On Baking Therapy

I've had this basic muffin recipe for several years. The other night I was feeling like breakfast for dinner so I started a quiche. I don't know why but I simply cannot eat quiche without something sweet. I was all out of the usual suspects when it occurred to me I had a bag of apples slowly going the way of the cross in my crisper bin. Apple cinnamon muffins it is! Now let me warn you, these contain no nutritional value. They are just sweet and serve to calm my nerves. Baking brings order to my very chaotic life:)

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

• preheat oven to 400 degrees
• lightly grease muffin tins or line with cupcake papers
• 2 cups flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk (I used buttermilk but sometimes I use sour cream)
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 TBSP of real butter
• 1 tsp real vanilla
• 1 to 2 tsp cinnamon (I just eyeballed it)
• 1 to 1 1/2 peeled, chopped apple

Mix first four dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar together. Fold into dry mixture. Add eggs and milk and blend. Add remaining spices and fruit. Stir until just blended. Fill muffin cups almost to top. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until fork comes out clean. Enjoy!

Like I said this is a basic muffin recipe. You can delete and add spices and fruit to your liking. I like to make them with blueberries when they are in season.

Weebles Wobble but they won't fall down...unless boiled in hot water!

When I was a little girl my parent's bought their first home: a gorgeous, rambling, Victorian, fixer-upper. I loved, loved, loved, that house. I have fantastic memories of playing hiding seek with my siblings, which was quite a challenge with all the nooks and crannies that house held. I remember sliding across wooden floors, basking in a sunshine filled room (there were literally two walls of windows), and eating in the breakfast nook off the kitchen. I also remember opening the pantry on any given occasion to small bugs colonizing our dry goods. My parent's referred to them as weebles. I'm unclear on their scientific name. I remember eating more than one bowl of cereal half way before realizing there were weebles drowning in my bowl. Ahhh, childhood.

Needless to say I was more than a little chagrined last night when I had slaved over from scratch beef stroganoff over whole grain brown rice, only to discover there were more black flecks than usual in the rice. Never mind I reasoned, I did use the pepper grinder. Until I saw legs, yes, I am pretty sure those are legs. By this time my apparent scrutiny of my stroganoff had brought the curiosity out in the rest of the family. "What are you doing , Mom?" my son asked as he shoveled his second helping of stroganoff in his mouth. (I had only begun to eat, as the movie The Christmas Story so truthfully proclaims "my mother hasn't had a hot meal in years".) Then my very squeamish husband began to ask questions while at the same time reassuring everyone it was just the flecks in the rice. Until our son loudly proclaimed, "It's got legs! It's not rice. It's got legs!" At this point my darling husband got up to insect, excuse the Freudian slip, I mean inspect the bag of very expensive uncooked organic all natural rice. At first nothing, until he dumped the entire bag on the counter top. "Um, everybody stop eating," he said calmly. "Is it bugs?" I inquired. "Yeah, it's definitely bugs. They're still moving around in here."

So we all scrapped our plates, put on our coats, and headed for taco night at our favorite Mexican restaurant. "You know this only serves to confirm my aversion to cooking," I calmly informed my husband. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for all the meals."

Yes, this is what 36 looks like

Dear Twenty Somethings...or for that matter Dear Teenagers:

Yes, this is what 36 1/2 years of living looks like. Do not look at me like I have two heads or just dropped the F bomb in class. I am becoming accustomed to your raised eyebrows and dropped jaws when someone who is still young enough to ask others how old they are pops the deadly question. I am resigned to the fallout that occurs to all other college students within hearing. Thirty six is great, I hear forty is even better. All my pieces and parts still work as good as yours, some even work better, although out of politeness I shall not name them here. I did not have my babies when I was still a baby myself, 36 explains the nine and seven year old, don't you think? Please don't ask me to get out my driver's licence. Really? Have you ever heard of anyone lying to make themselves older???!!!! Thirty-six is just that, a number. You are as young as the body God gave you and the sense you have to treat her gently. So remember me on the eve of YOUR thirtieth birthday. Don't buy black balloons. Thirty is no occasion for tears or fears. Thirty is wonderful. It's like getting all the perks of being twenty but without being quite so, ahem, stupid.

Sincerely,

ME

For me...

I would be a liar if I said I wasn't more than a little disappointed with my feeling of isolation writing this blog. One of the things I enjoy most about blogging is reading other blogs that inspire me. I always try and leave comments or small encouragements. Perhaps it is the fact that I am such a "words" person, nevertheless, the lack of comments on this blog have left me feeling a little lonely out here in cyber space. Is there some way to check to see who if anyone is even reading this blog? I'm still trying to learn my way around blogger domain.

I try and give myself the pep talk, you know the one that says: "It takes time to establish a community anywhere. Give it time."

or

"You are not writing here for the approval of others. This is your own record of your own journey. This is a gift for yourself and your kids one day."

Still, it's disappointing. I like feedback. I like comments. I like feeling as if I'm not speaking to the wind.

All right, pity party aside. I wanted to be sure and record what's happening in our little corner of the world. We finally got the snow we have been hoping for all winter long. We live in the Appalachian mountains, but far enough south that snow is a rarity. We have watched longingly as different cold fronts have moved across the nation, hoping, just hoping they might drift a little farther south and kiss us with snow. Today was the day. We woke up to a soft dusting and gentle snow falling. The kiddos are so overjoyed and have been sledding, building snowmen and generally frolicking. Thank you kind winter for this gift.

