scrumptious: the yummiest pumpkin muffins EVER recipe!

it's true, nicies.
these ARE the yummiest pumpkin muffins EVER!
and you can make them, too!
cause hey - if I can make them and they're yummy, anyone can!
(you might recall: i am a terrible terrible baker!) 

this is just one of my many fave recipes from the fabulous *rebar: modern food cook book* (a wedding gift from chatelaine food editor claire tansey - so you know it's going to be fabulous!) 

we've been making these muffins for years now, and they're always perfect! these moist & crunchy (thanks to the toasted millet!)  muffins are healthy and filling, have a GREAT texture and are just plain delicious. and it's the perfect autumny time of year to add them to your muffin faves!

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rebar pumpkin millet muffins photo by gnufmuffin

the rebar Pumpkin Millet Muffin recipe
with cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg 

makes about 16 medium sized muffins
my personal notes in different colours!

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (don't have any? i use any milk and drop a splash of white vinegar in it before pouring into the mix)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup rolled oats (or oatbran!)
1/2 cup millet (or flaxseed in a pinch!)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (or raisins if you're out!)
1 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

1
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. 

2
Line a muffin pan with baking cups or grease the pan cups. (baking spray works well).

3
Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and mix together, making sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. 

4
Stir in the oats. 

5
Heat a dry skillet and toast the millet until lightly browned. 

6
Toast the pumpkin seeds and add with the millet to the wet ingredients. (if using raisins, do not toast.)

7
In a separate bowl sift and mix the dry ingredients. 

8
Add the dry mix to the wet mixture. 

9 

Stir gently to combine. DO NOT over mix or the muffins will come out dry and tough.

10
Fill the muffin cups and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, or leave as is.

11
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (i find, for medium sized muffins in my oven, it only takes about 20 mins!)

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and be sure to check out some of the other guest scrumptious posts here: 

strawberry scones recipe with pegg of fiveforty

apple pie oatmeal recipe with sara thomas

emergency biscuits recipe with tiny giraffe

double decker fudge recipe  with BKD signature

carrot ginger salad dressing recipe with me, rikrak!

gorgeous snowflake sugar cookie recipe with the june bride

what are you making in the kitchen lately?

do let me know if you make these muffins! 

hope you'll love them!

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DIY & handmade cake pops!

:: fabulous handmade cake pops ::

jenspopshoppe

EntirelySweet

 NicholeMonk

New York Cake Pops

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well my birthday celebrations are wrapping up! (is it wrong to draw out the celebrations to last for 2 weeks?! lucky me! :) ... tomorrow i'll be drawing the winners of my MEGA birthday BASH giveaway (hurry ... still time to enter!) ....

so in honour, thought i'd pay homage to one of the fun birthday trends i've been enjoying seeing around the blogosphere & at fun pretty parties in the last year: cake pops!

love these ones handmade for you on etsy. and how about learning from the fabulous bakerella how to make your own! (i always WONDERED how you got them in that fun sphere shape! thanks nicey!!) check out her fun book "cake pops by bakerella", too!

ever made cake pops?

and happy baking, nicies!

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scrumptious: yummy emergency biscuits recipe with tiny giraffe

spring has sprung, nicies.

let's come out of hibernation and head out for fun new adventures.

but what to whip up for all those springtime drop in visitors? 

well the lovely Amy of the adorable tiny giraffe shop {and GOLD medal handmade olympics fame!} has the perfect scrumptious solution!

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Amy writes: My most favorite vintage cookbook, All About Home Baking (published in 1933), is as entertaining as it is useful. This charming little book speaks to the modern housewife of the 30's, discussing new revelations such as standard measurements and oven heat regulators. Rest assured, there's a page dedicated to achieving a "smart bridge luncheon" complete with menu and table setting instructions. No more sleepless nights worrying about my next bridge luncheon!

As much as I love to poke fun at the expectations of the modern housewife of this era, this book is filled with recipes that are perfect every time. They're simple and classic -- just the way I like to cook. So, the next time your husband calls saying the big boss is coming to dinner in just two hours, you'll have a simple go-to recipe: Emergency Biscuits.

Now who's the calm, cool, and collected housewife? You are!

