Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Easy pumpkin spice muffins - healthy enough for breakfast, tasty enough for dessert!

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

Got some extra pumpkin? Make your own spiced pumpkin butter, and sweeten it up with a bit of maple syrup for an additional layer of flavor!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

A moist and flavorful spiced pumpkin bread.

Chai Tea

One of my favorite, if not my favorite drinks is chai tea, but most pre-made versions aren't quite "spice-y" enough for me, so I usually have to add more spices or combine two kinds, some tea and some mix, for example. Given how much I like chai, I figured it was about time for me to make some chai from scratch. Following this recipe with loose leaf chai resulted in a tea that was just a tad bit strong for me, so I might use plain black tea next time, or I might try decreasing the amount of spices used or I might just enjoy it stronger. :) One definite advantage to making your own chai tea is the amount of flexibility in changing it to suit your tastes. Some other things that you could try are star anise, nutmeg, orange peel, green tea instead of black, etc. While I didn't try any of those this time, I will definitely try at least some of those next time! You can also decrease the amount or eliminate any of the materials that you're not liking. The method is not much harder than making tea! Just throw all the materials together, boil for a while, and then filter and you're good to go! The only slightly tricky part was the filtering because I used powdered cinnamon, and that tends to turn a bit slimy when boiled. If that's a concern, you could try using cardamom or extra cinnamon sticks instead. I didn't find it difficult to just pour everything through a wire mesh strainer, although I did move the mesh around a bit to get some faster flow.

Chai Tea

by CJ Huang

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				water
				tea	I used loose leaf black tea.
				cream or milk	I used milk in one cup.
				sweetener	I used honey.
		1 teaspoon		ground ginger
		1/2 teaspoon		black pepper
			10	allspice berries
		1 teaspoon		cinnamon
		1 teaspoon		cloves
			1-2	cinnamon sticks

Methods:

1. Mix all ingredients except sweetener and cream.
2. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until tea is desired strength.
3. Strain into cup.
4. Add cream and sweetener if desired.

Apple Chutney

I'd never made chutney before, and I thought it was about time to give it a try! Then, I found some recipes. However, I skipped right to the recipe instead of taking a look at what a chutney should look like, so mine is a bit more moist and more sauce like. Next time, I will probably make it a bit more chunky, but I also liked the variety of ways that mine could be used. Don't get intimidated by the long materials list. Your effort will be rewarded! As far as deciding what kinds of apples to use, I think using a variety of apples can add to the depth of flavor - each type of apple bringing its own flavor profiles to the table.

What's your favorite kind of chutney?

Apple Chutney

by CJ Huang

Sweetly savory apple chutney with a warm blend of spices and a touch of heat.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
			3	apples, chopped	I used granny smith, wine sap, and red delicious.
		1/2 cup		dried cranberries
			1	onion, diced
		4-5 tablespoons		lime juice
		1 tablespoon		hot pepper flakes
		1 tablespoon		garlic, minced
		2 tablespoons		ginger, minced
		1/2 cup		brown sugar
		1 teaspoon		cinnamon powder
		3/4 teaspoon		allspice, ground
		1/2 teaspoon		nutmeg, ground

Methods:

1. Add add materials into a saucepan, and bring to a boil
2. Reduce to a simmer until thickened. You might want to stir a bit at the beginning so that nothing gets burnt, but once the juices start mixing, only occasional stirring is needed.