Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Ninety (On Learning to Slow Down and Relax with the Help of a Spelt Banana Muffin)

WHOLE GRAIN SPELT BANANA MUFFINS - The Slow Food Solution

Here is a really moist, completely lovely, spelt banana bread that comes with clear instructions on how to make and how to eat. Certain of the instructions are mandatory, others offer some flexibility.

1) Make Muffins as set forth below.
2) Eat only when sitting at your nicely lit table (no eating on the run)
3) Enjoy with a glass of milk (cow’s, goat’s, soy, almond - your preference), or cup of coffee (or cup of chai)
4) with the newspaper open (sounds so antiquated),
5) No electronic media allowed near or on the table or in your hand
6) savor each bite, sip your drink, relax for a moment.

Ingredients
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup organic sugar
2TBL organic black strap molasses (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole grain VITA SPELT flour
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
1/4 cup orange juice
2-3 ripe bananas

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs.  Add dry ingredients, and then mix in mashed bananas and orange juice.   Mix well.  Bake in 12 muffin pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

OK, did it work?  Did you slow down for at least 20 minutes?  I hope the answer is yes.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Four (The Metamorphosis of Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

Today was my birthday (well, now it was yesterday) so I DID NOT cook or bake or clean, but I have this great picture that I felt I must share with you.   This is the metamorphosis of a Spelt Right Pizza Dough, cool, but not life moving or anything.   But, if you, like I, happen to be obsessed with baking with Spelt Right dough, you might want to know its various stages.  Pizza No. 1 - embryonic stage, simply not ready to venture into the world on its own.   Pizza No. 2, early man, perhaps Neanderthal, advanced, but probably couldn't drive a car.  Pizza No. 3, definitely close to ready, can be used for a respectable pizza, but perhaps has not reached drinking age yet.  Pizza No. 4, AGE 47, just like me, perfect, ready to roll out and bake.  Though, this 47 year old rolled out pizza dough is feeling a little fried after midnight and a full day's work, so no recipes tonight, just rants.  Recipes on future blogs! Peace!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Nine (Olive, Goat Cheese Tarts)

We're giving you two options today. A fitayer or a Spelt Right sesame bagel. We did not have enough room in our bellies to sample the fitayers because we just returned from the Associated Buyers Table Top Show and have been nibbling all day.

First Taste: Great for a Light Dinner. Ingredients: One Sesame Mucho spelt bagel, Silver Goat Chevre Goat Cheese, Sliced Avocado, and Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Spread (warned you about the TJ addiction). Directions: Toast Bagel to Desired Crispness or Softness (I love the versatility of Spelt Right bagels), spread on Goat Cheese, spread tapenade over goat cheese, place slices of avocado on tapenade. Enjoy!!! Yum, yum, and yum. I give this a personal two thumbs up.

Second Taste: Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade Fitaya. Ingredients and Directions: One Spelt Right pizza dough, double in size. Divide dough into six equal balls. Stretch or roll to about 1/4 thick. Spread on goat cheese first and then tapenade. Shape into triangles. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. UNRATED. We were just too full to try this one! We'll let you know tomorrow.