Emergency Biscuits

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter or other shortening

3/4 cup milk

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift again (btw, I don't sift.) Cut shortening; add milk all at once and stir carefully until all flour is dampened. Then stir vigorously until mixture forms a soft dough that clings to sides of bowl. Drop from teaspoon on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in hot oven (450 degrees F.) 12-15 minutes. Makes 12 biscuits.

And yes, perfect emergency biscuits every time. Serve these to the boss or at your next bridge luncheon.

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brilliant, amy! 

now nicies... after you're done baking up a storm ... you're also going to LOVE the ingenuity and handmade wisdom from the tiny giraffe shop. it's one of my very favourite handmade children's shops. it's filled with gorgeous and stylish, modern and classic wooden blocks in the funnest & freshest array of styles and designs. plus, amy is one of the warmest, sweetest, smartest community-building handmakers around, and she's a pleasure to work with! so head on over and visit this wonderwoman around the web.

tiny giraffe shop

etsy shop | facebook | twitter
 

cheers on your many successes, nicey!

and here's to many more.

i'll put on a batch of *emergency biscuits* and hope to see  all you nicies over at my place for tea shortly!

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giveaway & a recipe: with BKD signature

summer winds down here in the north and end-of-summer family picnics, back to school and cozier weather fill our thoughts! so it's the perfect time for a scrumptious & yummy dessert recipe, right?! 

today, Brie of BKD signatures offers one of her family faves: double-decker chocolate & peanut butter fudge. (don't worry: it's not healthy any-which-way you cut it, but sure does look delicious!) 

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Double Decker Fudge
by Brie

2 cups (12oz package) Peanut Butter Chips (like Reese) , divided
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup  cocoa (like Hershey's)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ½ cups sugar
1 jar (7oz) marshmallow crème
1 ½ cups (12oz can) evaporated milk
¼ cup butter

1.    Line a 13x9x2-inch pan with foil.  Place 1 cup peanut butter chips in medium bowl; set aside.  In second medium bowl, blend ¼ cup melted butter, cocoa and vanilla until smooth; add 1 cup peanut butter chips.

2.    In heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, marshmallow crème, evaporated milk and ¼ cup butter.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil; boil and stir 5 minutes.

3.    Remove from heat.  Immediately add half of hot mixture to bowl with peanut butter chips only.  Pour remainder into cocoa mixture; stir to blend.

4.    Beat peanut butter mixture until chips are completely melted; spread evenly in prepared pan.

5.    Beat cocoa mixture until chips are melted and mixture thickens.  Spread evenly over top of peanut butter layer.

6.    Cool; remove from pan.  Remove foil; cut into squares.  Store in airtight container in a cool, dry place.

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holey moley YUM!

while your yummy fudge is cooling... how about checking out the wonderful shop of today's chef BKD signature: cute handmade jewelry & crochet!

Brie specializes in lovely chiyogami paper jewelry. so pretty! she's one of my fabulous sponsors this month and i'm so happy to have her! and ... read on to see how you can WIN a gift certificate from her lovely shop! 

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BKD signature

shop | blog | twitter | facebook | newsletter

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--->  one lucky rikrak studio reader will win <--- 

a $30 gift certificate to the BKD signature shop!

wow!

and free worldwide shipping of your item!

1. visit the lovely BKD signature shop!

...  tell us about your favourite goodie & why you love it!

=   1 entry

2. tell us the name of your fave dessert recipe to make or bake!

=   1 entry

3. subscribe to the BKD signature newsletter.

...  and tell us

=   1 entry

4. follow both BKD signtaure (she's http://twitter.com/BKDSignature)

and me (i'm http://www.twitter.com/therikrakshop) on twitter.

...  and tell us

=   1 entry

5.  become a facebook fan of BKD signature.

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

6.  follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

7. tweet on twitter

... about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! 

be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! 

= 1 entry

8. blog about this giveaway

... come back and tell us.

