Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins

Hello! You've found me! After posting to The Fox Foodie blog for over a year I knew it was time for a change. I don't think I was looking much into the future when I created it, as I never thought of what I would do once I graduated from George Fox University and it was no longer as appropriate to call myself the Fox Foodie. 

Although as an alum I could still refer to myself with such a name, but I feel times are a changin' and so must this blog. I am now--as my friends would call me--a "real adult". I am no longer a college student, and am trying to make this blog reflect that (besides I needed to redeem myself after neglecting The Fox Foodie since February!).

How did I become "The Muffin Girl" you might ask? Well, besides being a cute and catchy name, if I had to pick one thing I enjoy cooking or baking the most I would have to say muffins! Muffins are the slightly healthier cousin of the cupcake (and if you know me at all you will know I have a slight obsession with cupcakes), and can be eaten for breakfast without too much guilt!

Blueberry Lavender Freezer Jam

I absolutely adore blueberries. They are my favorite berry and lucky for me they are one of the healthiest foods there is. As with many other fruits, I went blueberry picking this summer. In total we picked about 20 pounds of blueberries and bought another fifteen.

(Random fact: while picking blueberries I picked a kitten as well. I had been wanting a kitten and there they were running around the blueberry patch! The owner said I could have one, so now I have more than just frozen blueberries from that trip, I also have Berry the cat!) 

In order to preserve some of the delicious blueberries I decided to make blueberry jam. But not just any blueberry jam, lavender blueberry jam (are you sick of my lavender posts yet?).

As with my lavender lemon bars I used lavender sugar to give this jam the faintest fragrance of lavender. At first I couldn't taste it, but as I swallowed it lingered on your tongue. I think it is an absolutely marvelous combination! 

I decided to make this a freezer jam so I didn't have to fuss with making real jam. But this combination can easily be made into canned jam (just make sure you follow a different blueberry jam recipe for the traditional canning process).

Since I am posting this quite a few weeks (ok, maybe months!) after I picked blueberries and made this jam, I would like to point out that this jam can be made just as deliciously with frozen blueberries. Just thaw them out and you're good to go!

Blueberry Lavender Freezer Jam

Adapted from the recipe inside Sure-Jell Pectin box

• 3 cups crushed blueberries
• 5 1/4 cups lavender sugar (recipe follows)
• 1 box pectin
• 3/4 cup water

1. Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Use 1 to 2 cup size containers. 
2. Prepare blueberries by discarding stems and crushing (or blending in a food processor). 
3. Measure 3 cups crushed blueberries in a bowl and add 5 1/4 cups lavender sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Stir 1 box pectin and 3/4 cup water in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, sitting constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 
5. Stir pectin mixture into fruit or juice mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. 
6. Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top for expansion during freezing, cover. 
7. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

Lavender Sugar

•  1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp dried lavender flowers.

Combine sugar and 2 tbsp dried lavender in an airtight container and let sit for at least two days, preferably more. Sift out lavender before using. Multiple this recipe as many times as necessary.