Doughnut Muffin Update

UPDATE:  I finally got around to making these, you guessed it, for Christmas!

For year my grandmother has been making doughnut muffins, and for years we have been asking for the recipe with no avail.  Recently my youngest sister stayed with Nana for a few days and managed to get the recipe.  I vow not to with hold the recipe any longer.

Doughnut Muffins

*Makes 8 muffins

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Topping
1/2 stick butter melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed into 1/3 cup sugar

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg.  Beat well.  Mix dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk to first mixture.  (It turns out more like a dough than a batter.)  

Bake in greased muffin tins in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  A cookie scoop works really well to get the batter into the muffin tins since it does not pour easily.

Can be used plain, or while still warm, dip muffin in melted butter and then in cinnamon/sugar mixture.  In my opinion, the only way to have these is with the topping.  I would highly suggest dumping them out of the tin to let them cool just a bit, so you can handle them, before dipping in the butter and sugar.


The family LOVES these muffins, and we typically only get them at Christmas.  This week, Nana told me she would make some to bring down in October!  Super excited about that!  (Experienced slight disappointment in October when Nana came to see baby James with no muffins, but with all the excitement around, I got over it pretty quick.)

Christmas Favorites

This week has been crazy.  It's going very fast, and I feel like we're not going to get everything done before my family arrives sometime on Saturday.  Not only are we attempting to get the house clean, but we have many baking and cooking projects that I would like to get done.  The last think I want to do when everyone is here is have to bake and cook. 

This year I am only making three different cookies, with two different types of dough.  It is a bit of a relief to know that I will only be making sugar cookies (both cutout and drop), peanut butter blossoms and peanut butter cookies. Both recipes come from family.  For our wedding, my mother-in-law asked members of our family to send her recipes to put in a box for us.  It was one of the best gifts that we received, and these two cookies have been a big hit.  To make things better, the recipes are both super easy to make as well.

Sugar Cookies
(as written...I know, no times)

1 cup butter
1 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix well.  Drop 1 teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet.  Press flat with a glass glass dipped in granulated sugar.  Bake 350 but watch closely as oven vary.  The cookie will barely turn brown.  Delicious one after the other!

Edits:  Last year I found that flattening the cookie made them crisper than I like.  I rolled them into a ball and then rolled in granulated sugar and baked them that way.

Candy Kiss Peanut Blossoms

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
48 candy kisses

Cream together first four ingredients.  Add egg and milk, mix well.  Slowly add flour, soda, salt and vanilla.

Make 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.  Bake 375 8-10 minutes.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  They are better when under done.  Pull from oven and top with candy kiss.

Final Push

The final push to get ready for Christmas has come upon us.  We are trying to do a top to bottom cleaning of the house, baking Christmas cookies, and trying to relax a little before family comes in on Saturday. 

The house is starting to look like Christmas.  We have the tree up and decorated with wrapped presents under it (although the cats have tried to open a few), Nativity and Advent candles are on the mantle, stockings are hanging in front of the fireplace, wreathes are on the doors, candles are in the windows, garland is on the balcony, and cards are on display.  With all that done, it may not seems like there is much left to do, but windows need to be washed, the house dusted, floors cleaned, random stuff put away, cookies made, laundry done, and last minute gifts put together.  Not to mention me having to run up to school so I have an idea of where I need to pick up when I go back in January, me having to get my haircut and other random errands that need to be don between feedings for James.

Yesterday I was able to get part of the last gifts taken care of.  We decided to stuff stockings with hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows.  While James was swinging, I was able to make the marshmallows, and this morning was able to cut them apart.  They still need to dry out a little, but overall look great and smell amazing.  I used Ina Garten's marshmallow recipe, and have been pleased with it.  Her directions say that you should be able to flip the marshmallows out of the pan that they are in, but I was not able to do that, so I improvised.  I cut the big marshmallow down in the pan, then used the smallest spatula that I have to take them out.  For the final dusting, I decided to put them in a zipper bag with powdered sugar and "Shake-n-Baked" them so to speak.  With as easy as this recipe was, and how inexpensive it is to make, I don't know that I would buy marshmallows again.  They do take a bit of planning, but could easily be made while dinner is being made.

