Blueberry+Muffins!

Muffins are easy to make and hard to screw up, maybe that is why I like to bake them. One of my best recipes comes from a cookbook given to me by Auntie Lou's friend Gayle. The book is entitled "Best of Friends, Etc" and inside Gayle wrote Apple Blossom - 1989. We had gone to visit the Largents a few months before Tyler was born and we were there for Wenatchee's annual Apple Blossom parade.

When I think about Wenatchee I can't help but think about all the wonderful fruit that grows in the area. Of course Washington is known for apples but they also grow great cherries, peaches and blueberries.

It was during that trip that Uncle Chuck introduced me to the Krusteaz brand of baking mixes, in particular, the almond poppyseed muffin mix! Uncle Chuck baked great muffins using this mix and added lots of good stuff like berries, chopped peaches, nuts and chocolate chips. So delicious! It was a few years later before I found the Krusteaz brand in our local stores. Soon almond poppyseed muffins with mini chocolate chips became a favorite at our house.

All this talk about muffins was making me hungry. Sorry, it is taking me longer to finish this post because I had to stop and make some almond poppyseed muffins! This time with sliced almonds and boysenberries, yummy!

Now, lets get back to work! Let me just wipe these crumbs off my mouth, ok.....ready. A few years back Dad & Emily got to travel to Wenatchee for Andy and Jenn's wedding. During that trip they went to a blueberry farm with Grandma, Uncle Chuck & Auntie Lou and took the picture shown at the top of this post. Which brings us full circle back to my title, Blueberry+Muffins! The recipe below is from Gayle's cookbook on page 79, "Huckleberry Muffins". Now, I've never had a huckleberry, but these muffins are fabulous with blueberries. So preheat your oven and get ready for some goodness!

Blueberry+Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg - well beaten

1/3 cup cooking oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup fresh blueberries - rinsed

3 tablespoons sugar

melted butter

sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line muffin tins with paper liners. Mix together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl. Combine the milk, vanilla, egg and oil - add all at once to the dry ingredients, stirring quickly just until moistened. (Always use a light touch with muffins, overmixing will make a tough texture).

Gently mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the berries, (add 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel if desired). Fold lightly into batter. Fill muffin pans 2/3's full, should yield about 12 standard muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are lightly browned. While muffins are still warm remove from pans and dip tops in melted butter, then dip in sugar. Oh! My! Goodness!

*Note to Tyler: Sorry you didn't get to enjoy any of the trips in this post, but you did get your drivers license and you got to eat some of the fresh muffins this morning :)

Pasta Salad- School Days. Some things change.... Some things stay the same!

This month marks one year since Emily graduated from North Park. And one year from now Ty plans to graduate from North Park as well. I can't believe you are so grown up! Of course this gives me the perfect opportunity to become very sentimental. So today we looked through a box of old photos and found these pictures of each of you on your first day of kindergarten.

Check out those cute faces! Ty still has the same haircut. You both still like a good Disney movie (see the Belle backpack & Pumba t-shirt). But you have changed so much! You have grown taller, older, wiser and ready to take on the world! Those aren't the only changes. You went from Westscott to Maple, to GBN and then on to NPU. You went from tricycles to training wheels to bicycles and then to driving cars. You needed babysitters and then became sitters. You used to get an allowance and now you get paychecks. You have traveled the USA from coast to coast and seen far away places. You have lived at home and lived on your own.

So many changes! And yet one thing remains a favorite, pasta salad! We were first introduced to this recipe by Ann Albinson. To be honest, it comes straight from the "McCormick Salad Supreme" seasoning bottle. Of course we have our own regular way to prepare it, but we'll get to that later.

Ann first served it to us using spaghetti noodles. Even when you were little you liked the zippy taste. Over the years it has turned up at lots of events. Emily requested it for our family party to celebrate Tyler's Dedication & Emily's 3rd birthday. It turned up most recently for Emily's graduation party, this time with a more grown up twist. Summer is the perfect time to make up a big bowlful! Invite some friends over to enjoy!

Ann Albinson's Pasta Salad

Warnygora Style

Mix 4 cups cooked corkscrew or penne pasta, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup chopped carrots, 20-30 slices pepperoni cut in 1/2, with 1 cup italian salad dressing and 4 tbsp Salad Supreme seasoning mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss before serving, may add some more salad dressing if too dry.

This is how you have liked the pasta salad, you have gotten upset if I made changes! Although Ty would be happy with no carrots, they are easy to avoid. But now that you have changed so much, here are some suggestions for changing our favorite salad. For starters it would be great with other chopped fresh veggies like tomato, cucumbers, red onion & peppers. Or add chopped roasted veggies! Try different varieties of cubed cheese like we did for Em's grad party. Substitute cooked chunks of chicken for the pepperoni. Throw in some olives! The possibilities are endless! You really can't go wrong, it will still remain a favorite........ some things never change!

Sweet Momma Turns 50! Carrot Cake

This week I turned 50! Wow! What a great reason to throw a big party, and you did!!! What a wonderful surprise, I LOVED IT! Thank you!

I love planning a party. It brings me joy to get people together to celebrate. We have enjoyed some good parties over the

years. Milestones like birthdays, confirmations & graduations have all been opportunities to host a gathering of friends. Remember Emily's American Girl tea party in the Garden Terrace room, Ty's pirate party with moustaches and bandannas, and Dad's 50th b-day at CVON with all of the residents! Don't forget the Halloween party in our garage! But we don't need a crowd or a big event to celebrate. Everyday things like sleepovers, the arrival of fall or good report cards have been a chance for me try to create a party atmosphere.

Whatever the event, nothing says party like a cake! I love cake! I enjoy any chance to bake a cake and pretty much haven't met a cake I don't like. For my party you chose Carrot Cake, what a great choice! That sweet, creamy frosting covering a spicy treasure of goodies. Great with just carrots, some recipes also include nuts, raisins and pineapple. I have several recipes for this yummy favorite, but Uncle Chuck & Auntie Lou made a carrot cake for the two of you that made you fans. So here is the Largent's Carrot Cake recipe. Remember: life is too short, we should have more parties!

Uncle Chuck and Auntie Lou's Carrot Cake

4 beaten eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups grated carrots

Beat eggs one at a time. Mix in sugar and oil. Add flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in grated carrots. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan or two 9 inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting and refrigerate before serving.

Mom's tip: Peel and grate the carrots yourself. You may be tempted to purchase the shredded carrots. Don't do it! Your cake will not be as moist and delicious.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sifted powdered confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy, use a mixer if you've got one. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Don't over do it with the mixing! Store in the refrigerator.

Start planning your next party!