Shameless Product Placement of June

Holy freaking moly. How is it already the last day of June. When I got home from work Monday night, I sat down to ponder what my next blog post would be. After taking a few moments to review my monster list of topic ideas, the date hit me like a brick in the face. I quickly realized a shameless product placement was in order. They're not always the most informative pieces, but they are easy.  Much like CSPAN, these posts are nearly effortless and run the risk of putting you to sleep. You're welcome.

I cannot continue without first acknowledging this Blagojevich situation. How could he have possibly thought he could sell Obama's Senate seat and not get caught in the process? We're talking about a man whose dismissal from The Apprentice was reportedly due to his technological inadequacies. He literally could not use a computer or text for that matter. On Monday he was found guilty on 17 counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion, soliciting bribes, conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy to solicit and accept bribes. I would think that in order to even attempt getting away with any of this, some knowledge of how to operate an iPhone would be necessary. This isn't Hogan's Heroes.  

Now then, the Shameless Product Placement of June is....

Natural Peanut Butter 

I was a kid raised on Jiff. It was (and still is) delicious awesomeness. From the artery clogging sensation it induced to the way it cements to plates in the dishwasher, I genuinely loved everything about it. It sufficed for the first twenty or so years of my life. But the honeymoon had to eventually come to an end. A of couple years back, a cardiovascular surgeon was a guest at the after school program where I volunteered to help teach inner-city middle schoolers how to cook healthfully. He brought in real human hearts, each one having a greater degree of cardiovascular disease. They were interestingly disgusting. Being the strong stomached girl that I am, I fainted only four times, wet myself twice and threw up once. You'd think after one of those episodes, someone would have asked me to leave the room.

The demonstration continued on with a miniature Eat This Not That lesson: chicken over red meat, fruit over candy, olive oil over butter, blah blah blah. One topic discussed was trans fats. Thanks to the butter vs. margarine post from Monday, you've been well informed on trans fats. The thing about a lot of peanut butter products out there is they contain hydrogenated oil(s). That probably means nothing to most of you, so I encourage you to keep reading.  There's a prize at the end.

To put hydrogenation into laymen's terms, the word simply means to treat with hydrogen. By chemically introducing hydrogen to oils, it turns them into solid fats. It's a process done to extend a food's shelf life. You'll recall from butter vs. margarine that NYC health code prevents food service operations from using artificial trans fats. Hydrogenated oils are one such example.

There is a slight catch when it comes to fat labeling. A product can claim to be 'trans fat free' and list zero grams of trans fat on the nutrition label if there is less than 0.5g per serving. Okay, that's fine. However, that food doesn't necessarily remain trans fat free if you eat three servings of it. Enough about the mundane details of labeling, let's get to the good stuff.

Similar to all other products I've chosen to spotlight on this blog, the theme they all seem to carry is simplicity. All of them (all two of them) have contained a limited number of easy-to-read ingredients. This one is no exception.

Most natural peanut butters typically have one, maybe two, ingredients: peanuts and salt. Yes, this is the kind you have to stir and store in your refrigerator. Over the last three years I've tried numerous brands and various nut versions - think almond and cashew. As a former Jiff devotee, the best one I've found is Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter. It's sweet and has a normal peanut butter consistency, not that gritty texture other natural nut butters often bring to the table. Best of all, Smucker's has somehow discovered a way to make a natural peanut butter than requires little to no stirring.

Other than the traditional pb & j, I thought I'd give you some other unique ideas for ways to eat peanut butter.

1. Spread onto a frozen waffle for an easy on-the-go breakfast or snack
2. Stir it into your oatmeal as it finishes cooking and top with banana or apple slices 
3. Spread onto apple slices and top with granola
4. Put into a smoothie
5. Spread onto pretzels, graham crackers, or squares of dark chocolate

That list got increasingly decadent. For a while I boycotted peanut butter due it's fat content. Was I insane? Yes. Here's the thing about fat.  Like the infamous carbohydrate, fat should not be feared. Of the macro-nutrients, fat is the most complex one to digest and therefore, keeps you feeling full longer. If you disagree that capitalizing on satiety is not a fundamental part of weight loss and/or weight maintenance, meet me outside. But peanut butter isn't just a good source of fat, it also packs some protein.  Two tablespoons equals one ounce of protein.