With the hustle and bustle of this last push before Christmas, I am finding it very difficult to relax and really savor the season, and the reason that we are celebrating.  It is very difficult for me to really just focus on what is going on, knowing that the list of things to do seems to be getting longer and longer each day.  Every time I slow down to take a deep breath, I almost feel guilty, because there is so much to do, and at the same time, all I want to do is savor every minute that I have with James.  Knowing that I have to go back to work in just 2 weeks is tearing me apart.  Thinking about going back and seeing teenagers in their groups makes me panic.  Knowing that someone else is going to be caring for my dear son during the day, makes me cry.  I am terrified that I am going to miss milestones while I am caring for someone else's child, and for the first time, I fear that one day I may have to protect my students just as those 6 teachers in Connecticut did.  That is what terrifies me most about going back to school.

If nothing else, this Christmas season I have learned that I need to slow down more, now and every day.  I can't take any moment with James for granted, and that each day is a blessing.

Tis The Season

The holidays this year are a completely new experience for us.  Having James here brings new joy and new chaos.  I am so thankful that I am still at home, otherwise I don't know that our house would have any decorations this year.

Last year I made stockings for Paul and I, and this year wanted to make one for James.  I would have liked to have done it over the summer while I was home and motivated to be crafty, but not knowing whether we would have a James or a Rebekah made the stocking making difficult. 

These are our stockings...

I knew that I wanted the baby's to be the same green or red fabric with a different cuff, hence having to wait for the little one to arrive.  This year I found a cute gingerbread man fabric with little red and green candy canes that I knew would be perfect for his stocking.

James in his stocking...

My list of things to get accomplished before family comes is quickly growing, and at the same time I am able to cross quite a bit off the list.  Lots of little projects are getting done during nap times during the day, some projects are awaiting Paul to be home to be done. 

We did take James out to cut down his very first tree.  A tradition that we will be continuing.

And this is how James spent the time at the tree farm. 

It was windy that day, and thank goodness we had Paul's field coat that I could put around both James and myself.

High Carb Friday

There are certain advantages to me being home with James right now.  One of them is that I have the privilege of taking care of the two leading men in my life.  While the last two weeks I have focused my efforts on the younger of my two leading men, this week has been particularly difficult for Paul, so I decided to do something special for him.  And let's face it, what is one of the best ways to comfort our men?  Well in my case, feeding him well usually does the trick (cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry doesn't seem to hurt things any either). 

Paul has been in class all week, meaning he leaves the house a little later in the morning (yay!) but he also gets home later in the afternoon (boo!).  And well, this time of year, an hour later in the afternoon means it is dark when he gets home, dinner is usually later because I haven't been able to prep things due to a fussy boy, and any plans to go out and get some Christmas shopping done has o wait until the weekend.  To put a cap on his week, Paul had to go into work early this morning (his normal time, an hour earlier than he's been leaving) to work on a project that no one else he works with can seem to take care of, and stay even later this afternoon because of his class in the middle of the day. 

So, like I said earlier, the way to my man's heart is through his stomach, and his stomach has an affinity for bread.  Knowing this, I decided to indulge him and make a dinner full of carbs.  Typically we have pizza on Fridays anyway, so I knew that was going to be on the menu.  Not knowing exactly when Paul is getting home, I wanted to have something waiting for him when he does get home, so focaccia with dipping oil sounded like a good idea because I could make it early and just heat it up when he is on his way home.  Pizza is a staple in our house, especially since we found a fantastic homemade dough recipe.  For dessert, I decided to treat us to chocolate peanut butter cupcakes.  I found the recipe and halved it so that we don't have lots of extra hanging around the house.

As much as I planned this dinner around Paul's likes, I am very much excited for tonight's dinner because I too LOVE bread.

Focaccia Bread
(from allrecipes.com)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1. Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Mix well.  Heat water and vegetable oil until warm, and add to yeast mixture along with egg.  Beat with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened.  Bat for an additional 2 minutes.  Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour while beating, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

2.  Knead in 3/4 cup flour on floured surface.  Cover dough with a bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes.  Place dough on a greased baking sheet.  Roll out to 12 inch circle.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and a cloth towel.  Place in a warm place for 30 minutes.

3.  Uncover dough, and poke holes in it with a spoon handle at 1 inch intervals.  Drizzle olive oil on dough, and sprinkle with crushed rosemary.

4.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 17 to 27 minutes, until just golden.  Remove from baking sheet, and cool on rack.

**I didn't use the spoon handle to poke holes, just used my fingers, seemed to work pretty well.  I also used an aerosol can with olive oil in it t oil the top of the bread.  It had some oil transfer from the plastic wrap, so I didn't think it needed too much more oil.  We didn't have any dried rosemary, so I used McCormick Italian Herb Grinder to season the top of the loaf.

