Birthday Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins!

I have a Special Birthday Girl Post!  Happy Birthday to my baby girl!  Her special request for breakfast was Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins. 

She is a daughter after her mother's very heart; a Chef de Cuisine just like me, and loves chocolate.  When she created this a few months back I knew she was much farther ahead of the cooking game than me at her elementary age.

It's a notebook turned recipe book and all the pages are filled with cut out recipes from hundreds of magazines she searched for the perfect ones.  She has now started a second, just too cute!

So now you can see why I am so proud.  She loves to help me and even takes things into her own hands by finding and searching for her own recipes to try.  We had to search and find a Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe this morning because we have surprisingly never made them before.  But after the results today, we will be making these often.  I have listed some exact ingredients I use, they can be swapped out for similar in your pantry.  I will be adding later on what my favorite products are and why under Ingredients at Their Best for anyone who wants to know my reasoning behind it.  I always use organic even when not noted, but will always chose my ingredients for quality and flavor.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Print recipe here

1 C white flour, unbromated and unbleached

1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 C raw cane sugar (We love Heavenly Organics sugar)
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking soda
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1 1/4 C whole milk
1 large egg
2 TB unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 C semisweet chocolate chips (We like the mini morsels)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and make a well in the center.
3. In small bowl whisk together milk, egg, butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into well in large bowl and whisk just until all combined and wet, do not over mix. There will still be some lumps.

4.  Add chocolate chips and stir just until mixed through.



See those cute "helper" fingers?



5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

6. Regular muffin pan, bake for 20-25 minutes. Mini muffin pan, bake 10-15 minutes. They are done when toothpick comes out clean, remember there are melted chocolate chips in there and can sometimes be hard to tell, my mini muffins took 12 minutes.

Results?  Yummy moist muffins for miles.  When I asked the morning crew if these where good, they looked at me and said "Mom these are blog good!" So enjoy and let me know what you think.

Well I am off for a special birthday girl dinner.  Next up?  A birthday girl trip to American Girl store at Mall of America and a birthday Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Glaze.  Have a wonderful evening everyone.

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  AllRecipes.

Going 45 in a 70 While Eating 'Samiches

Going 45 mph in a 70 mile per hour zone...in the left lane! We have all been behind one of those driver's (especially when we are late for some reason, why is that?). Traffic backed up to the last passed exit. Horns blowing and they don't feel any desire to move to the right. They have all the time in the world and think we do too. I would love to be able to take it that slow some days. Who has that kind of time now a days?
This very slow driver got me thinking.....thinking how they look at life. To learn how to be slow in the fast lane. Sometimes we all need to slow down and go 45 in a 70 and enjoy the little things that make our life special.
Enjoy surprises like the ones that come popping out of the perennials you bought from a neighborhood perennial sale. I brought home Daisies which are doing very well but got this as a bonus! What is it? I love it!

Sipping my very favorite coffee....from this cup we got at a 7-eleven when we where in Chicago.  I love 7-eleven and we don't have any here. So sipping from this just makes me smile.  Why do I love it?  I was born on 7-11 so I have just always loved it, well that and their Slurpee bar!

Life moves so quick, look... summer is already over! School is starting, ragweed is blooming, fall is peaking in with overnight temperatures and fantasy football drafts are happening in garages all over the country.

All this reminded me of slowing down and all during the busiest time of the year for me.  Most of us are going 95mph in a 70 mile per hour zone with kids, sports, work, school, gym, housework, dogs!  So a little help is always well received.  Of coarse we can count on the slow cooker, a savory sandwich will be ready when you get home from driving your kids around to sports and activities or putting in extra hours at your job to finish up a project or bless your heart both!  I hope this helps anyone with back-to-school-chaos-brain like I have right now.

When you can't slow down, the slow cooker will slow down for you.

Tangy BBQ 'Samich
Print recipe here

1 3-4 pound Boneless Beef Roast of choice- I used Top Round with medium marbling

1 C onion- sliced

1 C Ketchup

1 C favorite BBQ Sauce- love Sweet Baby Rays

1 C water

2 T vinegar- I think Red Wine vinegar would be good but have not tried yet

2 T Worcestershire Sauce

2 T brown sugar

2 cloves garlic- minced

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp salt

1/ 2 tsp black pepper

1.  Instructions are easy, dump all in slow cooker. 

2.  Cook on High for 6-7 hours.  Shred meat and let sit a bit for juice to saturate meat.  Pile into a good bun such as Bolilo or Telara and top with cheese. 

3.  If you don't eat it on the way to the oven, you can broil the cheese and buttered bun until golden and crispy.  Note:  I have used pork and chicken with great results.

Life can zoom by like a Mazda on a highway... But!  Please do not take this thought literally...move to the right side or just stay off the interstate if you are lucky enough to view life this way! 

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: my Aunt Kris, who make the best Apple Pie!