"sin"amon pumpkin muffins*

Hi y'all.  It's been awhile.  I've missed you.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving (but you probably know that.)  About a month ago, I made an executive decision not to slave away all day cook on Thanksgiving.  I also made an executive decision that my mom wasn't slaving away cooking either.  Along the same line, I decided we weren't doing any dishes for some poor schmuck lovely soul who might be willing to invite us all to dinner.  I was tired after this laborious decision making but I had just enough energy to pick up the phone to make a reservation at Bayside in Corona del Mar.  After that, I patted myself on the back and sat down on the couch to rest.

Quite a few things were behind the ban on cooking this year.  Mainly, this meal seems like SO MUCH WORK, which, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing.  I mean, I like to cook.  I love the process of bringing seemingly random ingredients together and creating amazing delicious dishes for friends and family to enjoy.  But this meal, for me, requires much work with very little payoff.  We have a small crew for Thanksgiving.  The man part of the equation is done eating in 15 minutes.  The littles like nothing about the meal but the turkey/gravy combination.  My mother and I now argue over discuss cornbread stuffing vs. her stuffing.  I don't like pumpkin pie.  Or pecan for that matter.  So I decided to be selfish.  And I feel very good in that decision.

Now that's not to say I didn't cook anything on Thanksgiving.  I got up early and while the children watched Sesame Street Phineas and Ferb :( and the husband went on his 10 mile run (go Sparky!),  I baked these muffins for our first annual "Thanksgiving Day at the Beach."  I love traditions.  And sometimes, we need to create a couple of new ones.

The muffins have a delicious cinnamon surprise center and a crumbly streusel topping.  They go equally well with a cup of coffee or, as I prefer,  a morning mimosa on the sand. 

Pumpkin "Sin"amon Muffins* 

Yields 19 large muffins

Filling:

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

2-3 tablespoons water 

Batter:

1 box spice cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons room temperature butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan with cupcake papers or lightly grease.

Mix topping ingredients well until crumbly.  (I use my clean fingers.)

Prepare filling by mixing all ingredients well with fork or hand mixer.

Prepare batter by mixing with hand mixer on low for 30 seconds.  Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down sides. 

Divide half the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  (I made 19 muffins.)  Dollop approximately 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon filling onto each muffin, then top with remaining batter.  Sprinkle a little topping over each and pressing lightly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and lovely.

Oh, and if you forget to put the topping on the first batch like I did, make this cream cheese frosting, because well, every muffin needs a topper. =)

*People, let's call these what they are-- CUPCAKES! 

now and then i think of all the times you screwed me over.

I'm ever so slightly obsessed with this song right now. (The six year old has asked me repeatedly "Really, Mom? Again?") I'm not sure why as it hasn't any relevance to my (current) life. But I guess at one point or another we've all felt the emotions this song reveals, yes? Plus it's got quite a catchy tune. =)

I'm particular keen on moment 2:33. Happy listening!  (Give the song a full listen, it starts a bit sloooooow.)

i love black too, but...

photo

In my opinion, this dress is a lesson in the unflattering.  How could you do this to your lovely figure?  Gwyneth, I love ya, but boo.

i love color.

My favorite of the night.  And because it's never been said before--wow, her body is smokin'.

photos

cocktail for the soul.

Fill a large plastic tumbler with ice and half of a pineapple, cut into chunks.  (They are small and perfectly ripe here.)  Pour equal parts water* and Hangar One Mandarin Vodka** over the ice/pineapple mixture.  Stab pineapple repeatedly with wooden chopsticks (that you picked up when buying the best ever poke from the Kahuku Superette.)  Sip slowly enjoying the sounds of the waves crashing and/or the sight of the Ohauan sunset from your newly acquired (yet temporary) front yard.  Occasionally, use your mad chopsticking skills to nibble on vodka-drenched pineapple.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Repeat.

* Or soda, if you prefer some bubbles.

**Any old vodka will do. =)

9.11.01

Always remembering.

the accidental crouton.

I was making a salad for dinner because I had a crisper drawer full of romaine, yellow peppers, cucumbers, carrot, fresh mint, red onion and a refrigerator full of not much else.  Sparky is usually down for a salad as dinner as long as there is some sort of meat in it.  Well, I had no meat.  I didn't even have any cheese.  I did have a can of garbanzo beans and three stale onion bagels in a mostly bare pantry.  Hmmmm, I thought, I wonder if I can make a good crouton out of those.  And guess what?  I could and did.  They were actually the best croutons I've ever made, and next to the croutons at The Quiet Woman, they are the best croutons I've ever eaten.  (Great on a salad, but delightful as a snack with a large glass of cab while watching forbidden dvr'd television after littles have gone to bed.)

The Accidental Crouton
Onion bagel(s) (I had Sara Lee Deluxe.)
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut onion bagel into large bite size pieces.  On a rimmed cookie sheet, douse the bagel chunks liberally with olive oil and toss.  Make sure each piece of bagel gets coated in olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and toss again.  Spread out into single layer on the cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 10 to 15 minutes until croutons are golden and crisp on the outside but still soft in the middle.