Dipping Oil
(modified from food.com)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
minced garlic

These are the ingredients, I just kinda wung it.  I used my dad's form of measurement for these types of dishes, the palm of my hand and a fork.  There is probably about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and less than a teaspoon of salt, with a couple turns of the pepper mill.  Also, most likely almost a tablespoon of garlic (we like garlic).  I mixed it all in a mason jar and let it sit on the counter all day, hoping that it would allow the flavors to marry.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These came from Krissy's Creations, and they turned out great!  I did half the recipe and make 6 jumbo cupcakes (mostly because we didn't have regular sized cupcake liners).  This recipe is certainly a keeper!

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All things baby...

It has been a crazy few weeks trying to get ready for Baby Lilley.  Between home and school, it has all become a little overwhelming.

Baby Lilley's room is almost completely done.  We still have to hang the wall decals up over the crib, and find homes for a few items, but overall, it's looking pretty good.  Not to mention the pesky curtain issue.  We decided that because we weren't finding out at our sonogram if we were having a boy or a girl that we would wait on the curtains until the little one arrives.  That is fine, although one wall is looking pretty bare because of that.

We have been very blessed over the last few weeks though.  Paul's mom threw us a surprise baby shower Labor Day weekend (alright, Paul knew but I didn't) with some of our closest friends and family there.  It was very nice and a great surprise.  We were able to have it at the local park, which just added to the surprise because I thought we were going for a typical Sunday afternoon cookout.  We were blessed not only with great company, but also some great gifts.  Our friends and family are so generous, and helped us with a lot of items that we may or may not have picked up on our own.  We did have to buy some of the "big" items on our own, car seat and stroller, swing, Pack 'n' Play, but are very thankful that our parents pitched in to buy the beautiful nursery set for us. 

Now it's down to the last minute sewing projects that I put off all summer.  Yeah, not the wisest idea, but oh well.  Have a couple Boppy covers to make, along with a few more receiving blankets and other miscellaneous projects, but I am confident that whatever get done will get done and be ready, and whatever doesn't get done, doesn't need to get done.

School on the other hand has been a disaster.  Found out that there is no long term sub for me yet, and there doesn't look like there will be a long term sub who is familiar with chemistry.  That means that I have to try to get as much put together before I go out as I can so that whichever poor soul in the science department gets stuck planning lessons for the sub has a clue of what to do and where I hope the kids to be by the time I return.  We'll see how well that goes.  I can only get as much done as I can, while keeping up with the work that I need to do to cover the material that I can before I leave.  It's going to be a long and stressful few weeks.  Thank goodness for two Jewish holidays, today and next Wednesday to help give me some time to do all that I would like to do.

Doughnut Muffins

For year my grandmother has been making doughnut muffins, and for years we have been asking for the recipe with no avail.  Recently my youngest sister stayed with Nana for a few days and managed to get the recipe.  I vow not to with hold the recipe any longer.

Doughnut Muffins

*Makes 8 muffins

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Topping
1/2 stick butter melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed into 1/3 cup sugar

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg.  Beat well.  Mix dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk to first mixture.  Bake in greased muffin tins in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Can be used plain, or while still warm, dip muffin in melted butter and then in cinnamon/sugar mixture.


The family LOVES these muffins, and we typically only get them at Christmas.  This week, Nana told me she would make some to bring down in October!  Super excited about that!

Summer is quickly coming to a close, having to go back to school in approximately 2 weeks.  As I look at the very aggressive to-do list I made for myself at the beginning of the summer, I realize that while I have done quite a bit, there is still a lot on the list that I wished to do. 

I am very glad that the nursery is almost completely done.  We have some wall art that needs to be completed, and still need the mattress and some cleaning out of the closet to do, but otherwise, things are starting to come together.  It is starting to look like we are getting ready for Baby Lilley to join our little family.  The quilt is completely done, the bed skirt is done, furniture is put together and in place, the extra bed that was in the room is no longer there, and we are starting to gather other baby needs.

Being home this summer had also provided me with the opportunity to try many new recipes, including chocolate zucchini bread, sweet and sour chicken, saltine chocolate toffee goodness, chocolate peanut butter truffles and many others.  It has been quite the adventure. 

Not only have we had adventures in the kitchen, but we also made a road trip out to see my grandfather in Michigan.  It was a very nice trip, and we are glad that we made it, although it was a long one for a weekend.  We have also enjoyed our many doctor's appointments, always anticipating hearing the heartbeat, our favorite part of the appointment.

Busy Summer Start

The last week has been very busy.  My first unscheduled week at home, my first summer not having to work, my first summer preparing to return to school with a new class that I actually want to teach and my first summer preparing the house for a little Lilley.

