Orange, Lemon and Cranberry Muffins (No Eggs!)

I just finished making a batch of these muffins, and wow does my house smell good! These muffins are easy to make, moist and delish. For my daughter, Natalie, I hit the top with a bit of whipped cream for fun. Enjoy!

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
Juice of one small lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries - plump up the cranberries by cooking in some orange juice on low heat for 10-15 mins. Then drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a muffin tin (I use butter for this).
In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add canola oil, orange juice, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix with a spoon just until all wet ingredients are moistened (don't overmix). Gently fold in the cranberries.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes (if using regular sized muffin tin) checking often to make sure they aren't overcooked. Check with a toothpick - when toothpick is inserted and comes out clean, the muffins are done.

Rainy Day Chili

It has been a rainy, cozy weekend in Post Falls. Perfect weather to enjoy a hot bowl of hardy chili with my family. This thick recipe has just enough heat (from the chipolte pepper seasoning and chili beans). My 4 year old loves it with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese - I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Ingredients:

1 can tomato paste
1 can chili beans (drained)
1 can dark kidney beans (drained)
1 can white navy beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chili & lime (with juice)
1 can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
1/2 - 1 can water (depending on how thick you like your chili)
l lb. hamburger
1 small onion
Sour cream (optional)
Green onion (optional)
Cheddar cheese (optional)

Spices:

2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chipolte chili pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons cumin

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a hot pan and saute diced onion, then add hamburger and brown. Next, add and mix in all other ingredients and turn to low heat. Cover and simmer for up to 2 hours - the longer the better. :-) Top with green onion and sour cream if desired.