Thursday, July 2, 2009

You Asked...

for the recipes from my baking spree at the beginning of the week. Here they are:




Strawberry Muffins straight from the oven

I found this recipe in the July/August 2009 issue of Body & Soul Magazine. The muffins are pretty. I thought they were a little bland. Mr. Dragon likes them. The recipe makes 12 and there are 6 left, so I guess we both like them. I'm still thinking about how I can tweak the recipe to add a little more flavor. Also, I did bake these 17 minutes and tested with a toothpick, but could have baked them a little longer.

Strawberry Muffins

Makes 12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard 12 cup mufin tin with paper liners. Toss together strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Using a potato masher, lightly mash berries; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a glass 2 quart measuring cup or a medium bowl combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture and the berry mixture (with juice). Fold just until combined. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with remaining sugar.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per serving: 152 calories.





Banana Bread cooling

This recipe is a definite keeper. I believe it came from a Splenda email. After all these years of eating too much sugar, we really are trying to cut back and Splenda is wonderful. Taste and texture of this banana bread was wonderful, too.


Nutty Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas
1 cup Splenda, Granulated
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.

In a large bowl, blend together the eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, and bananas. Sift together the Splenda, flour, baking soda, and salt; mix into banana mixture. Stir in pecans. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 12
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Calories per serving 150


Enjoy!


Wednesday, July 1, 2009

This and That

Wednesday is usually our adventure day, but it is way too hot to go adventuring. So, I'm going to catch up on some *old* adventures we've had and some this and that.

This is one of our favorite places to eat. It's not far from our house and on days when the temperature is not soaring, an easy walk.


Our tribe members enjoy eating here and it was past time for the tribe to get together.



That's Mr. Dragon on the porch and my sesta just going up the stairs.



I had the eggplant basil. It was wonderful. Everything is good and we usually just start at the beginning of the menu and work our way down. When we finish with them all, we just start over.




The real reason for this lunch was to see our gorgeous god-daughter and her fella. She graduated from university this year and is off to graduate school in the fall. We had met her fella (now an official tribe member) earlier in the week. Mr. Dragon asked them to get up and stand by the sculpture to take their picture. Poor guy, laughed and said "he's kidding .. Oh! He's not kidding!"
We all had a laugh and said welcome to the tribe!



Under this and that, several of my favorite folks in Bloglandia have started their own blogshops and what wonderful goodies they have. Sarah, at Cottage Garden Studio, has her shop at Cottage Garden Studio Market. It was here that I purchased the wonderful cowgirl fairy wrangling the ducks. I love Colette Copeland and her shop is Fancy That. The last blogshop I'd like to share with you today is one that has just opened, Wildflower House Shoppe. Sharon is so talented. Her work is gorgeous. Her stitches amazing. You'll love seeing all the beautiful, different things she has -- they all have. Go by and visit. Window shopping is fun and who knows, perhaps you'll see something you can't live without! (It's good for the economy!)

Have a lovely day.

Stay cool.

Joy to You!


Monday, June 29, 2009

My World Tuesday


It's Tuesday
and it's time for My World.
More information can be found for this meme here.





Let's go to downtown Houston and look at reflections on buildings.







Enjoy your day.


Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman’s Daybook



For Today... June 29, 2009


Outside my window... the sun is shinning brightly. Not a cloud in the sky.



I am thinking... that Hades couldn’t be hotter than it has been here the last several weeks. And, summer has just started! Ouch!



I am thankful for...another day on Mother Earth.



From the kitchen... despite the heat, I am going to bake. Banana bread and strawberry muffins are on the list. Sort of necessities -- use up the bananas and strawberries before they ruin.



I am wearing...white shorts, white World Wildlife T-shirt, no shoes



I am reading... just finished Happiness Is An Inside Job: practicing for a joyful life by Sylvia Boorstein, Ph.D.



I am hoping...that it rains soon. (Seems I have a one track mind ... hot, hotter, sweltering, sultry, torrid, simmering, steaming, scorching, sizzling.)



I am creating... still working on the counted cross stitch (watch for a post later this week) and have started crocheting a wonderful pig for a little girl’s birthday.



I am praying... for Anne Marie and Cydney Marie, Debbie



Around the house... Mr. Dragon is in the shower. Kitties are sleeping. I hear the Doves cooing and the air-conditioner running.



One of my favorite things...Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice



A few plans for the rest of the week...I do have to grocery shop. Mr. Dragon has pen and ink workshops. That’s about all we have to get out for.



Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...


This is from the Stitchery Catalog. Too good to pass up!


To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook. While Peggy is on vacation you can find other Daybooks by visiting Grandmother Wren.


Stay cool!


Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sunday Morning


Fuschia Plumeria Blooming in Musashi's Garden


"We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize."

~Thich Nhat Hanh