The Strawberry Harvest

This post was sponsored by Eat Smart as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. I received product samples to facilitate my review.

Autumn has arrived and with it comes baking season, my friends. Literally, my favorite time of the year for two reasons: baked goods and more baked goods. Oh, the carbs! So, as you can imagine, I struggle a bit to find balance and nutrition in my Fall routine. But I have learned the hard way that the key to both my happiness and health during this season is balance. With every baked good, I challenge myself to eat a separate wholesome, substantive meal. Sounds like basic logic, but you’d be surprised how many years it took me to figure this out. In comes Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits to save the day.

Yes, this is a sponsored post and yes, I have been paid to tell you about the brand, but in all truthfulness Eat Smart is a staple in my home. I always make sure to have a stash of their Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits in my fridge for refreshingly convenient and delicious ways to incorporate some healthy eating into my life. Literally just pop open the bag, add the pre-packaged toppings and dressing, toss and you’re done. They’re fabulous for appetizers, entrees, or lunch paired with a decadent Fall-themed sweet. Cue the baked goods!

I was inspired to create a Strawberry Harvest muffin to be paired with Eat Smart’s delicious Strawberry Harvest Salad. Because can you ever really get enough strawberries?!  Well then, lets do this! Find out where to get your Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kit here and then grab my muffin recipe below.

STRAWBERRY HARVEST MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, halved
2. 1/4 cup of roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4. 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
5. 1/2 cup of almond meal
6. 1 cup of granulated sugar
7. 1/2 cup of butter (softened)
8. 2 eggs
9. 1 cup of Greek yogurt
10. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
11. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
12. 1/4 teaspoon of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a large muffin pan and place 4″x4″ parchment paper squares in each slot.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
3. In a stand mixer, mix the sugar and butter until creamy. Then add the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Combine using a spatula until fully mixed and has a thick dough consistency.
5. Pour the batter evenly into each muffin slot in the pan. Decorate the top of each muffin by lightly pushing in the strawberry halves into the top. Sprinkle a generous amount of the pumpkins seeds to finish.
6. Place in the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!

And if that’s not enough goodness to keep you satiated, Eat Smart is giving our lovely readers the chance to win one of ten $50 AMEX Gift Cards and samples of all five Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kits. Make sure to enter soon, the giveaway ends October 7th! And while you’re at it, make sure to follow Eat Smart on Facebook and sign up for their monthly e-newsletter when you enter the contest below.

Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Salad Kit Giveaway

I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes (10)