a delicious muffin recipe

yesterday evening's beautiful big sky

I'm outside!  I've never blogged outdoors before.  But the only way I can keep the kids out of the house is if I sit out here with them.  Grace is on a walk, David is catching turtles, Jacob is reading on the patio, and the others are playing. 

It's 81 today with such a nice breeze.  It's peaceful out here.  The trees are moving and every once in a while a bird will fly across the pond.  I saw a cardinal.

I'm sitting under a pine tree in an Adirondack chair wearing a pink "Life is Good" tshirt, rolled up jeans, and Grace's most comfy moccasins.  My damp, washed-this-morning hair is back in a clip.  I just ate lunch.

Seth tried making his own oatmeal a little bit ago but it burnt in the microwave.  He said, "I tried to make it myself but it's disgusting."  When Ethan told him "You have to add water in order to make oatmeal."  He asked, "What do you call it if you don't add water?"  LOL  (it's still called oatmeal, only it's burnt).

Where was I when all this happened?  Outside on the porch helping Sarah change out of her swimming suit.  (which she calls a:  Swimming Soup.)

Yesterday afternoon I went to Costco to pick up a photo order and Jacob was the only one who wanted to go with me.  We went to Barnes and Noble together and I found a wonderful book that fills my soul up with goodness and I've only read two chapters so far.  It's called An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace.  It's written by Tamar Adler and it's a "meditation on cooking and eating".

sitting cross legged like a kid on the floor at Barnes and Noble

When my heart is full, I cry, and there is a lot to be said for books that make my eyes tear up just by opening them and browsing the pages.  I bought it and brought it home with me. 

When we got home from the bookstore, I was suitably inspired to make a thoughtful dinner vs. leftovers and/or sandwiches (which is a fine option for lazy summer days, but my family was getting hungry for something better).  I had poached a couple of packages of chicken thighs Sunday night, so I took those out and diced them.  I used the chicken as the meat in a big pot of Spanish Rice, instead of the typical hamburger.  Rich said he liked it better that way.  All the children like Spanish Rice.  I also made a side of freshly cooked green beans from Carl's garden stand down the road, a little bowl of seasoned tomatoes (also from Carl) and sliced and vinegared cucumbers (same).

 

"But cooking is best approached from wherever you find yourself when you are hungry, and should extend long past the end of the page.  There should be serving, and also eating, and storing away what's left; there should be looking at meals' remainders with interest and imagining all the good things they will become.  I have tried to include more of that and fewer teaspoons and tablespoons and cups."  ~An Everlasting Meal, introduction

Grace set the table in fiestaware and we all ate around the table as Jacob read us random facts from his new book.

After dinner I did a quick clean up and we all went out into the woods for a family walk.  Ethan and David had found blueberries (small, wild ones) growing and they wanted to show them to me.  The boys practiced shimmying up trees and I held Sarah Joy's hand.  She is rather Piglet-like (from Winnie the Pooh) and must always have a hand on me, she cries if I start walking and we aren't connected.  After a while, longing for relief from this small but important burden, I passed her to her Papa and would you believe, it turned into a Situation.  She would not stop crying for Mama to take her back, even though I was just there, walking with the group, but not attached.  Rich wouldn't hear of it and stopped to talk to her seriously about Being Brave. The interesting thing being, she has been like this since she was a tiny baby!  I would carry her in my arms until I got tired and when I passed her to her loving Dad, she would look at me, lean toward me, and wail......she has never "won" but still hasn't settled herself to be content with poor Rich.  Only mama will do for the Ultimate Comfort.

I saved each tiny berry in the bottom of my shirt, held up like an apron.  David started giving me his, too.  We didn't have quite enough for muffins so we kept searching and found some blackberries and raspberries, too.  While we were outside I went to go check on that wild flower that Bobby Jo thinks might be a type of milkweed.  I was going to pick a leaf from the stem to see if it would "milk" but a big huge spider stopped me in my tracks and that was that.  Ethan pulled up a Queen Anne's Lace flower and ate the root from it (after washing it in the pond).  We went into the house, Rich got the little ones ready for bed and I mixed up muffins.   We ate them warm while watching TV.  Cozy.

When I stumbled out of bed this morning to make my coffee I found just half a muffin left so I promptly ate it.

we found blueberries on tiny low bushes in the woods

all the boys were climbing

 

 

 

my son Davy

 

 

a time to teach

 

 

 

Muffins

 

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup half and half cream

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. lemon extract

1 cup fresh or frozen berries

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

In another bowl, combine the eggs, cream, oil and extract.

Stir into flour mixture just until moistened.

Fold in the berries.

 

Fill greased muffin tins.  Bake at 400 until done (around 10-15 minutes).

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.  1 John 1:3