Time for a Taste of Something New - Penzeys Spices

My garden inspires me. There is not a better feeling
than going out and picking what I need and cooking it
right away,” says Teresa Bacon of Raleigh, North
Carolina. “I want to cook healthy, with fresh produce and
fruits. What better way than to grow your own?
“What grows in the garden dictates what I cook. When
you are overrun with veggies, you try to fix them in as
many different ways as you can so as not to get tired of
them. There are many things I will cook only when they
are in season. When we have fresh lettuce and kale, we’ll
eat salad twice a day, so I’ll try to come up with many
different ways to make salads.”
Teresa also preserves foods by freezing them so they
don’t go to waste. She bakes pies and muffins, makes fig
preserves, eggplant Parmesan, spaghetti sauces and salsas
and packages them for later use. This means a wellstocked
fridge and freezer, which doesn’t bother
husband Everett one bit.
Teresa didn’t start cooking until she got married 23
years ago. She then combined everything she learned
from watching her mother cook with her own interest in
gardening. The result was the discovery that she enjoys
cooking with “simple, fresh and quality ingredients.”
That’s deliciously evident in Teresa’s recipes such as
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
If you’re looking for the perfect way to kick-start your day, try these muffins from Teresa.
Streusel Topping:
1 ⁄3 Cup flour
2 TB. brown sugar
1 1 ⁄2 tsp. PENZEYS CINNAMON
1 ⁄4 tsp. GROUND NUTMEG
1 ⁄4 Cup cold butter
1 ⁄8 Cup old-fashioned oatmeal
See SPICE INDEX on page 61
Teresa Bacon
1 Cup flour
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1
⁄2 tsp. salt
1
⁄2 tsp. PENZEYS CINNAMON
1
⁄8 tsp. GROUND NUTMEG
1
⁄2 Cup butter (1 stick)
1
⁄2 Cup sugar
1
⁄2 Cup brown sugar
1
⁄2 Cup orange juice
1 tsp. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1
⁄2 tsp. ORANGE or LEMON PEEL, rehydrated
in 2 tsp. water, optional
1
⁄4 Cup coarse sugar (for topping)
To prepare the Streusel Topping: In a mixing
bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar,
CINNAMON and NUTMEG. Blend in the butter
using a fork or your fingers until the topping
resembles coarse crumbs. Add the oatmeal and
mix well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a muffin
pan, set aside. In a large bowl sift together
the flours, baking soda, salt, CINNAMON and
NUTMEG.
In a medium saucepan melt the butter over
medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, blend in
the sugars. Remove from heat and beat in the
orange juice and VANILLA, then the eggs. Stir
into the flour mixture. Fold in the blueberries and
ORANGE or LEMON PEEL, if using. Spoon into
the muffin pan; sprinkle on the streusel topping
and coarse white sugar. Bake at 350° for 20-22
minutes.
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 20-22 minutes
Yield: 12
Nutritional Information: Servings 12; Serving Size 1 muffin (91g);
Calories 290; Calories from fat 110; Total fat 13g; Cholesterol
60mg; Sodium 300mg; Carbohydrate 42g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
Teresa Bacon and husband Everett enjoy hiking. The rocky
terrain in Utah provides a picture-perfect backdrop.
Curry Pot Pie (page 21) which she makes with a whole
wheat crust with fresh minced rosemary folded into the
dough…and Blueberry Streusel Muffins that are bursting
with sweetness from berries fresh from her garden.
“I have a passion for cooking. It is therapeutic for me.
And I enjoy cooking for those I love and seeing them
enjoy what I cook. Cooking to me is love and comfort.”
1-800-741-7787 | www.penzeys.com 17