Delicious Dairy Free Mini Cinnamon Muffins

These are amazing little treats! All substitutions can be converted - use butter instead of spread and buttermilk instead of almond milk.

I bet you won't be able to taste the difference between dairy free and dairy full!

Makes 24 mini muffins

8 Tbsp melted vegan butter (I used earth balance sticks)

1 c sugar

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cinnamon 

1 1/2 c All purpose flour (or sub for cup 4 cup flour for gluten free)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c almond milk (unsweetened)

1 lg egg 

Preheat oven to 375 and spray tins with non-stick spray.

1. Combine 1/2c sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon - set aside for dipping

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining tsp cinnamon.  Whisk.

3. In a mixing bowl combine 6 Tbsp butter spread, remaining 1/2c sugar, almond milk and egg.  Mix until combined.

4.  Slowly add dry mixture and mix only until combined.

5. Spoon in 1Tbsp batter into each tin and bake 8-10min until tops are brown.

6.  Remove and let stand for 10 min or so -- then dip tops in remaining butter spread then into cinnamon sugar mixture.

 

Our Trip To Francis Coppola Winery - Something For Everyone!

Living on the coast - we have some gorgeous days, but we also have those cloudy, overcast even rainy days throughout the summer.  I love living walking distance to the beach but our family craves hot and sunny summer days where we can don our bathing suits, slap on some suncream and relax by the pool.  When the craving is more than we can bear, we head to Francis Coppola Winery, in Geyserville, less than a 2 hour drive north of Half Moon Bay.

We purchase a "cabine", which is a european style changing room.  You can change inside, store your belongings and there's even a shower to rinse off at the end of the day.  The cabine includes 4 passes for the pool, 4 lounge chairs at the pool, 4 towels,  2 souvenir water bottles and wines tasting flights for 4.

The pool is great for kids although they don't allow floaties or toys, lifejackets are permitted.  There are 2 bocce courts, live music on Fridays, the fabulous Pool Cafe with perfectly prepared pizza (that transport your tastebuds to Italy), a variety of salads, sandwiches, gelato and of course, wine.  There is also a reading teepee packed full of books for kids to peruse through while lounging by the pool.

What to pack?
Bathing suit, sunscreen, goggles, shampoo/soap for shower - 

A short drive but it sure feels like vacation.

Olallieberry Picking ... Our Summer Tradition

The weekend after school lets out for summer, if the weather is cooperating, my family and I head down to Swanton Berry Farm to pick baskets and baskets of olallieberries.

 Olallieberries are a cross between loganberries and blackberries and if you haven't tried them yet, you should definitely visit the berry farm for a taste. 

They taste sweet, tart and a little floral.  They are delicious in pies, tarts, jams, crumbles or just on their own.  Olallieberries have a limited picking season that begins mid June through the end of July.

If you don't have time to pick your own, Swanton has berries for sale by the basket and also sell jams and jellies.  Swanton also sells strawberries and blackberries and in December you can even pick your own Kiwi from their orchard.

After all that berry picking we were all ready for lunch.  We drove a short drive to Pescadero's infamous Duarte's Tavern for some artichoke soup, I got the 1/2 and 1/2 with green chile.

The perfect end to another school year.