= 1 entry

9. :: PLEASE NOTE: 

each entry must be it's own comment.

thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the BKD signature giveaway will be chosen on thursday september 2nd @ 11 pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

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scrumptious: a strawberry scones recipe & a giveaway with five forty

yippee!
it's handmade earth week here @ the rikrak studio: 7 days of celebrating eco-friendly handmade, and meeting some of the amazing artists behind future-friendly, sustainable indie businesseses that you & i love!

today's our first: an amazing handmade recycled rug GIVEAWAY with the fabulous Pegg of five forty. each giveaway will be up for 8 days. be sure to come back each weekday between now and earth day (next thursday) to enter all 7 giveaways - you're gonna LOVE them! - and meet some of the fabulous folks behind the green handmade movement!

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--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.
7. a gorgeous rose organza purse by *karen meyers* , here.

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strawberry scone photo by shok
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gosh.
i love a delicious handmade treat. there's just something so fabulous about enjoying food that someone has hand baked. hand made.

but i'm a terrible baker. poor family rikrak.
i like to hapzaradly substitute wherever needed in recipes. and sadly, baking doesn't seem to love this approach.

so of course i superadmire the great chefs, superbakers among us. those great folks handmaking yummy good foods. one is the fabulous eco-artist five forty (read on to see how to WIN one of her amazing recycled rugs!) ... her yummy blog is filled with tantalizing recipes for all occssions, and i adore each and every one i've tried. (don't worry, nicies - i stick right to her directions!)

so i asked the lovely pegg to launch our earth week festivities with a scrumptious recipe for all of us to celebrate spring! hope you'll enjoy this mouth-watering delight: yummy strawberry scones.

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Strawberry Scones Recipe
by five forty

4 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 lb. cold butter cut into 1/4” pieces ( you can use olive oil instead of butter if you do not eat dairy)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk ( use soy milk, rice milk... With a squeeze of lemon if you do not eat dairy)
2 cups hulled and chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips ( again if you do not eat dairy, substitute carob chips for the chocolate)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 Preheat oven to 400 F.
2 Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.
3 Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
4 Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture using your fingers. Do not overwork the dough.
5 Add the strawberries and the chocolate chips and toss until well distributed in the bowl.
6 Add 1 cup of buttermilk and mix until just combined and the dough begins to stick together. Add the remaining buttermilk one tbsp. at a time if the dough is too dry.
7 Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat into two 6” rounds, about 1 1/2” thick. Cut each round in half, then cut each half into 3 triangles and place on the baking sheets. Brush the tops with egg wash.
8 Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Makes 1 dozen scones.

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scrumptious, pegg! thanks so much for sharing!

pegg is also brilliant on her weaving loom & as a jewelry artist. be sure to visit her shop here. follow her on facebook here & follow her on twitter here.

pegg's amazing handwoven recycled sweater rag rugs have caught the eye of many and i cheered all the way to her gold medal victory in the handmade olympics - everyone around the world loves her beautiful rugs!

so you, like me, will be delighted to hear that now... that's right...you can WIN one! woohoo!

five forty is offering one lucky rikrak reader ....



.... this gorgeous, red recycled felted wool sweater rag rug!! it was woven by pegg on an upright loom she adapted using wool for both warp and weft. therefore, it's an all recycled wool textile.

this rug measures 24 1/2" X 34" (62.2 cm x 86.3 cm), woven edge to woven edge, not including the wool fringe. pegg writes: "the rug is very cushy underfoot, it feels great. it's a gorgeous mix of rich beautiful reddish tones with stripes of grey, black and brown in the warp. Bright red, deep red, peachy red, coral, dark fuchsia pink...This rug can be dry cleaned, hand washed in room temperature water, or on the gentle cycle in a front loading washing machine, in warm water, no hot or cold. Please hang to dry or lay flat to dry. "

good golly! thanks so much, five forty!
are we ever in luck!
so enter here to WIN!

1. go visit the fabulous five forty shop!
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment about what's one of your own favourite recipes to make and share!
... = 1 entry

3. visit pegg's lovely blog (it has the most amazing recipes, ALL THE TIME!) and become a follower. then come back here and tell us!
... = 1 entry.

4. become a five forty facebook fan . come back here and tell us about it!
... 1 entry

5. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing an eco tip.
come back here and tell us about it. = 1 possible entry

6. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

7. blog about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here.
= 1 more possible entry

8. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the five forty rug giveaway will be chosen on thursday, april 22nd (EARTH DAY!) @ 9pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

-:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

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