Fresh Blueberry Muffins

      

This past weekend I drove two hours north of the city to an organic blueberry farm. I had grand intentions to get around 20 pounds of berries in the freezer, but after three hours alone I decided that I couldn't pick anymore. I ended up with fourteen gorgeous pounds of blueberries (and two pounds in my stomach), and a great day in the country to say for it. Picking your own food is something surreal. I am a city girl, and I am becoming more and more aware that it matters where we are buying and gathering our food. I have discovered that leaving the city and going out to the local farms can be a very enriching experience. It connects me to what I put in my body and to where it comes from. There seems to be such a disconnect in the western diet with  what foods we are eating out of the packages. How have we reached this point in history when we can "eat" but not really be ingesting anything from the earth or our natural habitat? It does seem weird when you really start to think about it, and only drives me more to think and eat more locally. I wish I could have more space to garden and someday I hope to do that, but for now having local farmers do their job is good enough. I enjoy meeting the people that have had their hand in growing my food or raising their animals. Seriously, it wasn't too long ago when everyone had to live and eat this way. It shouldn't seem so foreign for me to be saying this because people have been eating off the land for thousands of years. My personal goal is to be more aware from where my food is coming, and to do the best I can to gather my own food from my local habitat. It can be a very healing experience for your body and your soul. Local vegetables and foods are packed with fresh nutrients that are not wasted in the time it takes for it to get to you and stay on the shelf.         

Aren't these blueberries gorgeous? Picking these beautiful berries is a great experience of fun and my idea of a relaxing day. 

So that is just what prompted me to go pick in the countryside for three hours and gather fourteen pounds of berries that are now washed and bagged in my freezer for winter. I think I will probably pick again soon so that I can have around thirty pounds altogether in the freezer for winter. Not to mention that this is a way cheaper way of having frozen fruit throughout the winter months. About 1/8 of the cost of frozen berries if you were going to buy them from the store. 

And of course I had to make something to eat with some of the berries. Why not some classic blueberry muffins? Yum! It was what I was dreaming about as I picked that bucket full. So here is my recipe to share with you...

Blueberry Muffins Recipe:

1/2 cup of sifted coconut flour

1/2 cup of white rice flour

1/2 cup of sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane juice)

1/4 cup of agave nectar syrup

1/4 cup of coconut oil

3  free-range eggs

1 ts. of baking powder

1/2 ts. of baking soda

1 1/2 cups of almond milk

add last:

2 cups of fresh blueberries

Whip all the ingredients up in a mixing bowl and pour 3/4 full in muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through in the middle. This recipe make 18 muffins or 24 small muffins. 

Hmmm, these muffins are so tasty and light you will really appreciate the use of the coconut flour in these. I haven't experimented that much with the flour, but I have discovered it to be a great nourishing way to bake gluten-free. The coconut flour is a bit more expensive and you will be able to find it at any health food store. It can be used great in baking, especially for those interested in baking grain-free as well as gluten-free. The coconut flour is full of fiber believe it or not... Like 6 grams of fiber in 2 tablespoons. That is a lot of fiber for a flour. It is also lower in the carb index and full of nutritious vitamins and oils. So, try it out and see what you think. 

So, I hope you are able to investigate if you have any local berry farms by you and make a day of going out to the countryside and gathering pounds of your own food. It really is a great experience with many long-lasting benefits. Enjoy and have a great weekend!