Check this scrumptious stuff out!  No need to go to a health food store either. Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter can be found in your normal grocery store.  It's available in Creamy, Chunky, Honey, or No Salt Added. Come back next week for I don't know what, but it's sure to be fantastic.

The Great Debate: Butter or Margarine

Will someone please take Tim Pawlenty out of the running for the 2012 Republican Party Presidential Candidacy? Watching him during interviews makes me so uncomfortable I actually feel compelled to mute my television, the audio equivalent of looking away from the screen during a horror or Omnimax film. It's a compulsion propelled by either fear or queasiness. Between CNN's New Hampshire GOP debate where he back peddled unmercifully about "Obamnie" Care and his agonizing references to Lady Gaga, Charlie Sheen, and Justin Bieber during the Iowa Caucus, his public appearances have become cringe worthy at times. Exhibit A:

"If this were a Lady Gaga song, the relationship between the youth vote and Barack Obama would be 'Bad Romance.'"

I still like to think of myself as a youth, and even I think he should consider a new speechwriter. Honestly Tim, love him or hate him, Obama has the youth vote. Please stop straining yourself. You know who Tim Pawlenty loves more than a bad awkward pop culture reference? Paula Deen*. You know what Paula Deen loves? Butter.

*Not a factual statement 

Are we there yet? Yes. I decided I would treat my avid followers with a topic I get confronted with anytime baked goods are discussed. Which is better, butter or margarine? I hate this question. When asked, my response is never as simple as the thoughts that formulate in my brain. And like that subscription to People magazine your sister-in-law gave you three years ago for your birthday, it's a gift that keeps on giving. One answer leads to another question and before you know it, you're discussing UNICEF at a Starbucks over two stale muffins and a bad cup of herbal tea.

So before we begin this 'which is better' debacle, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You're asking the wrong question. Neither one is exactly "healthy". The more accurate question to pose is which is less harmful? 

Below is the pertinent data you need to compare the two:

One Tablespoon of Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter

Calories: 100  

Cholesterol: 30 mg

Total Fat: 11 grams 

Saturated Fat: 7grams 

Trans Fat: 0 grams

One Tablespoon of Land O Lakes Margarine 

Calories: 100

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Total Fat: 11 grams

Saturate Fat: 2 grams

Trans Fat: 2.5 grams

Both butter and margarine match each other calorie for calorie. It's the cholesterol content and the distribution of fat that differs between the two. Let's talk cholesterol first. If you read my post on eggs, you'll know that only animal based products contain cholesterol, which is why margarine has no cholesterol. Don't let the packaging fool you; it's made from soybean oil. Margarine boasting its cholesterol free-ness is like a bottle of Aquafina proclaiming there's water inside without tire pieces.

Now then, when it comes to total fat both counterparts contain 11 grams. Total fat intake for an adult over the age of 19 should be between 20-35% of total calories. If you consume 2,000 calories a day your fat intake should fall between 400-700 calories or 45-78 grams. As you can see 11 grams wouldn't ruin your WHOLE day. 

What's more important to address when playing the 'which is worse' game, is to look at how the fat breaks down. While butter contains more saturated fat, margarine contains more trans fat.  If you're wondering which is worse for you, I'm here to tell you trans fat trumps saturated fat any day of the week.

Saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff). While that's not ideal, trans fat not only raises LDL cholesterol it also lowers your HDL cholesterol (the good stuff). Trans fat is the karate chop of fat sources. For this reason, the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend to limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total calories and trans fat consumption as much as possible, meaning don't eat any if you can avoid it. It's for this very reason that as of 2006, food labels had to start including trans fat information and the New York City Health Code required all restaurants and food service operations no longer use artificial trans fats.

Enough technical talk, it's now time for my opinion. When it comes to dessert/baked goods, are you really eating them to be healthy?  I'm not saying there isn't a time a place for a healthful dessert, but really? And at the end of the day, how much of the spread are you actually consuming.  If I had to guess, I'd say it's not an entire stick everyday.

For the sake of application let's look at an average chocolate chip cookie recipe yielding 60 cookies and calling for 2 sticks of butter. You'd have to eat almost four cookies to consume one tablespoon of butter. Consuming four cookies in one sitting isn't impossible, but are you doing it on a daily basis? Probably not.