The quilt is almost ready for binding, just a little more quilting left to do.  The "hard" quilting is done, now it's just long lines.  I have decided that this time around I am going to bind the quilt the "right" way, machining the binding onto the quilt, then hand stitching it together. 

With my newfound time a lot has been accomplished, the quilt being one of the biggest, but also preparing quite a bit of the meal for the Fourth, baking bread, lots of laundry and cleaning, and a trip to have blood drawn for my glucose screen.  There are so many recipes that I want to try, so much school work that I need to get done, and I am realizing how quickly my summer is coming to a close.

Today's baking endeavors include chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread made with local zucchini and mock Olive Garden breadsticks.  Not to mention eggplant parm also made from local produce.

Fourth of July Fare

Because I am home for the summer, and because I am still up at 0-dark-thirty with my husband, it was decided that I could help with preparations for the Fourth of July Fare that we will be enjoying tomorrow.  That and because we are getting tons of veggies every week from the CSA that we joined.  I have been tasked with making German Potato Salad and Coleslaw (made almost entirely from CSA veggies).  The potato salad recipe is an old standby, a tried and true recipe, the coleslaw on the other hand, a brand new recipe that looks promising.

Growing up I did not like mayo, or anything made with mayo.  Neither did my mom, so German Potato Salad was a staple in my house, and the smell of the bacon and vinegar cooking together brings back memories of childhood.  I also didn't really enjoy coleslaw until adulthood.  I have come to my senses and now thoroughly enjoy mayo-based salads, as well as German potato salad, and coleslaw.

German Potato Salad
(This comes from the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook)

1 1/4 pounds red or white potatoes
4 slices of bacon (I use 6)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar

1.  In a pot, place potatoes and enough water to cover them, and if desired 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes (or until tender).  Drain well, cool slightly, and cut potatoes into chunks (the actual recipe says to halve, peel and make 1/4 inch slices, but we like chunks).  Put them back into the pot they were cooked in.

2.  For dressing, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel, crumble and set aside.  Reserve drippings (the actual recipe says 2 tablespoons, but I keep it all).

3.  Add onion to reserved drippings and cook over medium heat until tender.  Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, celery seeds, dry mustard and pepper (estimate if you would like).  Stir in water and vinegar, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Add bacon.

4.  Add dressing to the potatoes (this is the easiest and least messy).  Gently stir the salad until coated, cook, stirring gently until heated through (if serving immediately).


Buttermilk and Herb Coleslaw

Half a head of red cabbage
Head of green/white cabbage
1 large carrot
1 small clove garlic
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; more to taste
2 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoons celery seeds
Freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice cabbage in food processor using slicing disk.  Put cabbage in a large bowl.  Switch to the grating disk and grate the carrot.  Add carrot to bowl along with 1 tablespoon salt and toss.  Pack into a colander.  Lay a plate that fits inside the colander on top of the slaw and set a heavy can or jar on top of the plate.  Drain the slaw in the sink for 2 hours.

Coarsely chop the garlic.  Sprinkle the garlic with a large pinch of salt and mast it into a paste on a cutting board with the side of a chef's knife.  In a small bowl, mix the mashed garlic, buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice, chives, parsley, celery seeds and pepper.

Turn the slaw out onto a clean dishtowel or some paper towels and pat it thoroughly dry.  Transfer the slaw to a large bowl, toss with the buttermilk dressing, and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice if needed.

Baby Quilt

School is finally over, which means I finally have the time to relax at home and really work on preparations for the baby, among other things.  This week I have decided to start tackling the project known as the baby quilt.  I have had the fabric for the quilt since March, and it has been sitting in my fabric tote waiting patiently for me to pull it out and start working on piecing it together.

Monday it started as a bunch of fabric, still folded neatly from the store, this morning I have squares and strips of fabric that will soon become what I hope to be one of the focal points of the nursery.  It is very exciting to watch it come together so quickly.  Being only the second quilt I have made on my own, in my adult life, I am finding this one much more pleasurable to make and going much faster (the first quilt I tackled was a queen sized quilt made of lots of little triangles).  At the rate I am going, I just may have this thing done by the end of next week, then on to the next project!

Family Recipes

For our wedding, we were given a box with recipes from our family and some of our closest friends.  We have decided that before our first anniversary, we would like to try each of the recipes in the box.  This will be the place where we will share the recipes. 

I have already shared one recipe...the Holiday Hot Chocolate.  Our favorite hot chocolate recipe.  Everyone we have shared it will has throroughly enjoyed it, and ask for it all the time.