well and dry but don't peel

1c golden raisins

1 lemon - zest and juice

1-1/4c turbinado sugar

1/2T pumpkin pie spice

a shake or two of salt

Simmer all this together over low.-med. heat, 8-15 minutes or so, until the fruit is soft. Let it cool a bit before using or eating. You can leave it chunky like this, or use your immersion blender to bring it to a more cohesive state.

I've found most of the flavor in a plum is in the skin. To simmer the chopped fruit this way, with a little added sweetness and the tartness of the lemon really blossoms it! Blending a bit brings that out even more. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Coleslaw with Snow Pea Pods, Raisins and Almonds

Since being on Whole 30 I've been more careful about reading labels. I'm shocked at how much sugar, dairy and grains sneak into our cooking under various names. These ingredients are all approved for the plan.

Finely slice about 1/3 of a large head of green cabbage and 1/4 medium head of purple cabbage into a large bowl. Add 1 large shredded carrot, 5 or 6 chopped green onions, some sliced crispy snow pea pods, 3/4c golden raisins, 2±oz. toasted slivered almonds.

In a little bowl, whisk together: 1/2-3/4c mayonnaise, 3T red wine vinegar, 3T dijon mustard, a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt and some black and cayenne pepper.

Pour over the vegetables, toss, refrigerate an hour or so to blend the flavors before serving. This is good by itself or as a compliment to just about anything that needs a little freshness, protein and crunch. . .Lin

Apple-Raisin-Pecan Whole Grain Muffins

This recipe is about 50% bigger than what I usually make. It yielded 24 muffins and 2 loaves of muffin bread. Preheat your oven to 350°, oil and flour 2 loaf pans. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl.

2c unbleached all purpose flour

1c whole wheat flour

1c corn flour

4T ground chia and flax seeds

2-3T pumpkin pie spice

1-1/2t each: salt, baking powder, baking soda

In a bigger bowl combine the following:

1c whole milk Greek yogurt

1/2c sour cream

1c coconut milk

3/4c olive oil

3T Mexican vanilla 

4 lg. pasture raised eggs

1-1/2c coconut sugar -or- light brown sugar

3 packed cups of chopped, unpeeled apples

1-1/2c chopped pecans

1c golden raisins

Add the flour mixture to everything in the big bowl, stirring and scraping the bowl until everything is well mixed. 

Put big spoonfuls of the batter in paper-lined muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon spiced turbinado sugar and bake for 20 minutes. 

Divide the remaining batter equally between the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle both with the spiced sugar and bake for 30 minutes or until the centers bounce back when touched. Cool throughly before removing from the pans or slicing. . .Lin