I recently had this butter vs. margarine debate and what I tell people time and time again is that if I'm eating dessert give me the butter. I'm not eating this cranberry orange scone as a favor to my waistline or because it's 'healthy'. I'm eating it because I want something delicious and decadent. A nutrition student is choosing butter over margarine? What kind of a world are we living in? What's the catch? The catch is moderation.  No, I'm not sitting on a high horse. It's actually a very large pony. Thank you for noticing. They breed them in China now. But seriously, I'm not perfect. And if I'm not perfect, I don't expect it from others. Besides, perfection is overrated and almost as frustrating as staring into the eyes of the 44th Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee. Please revisit my Sloth comment here.

When it comes to which fat to avoid more, it's trans fat hands down. There is some good news out there. Trans fat free margarine does exist! The key is to look for non-hydrogenated margarine. Brands like Benecol, Blue Bonnet Soft Spread, and Smart Balance all contain zero grams of trans fat. While these substitutes might work for spreading onto toast or a baked potato, they really churn out some foul baked goods.  If you're so inclined to experiment and you think they're good, you're a liar. Either that or you've never tasted real food before.

So there you have it. You probably wanted a more direct answer, but that's the best I can give you. Having somewhat endorsed butter as my go-to fat source for baking allow me to say this: If you have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease I encourage you to meet with your doctor or an RD before going hog wild on all things butter.

I'd like to close with two thoughts. (1) I've mentioned before that I like consuming products where I can read all the ingredients and the list itself is short. Most imitation margarine products are the opposite of this ideology. Bearing this in mind, most butters tend to have two ingredients at most: sweet cream and salt. (2) Personally, at the end of the day, I'd rather have one real dessert than seven fake ones.

Disturbing Literature & The Snickers Bar in Your Blood Stream

A few years ago I picked up Dr. Gillian McKeith's, You Are What You Eat. To say I instantly regretted it would be an over statement. To say I slept for two days straight after reading it would also be a derivative of the truth. Looking back, I'm not sure why I even purchased the bloody thing and now, with four years of nutrition education under my belt, I find it rather funny that I did.  But first let me say kudos to her for having the moxie to write and publish a book. I have anxiety over this blog, a portal for my thoughts for which I receive absolutely no compensation.

Let's start out by doing due diligence. Dr. Gillian McKeith is a Scottish nutritionist with the teeth to prove it. She's also a UK television presenter and writer. She has a degree in linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania in international relations. She received a Masters and a Ph D in holistic nutrition via a distance-learning program from the non-accredited American Holistic College of Nutrition, later the Clayton College of Natural Health in Birmingham, Alabama which has since closed. 

There are numerous portions of her book that made me do a double take. Herbal and nutritional supplements to suppress appetite, aromatherapy vein massage, a healthy teeth program involving horsetail and oat straw supplements (yes, you read that right), and a stress self check questionnaire (if I don't know I'm stressed, I probably shouldn't be reading this book) are just a few. Oh and lastly, I cannot ignore the section titled "Cleaning Out the Dirty Sink" in which she recommends an enema or colonic on the day of a cleanse. Ouch. Also, I'm not super fond of thinking of my colon as a dirty sink, but okay.

Moving On.  In Chapter 5 titled, Top 5 Bummers, she discusses the regulation of insulin and glucose in the body.  Allow me to catch you up to speed.  A more relatable word for glucose (in reference to our blood) is blood sugar. Insulin is the hormone that drives glucose into cells when our blood sugar levels rise. This innate process is crucial for clearing sugar out of our bloodstream. And we're back.  She provides the reader with the following "Glucose Tolerance Self-Check" quiz to allow you to identify if you may have a problem with regulating your insulin and/or glucose levels.  Thanks?

1. Difficulty concentrating
2. Excessive consumption of caffeine, chocolate or cigarettes
3. Excessive sweating
4. Excessive thirst
5. Extreme difficulty in getting out of bed
6. Falling asleep in the middle of the day/feeling really drowsy
7. Inability to get going without caffeine/nicotine fix
8. Irritability without frequent meals
9. Need for more than eight hours' of sleep a night

Umm...crap. Let me tell you folks, I do not have any issues regulating glucose at this time and I am literally nine for nine on that questionnaire.  Most days, I've experienced all nine by 3pm. My life gets very real when I've gone more than four hours without eating and if you've ever witnessed me on less than eight hours of sleep, you know my demeanor resembles that of Attila the Hun. It's like witnessing a punk rock band actively contract sun poising in front of your eyes. I'm truly a delight under the right circumstances.

