Basic Muffins turned into Three Different Kinds of Muffins!!

   I have been preparing wildly for tonight's Relay for Life event. I have been packing my bags of campsite decorations, gathering donations, checking with my team to be sure they are ready...and then it hit me...what in the world are you going to eat? The snacks and such that are served are not usually gluten free. You will have to take FOOD!! UGH....so I decided to bake muffins. I couldn't decide on a flavor though...so I just made three kinds. They turned out pretty good so I thought I would share the recipe with you!

Basic Muffins

2 C. Gluten Free Flour Mixture
1/2 tsp. Xantham Gum
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
2tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/4 C. Milk
2 Eggs
3 T. Oil OR 5 T Applesauce
1tsp. Vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Divide batter into muffin tins generously sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 Deg. for 15-20 minutes.

I divided my batter into thirds and added the following ingredients in to make 3 different kinds of muffins. 

Blueberry Muffins
1/3 of the batter recipe from above
1/2 -1 C Fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract.

Mix together and bake as directed

Apple Cinnamon
1/3 of the batter recipe from above
1/2 C Applesauce
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Pie Spice

Mix together and bake as directed.

Lemon Yogurt
1/3 of the batter recipe from above
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Lemon extract
1 Cup Lemon yogurt

Mix together and bake as directed.

I used applesauce instead of oil in the basic batter.

Adorable cuppeycake wrappers with awareness ribbons on them.

Divide the batter into thirds.

Lemon yogurt muffin batter

Blueberry!

The 3 different kinds of muffins.

The recipe came out making 15 muffins, so I had to use a 2nd muffin tin.

Yummy finished product! Mm Mmm Mmmm!

Blueberry came out super fluffy and yummy!

Applesauce was very moist and good flavor.

Lemon yogurt came out very very moist, could use a little more lemon flavor. Next time I will buy a lemon and put in some zest.

Luminaria for Relay for Life

     I have been busy busy trying to get myself and my team prepared for Relay for Life. If you aren't familiar with Relay, it is a event in which teams walk for 12 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. It is an overnight event and it is LOADS of fun. It raises money for an amazing cause.
     New to our event this year, we are able to decorate our luminary bags. Luminary bags are bought and represent our loved ones who have cancer, who have beat cancer, and who have passed from cancer. I have been very excited about being able to decorate the bags. I think it really adds a personal touch and shows a little about the person that the bag represents. The bags line our walking path and are lit during a very emotional and moving luminary ceremony.
     I had run across an idea the other day on Pinterest that a person had used for a party. They used real cloth doilies and glued them to the inside of their paper bags for their fancy schmancy party. I thought it would be an amazing idea to make for RELAY!! The light that passed through the doilies was just awesome. So I had to make some for some of the luminary that had been purchased through our team.
     I thought that the cost of cloth doilies would be a little much, and would make the bags too heavy. I opted to use the paper doilies that are often used under cakes and such or at Valentines day to make pretty Valentines. All I needed for my little project was the white bags that are provided to us through Relay for Life, glue, paper doilies, scissors and sticky letters.

I got small doilies, cut some into pieces and some I left whole. I glued them into place on the white bag.

I glued the doilies down in different patterns and let the glue fully dry.

Once they were dry I added the names to the bags using adhesive letters.

I think that they turned out really beautiful. I can't wait to see them lining the walking path at our Relay for Life event.

-Jessica