A fun project

Here is the collage piece I put together for my Mom's birthday. Art is kinda weird for me. There is always the idea in my head first. Sometimes they just randomly come to me, and other times I am inspired by something I see. In this case I was inspired by Atlanta artist Paula Joerling who was featured in an old issue of ME's Home Companion magazine (sorry I'm unsure of the issue). There was a picture I had clipped of small dresses Joerling had created from book pages, sewing materials, and then dipped in beeswax. I wanted to incorporate this element into an entire piece using the nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary". Although my mom is far from contrary, her nickname for years has been Merry Martha and something in the merry/mary-ness of it all, it evoked this project in my head. The garden to me, being the children and grandchildren she has been so careful in tending.

I made photo copies of some poems that reminded me of my mother from very old poetry books I have. Then I set about cutting dress patterns from the paper and sewing them together. I then added some vintage trimmings I had in my sewing supplies. The lace is beautiful but not enough for a real dress so I was so excited to find somewhere to use it. Finally I dipped the whole sculptural piece in melted candle wax. I think I went a little overboard on the dipping. Next time I do one of these dresses I won't dip it quite so fervently!

And voila here is the finished project. Sorry I did not take any pics before I framed the entire thing, so the quality through the glass isn't the best, but you get the general idea.

Give, release, and breathe

It's that time of year again. The time when the holidays have left us, and a new year has begun. This is the perfect time to clean out your closet or other areas in your home that may be a wee bit cluttered. I like to clean out my closet about two times a year. The general rule I use is: if I haven't worn it in 6 months give it away. Sometimes I make exceptions for classics or sentimental favorites...but otherwise it goes on to someone else who might actually use it! The six month rule works for me because a) I don't have so many clothes in the first place and b)I keep only the current season clothes in my closet. I've been working on it some this afternoon, actually cleaned out my dresser as well, and so far I have two bags of items to donate. Now I can breathe and release. Let's exhale together, shall we?

Inspiration, failure, and other musings

I have been inspired by this blog from the Pleasures of Homemaking and this one from Happy Foody to create more meals from what we have on hand and waste less. I hate waste. I try and compost and recycle and it still seems we waste. The worst for me is when you buy fresh produce and then because of poor planning it rots in the refrigerator before you can finish it. I certainly do not have money to burn and am resolved to do better in the fresh department. Anyhoo... along these lines I created a Shepherds pie of sorts last night. It was not on the schedule of meals I had planned out before shopping but carpe diem and all that.

We had on hand...a mass amount of leftovers from KFC lovingly sent home with us from the in laws. The chicken, for all intensive purposes had been dutifully consumed, it was just all the sides hoarding space in my icebox. I also had half of a red onion not used from last week and a pea/carrot combo. I sauteed the chopped onion in a little butter and then added some ground beef. Then I dumped in the peas and carrots, some green beans, and a wee bit of KFC gravy. For good measure I threw in a can of cream of mushroom soup - which any good southerner will tell you we always keep on hand. I sliced KFC biscuits in half and lined the bottom of the pan with them. Then I poured the meat/veggie mixture over the bicuits. For the grand finale I topped it all with the leftover KFC mashed potatoes. My crew kept asking what was for dinner and I kept saying SURPRISE CASSEROLE! My son announced before dinner he was NOT eating any of it and Ewwwwww... and then he proceeded to eat two bowls at dinner. Not the healthiest recipe on the planet but resourceful n'est pas?

This morning I tried incorporating some more leftovers into breakfast. I had some steel cut oatmeal from yesterday's breakfast leftover. I found a recipe for scones using cooked oatmeal and whole wheat flour. However the scones never perked up much in the baking process. I think perhaps my baking powder has lost its potency or I added too much flour as the recipe got rave reviews from others. I still have a wee bit of oatmeal left. I might try a batch using yucky self rising flour just to see what happens...maybe throw in some dried cranberries...ohhhh my I'm getting hungry.

Other less edible inspirations include the marvelous stories and drawings found at tollipop. I'm like a kid opening a present every time I see she has posted a new one. If you haven't popped over to her blog you really should. Tres amusing.

Here on the home front I have been busy straightening the nest before chaos returns like the cyclone it is to our peaceful sleepy home. I start back on Thursday as a full time student. I am working desperately to complete my degree in Early Childhood Education. My nerves are all a twitter as I have to go before the Board this semester. I know it will be fine it's just the act of doing one more thing that seems daunting. I felt this same mix of dread and anxiety just thinking about returning to school. Alas I must summon my best little engine that could..."I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

Projects here include covering the beast of a man chair my husband dragged home (love you babe!). I will concede, the chair is delightfully comfortable, but that does little to detract from the horrendous eye sore that it is. I made a slip cover for it, and the accompanying ottoman from some grey fabric I had purchased on clearance years ago and had never done anything with. The result is a hulking, grey, slip covered mass now instead of the aforementioned behemoth. Not much better, only slightly so. It really has to do with the lines of the chair (yes, honey I am obsessed with the lines of everything...dancers and furniture). But it is a small price to pay for his cute little bootie to be all snuggled up in it every night. I love having him around more!

Other projects include creating chair cushions for the kid's dining chairs, a case to keep my new phone in, and an art piece for my mom's birthday this week. For me, creating art always starts in my head. I have these ideas, it's just getting the visual to translate from what I see in my mind's eye to an actual piece of art. The project I am working on for my mom, I am not quite sure how to put all the elements together yet. Today I will hopefully work it all out. Below is a pic of the phone case. I moved all of my sewing supplies after Christmas and I could not find my embroidery thread, so I just improvised. It is soft and will due, again not exactly as I had envisioned. I have a thing for birds...

Hope your nest is feathered and full today!