What is it about most nutrition related literature that can really freak a reader out? Sometimes it seems most of these authors corner the market on scare tactics and drastic recommendations (*see horsetail). Honestly though, one scary nutrition book can lead you to find the most normal things in your life to be a medical emergency. It reminds me of when I was taking Medical Terminology. We had just covered the urology chapter and without being too graphic I had eaten red beets for dinner and in the morning I awoke to a toilet bowl full of temporary terror.

In all seriousness though, insulin resistance can lead to some pretty heavy complications. For example, it can be a precursor for Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So although I'm scoffing this little questionnaire, You Are What You Eat has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, so you better believe people are reading it.

Having said this I feel it's important to arm you with some knowledge because calling out your caffeine fix for a medical condition just isn't fair. Common symptoms of insulin resistance (or glucose intolerance) can include excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, and polyphagia (excessive hunger/eating).  Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar can be further evidenced by fatigue, headache or blurred vision. As you can see, some of the items on McKeith's list are right on track with these symptoms. Here's what I'd say. If you have a family history of insulin resistance or diabetes, you're probably already aware of the signs. If you experience any of them on a daily basis, do more than take a self-assessment questionnaire. Please go see your doctor.

If you're interested in this book, by all means check it out.  The book does have some merits.  She pushes healthy eating 101: fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, etc. However, there is a lot of information to keep track of and a smattering of some rather odd practices. Personally, I don't think food needs to be this hard. The plan she designs is rather complicated and time consuming for us mere mortals to follow on a daily basis. Nevertheless, who doesn't want to read a book where the author states on the cover, "Slimmer, healthier, and happier...that's my promise to you". If only there was a chapter on techniques for paying off student loans.

June's Nutrition Hot Topic: Plate Vs Pyramid

This topic is fresh off the press. It cannot get any hotter than this. I've literally singed off my fingerprints by merely writing about this one. Last week the USDA unveiled the newest version of the Food Guide Pyramid, except it's no longer a pyramid. The newest model for healthy eating has adopted the shape of a plate. This seems practical enough. While I've heard mixed reviews about the new plate, I have to say no matter what the USDA designs, I think it's impossible to please everyone 100% of the time. I do not envy the task force whose job it was to design this thing. Pyramid, plate, or poodle - conveying the message of healthy eating in one clear, concise image is never as simple as it sounds. There are countless sources out there feeding us information on what healthy eating really is.  It's vegetarian, vegan, Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Weight Watchers and the list goes on and on. So for now, I simply want to discuss a few of the older Food Guide Pyramids and address the new Food Plate.

I think most of us are familiar with the 1992 version of the Food Guide Pyramid. I know it's the one I grew up with and it tends to be the most recognized version. This pyramid is uncomplicated; the largest group being grains, then fruits and vegetables, followed by dairy and various protein sources and finally concluded with fats, oils and sweets. Attached to each group are serving suggestions.

But Kimberly, aren't carbohydrates the enemy? Should everyone consume 11 servings of grain in a day? No. That is why ranges are given. While hunting around online for articles on our various Food Guide Pyramids, a common response readers supplied was that our grains group should not be the base of our food models. I find myself saying this all the time, but carbohydrates are not your enemy. On average, one serving of grain is about 15 grams of carbohydrate or 100 calories. If you consume the minimum recommended amout (6 servings according to the 1992 model) that equates to 600 calories a day. If you think that sounds like a lot of calories, I encourage you to seek professional help.

Honestly, I kind of like the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid. It's simple and straightforward. There's no color-coding or guess work required. All it needs is a little tweaking. Throw in something about whole grains, specify diary sources should be low fat, emphasize lean protein, and give examples of what makes up a serving size in each category and like that chick with the braces you took to Prom, this thing is ready to go.

Maybe it's not that simple, but I think the 1992 version of the Food Guide Pyramid was a boat load better than the 2005 train wreck the USDA designed. It's like the Department of Agriculture got Gremlins wet, gave them some computer software and locked them in a room for 48 hours. The final product turned out to be more confusing than the LOST series finale. I myself didn't understand it. I try to use the word "hate" sparingly in my vocabulary. But this 2005 version is about as pointless as putting lifejackets in a casino. To say I loved this pyramid would be as idiotic as U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner's inability to identify whether or not that lewd photo was of himself. Which to me begs three questions: (1) Are you really THAT unfamiliar with the lower half of your body? (2) Are there so many indecent photos of you running around, you simply cannot keep track of them all? (3) Really?!

