The Muffin Lady

 Welcome!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam 

After a disastrous blogging failure I haven’t wanted to attempt a blog for awhile.

I spent well over 10 hours researching, finding photos and identifying credits, and writing a blog on 

The History of Handkerchiefs.

It was a great one!

One Kings Lane 

Trying to add in a credit for a photo, blogger did its’ typical pain in the you-know-what. Then, poof.

POOF!

My entire blog was gone except the title, labels and 1 credit for a photo no longer there!

Found on Pinterest

I’ve been just sick about it.

Time for comfort food, and one of my favorites are

MUFFINS!

I thought today I would share a recipe from one of my favorite muffin cookbooks, “The Muffin Lady”.

Nothing like a warm, buttered muffin to make a gal feel better...

Morning Glory Muffins    Makes 6- 12 depending on size of pans

Remember to read all directions first!

My personal notes are in bright blue.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare muffin cups by lining with wax paper

  - just a note, I use paper muffin liners

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt (yes, really!)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon mace 

2 carrots, grated

1 apple grated (red delicious is NOT best choice here! I like Gala.)

1 cup oil (I use saffron)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup crushed pineapple

1/4 cup chopped nuts

After setting all ingredients out, sift together dry ingredients.

Don’t have a sifter? Just mix Very Well.

Place carrots, apple, oil and sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well blended.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Try not to over-mix.

Gradually add the set aside dry ingredients.

Fold in pineapple and nuts. (Fold means use a spoon/spatula and fold dough over, NOT using a rough ‘mix’ or vigorous beating. Think egg shells you don’t want to break, but you don’t want clumps either.)

You should now have a lumpy batter with no dry spots.

Spoon into wax paper lined or paper liners 12 unit muffin pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

When done, remove from pans as they will continue to cook if you don’t. 

I like to put mine in a towel lined bowl, and flip the towel over the top to keep them warm until serving.

If you have used paper muffin liners, cool for at least 1-3 minutes before trying to peel.

Photo courtesy epicurious, Pinterest 

Well, that’s it for today’s blog!

Things I would really like feedback on, if you have a moment:

1. Can you read this if you are on your phone? Is the print size good?

2. Are certain colors harder to read than others?

3. Would you like the text credits to be larger? Doesn’t matter?

4. Is there a subject you would like me to blog on?

5. Are there subjects you really don’t care about?

Hey! Thanks so much for your time!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Try as I could, I did not find a credit for this photo. It’s popular! But no one seems to want to credit the photographer. If you know, please tell me so I can give proper credit.

By inkspired

Comfort Food

 Welcome!

Paper snowflake kaleidoscope by inkspired 

Had enough snow/ice/wet?

Tired of being cold?

I think it’s time to make some comfort food!

Buttermilk biscuits

Comfort food is just that -

 food that comforts you.

It is a food that reminds you of home, your family, a gathering or coffee with friends.

Happy memories!

Yay, Sesame Street!

I have my favorites.

Yours will be different.

However, perhaps some of my favorites 

might become some of your comfort foods. 

If you choose to share some of your favorites,

maybe I will find new faves also!

Here is one of my comfort foods recipes:

Ooey Gooey South Saint Louis 

Butter Cake

With a name like that, you know it’s going to be good!

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix, any brand

1/2 Cup butter, melted

1 egg

****** ****** ******* ******* *******

8 Oz. Package cream cheese

2 eggs

1 box confectioners/powdered sugar,

(This is approximately 3 and 3/4 Cups)

 reserving 1/4 Cup if desired

***** ***** ****** ****** **** *****

Directions:

Heat oven to 350’

Combine first 3 ingredients

and press into the bottom of a greased pan 

(9x12 works great)

Set aside.

With mixer, combine last 3 ingredients 

and pour over first mixture in the pan.

Bake at 350’ for 1/2 hour

or until the top is golden brown.

If desired, sprinkle 1/4 Cup reserved powder sugar over top.

This cake will slightly ‘fall’ in the middle, and cracks a bit on top.

We enjoy it warm or cold.

My mom discovered 3 different recipes 

with similar ingredients and directions.

3 different names!

So we tweaked all three into one

and that is how we got

Ooey Gooey South Saint Louis Butter Cake!

A little Star Wars Food Fun

Found on Pinterest, unknown 

My comfort food involves a lot of carbohydrates 

like noodles, cake, bread and potatoes.

