A Brief (Muffin) Diversion

February 26, 2013February 26, 2013 / still a dreamer / 7 Comments

It’s a sad comment on how often I (don’t) bake that when I go into the kitchen and start getting out bowls and baking pans the cats show up to be fed. I mean … why else would I be coming into the kitchen at this odd hour, right? Sad, indeed.

However, much to their surprise, it was to bake something … muffins, in fact. I had pulled a page out of Parade Magazine’s monthly dash insert, (which is all about food), because it had a basic muffin recipe and a bunch of variations. Yes, it’s true – I am suckered in even by pictures of food. Figured I’d try them. By the way, the recipes featured in dash all come from bon appetit, Gourmet and epicurious.

What I liked about them was the low amount of sugar in the batch – only 1/4 cup – and they recommended canola oil, of which I have organic onhand. Made-from-scratch muffins really are incredibly easy to make and these were no exception. I decided to go simple and top them with a mix of cinnamon and the neat sanding sugar I’ve been waiting to use. You can see it best in the batter photo.

How did they come out? Beautiful, of course, but oddly enough, they could have done with a wee bit more sweetness. Want to try them? Find the recipe here with a link to the variations.

Does this Candle Make Me Look Fat?

February 19, 2013February 20, 2013 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

In choosing candles, I am most often drawn to food scents. There are several reasons for this. One, it fills the house with a wonderful aroma, as if there were something tempting baking in the oven right now. Two, I have yet to be allergic to a food scent, whereas florals and some other scents can give me migraines or worse. Delicious food scented candles are nothing but pleasurable.

But I wonder …. do they make us look fat? That’s become an old joke by now*, but you have to wonder … considering all the research that has been done on things that inspire or drive us to do one thing or another, do food-scented candles make us fat? In other words, when that lemon pound cake candle is burning, does it make us want to get up and go eat something sweet or does it perhaps fulfill the urge to nibble on a sweetie?

I bet someone in the wide world of research has a grant on that but only you know for sure when you light that wick. The two candles pictured here, Lemon Pound Cake and Maple Butter, are both delicious and by Village Candle, one of the best candle makers I know. Village Candle is located in Maine, and all their candles are made at that location. So if you’re looking for a candle made in the USA, here’s one for you!

*One of the funnier examples of this was when a friend who rides had tacked up her horse – who she described as rather vain – and “overheard” him say to another horse, “Does this saddle make me look fat?”

The Simple Things

February 17, 2013 / still a dreamer / 4 Comments

Isn’t it good to have a few simple things in life that make you happy? I’ve found that one of the greatest joys in life can really come from simple things …. books, (often purchased at $1 – $2 at the library/sale), music, (streaming online while I work is wonderful), candles with scents that are just delicious, (and always available somewhere on sale or bestowed upon me as a gift), and … good coffee. OK, make that very good coffee.

Some people love wine, aged scotch, Coke … you can keep it all. My beverage of choice is coffee. And how lucky am I that excellent coffee is just on the other side of the river and a short drive away or is even available in a number of local shops? Homestead Coffee Roasters sells a variety of delicious brews, many of which are organic, Fair Trade coffee. They roast all coffee on the premises, buying all their beans green and sourced from a number of countries where the quality is outstanding. In addition to a caffeinated choice or two, I always have some decaf on hand and the last time there, I bought this Ethiopian water-processed decaf, full of flavor.

They do custom small batches and have their own signature blends like Ringing Rocks Roast, Peruvian Sunrise, Dead Man’s Brew, etc. They also make delicious seasonal flavored coffees such as Frosty Winter Morning, a blend of graham crackers, nuts and cinnamon. Yum. Pour that into one of my 4 new (different-colored) mugs, given as a gift to me from one of my animal-loving friends, and I am good to go.

So while some are out buying $300 shoes and the next and newest model classy car, I’ll curl up with my coffee and book, light a favorite candle and be perfectly content. Easy-peasy. And I have every confidence that many of you reading this post feel exactly the same way. It’s something simple that warms your heart, that speaks to you, and puts a smile on your face. Simple is good.

The Longest Months

January 21, 2013 / still a dreamer

It’s about now, towards the end of January and all through February … and OK, through much of March … that seem to be the longest months. Despite the fact that the days are getting longer, the sun rising earlier and there now being light at 5 p.m., it feels like the darkest part of the year. Some call it the Winter blues or the Winter blahs.

The holidays are over, and for those of us who don’t care about football there’s not much exciting going on … just a wait until Spring. So I remind myself, that even though it’s cold there, too, there is still phenomenal beauty around us. Somewhere, (in this case, Canada), the aurora borealis is dancing ….

And somewhere, here Hawaii, the sun is bright and the water is calling.

And somewhere, right in our own hearts and homes, there is still warmth and love and creativity and reason to celebrate the winter. Whether it’s curled up by a fire or in front of the TV, making a pot of soup or doing a jigsaw with the family, each day is new and holds the promise of some small wonder. We’re called upon, as always, to be in the present, and not spend our time waiting for something to come. It’s already here.

Open the door and welcome it in.

Food-ish Thoughts for the New Year

December 26, 2012December 26, 2012 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

I am not really one for New Year’s resolutions, but Christmas baking has me thinking of more than one thing I’d like to commit to in the upcoming year. For one, I really would like to cook and/or bake on a more regular basis. I love good, home-cooked food or from-scratch breads, cookies or desserts.

Take one of the items I baked for Christmas – quite simple – old-fashioned baking powder biscuits. With the addition of a good quality, extra-sharp cheddar, they became even better. This was not a major investment in time, and just reminded me that simple or more complex dishes of all kinds are not always that time-consuming. Good food is a gift we can give ourselves, (and others.) Why not make/find a little more time? Seems like something worth giving a try …

p.s. As I was lightly kneading the dough I started wondering what I’d use to cut the biscuits, and then remembered what I had … the biscuit cutter my Mom used to use when I was growing up. Perfect!