Of Muffins And Ice

Of Muffins ~

Despite my fears mentioned in my previous post, the muffins turned out fine, they didn't stick much at all. Phew! They turned out pretty good. Not great like I expected. they seemed less sweet after baking. Perhaps they were a bit too eggy for my tastes. But they were well received, and the children are full. That's good enough for me.

Peggy asked why on earth I didn't healthify them. Um ... uh ...

The lame reason is:

Sometimes I get tired of healthifying things. Sometimes I dream of the "Wow, these are great muffins!" rewards of making things chock full of butter, sugar, and fat. And I just cave in, going for the compliment instead of the health.

Which, in this case, didn't really work. I mean, they liked them, but no one raved. No compliments that I'm a great cook, or that these are great muffins. Oh well.

Truth be told, my best bet is to make very healthy muffins and add a half cup of mini chocolate chips to a 24-muffin panful. Which, in my mind, is probably a better compromise anyway. So I guess I'll do that, next time.

But if you want it, here's the recipe for not-so-healthy pretty good muffins:

Lemon-Yogurt Muffins ~

makes 24 square muffins

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 9x13 pan on the sides, and forget to put in the non-stick liner. Oops.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon extract.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the lemon mixture until just blended. Spoon batter into the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. If you're clever and set the psycho timer that does not work, make sure to keep an eye on the muffins and test them with a toothpick.

Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Cut into 24 squares.

Of Ice

These are pictures from the other day. Yesterday, maybe. I lose track. But today started pretty much the same.

The poor rescued daffodils aren't getting a break:

The squill are drooping under the cold and lack of sun:

And the anemone blanda aren't too happy, either:

And now I'm back to the basement for another day ... or hour ... of work.

Posted by Kim at April 6, 2007 9:54 AM