A Haven for Vee

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Blueberry Muffin Day



There was something about my apron collection and the gorgeous day yesterday and, of course, the fresh blueberries waiting in the refrigerator that made it feel like a blueberry muffin day. Such days have to be bright and sunny with low humidity.

I actually couldn't find my favorite apron and then I remembered that it was still hanging over the cupboard door at my mother's. When I called and asked her if she noticed anything out of place in her kitchen, she couldn't think of a thing, but laughed when I asked what was hanging in the corner.

The apron wasn't the only thing that I couldn't find. I spent quite some time looking for my recipe book. With construction going on for over a year, many things have been packed away and the recipe book was one of them. Still, I found it eventually, and despite finding a blueberry cake recipe with the blueberry stains all over it to prove that I have used it many times, I couldn't find a muffin recipe.

The berries had been picked by a friend of my mother's and given to her. My mom, in turn, had brought them back from her vacation and given some to me. The blueberries had been carefully and cleanly picked, but still needed some sorting. One problem was that they were picked and stored in a container much too large, which caused a lot of squashed berries. I hate to see them go, but they make an awful mess unless used in a berry pie. I cleaned even the squashed ones and ate them with cream. No sense in wasting one since blueberries are my favorite berry.

I have a friend who often tells me about the inadequacies of my pantry. She has a point. Yesterday, when I gathered my ingredients, I had no flour, no sugar, and no eggs! The printed recipe that rests on the table is *To Die For Blueberry Muffins from All Recipes.com* I couldn't resist the title. "To Die For" sounds fantastic, doesn't it?!



Using a cookie scoop works perfectly for getting those muffins a uniform size and for less muss and fuss. I can be such a sloppy baker!







The finished product. They really must have been "to die for" since there were none left this morning!

P.S. I am still learning about formatting. Repeated edits in hopes of fixing it have failed so my apologies for those who, like me, find it completely unattractive. I'll keep trying to get it right.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Cross Creek

Right now it's early morning and I am blogging instead of folding the laundry. I don't plan to fold any laundry today either here at my own home or at my parents' home where I am caring for my grandmother. Nan is a good sleeper and loves to sleep in until nine every morning. This gives me the chance to run home for a couple of hours and do whatever needs doing...like blog writing.

We, Nan and I, spend much of our day reading. She is reading a Catherine Cookson novel and I am reading Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Rawlings is perhaps more familiar as the author of The Yearling. Marjorie would have made a wonderful blogger. Cross Creek is the story of her life in Florida. Although not one bit politically correct, it is still rich and wonderful. It was, after all, written in a different time. Nevertheless, I'm loving it.

My book is a vintage volume purchased from Abe Books for a mere dollar. I love the heron embossed in silver on the cover.

Vintage books are lovely things!

Sunday, August 5, 2007

One Chance

Isn't that a great title? It's Paul Pott's new cd title. I have listened to the selections from the cd repeatedly on *Imeem. I can't recommend that site enough lately. I have already purchased the cd from Amazon so I listen to that in the car and to Imeem when working at the computer. It's so soothing. For whatever reason, I don't seem able to cope with frantic or loud music right now. Mellow music like this is just what I enjoy most. You can find the selection in my profile, I believe. I hope that it works for you; if not, I hope that you will sign up at Imeem. It's free!