So naturally I have favorite recipes to satisfy this.

Pecan Cranberry Muffins

Makes about 18 good sized muffins

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 Cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen

1 1/4 Cup sugar, divided

3 Cups flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup butter/margarine

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 Cup milk

1 Cup chopped pecans

1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel

Directions:

In a bowl toss chopped cranberries with 1/4 Cup sugar 

Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar.

Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Combine eggs and milk;

 stir into flour mixture just until moistened.

Fold in pecans, lemon peel and sugared cranberries.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups about 2/3 full.

Bake at 400’ for 20 - 25 minutes,

or until lightly browned.

(I buy extra cranberries every Fall and freeze them.)

A few of you may have noticed that I have 

posted this recipe before.

Since I have been blogging since

February 17, 2011

I thought it might be a good idea 

to try and gather faves together.

Saves you a lot of ‘search time’!

Kaleidoscope by inkspired 

It is common for Comfort Food to include 

sugar, chocolate, and saturated fats.

Sounds good to me!

Photo courtesy Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

The Originator of this Recipe.

Magic Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 350’, or 325’ for glass pans.

Melt 1 stick (1/2 Cup) butter in 13”x9”pan.

Add, in order:

1 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs

1 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Cup butterscotch chips, 

1 Cup coconut

1 Cup chopped nuts

Press down with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or lightly brown

Let cool a bit before cutting into squares.

*******************************

- you can also use 9” x 9” pan. Let bake 4 more minutes.

-LOTS of substitutions for different tastes such as:

Raisins

M&Ms, including mini M&Ms

Dried cranberries

Mini marshmallows

Any flavor chips, like peanut butter chips

Go discover some faves of your own!

Now the recipe I am most familiar with has the sweetened condensed milk poured over everything as the last/final ingredient. There are MANY slightly different recipes out there.

The Swedish Chef, The Muppets

Up next-

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Prepare greased and floured Bundt pan

or Angel Food Cake pan

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter/margarine

2 Cups sugar

2 eggs

1 Cup sour cream

2 Cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

**********************

1 Cup chopped pecans

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar well.

Add eggs one at a time; beat well after each egg.

Fold in sour cream and vanilla.

Mix dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture.

Pour half mixture into greased/floured Bundt pan,

 or angel food cake pan.

******************************

Mix chopped pecans, brown sugar & cinnamon.

Sprinkle 3/4 mixture on top of batter in pan.

Try to not let this mix touch sides of pan.

Top with other half of batter, 

and sprinkle on top rest of nut mixture.

************************

Bake at 350’ for 45-60 minutes.

Cool cake 10 minutes.

Using spatula, loosen edges from pan 

and turn upside down to remove cake from pan.

This coffee cake is dense and great warm or cold.

Mine almost always breaks and part of it remains in the pan. Grease/flour carefully and try to not let the ‘filling’ touch the sides to help prevent this.

Recipe from ‘Miller’s Collection of Recipes’

By WJ Miller

This next one has remained a fave since I got it back in 1979!

Mrs. Schindler’s Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients 

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 pint sour cream

8 Oz. Can Diced green chilies

1 pound grated cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & cut up

Directions

Combine soup, sour cream, chilies 

and chicken in a bowl.

In the bottom of a 9”x13” pan 

place a layer of broken tortilla chips.

Spoon 1/2 of soup mixture over top with 1/2 of the grated cheese. Repeat (chips, soup mix, cheese)

Bake at 350’ for 30 minutes, uncovered.

This is a great potluck dish to share!

This next one, even though it includes peas, 

is a winner in my recipe box.

Hidden Valley Ranch Crunchy Pea Salad

Ingredients

1 10 Oz. Package frozen peas, thawed

1 Cup chopped celery

1 Cup chopped cauliflower

1/4 Cup chopped green onion

1 Cup roughly chopped cashews

1/2 Cup sour cream

1 cup Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing

(Optional garnish- crisp cooked crumbled bacon)

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT cashews & bacon.

Chill.

Add bacon and cashews just before serving.

Recipe from Hidden Valley salad dressings

I have more comfort food recipes to share,

Yet I think I best post this before y’all give up on me!

Sometimes Life falls into the ‘hectic’ category, doesn’t it?

‘Til next time,

inkspired