Moving on. The only thing they got right on this version was the direct shout-out to physical activity. That stick figure knows the importance of getting your heart rate up. Other than that, this bewildering depiction of a properly balanced diet is about as understandable as a five year old explaining their favorite part about naptime.

The widths of each category are supposed to indicate the intended portion of the diet each group should make up. Instead it's like an optical illusion.  Is the dairy band bigger than the vegetable band?! There is zero indication of portion size. The fats portion of the pyramid looks like it was hastily added at the end, not unlike you're decision to use the restroom at the movie theatre three minutes before the show starts. The only example of fat provided in the menagerie of images is canola oil. Helpful. If you want to know anything about the number of servings allotted per day or what makes up a serving size you must log on to mypryamid.gov and root around until you find the answer. This is super applicable to the general population who has vast amounts of time on their hands. Ugh. I cannot discuss this thing any further.

Which brings us to the new Food Plate. I think it may be slightly better than the 2005 Food Guide Pyramid. While I don't hate it, I also don't love it. Returning to simplicity is something I find myself stating and restating. We make food too difficult.  It doesn't have to be so complicated. Yes, this is true. It seems like the USDA was reading my blog and designed this plate with my verbiage in mind.

Bam! Above is the new food model for the United States population. A plate half filled with fruits and vegetables, a grains portion equal to that of the vegetables and a small source of protein. All this coupled with a glass/bowl of dairy. Got it? Thank you all for reading. Good night.

Below are purely my opinions. Take them. Leave them. Pass them off as your own. I don't care.

First let's discuss what they got right.
1. Visualization
For starters a plate is much more relatable than a pyramid.  We eat the majority of our meals off them, so to reinvent our food guide model onto this shape was somewhat genius (boy, does that feel like the wrong word). One common complaint I hear from old and young people alike is that they don't know how to eat. That may sound ridiculous, but it's not. By depicting what the average meal should resemble, this model helps us imagine what a properly balanced diet looks like. And this is a step in the right direction. Essentially, the USDA is saying mimic this design, and you're on the right track.

2. Plate Portions
If there is one thing you should have noticed about this plate, it's that half of it is covered in stuff many of us don't get enough of: fruits and vegetables.  It's pretty optimistic to get half your plate filled with both of these groups.  So maybe start small.  Perhaps it's filling a quarter of your plate with these items. Regardless, bulking up on fruits and vegetables can be a great way to fill your belly and still retain a low calorie meal. And that right there can be a recipe for weight loss.

3. Re-labeled Protein
The most notable change in this food model, other than its shape, is the protein portion.  It is no longer labeled meat and beans (see the 2005 version). The plainer "protein" title indicates, to me anyway, that there are other protein sources out there besides meat. Beans, legumes, and nuts are just a few of the lesser-known protein sources.

Now for the mistakes.
1. Grains
I've spoken to a handful of people about it and there is one unanimous observation constantly brought up. What makes up grains? You mean the orange pie wedge didn't provide you with enough information? Oy! There's also no mention of whole grains. If you read my post on whole grains you'll recall the new USDA dietary guidelines recommend half our grain consumption to be whole grains.

2. Missing Foods
Where are the healthy fats and sweets? I understand we're in the middle of an obesity crisis, but to completely take them off the table, so to speak, seems rather glaring.  We've gone from sparingly to obsolete in less than 10 years time.

First Lady, Michelle Obama, has attached her name to the cause of healthier eating. Her Let's Move! Campaign is aimed to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. This is an optimistic goal I hope occurs during my lifetime.  But is healthy eating really about deprivation? Simply not including healthy fats and sweets doesn't mean people will stop consuming them. In fact by not addressing them at all, it may do the exact opposite. 

3. Over Simplification
This last point encompasses the plate in its entirety. Is the plate so rudimentary that is doesn't provide any information at all? Yes it's basic and straight forward, but there's so much ambiguity to it. What qualifies as grains? When/where does dessert fit into the picture? Where are the serving suggestions? Dairy isn't just the apparent glass of milk. Other sources include cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc. and all should be low fat or fat free.

This plate poses a substantial amount of questions. What those who designed it will tell you is that you can go to choosemyplate.gov for more information. Here is where you can get your questions answered.  That's great.  But I thought a food model should answer questions, not create more of them.

