Recipe-- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 + 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup water
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 cup raisins

Line the muffin pans with paper muffin cups

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the white sugar, brown sugar and olive oil at your mixer's medium speed. Then add the eggs and beat until quite mixed and smooth

In another large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, salt and spices.

Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the water to the sugar mixture, making sure to mix at your mixer's medium speed just until combined between additions. After you've mixed all the flour and water into the batter, add the canned pumpkin and mix thoroughly. At the very end, fold in the raisins at your mixer's lowest speed.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way up, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until they look done and a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes about 30 cupcakes.

YUM!

Drink Recipe- Hot Almond Joy

A sweet and yummy drink for a cold winter's night curled up watching a dvd with your sweetie, be your sweetie human, furry, or imaginary.

1 cup milk

a generous swig of Godiva or other chocolate liqueur

a slightly more generous swig of Amaretto

a small squeeze of chocolate syrup (bosco, nesquik, hershey's, whichever you prefer)

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe mug. Microwave until hot (my Hello Kitty microwave takes 2 minutes, but I'll bet yours works a heck of a lot faster)

Pour the liquor and chocolate syrup into the mug of milk, stir and serve immediately. YUM!

If you want to be fancy, you could put some whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.

Recipe- Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared using package directions in 2- 8 or 9" round cake pans

1 Tub chocolate frosting (try to get one without trans-fats)

1 Package fresh Raspberries

1 jar raspberry preserves (I prefer the whole fruit variety)

Cocoa Powder

After preparing the cake layers and allowing them to cool, invert one layer onto a plate (the "bottom" of the cake will be on top).

Mix up the raspberry preserves and smear a generous amount on top of this cake layer, leaving about 1/4-3/8" bare around the edge.

Invert the second cake layer onto a piece of waxed paper, and then flip it again, centering it on top of the raspberry-topped layer (the rounded top of the cake will be facing up)

Now smooth gobs of frosting on the sides with a knife and finish with frosting the top of the cake.

After the cake has been suitably frosted, place air dried rinsed fresh raspberries along the perimeter of the top of the cake, with the bottoms of the raspberries facing up (hollow side facing down) After you've completed the circle, put the remaining raspberries in an attractive cluster in the middle.

Finish by lightly dusting the cake with a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Your friends will all think you a master pastry chef when you bring this to a party...

VARIATION-
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake- instead of raspberry preserves, spread nutella between the layers, decorate the top with chopped hazelnuts and a few ferrero rocher candies in the center!

Recipe- Lemony Mustard Chicken Breasts With Green Beans Amandine

Lemony Mustard Chicken Breasts--

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/2 TB Coleman's Mustard Powder

1 TB Lemon Juice

a little more than 1 TB Olive Oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix together the mustard, lemon juice and olive oil in a little cup.

Brush mixture all over the chicken breasts and place on a greased (I use canola spray) broiling pan.

Broil the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes, or until they're done all the way through, but still moist and yummy. (this recipe is easily doubled if you need to feed more than two people)

Green Beans Amandine

1 pound fresh green beans or haricots verts

2 1/2 TB Olive Oil

3 TB Sliced blanched almonds (pine nuts may be substituted for those with tree nut allergies)

Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste.

Break or cut off the ends of the green beans and wash in a colander (or as I have no dishwasher, I use the steamer basket) Then steam the green beans for about 7-10 minutes- (less if using haricots verts)- just until bright green and slightly cooked.
While the beans are steaming, toast the almond slices in a skillet with the olive oil just until they reach a medium tan color. Remove from heat.
Toss the cooked green beans with the almonds and olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside the lemony chicken breasts for a tasty, pretty much carb-free meal.