Lastly, I'd like to discuss the Mediterranean's Food Guide Pyramid. I've mentioned it on this blog before and now is as good a time as any to bring it out. The Mediterranean diet has been touted for many years for its emphasis on healthy oils, fish, and use of fresh produce.

As you can see, the pyramid is based on physical activity.  Daily-consumed groups include grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, olive oil, cheese and yogurt.  Fish, poultry, eggs, and sweets should be consumed a couple times a week and meat on a monthly basis.  Lastly, the pyramid recommends 6 glasses of water a day and wine in moderation.  I love how our new Food Plate didn't even include healthy fats or sweets, yet somehow the Mediterraneans got both plus booze on theirs! What are we doing?!

In closing, the new Food Plate is not prefect.  It's missing important pieces of information, but its design does make it more relevant. Visualizing what a proper meal should look like can come in handy to the average American wanting to make dietary adjustments. However, does this new Food Plate provide you with enough information?  Although it may be a step in the right direction, is there really enough there to guide or influence the way you eat?

Last week an article ran on the Huffington Post's website, introducing the new Food Plate. The article was short and sweet. What I found interesting were the viewer comments. Gnomechomsky wrote:

"The USDA's food plate chart doesn't really make me want to eat healthier; it just makes me want to play Trivial Pursuit."

I think we can all agree to that.

Blueberry Muffins

As a graduation gift to myself, I purchased a bike over the weekend.  Part of me thought, Humph! Shouldn't my parents be getting me this as a congratulatory gesture? But I quickly recalled the fact they have been generously putting me through not four, but five years of college. Waves of nausea were quickly followed by feeling as though I was the one responsible for shooting Bambie's mother. I blame my own transient narcissism on my generation's ego-centric mentality. When JK Rowling hands you the Harry Potter series as kids and then Mark Zuckerberg invents Facebook for your teen and early adult years, the generation is bound to grow up solely thinking about themselves. Our sense of self worth has only trended in an upward moving direction, never being deterred by frivolous matters like the economy, bioterrorism threats, or the resignation of Jim Tressel. We just expect awesomeness to fall into our laps. When it doesn't naturally happen, we tend to wind up jaded and little bit pissed. Man we're abominable.

I've decided to make the post of the week a recipe. While recovering from a three-day weekend filled with biking, running, baseball, and dart throwing I thought I'd make it easy on myself. I mentioned my Nana's blueberry muffins in the last post. These things aren't so much muffins, as they are cupcakes without frosting. Don't get me wrong they are delicious. I don't know where exactly she got the recipe from, but whoever it was, they loved their sugar. These are the kind of muffins that just sit in a lump in your chest for about 20 minutes post consumption. While you don't have to twist my arm to get me to eat one, I have recently put my own spin on the recipe. I am a dietetics major after all. So here is my revamped blueberry muffin recipe.

Blueberry Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Coarse white sparking sugar for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tin with papers or grease each cup. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand-held or stand mixer, until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
5. Add vanilla and yogurt and mix until incorporated.
6. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth. It will be thick.
7. Fold in berries by hand, using a wooden spoon or spatula.
8. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins and top with coarse white sugar, if desired.
9. Bake for 18-24 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove muffins and allow muffins to finish cooling.

I took this picture!!!

I do have a few helpful tips for these muffins. One, if using frozen berries, do not allow them to thaw. Incorporating them into the batter frozen helps prevent the berries from bleeding into the batter.  This may add 5 minutes of bake time to your muffins. 

Secondly, your freezer is often times your best ally in the kitchen.  This cavernous, frigid box seems to go forgotten by many. It's not just there to store your coffee grounds and ice cream novelties.  I have now lived on my own (as in sans roommates) for the last two years, and without my freezer I think I would have gone insane.  For people living in a large household, freezing leftovers or baked goods seems idiotic. If you're one of those people, you're right. However, there are some of us out there who want to enjoy the lasagnas, muffins, bagels, and soups but don't want to feel obligated to eat them every day of the week in order to prevent the guilt that follows wasting food. This is where your freezer comes in. I do a lot of batch cooking where I'll divide up the final product and then freeze it in single servings. This concept applies to these muffins. Even if there are a lot of mouths to feed I recommend freezing them. One, it protects their freshness much longer than if you'd let them sit out on the counter. Two, when they're out of sight, they're out of mind.

Bearing this tip in mind, once your muffins have completely cooled, place them in a one-gallon freezer bag and let your freezer act as a preservative.  I hope you enjoy!